Chapter 3

As Satsuki and Tatsuya made their way to school early in the morning, they heard a call of "Tatsuya-kun~~" from behind them that any reasonable bystander would find embarrassing, the voice was accompanied by the rapidly approaching form of a petite individual. "Tatsuya-kun, good morning~ And Satsuki-san as well, good morning."

Compared to Satsuki's greeting, the greeting directed towards himself was quite casual, Tatsuya thought. Then again, perhaps it was due to Satsuki's natural presence that no one really approached her casually, not even the overly friendly Student Council President. However that being said, she was still the 3rd Year Student Council President. "Good morning, President." It was necessary to observe proper protocol, just to be on the safe side.

Immediately following Tatsuya, Satsuki also bowed respectfully. "Good morning," she greeted. As she straightened her back she shot Tatsuya a quick look and he was immediately reminded of the conversation they had the night before.

"Tatsuya, do you know the student council president personally by any chance?" she asked as the two relaxed on the living room couch.

"Not to my recollection, why?" he replied. Satsuki didn't respond immediately.

"She seemed a little too familiar with you today, don't you think?" The warning bells in Tatsuya's head started ringing. She was jealous, even though there was no reason for her to be so. It would be adorable were it not so dangerous. The correct route was to simply agree with anything that she said.

"Yes," he immediately agreed. "Absolutely."

"I would like to speak with Satsuki-san about a few things. I meant to find an opportunity to speak with you in detail earlier but, do you have any plans during lunch break?" Mayumi asked. The comment directed towards Satsuki was spoken in an approachable tone, but on a different level compared to their earlier conversation. Satsuki smiled and replied that they had none, Tatsuya noticed a slight bitterness in her words, perhaps the remnants of the day before? "That's perfect, would you mind coming by the Student council room then? I better hurry, I have a meeting in 20 minutes. I'll see you then! Bring your lunch with you~" She added before hurrying off to school ahead of them.

"She's oddly chipper this early in the morning," Satsuki muttered under her breath. Tatsuya smiled and shook his head. That was true.

Xxx

That day, lunch break seemed to arrive rather quickly.

Tatsuya waited outside Satsuki's classroom, receiving glares from her classmates as they exited but not even they could say anything today. No doubt they'd already heard from someone who heard it from someone else on campus that this time someone far above them had monopolised Satsuki's company. Their destination was at the end of the hallway on the fourth floor. From the outside, they were all the same. They all had the same wooden doors. What was different was the wooden engraving embedded in the door that clearly displayed the words "Student Council Room".

The invitation was for Satsuki, Tatsuya was purely complementary, thus the job of knocking fell to on her shoulders, once they'd declared their presence, Tatsuya placed his hand on the door knob and opened the door, adopting a stance that shielded Satsuki on the way inside. In reality, there was nothing that called for such a response something Tatsuya was well aware of, however it was a behaviour was something deeply ingrained into their daily activities.

"Welcome. Don't mind us, please come in." Mayumi greeted them warmly from the other side of the table.

Satsuki led the way into the room, followed hurriedly by Tatsuya. He stopped one step from the door, with Satsuki was two steps. With both hands slightly before her, Satsuki bowed in greeting, a textbook example of formality. When compared to such a honed movement, Tatsuya had no chance of imitating it. Satsuki's speech and movement patterns were completely different from Tatsuya's after all.

"Eh... No need to be so formal." After watching Satsuki execute a perfect greeting that would not be out of place in a formal gala, Mayumi seemed to shrink a little. Even though there were two other members in attendance, they seemed to be overwhelmed by the atmosphere as well. There was one other person present that was not a member of the Student Council. The representative from the Public Moral Committee wore a mask of composure, but anyone could tell that was a brave front, not to mention a veteran observer like Tatsuya.

She's is quite motivated today, Tatsuya thought. The only thing that puzzled Tatsuya was exactly why Satsuki chose such an intimidation tactic, he couldn't help but think that Mayumi herself was a factor.

"Please sit. We can talk while we eat." Maybe it was because Satsuki's opening salvo rattled her, but Mayumi's voice had changed. Mayumi was seated in the main chair. To her side and directly across from Satsuki sat another 3rd Year female student. One seat over was the Public Moral Committee member, who was across from Tatsuya, and a small petit girl sat next on the other side of the committee member. After regaining her bearings a little, Mayumi began. "Introductions were exchanged at the enrollment ceremony, but just in case, let's go over this again. To my side is our Accountant, Ichihara Suzune, also known as Rin-chan."

"…The only one who calls me that is the President." Every part of her solemn face gave off a stern impression, though with her tall frame and willowy limbs, Suzune would have done full justice to the description of "beauty". It must be admitted that "Rin-chan" fit her profile better than "Suzune".

"The two of you should know the one on Rin-chan's side, right? This is the Chair of the Public Moral Committee Watanabe Mari." Mari didn't say anything. "And following that is our Secretary, Nakajou Azusa, also known as A-chan."

"Student Council President... Please don't call me 'A-chan' in front of the underclassmen. I have my position to think of too." She was even more petite than Mayumi and possessed a childlike face, as a result whenever Azusa directed a teary-eyed face upwards, she unintentionally gave off the impression of a child about to cry.

