The first round of the Main Tournament had successfully come to a close.
Today, the second round was finally set to begin. Our first match of the day would be between us—having secured a seed—and a team that had advanced from the first round.
Our opponents were a team of third and fourth-years from Mercrose Magic Academy. They had utterly overwhelmed their previous opposition with exceptional magic in the opening round.
Their defensive capabilities in particular were formidable; if we couldn't secure a victory during our turn on defense, the match would almost certainly drag into a third round.
"Alright. Let's do this."
I woke up at dawn, as usual. After performing a thorough check of my physical condition and finding no issues, I set out alone for the Ancient Castle, our designated meeting point.
"The Main Tournament at last."
"Yes. We've finally made it this far."
"Indeed! We shall emerge victorious today as well!"
I met up with Amelia and Ariane, both of whom were in peak condition and high spirits. We had refined our strategy considerably for this match.
That said, we hadn't come up with any particularly unusual tactics.
To decide the match early, a team had to win both on defense and attack. It was obvious that the match would turn into a quagmire if a team specialized in only one. From here on out, victory would belong to whichever team possessed the highest overall capability.
"Ray White... right?"
The opposing team was named Team Aster. Their leader, Aster-senpai, was a fourth-year at Mercrose Magic Academy whose skill was said to be among the very best across all three academies.
Due to the nature of the matches in the Magics Chevalier, he hadn't made an appearance there, but in this tournament, he was utilizing his specialized magical talents to the fullest while being covered by two frontline members.
"Yes. I look forward to our match."
I offered my hand. He looked straight into my eyes and returned the handshake with a firm, powerful grip. His palm was thick and calloused, evidence of diligent training.
"To be honest, I didn't expect your team to make it this far. Moreover, I thought the two girls from the Three Great Noble Families were the primary threats... but you’re the heart of this team, aren't you?"
"That isn't true. We are a team of three."
"Modesty is a virtue, but I am very interested in your skill. Many sorcerers look down on you for being an Ordinary, but I am different. I’m proud to face a sorcerer as distinguished as you."
"I am honored."
I bowed my head, and he gave a light smile and a wave as he walked away.
Though it was our first time speaking, he seemed a true gentleman. That was likely due to the fact that he had faced many hardships himself.
He wasn't from a noble lineage; he came from a common family of sorcerers. However, he was exceptionally talented. Because of that, I had heard rumors that the nobles at his academy didn't have a very favorable impression of him.
Perhaps it was because of his own background that he acknowledged me. The thought crossed my mind briefly.
"Were you talking to him?"
"Yeah. Just a greeting."
"Cody Aster. He’s a sorcerer specialized in magic. It’s well-known that he possesses an Origin Magic. There have even been talks among noble houses about adopting him as a son-in-law through marriage."
"I see."
I listened to Amelia's explanation and found it convincing. In the teams we had faced so far, the only person to use an Origin Magic had been Hartnett-senpai. However, among the current participants, Cody Aster was famous for being a sorcerer who possessed one.
Then, both teams lined up.
The referee for this match was Carol, and she stepped forward to begin the coin toss.
"I’m starting the coin toss now~☆ Which side are you two picking?~"
Carol spoke in her usual high-pitched, syrupy voice. I didn't particularly mind either way, but while I was considering, Aster-senpai yielded the choice to me.
"You may choose as you like. It's a senior's duty to yield to their juniors, after all."
"In that case, tails."
"Okay-dokay! Then, here we go!"
With a light metallic ring, the coin danced through the air. Carol caught it firmly on the back of her hand, and when she pulled her other hand away... the coin showed heads.
"In that case, we choose defense."
"Right! Then, for this match, Team Aster will go in the order of defense, attack, and defense! Team Algren will be in the order of attack, defense, and attack☆ Tee-hee☆"
"..."
It seemed heaven had not sided with us. If I’d had my way, I would have preferred to start on defense, but it appeared we would have to fight Round 1 on a field advantageous to the opponent. I had wanted to dampen their spirits right at the start, but there was nothing to be done about it now.
"Now then, we're entering the preparation phase! Ray-chan and the others, please wait for a bit~"
"Hey. Don't call me that here. This is being broadcasted, isn't it?"
When I whispered that to her, Carol apologized with great exaggeration.
"Ah, sorry~☆ Being with Ray-chan is so much fun that I just couldn't help myself!"
"..."
It was exasperating beyond belief. However, Carol's expression suddenly turned serious.
"Hey, Ray-chan."
"Hey, I told you just now. No careless conversation."
"The cameras are focused on the team that's preparing right now."
Come to think of it, Carol was the one managing the monitors. I was just marveling at how dexterous she was to handle that while also serving as referee when she continued.
"—Ray-chan. You look like you're having fun."
There was a strange amount of emotion packed into those words. When I glanced at her, Carol was smiling at me with great tenderness.
She usually fooled around, but at this moment, Carol seemed like a mature woman appropriate for her age. I didn't dislike her when she was serious. In fact, she looked quite beautiful.
"I suppose so. I believe I am indeed enjoying myself."
"I'm glad you found something precious."
"It's true that making friends has been a precious and irreplaceable experience. However, I also believe that meeting adults like Master, Abby-san, and you, Carol, is just as important to me."
"Ray-chan..."
When I spoke my mind, Carol's eyes welled up with tears, and she suddenly lunged at me for a hug.
"I love you so much! Caro-caro is definitely going to be the one to take your virginity! I'll give you a big kiss! Mwah! Mwah~☆"
Having completely lost control, Carol brought her face very close to mine. What made it worse was that I could have understood if she aimed for the cheek, but she was bringing her face straight toward my lips.
Naturally, I immediately moved to pin her down. But she was one of the Seven Grand Sorcerers; she evaded me without difficulty. Then, she clung to me like a persistent tentacle.
"Hey! Wait! Get off me! Don't play around right before the match!"
"Then is it okay after the match?"
"It's not!"
As we went back and forth, Amelia and Ariane approached and pierced us with their glares.
"I've been thinking, Ray is really close with Carol-sensei... I know they're old acquaintances, but still."
"Indeed... However, is this not going a bit too far?"
I promptly slammed Carol into the ground with an ippon-seoi throw. As if a switch had been flipped because the match preparations were complete, Carol stood up and made the call to start the match as if nothing had happened.
"Now then, the Main Tournament's second round. The match between Team Algren and Team Aster will now begin! The time limit is one hour. Well then—begin!"
At that signal, we immediately infiltrated the Ancient Castle.
I had already memorized the three-dimensional structure of the castle's interior. I also had a general idea of where the opponents would have placed their flag.
As the three of us dashed forward, a dazzling light erupted from the ground. It seemed they had made their move right from the start.
"Ray!"
"Ray, we're going to be separated at this rate!"
Indeed. The light erupted exactly between us, splitting the team; Amelia’s and Ariane’s figures began to blur and fade before my eyes. Presumably, the enemy wanted to isolate me and deal with me alone.
"You two, continue with the plan!"
"Got it!"
"Understood!"
And so, the two of them vanished, enveloped in the dazzling light. At the same moment, the sound of footsteps treading on the stone floor echoed through the hall.
The person who appeared there was him, alone.
"Now then. The nuisances are gone."
"Aster-senpai."
"Now it's one-on-one. I'm very interested in you. While I'm focused on winning, I wanted to fight you head-on like this. Please don't lump me in with Charlotte Hartnett, alright? I don't fall into the trap of complacency."
He wore a gentle smile, but it was a declaration of war. Having been separated so suddenly, our Siege Battle truly began.