And that would probably be the reason she is called "A-Chan", Tatsuya thought. That might be too cruel a truth for the person in question.

"The last one would be Vice President Hanzou. And that makes up all the members of the Student Council Committee. Ah, the preparations are complete." The cover to the Dinner Server which was situated in the corner of the room opened, presenting neat and proper meals without a hint of character on a series of trays. There were only five meals.

We're short one… Tatsuya noted, perhaps they did not anticipate his participation. While Tatsuya was processing this, Mari quietly took out a bento box. Seeing Azusa stand up, Satsuki also began to rise in her seat however Tatsuya immediately stopped her and went himself instead. An act that did not go unnoticed. As its name implied, the Dinner Server was capable of producing meals, but without a matching table set, it was more efficient to manually bring the trays over. Azusa first put her tray on the table, then brought Mayumi and Suzune's portions as well. Following that, Tatsuya carried over the two trays for Satsuki and himself, and with that a most interesting lunch began.

"Did you make that bento yourself, Watanabe-senpai?" Satsuki's intention simply to initiate a conversation.

"Yes, are you surprised?" However when asked, Mari replied with a teasing question of her own that was difficult to answer. In reality, Mari did not intend to torment Satsuki, but wanted to play a small joke on this seemingly sensible and polite underclassman. However it didn't seem to work in the slightest, in fact it backfired on her.

"Perhaps just a little," Satsuki replied with a smile and wink that made Mari blush. "Tatsuya, let's start bringing bentos of our own tomorrow." When Satsuki spoke as if nothing had happened, Tatsuya also shifted his line of sight.

"Why do I have a feeling that it'll end up with me doing all the clean up while you cook?" Tatsuya replied jokingly, after all, there were machines for such things.

Satsuki crinkled her nose at him. "That just cause you're a terrible cook," she snapped back. Tatsuya smiled warmly at her.

"Satsuki's bentos certainly are incredible, but where would we eat them? I really don't want to end up sharing my lunch with Leo or Erika," he added, she giggled.

"Haha, that's true, they seem like the type don't they? We would be fending off their chopsticks the entire meal." Their dialogue, not only the contents, but the atmosphere itself, seemed a little too intimate for a pair who claimed to just be childhood friends.

"…Just like a pair of lovers." Suzune adopted a smile that was not a smile, and dropped an explosive comment. Satsuki flinched and her smile dropped at the reminder of her late fiancé, it'd been 3 years but the wounds he left were still fresh. Tatsuya's eyes narrowed and everyone else in the room also noticed her sudden discomfort.

"Is that so? Well I don't particularly mind, out of everyone that I've met Satsuki is the one person I find myself most compatible with. Above all, she's quite beautiful don't you think? If we weren't best friends, we would be lovers, don't you agree?" Tatsuya calmly countered and quickly defused the explosion. Satsuki, knowing that he was making a joke, rolled her eyes. However from everyone else's expressions it was more likely accidentally detonated it. Azusa's cheeks were completely red, Tatsuya mirrored Suzune's earlier "smile" and calmly continued. "…Of course, that was a joke." His face was not disturbed in the slightest.

"You, are quite boring," Mari said in an exasperated tone.

"I think so too." Tatsuya replied in an even manner that made Satsuki giggle, seeing that her smile had return was like a breath of fresh air.

"Ok, Ok, let's end this subject here. Mari, I know it's tough to swallow, but Tatsuya-kun is just a difficult person to handle." Mayumi intervened with a slightly bitter smile, perhaps because she foresaw that this conversation would go on perpetually.

"Your expressions are so deadpanned, no one can tell wether you're joking or not," Satsuki told Tatsuya affectionately.

"It's about time we get to the point." Both Tatsuya and Satsuki nodded upon hearing Mayumi's words. "Just as our school places heavy emphasis on self determination, the Student Council has been granted vast powers within the confines of the school. Not only our school, but most public high schools have also adopted a similar method. Our Student Council uses the traditional method of concentrating the power and authority in the president. This presidential style can also be described as extreme centralization."

Hearing these words triggered some unease, though this would probably be discourteous to Mayumi. Tatsuya tightly clasped his fist under the table, noticing this Satsuki placed one hand over his.

"The president is elected by the student body, the other members are appointed by the president. With a few exceptions, the president has the right of appointment and removal for all officers. The Chair of the Public Moral Committee is one of those exceptions. The Student Council, the Club Management Group, and the teachers each select a representative to determine this position. And because of this, on some level I holds the same authority Mayumi do. Under the rules, the president has a term period, but the others do not. The term lasts from October 1 to September 30 of the next year. Between this time, the president has the right of appointment and removal for all officers," Mari added.

Tatsuya did not interrupt, but merely nodded to indicate he understood, however he was waiting for them to get to the point.

"There is an annual tradition to invite the 1st Year representative to the Student Council, with the intent of training them to become the successor. Hopefully, the 1st Year representative will be elected to be the next Student Council President. Although it is not a guarantee, this has been the case for the past 5 years. So… Satsuki-san, I hope you can enter the Student Council. Are you willing to accept?"

Satsuki's expression did not change nor did it give anything away. However Tatsuya knew that joining the Student council let alone being groomed to be the next Student Council president was not something she would willing do. If Satsuki had any choice in the matter, Tatsuya already knew her response would be 'No, can't be bothered'. However she had no such freedom. Taking a breath, Satsuki looked down at her hands, before raising her eyes towards Tatsuya in question. I really don't want to, her eyes said. But I don't really have a choice do I?

Tatsuya shrugged, suppressed his own feelings, he didn't want to force her into anything she didn't want to. But perhaps accepting the position would ease some of the pressure on her. She should accept… To convey this he slightly nodded his head. Satsuki lowered her head again before raising it. This time however, her eyes were lit in the manner of someone about to take a plunge. Recognising the look in her eyes, Tatsuya braced himself.

"President, are you aware of Tatsuya's entrance examination scores?" At this completely unexpected development, it was all Tatsuya could do to remain silent.

"Hm, I know of it. Truly incredible... To be honest, when I stole a glance at the teacher's results, even I lost confidence," Mayumi replied.

"If the student council accepts students with high test scores and outstanding abilities, I believe Tatsuya fits the criteria as well."

"Wait, Sa-" began Mayumi.

"And in terms of Desk Work (Theoretical Manipulation), I believe that has nothing to do with practical skills and grades. In other words, knowledge and judgment are more important." For Satsuki to not allow the other person, other than Tatsuya, to finish their sentence and bulling right over them was quite the rare occurrence. "I am honoured to receive an invitation to the Student Council. However, I sincerely believe that in this situation that Tatsuya is far more qualified than I will ever be."

Tatsuya really wanted to cover his face and look skywards. She intended to foist the position and responsibility and work that came with it onto him, how did he not see this coming? Instead of blatant nepotism it was pure avoidance on her part.

"Alas, this is not possible." The one who answered was not the President, but the council member sitting to her side. "Student Council members must be selected from Course 1 students. This is not an unwritten rule, but an enumerated one. This is the only clause that is attached to the right of appointment and removal for the president. To change this requires a special amendment meeting with the attendance of the full student body and carried by a two-thirds majority. Since the number of Course 1 and Course 2 students are practically equal, this is realistically impossible." Suzune said softly in a tone that was slightly apologetic. From her voice, it was obvious that she too was someone that was against the differential treatment between Blooms and Weeds.

Satsuki looked back down at her hands, to others it seemed to be in repentance however Tatsuya knew better. "...I apologize. I said all of that without understanding the situation. Please forgive me." She could only frankly admit her mistake, Satsuki rose to her feet and bowed deeply in apology, but no one reprimanded her.

"In that case, Satsuki will join the current Student Council with the title of secretary, is that acceptable?"

"Yes, I will work hard to fulfill my duties. Please look after me." Satsuki lowered her head again, but this time it was more out of being polite than apologetic. Mayumi nodded at Satsuki with a smile on her face.

"You can get the details from A-chan."

"As I just said, President... Please stop calling me A-chan…" was the feeble reply.

"If there are no complications, can you come today after school?" Completely ignoring the tearful protests on the side, Mayumi continued her conversation.

"Of course," Satsuki replied, her voice showing no indication of the reluctance that she harboured.

"Then I'll see you then, Satsuki-san."

"Hey~ Why am I called 'A-chan', while she's called 'Satsuki-san'…?" On some level this was a valid question, but was once again ignored. Tatsuya started to pity Azusa a little.

"...There is still a little time left until the end of lunch break. May I say something?" The reason that everyone ignored Azusa, and not out of spite or mischievousness either, was probably because everyone's attention was directed towards the hand Mari raised in the air. "The roster for the Public Moral Committee still has one empty spot that has not been filled."

"I just said that we are still reviewing possible candidates. Besides, school just started a week ago, right? There's no need to hurry, Mari." Displeased with Mari's hastiness, Mayumi admonished her. However, Mari didn't seem to care.

"I think, according to the rules of the student council, all members aside from the president must be Course 1 students, right?"

"Yes." Mayumi nodded in confirmation while her expression said that it couldn't be helped.

"Only Course 1 students are allowed to fill the positions of Vice President, Accountant, Secretary, and related roles, right?"

"Yes. The rules stipulate that the council is made up of the President, Vice president, Accountant, and Secretary roles."

"In other words, there is no restriction for bringing a Course 2 student into the Public Moral Committee."

"Mari, you…" Mayumi's eyes widened, while Suzune and Azusa both wore similarly shocked expressions. This proposal was every bit as surprising as Satsuki's earlier suggestion.

"NICE!"

"Ah?" Coinciding with Mayumi's delighted outburst, Tatsuya let out a dull surprise.

"Yes, there's no problem with the Public Moral Committee. Mari, the Student Council nominates Shiba Tatsuya as Public Moral Committee member." An unexpected development happened within an instant.

"Wait a minute! Shouldn't you take into account my thoughts on the matter? Also, you haven't told me what the duties of a Public Moral Committee member consists of." Rather than objecting from a logical perspective, it was more important to listen to the instincts that warned of a dangerous development.

"We didn't really go into detail about Satsuki-san's duties on the Student Council, correct?"

"…No, that's true, but..." Unfortunately, Tatsuya's objection was immediately countered by Suzune's comment.

"Eh, Rin-chan, this is fine. Tatsuya-kun, the job of the Public Moral Committee is to uphold the public moral on campus."

"...Is that all?"

"While the job doesn't come with any sense of accomplishment, and is also quite troublesome... Err, it's still a rewarding task?" Disregarding the fact that Mayumi tried to hide her words behind her smile. The more important thing was that Tatsuya didn't think they were going to listen to him seriously regardless.

"That wasn't what I meant."

"Ah, OK. The primary duties of the Public Moral Committee are to identify those that use magic against school rules and to subjugate those that use magic on campus to cause a disturbance. After the Public Moral Committee member decides the necessary punishment, he or she will present before the Disciplinary Committee alongside the President and Student Representative. In short, they are both the police and the prosecutor."

"Isn't that wonderful, Tatsuya," Satsuki remarked her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No, Satsuki... Please wait a little before giving off that 'Then it's decided' look in your eyes…" Perhaps it would be better to have described it as a 'If I have to do this bullshit, so do you' look. "Just in case, let me clarify a few things." Tatsuya was not focused on Azusa who just finished her explanations, but on Mari instead. "According to the earlier explanation, the Public Moral Committee member's mission is to halt any conflicts upon discovery, correct?"

"Well, that's true. We also intercede on non-magical conflicts," she replied. "Also, if magic was used, our intervention is mandatory. If possible, it'd be best if the conflict was resolved prior to use of magic."

"That's my point! My technical grade is terrible, and on top of that, I'm a Course 2 student!" Finally, even Tatsuya started to raise his volume. This task clearly requires overwhelming magical prowess to subjugate the opponent. No matter from what angle of consideration, this task was not suited for Course 2 students with poor technical skills. However, despite Tatsuya's questioning, Mari remained completely unperturbed and replied with a simple comment.

"It's not a problem."

"What are you saying?"

"In competitions of power, I will handle it..."

Tatsuya suppressed any unreasonable feelings and nodded his head. Beside him, Satsuki who had remained relatively quiet throughout the meeting groaned, finally, would she put a stop to this nonsense. However, instead she said.

"Have you ever drunk so much water at once that your stomach makes swishing noises inside your tummy when you move?"

"...no," Tatsuya's expression didn't change. However everyone else had a small smile on their lips."Why did you drink so much?"

"Unlike you, I get nervous and this was a very emotionally taxing meeting."

"Lunch break is almost over. Let's save the rest for after school, any objection?" Maru suggested. It was true that lunch break was about to end, and doubly true that this subject could not simply be glossed over.

"…I understand." Tatsuya had lost his last chance to object thanks to Satsuki's interruption. He fully understood that if he entered this room after school, he would have to enter this quagmire again, but he didn't have any other choice.

"Then we'll meet again here."

Satsuki resisted the urge to whisper 'sucks to be you'.

Xxx

After school, Tatsuya headed towards the Student Council room, dragging even heavier footsteps than during lunch break. Although the atmosphere surrounding the circumstances was a little pitiful, because Satsuki could understand Tatsuya's feelings, she remained silent. Immediately upon entering the room, there was a sharp gaze tinged with hostility. The source came from the opposite side of the machine in the wall, in a seat that was unoccupied during lunch break.

"Excuse us!"

It was hard to say whether it was out of sorrow or pride, but Tatsuya was already accustomed to this type of gaze and atmosphere. He maintained his poker face, bowed in silence, and with that the hostile gaze dissipated like rainclouds before the sun. Even then, it wasn't as if the hostility had disappeared completely, more like the previous hostile gaze was now directed in a more favorable light towards Satsuki, who now stood protectively in front of him.

The owner of this gaze stood up and walked towards them. No, more like walked towards Satsuki. Tatsuya remembered his face. On the day of enrolment, he was the 2nd Year student standing closely behind Mayumi as if awaiting orders, thus making him the Student Council Vice President. The Vice President stood roughly as tall as Tatsuya. The difference was that his shoulders were a little narrower. He had a handsome visage that did not warrant additional words to describe, and an unremarkable build. He did not give off a robust impression, but from the way psion light densely clung to the air around his body, he must be a young man with considerable Magic Power.

"I am the Vice President, Hattori Gyoubu. Shiba Satsuki, welcome to the Student Council." His voice was a little abnormal, but considering his age he was probably suppressing any personal reaction.

Hattori returned to his seat while completely ignoring Tatsuya. A displeased aura was gathering around Satsuki, but that too disappeared in an instant. The only one who noticed was probably Tatsuya, thanks to his proximity. Thankfully she managed to control her temper. The Vice President was completely unaware of Tatsuya's worries — though that shouldn't be surprising, given they just met — or the source them. Just then, two very casual greetings flew in.

"Ah, you're here. Welcome, Satsuki-san. You too, Tatsuya-kun. Good work." From the way Mari casually raised a hand in greeting, she was already treating Tatsuya as one of them. Mayumi was the complete opposite. Her attitude was much different from before. Then again, most groups would be upset if an outsider were to intrude, although no outburst actually happened. Tatsuya, much like everyone else, had long since arrived at the conclusion that trying to understand these two was a hopeless cause.

"In that case, no need to delay. A-chan, if you please."

"…Yes." It appeared that she already gave up. For a moment, Azusa's head drooped with a sad expression before she put on a wooden smile and led Satsuki towards the terminal on the side.

"Well, let's be off." Mari instructed, it hasn't even been a whole day yet and she's already speaking so casually. Maybe flightiness is part of her character, Tatsuya thought.

"Where to?" Then again, Tatsuya's background was not privileged enough for him to care about anyone else's word choice. He replied in the shortest, most efficient method possible.

"Public Moral Committee headquarters. There's a lot of things you need to see firsthand to understand. It's located directly underneath this room. That being said, they're both connected." After Mari finished speaking, Tatsuya took a breath before replying.

"...That's quite the strange design."

"I thought so too." As she was saying this, Mari began to stand up. But just as she was about to leave the chair, a comment stopped her.

"Watanabe-senpai, please wait a minute." The voice came from Vice President Hattori. Upon hearing this, Mari replied in a manner that to this day Tatsuya still cannot get used to.

"Is something the matter, Hattori Gyoubushoujou Hanzou?"

"Please don't address me by my full name!"

Tatsuya glanced at Mayumi. Seeing Tatsuya's gaze, Mayumi tilted her head with a "Hm?"

You're telling me that "Hanzou" is actually his real name... Completely. Unexpected.

"Then let's go with Vice President Hattori Hanzou."

"Please call me Hattori Gyoubu!"

"That's your family's official title, isn't it."

"It has nothing to do with the title now. The school has already accepted the name 'Hattori Gyoubu'! ...No, that's not what I wanted to say."

"That's because you're too formal, isn't it?"

"Ok, ok, Mari, Hanzou also has things he won't back down from." Everyone's gaze fell towards the speaker, Mayumi. You're hardly qualified to say that. But Mayumi had no reaction at all. Probably because she didn't realize it.

More to the point, why hadn't Hattori said anything? This was slightly different than not being accustomed to speaking with the President. Even when confronting Mari, Hattori's expression had not changed. But compared to his expression then, Tatsuya found that to be very interesting. Of course, that was only under the condition that he was a spectator. Alas, the time allotted to a spectator is very short.

"Watanabe-senpai, the topic I wanted to speak with you about is precisely regarding the replacements for the Public Moral Committee." The blood that had originally caused Hattori's face to flush completely red had now receded. Just like the slow-motion screening for an animation, Hattori had calmed himself.

"What?"

"I object to you appointing this 1st Year student to the Public Moral Committee." When Hattori stated his opinion, he was either perfectly calm, or was forcibly holding his emotions in check.

Mari's eyebrows wrinkled slightly, and that did not appear to be an act. Tatsuya couldn't tell if she was merely surprised or irritated by this. "What is this nonsense? The one who nominated Shiba Tatsuya-kun is President Saegusa. Even though it was verbal, the right of appointment remains with her alone."

"I have heard that the receiving party has not agreed. Despite the nomination, the matter is unofficial until he personally agrees."

"That is up to Shiba Tatsuya-kun himself. The President has already elaborated on the decision of the Student Council. The final decision is his, not yours." Mari's eyes were on Hattori while she said this. Hattori never looked at Tatsuya. Or maybe it would be more correct to say that he was ignoring Tatsuya's presence.

Watching these two people, Suzune was very calm, Azusa was very nervous, and Mayumi was completely unreadable, sitting there with a traditional smile on her face. Satsuki was staring at the terminal on the side with a subtle expression on her face. However, she was probably a hair trigger away from exploding at any time. For entirely different reasons, both Tatsuya and Azusa were growing very worried.

"There is no precedence for appointing a Weed to the Public Moral Committee." Hattori's rebuttal was laced with the derogatory term. Upon hearing this, Mari slightly raised an eyebrow.

"That's a taboo term, Vice President Hattori. A taboo term as banned by the Public Moral Committee. You have a lot of nerve using that in front of me, the Chair of the Public Moral Committee."

Facing Mari's reprimand, warning, or maybe a little of both, Hattori showed no sign of weakness. "You can ban that term all you want. Do you plan on punishing a third of the entire student body? The difference between Blooms and Weeds is something that is written into the school system and acknowledged by the school itself. The source of the difference between Blooms and Weeds is the difference in ability. Public Moral Committee members are responsible for the task of subjugating students that break school rules. A Weed with inferior abilities is incapable of accomplishing that task." To Hattori's proud assertion, Mari only smiled coldly.

"It is true that the Public Moral Committee is ability-based, but ability comes in many forms. If we need to use strength for suppression, that's what I'm here for. Even if I'm up against 10 or even 20 opponents, I can handle them alone. In this school, the only people that can go 1 on 1 against me are President Saegusa and Club Management Group Leader Juumonji. According to you, the people with low combat capability are unnecessary. So, do you plan to challenge me, Vice President Hattori?" The only way that Mari would say this was because of her confidence and combat record. However, despite slightly backing down before this enormous pressure, Hattori had no plans to surrender.

"This isn't my problem. It's about his ability to adapt." The bottom line was that Hattori believed his stance was correct. Course 2 students with inferior abilities could not handle the responsibilities of the Public Moral Committee that were so heavily reliant on ability. The fact that no Course 2 student had ever been appointed to the Public Moral Committee also supported this. In spite of this, Mari's confidence surpassed Hattori.

"Did I not say that ability comes in many forms? Tatsuya-kun can read the activation sequence and thus accurately predict the magic being invoked with his eyes and brain."

"…What did you say?" Upon hearing this unexpected detail, Hattori reflexively asked. Rather than saying this was unexpected, it would be more appropriate to say this was impossible to believe. Reading the activation sequence. This by all rights should be impossible. For Hattori, that was "common sense".

"In other words, even before the magic has been invoked, he already knows what magic his opponent is using." However, Mari's answer did not change. This was the truth, was definitely possible, and Mari had no doubts whatsoever as she said it. "According to our school rules, depending on the type of magic used, the level of punishment also changes. Unfortunately, if we were to disrupt the activation sequence before invocation like Mayumi did, there is no way to tell what magic was originally used. If we waited until the activation sequence finished, then that would defeat the entire purpose. Thus it is safer to disrupt magic during the activation sequence. Without any definite accusation of wrong doing, the only thing we can charge them with is attempted disruption and the subsequent lighter punishment. But with Tatsuya, we can properly catch those that have been using stronger magics."

"…But, if he ran across an actual crime scene, and was unable to stop the magic invocation..." Hattori could not overcome his shock, but still managed to rebut.

"In that case, it would be beyond a 1st Year Course 1 student anyways. And probably beyond 2nd Year students as well. How many people do you know that are able to invoke second and still manage to deny their opponent from invoking first? Besides that, there is still one more reason I want him to join the Public Moral Committee." Mari tabled the first reason and started another. No matter what, Hattori couldn't come up with a counter argument on the spot. "To this day there is no Public Moral Committee member that comes from Course 2 students. In other words, Course 2 students that improperly use magic against school rules are apprehended by Course 1 students. As you said, there is a wide divide between Course 1 and Course 2 students. Course 1 students can apprehend Course 2 students, but the reverse is not true. This configuration has only served to widen that divide. I do not like it that the committee members under my command are only serving to widen this differential impression."

"Ah... Quite impressive, Mari. You have even taken this into account? I thought you only cared about Tatsuya-kun."

"Please be quiet, President." Mayumi wanted to change the surrounding atmosphere, but was stopped by Suzune. A reproachful look. A shaking head. The former was from Mayumi, the latter from Suzune. And so, two conflicting emotions were mixed together into one inseparable whole, and came bursting out with resentment.

"President… as the Vice-President, I object to appointing Shiba Tatsuya as a Public Morals Committee member. While I accept that Chair Watanabe has got a point in her assertion, the original mission of a Public Morals Committee member is to uncover and subjugate the school rule breakers. A Course 2 student who is lacking in magic ability can't perform the duties of a Public Morals Committee member. Such a misplaced appointment will surely damage your reputation as the President. Please reconsider."

"Enough." Tatsuya turned around frantically. Just as he had feared, Satsuki could no longer bear with it. Absorbed in Mari's speech, he had missed the right timing to restrain her. While he frantically attempted to preemptively stop her, Satsuki, who had started speaking, was faster. "This may sound audacious, Vice-President. Tatsuya's practical magic results may indeed be unfavourable, but that was merely because the practical test was not effective in gauging his strength. In a real battle, he would not lose to anyone, especially not you."

On hearing those words that were filled with certainty, Mari's eyes widened a little. Mayumi's faint smile disappeared as well, and her serious eyes turned towards Satsuki and Tatsuya. However, the seriousness in the gaze Hattori returned on Satsuki became thinner.

"Kagakure-san. Regardless of what happens, a Magician must make judgments calmly and logically. Individual bias may be unavoidable for a normal person, but for one who is aiming to become a Magician, please bear in mind that you should not let your individual bias cloud your judgment." There was no kindness felt in the admonishment. He was probably just acting as an excellent "Upperclassman" who, despite his self-righteousness, was looking after his junior of the same Course 1. But, under these circumstances, Tatsuya seemed to know that such a manner of speaking would cause the opposite effect.

Sure enough, Satsuki was getting increasingly heated up. "Pardon me for saying so, but my judgment is not clouded! If Tatsuya could use more of his power... he could!" Satsuki's eyes suddenly lit up.

Oh dear, Tatsuya thought to himself.

"Vice-President Hattori, why don't we have a mock battle?" she suggested. Tatsuya wanted to walk over to the nearest wall and slam his head repeatedly against it, why didn't he see this coming? It was Satsuki after all and this was exactly something she would do.

"What…?" The people who were lost for words from the surprise request were not limited to the challengee, Hattori, alone. Mayumi, and also Mari, looked at the two of them in dumbfounded amazement from the unexpected daring everyone's gaze, Hattori's body started quivering. "I tried to warn you Kagakure-san! Please do not insult me, for me to fight against a mere reserve!" A small smile appeared on Satsuki's lips. "What's so funny?!"

"A Magician should remain calm at all times, isn't that right senpai?" She asked her voice dripping with honey, Tatsuya rolled his eyes.

"Kuh!" Having his own words thrown back at him in ridicule, Hattori held his breath. Satsuki didn't want to stop there. She did not feel like stopping, sensing this Tatsuya finally stepped in.

"Satsuki," he cautioned, stepping between them. "As it is, I think that we won't know each other's anti-personnel battle skill without fighting. It's not like I want to become a Public Morals Committee member but… if it's for proving that the one who's most precious to me's judgment is not clouded, then it cannot be helped." To his upperclassman, judging by the term he used to describe Satsuki, he seemed to be mumbling to himself. To Hattori however, it sounded like a challenge.

"...Fine. I'll give you a good lesson on what it is to know your place." It was not just his mouth that had betrayed his agitation. His controlled tone, on the contrary, indicated the depth of his anger. Without a moment's delay, Mayumi interjected.

"As the Student Council President, I authorize the formal mock battle match between 2nd Year Class B, Hattori Gyoubu and 1st Year Class E, Shiba Tatsuya."

"On the basis of the Student Council President's declaration, as the Chair of Public Morals Committee, I recognise that the match between the two of you as a legitimate extracurricular activity in abidance of the school rules. The time of the match will be thirty minutes from now, at the third practice room. The match will be a private one, and I authorise the use of CADs by both sides." It was a measure to prevent the match from becoming a brawling incident — an act of violence forbidden by the school rules. On the declaration from Mayumi and Mari with solemn expressions and nonchalant voices, Azusa started typing furiously into the terminal.

Xxx

"It's just the third day of school, just my third day of high school and already I'm in a fight…" Tatsuya grumbled just before the door to the third practice room after retrieving his CAD case in exchange for the approval letter stamped with the student council president's stamp.

"I'd apologise…" Satsuki began, her hands together behind her back as she chewed at the inside of one of her cheeks.

"You're tone says otherwise," Tatsuya pointed out, she shrugged.

"Well, technically it's my fault…" She refused to meet his eyes, placing a hand under her chin he lifted her line of sight to see the anger still festering inside of her.

"I said this too during the school entrance ceremony, right? I always feel that I'm being saved by you whenever you get angry in my place, when I am unable to get angry myself." Satsuki rolled her eyes, making his smile. "Don't apologise then. Now is the time to say something more appropriate."

"Yes… go kick some arse." Getting on the tips of her toes Satsuki planted a kiss on his cheek and smiled. In similar fashion, Tatsuya smiled as well and opened the door to the practice room.

"This is surprising." Upon opening the door, this was the line said to him.

"What is?" The one who was receiving Tatsuya at the door, was the appointed judge for this match, Mari.

"I was referring to your unexpected enthusiasm at fighting. I thought you were one who wasn't bothered by the remarks of others." Even while she was talking about her surprise, her eyes were sparkling with anticipation. A deep sigh welled up in his throat, but Tatsuya, with his steel-like self-restraint — describing it in this manner may be a little exaggerating but — swallowed it anyway.

"I thought it was the job of a Public Morals Committee member to stop personal fights." Instead of a sigh, he couldn't help but let loose a somewhat sarcastic remark.

While there was not a single sign of Mari rebutting that. "This is not a personal fight. It's a formal match. Mayumi said it too, didn't she? The rule of strength is not something applied between the Course 1 and Course 2 students. Rather, it is something applied between Course 1 students themselves. This is the very first time we are using such a method to settle things between a Course 1 and Course 2 student, you see."

I see. On the contrary, it is encouraged to settle disagreements by force if they can't be settled by words alone, Tatsuya bought to himself. As if reading his mind, Satsuki giggled. "Didn't the number of 'formal matches' increase ever since you became the Chair of the Public Morals Committee, senpai?"

"Indeed, it did increase." Her calm attitude caused not just Tatsuya, but even Satsuki who was waiting behind him to smile wryly. Then, Mari suddenly turned serious and brought her face close. "Well, are you confident?" At a distance where he could hear her breathing, she asked in a whisper. "Hattori is skilled enough to be among the top five in our school. If I have to say, he's more inclined towards group battles, and individual fights are not his specialty, but still, there is hardly anyone who can win against him in one-on-one." In an alluring high pitch voice, Mari whispered those words which were devoid of any sexual charm.

"I'm not thinking of fighting him head on." Without the slightest sign of wavering, Tatsuya replied in a voice which could be said to be more a mechanical than cold.

"You are pretty calm... I've lost a little confidence." While saying that, Mari was clearly amused. Without saying anything else, Tatsuya gave a vague nod. "At a time like this, if your face turns red, which will make you cuter, the number of people who will lend you their strength will increase, I think." Grinning as she stepped back, Mari then walked to the starting line in the centre. "What a troublesome fella..."

She's probably the type who would seek chaos in order and bring about order in chaos, thought Tatsuya. To a person living in tranquility, she was a troublemaker. While letting out his first sigh at his human relationships, which were filled with remarkable ups and downs ever since entering this school, he opened his CAD case. The black attaché case contained a pair of CADs in the shape of handguns. He took out one of them, pulled out a cartridge shape from the place where a magazine would be lodged into a real gun, and exchanged it for something else. Except for Satsuki, everyone watched him intently with deep interest. "Sorry for the wait."

"Do you always carry additional storage cartridges with you?"

The number of activation sequences that could be used with a Specialized CAD was limited. In contrast to the Generalized CAD which could store up to ninety-nine types of Activation Sequences without regard to the systems of magic, the Specialized CAD could only store nine. To remedy this disadvantage, CAD devices that could store alternate, exchangeable Activation Sequences were developed, but since Specialized CADs were originally intended for Magicians who were strong in specific Magic Sequences, the need for an increased arsenal of magic was not too high. More often than not, even when multiple storage were carried, most still relied on using one type of magic. However, from Tatsuya's answer to Mari's curiosity, it would have been safe to assume he belonged to the minority.

"Yes, I am unable to smoothly operate the Generalized CAD as I can't cope well with them." Hattori, who was standing across from him, sneered slightly upon hearing this, but this did not impact Tatsuya's mindset in the slightest.

"Alright, allow me to explain the rules. In terms of either direct or indirect attacks, lethal attacks are forbidden. Techniques that deal permanent disabilities to the opponent are also forbidden. Abilities that cause direct harm to the physical body are forbidden. However, direct attacks that do not result in anything greater than bone fractures are permitted. No weapons at any time. Unarmed combat is allowed. If you plan on using kicking techniques, please remove your shoes and change into the school's soft boots. The condition for defeat is when the judge has determined one side is unable to continue the battle. Both sides please move behind your respective starting lines, and do not activate your CAD until I give the signal. Breaking the rules results in an automatic defeat. I will use my full strength to stop it, so remember that. That is all."

Both Tatsuya and Hattori nodded at this, walked towards the starting lines that were five meters apart, and stood facing one another. Hattori's expression was more solemn than mocking or challenging, but his face still betrayed an easy-going demeanor.

The initial position was out of physical reaching distance. Even if the opponent possessed the charging power of a professional soccer player, magic was still faster at this distance. Because this was a magic-based contest, the side with the superior magical attack would naturally have the advantage. In this situation, the one who invoked their magic first would usually win. Even if the initial attack did not completely defeat the opponent, some degree of damage was unavoidable. There were very few people that had the mental discipline to absorb magical damage and still calmly work their magic. Since sustaining magical damage also disrupted the magic creation process, as long as one continued to attack, victory was assured.

Also, under the condition that both sides activated their CADs at the same time, Hattori firmly believed that he, a Course 1 student, had no chance of losing against an upstart Course 2 student. CAD was a tool that minimized casting time. Even if someone tried to secretly use a non-CAD based magical ability before the starting signal, it would still be no match against the CAD's speed. On top of that, how quickly one could invoke their magic using a CAD made up the bulk of an individual's magic technical score. This was the defining difference between Course 1 and Course 2 students. Tatsuya held a handgun-shaped Specialized CAD. Hattori wore a traditional bracelet-shaped Generalized CAD. Specialized CADs had the advantage in speed, while Generalized CADs had the advantage in versatility. Nonetheless, even if Specialized CADs had a speed advantage over Generalized CADs, that alone could not overcome the difference between Course 1 and Course 2 students. And the opponent was a new student. Hattori's conclusion was that there was absolutely no way that he could lose, a consideration that was neither conceited nor overconfident.

Tatsuya pointed the CAD he held in his right hand towards the floor, And waited for Mari's signal. The simulation room returned to complete silence. Just as that silence was about to fill every corner of the room...

"…Begin!"

The "formal match" between Tatsuya and Hattori officially began. Hattori slid his right hand over the CAD. While the action only consisted of tapping three key points, not a single spare movement was wasted. Originally, his specialisation was in medium-ranged wide area attack magic. If anything, when it came to one-on-one close quarter matches, they were not his forte. But even so, since entering high school the year before, Hattori still stood undefeated in battle. While he might have yielded before the Big Three which consisted of Mari, a specialist in both individual and group anti-personnel combat, Mayumi, who could freely employ astounding, high-speed, high precision shooting magic, and Juumonji, a club captain who had gained a peculiar title known as "Iron Wall", Hattori had the confidence that he could hold his own against other students or even groups of teachers. That pride did not come from overconfidence. The simplistic Activation Sequence that heavily relied on speed was already complete, and in a flash, Hattori had already entered the Magic Invocation stage. At this moment, he almost let out a cry of surprise.

His opponent, that arrogant 1st Year student, was somehow close enough to fill his entire vision. He hurriedly changed his target, and prepared to unleash his magic. Any opponent caught by this magic would be flung back over a dozen meters and knocked unconscious by the impact, ending the battle. But, the magic ended without invoking. A powerful "wave motion" approached Hattori, who was too busy looking left and right for his opponent, from the flank. Three consecutive wave motions. Each overlapped with one another inside Hattori's body, causing massive swaying to break out that ultimately resulted in Hattori losing consciousness.

Victory was decided in an instant. The entire match lasted less than 5 seconds, and could be appropriately described as an instant win. In front of Tatsuya's CAD, Hattori keeled over.

"…Winner, Shiba Tatsuya." Mari cautiously announced the name of the winner.

There was not a trace of joy on the winner's face. That expression was appropriate for someone who had merely arrived at the expected result. He gave a short bow, then walked towards the table that held the CAD cases. It wasn't just his posture; he was wholly uninterested in his victory. The sound of someone slowly clapping to his victory echoed throughout the practice room, as expected when Tatsuya turned around, he saw that it was Satsuki. It was only when he met her eyes did he smile.