Chapter 23

Returning from their matriculation ceremony, Yuuji and Aika returned to their home along with Tatsuya and Miyuki. They planned on testing the CADs Yuuji and Aika received from the Group Chat using the technology they have in the basement of their home.

And after they finished, Yuuji asked him if he would teach him how to do maintenance and the basics of CADs as well as the basics of programming a spell into it while he checked their CADs.

After all, in terms of technical knowledge, Yuuji knew very well that Tatsuya was a master in this field, and he didn't want to miss this valuable chance to learn more about the technology in this world that he might be able to reproduce to some extent in his world.

They stayed in the lab for hours, and by the end of it, Yuuji was able to perform a basic checkup and maintenance of his own and Aika's CAD as well as program a simple spell into his own.

"I'm truly surprised… You learn things very quickly, Yuuji."

"Ahahaha… It's thanks to my "Accelerated Learning Speed '' and "Programming Proficiency"."

Yuuji stretched his arms up and leaned back to his seat. Though his body didn't hurt, there was still a relieving and satisfying sensation from stretching his body after staying in a seated position for hours in front of the computer.

"As you know, programming in this world is very different from programming back in my world since the technology here is far more advanced. Moreover, there's no such thing as programming "magic" into machines in my world, so it's a little hard for me to wrap the concept around my head at first. But with your guidance, I was able to understand them very quickly and apply them in reality."

"I see… But I don't think that's the only reason why you are able to get to this level this quickly."

"Eh?"

Tatsuya picked up the golden gun-shaped CAD, the one similar to his but even more advanced once he took a look into it, and stared at it for a moment before handing it to Yuuji.

"The way you think, your creativity, and your eagerness to learn and absorb knowledge… I don't think you'd be able to program a C-ranked spell into your CAD in the first few hours of learning without them, even if you have Accelerated Learning Speed and Programming Proficiency."

Yuuji looked down to his CAD, his eyes reflected on its gleaming surface.

"You should be proud. You are the first person I've ever met to be able to learn it this quickly. Even Miyuki had a harder time at first."

A smile slowly bloomed on his face as he stared at his CAD.

"...Thank you. It means a lot, coming from you…"

Just then, the sound of the metal door sliding open resounded along with light footsteps and a familiar cheerful voice.

"Oooiii~! Dinner's ready~!!! You guys have been here for hours, you know?!

Aika jumped and clung onto Yuuji's back, wrapping her arms around him as she completely leaned her entire weight onto him, while Miyuki made her way calmly to her brother's side.

"Oh, is it that time already? Time went by quite fast…"

"What were you doing anyway?"

Aika tilted her head to the side and peaked over Yuuji's shoulder to see the screen in front of him.

"I'm learning how to maintain and calibrate CADs and also the basics of programming a spell into it from Tatsuya."

"Really~! That's great~! Then, I'll leave the maintenance and upgrades of my CAD to you~"

"Aren't you interested in learning about this…?"

"Hm~? I'll just learn about it in school~ I'll leave the actual thing to you, hubby~"

Aika giggled and rubbed her cheeks against Yuuji's.

"Hah… What if I don't want to?"

"Fufufu~ Don't worry, I have plenty of ways to convince you to do it for me~"

Aika said, pushing her heavy mountainous breasts to his back and pecking him on his cheeks.

"Y-You little…"

"Hehehe~"

Watching their interaction, Miyuki blushed and quickly turned her attention to her brother.

"O-Onii-sama, shall we have dinner now?"

"Of course. Let's go, you two."

"Oh, right. Let's go."

"Okay~! Ufufufu~ You both can look forward to this meal~ Miyuki and I did our best making it~!"

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

The next morning.

It was their first day of class, and just like any other school, the first day was reserved for introductions, students getting used to their surroundings, as well as checking their class schedules and the like.

Yuuji did the same, accessing his student profile through the computer in his desk to check on his schedules, class requirements, and some other miscellaneous subjects such as the clubs that existed in the school.

And to his surprise, this elite magic highschool had similar clubs to the schools in his world. There were sports-oriented clubs such as soccer, karate, kendou, etc. as well as culture-oriented clubs such as the tea ceremony club.

There were also student organizations such as the student council as well as the disciplinary committee, just like other schools in his world. Though, they do have much more influence and power here, given they're led either by members of the ten master clans or a fairly powerful and promising magician.

However, as he expected, there were also clubs that were unique to the schools in this world that were more oriented towards the research and use of magic and CADs.

As he focused his attention to his screen, his solemn and serious expression attracted the gaze of many, especially that of his female classmates who could never succeed in pulling their attention away from him.

While some had managed to introduce themselves to him, they hadn't shared any lengthy conversations due to classes as well as the other beautiful girls sitting right next to his seat who seemed to be his close friends.

Two were especially close to their eye candy. Shiba Miyuki, the girl possessing ethereal beauty, intelligence, and powerful magic, and Kiryuu Aika, the girl with bewitching beauty, peerless figure, intelligence, and powerful magic as well, given her rankings.

If Yuuji was the castle they wanted to conquer, then those two were the high, nigh-impenetrable walls that defended it from any kind of siege.

However, hope was not completely lost. The two girls sitting beside him, Mitsui Honoka and Kitayama Shizuku, had become their shining beacon of hope.

While they both possess well above average beauty and were both quite talented in magic, they were living proof that one doesn't need to possess otherworldly beauty and be extremely talented to get close with Yuuji. They just needed a chance, a small catalyst! And perhaps, they could get close with him.

Just then, the bell signaling the start of their lunch resounded. However, that wasn't the thing that brought Yuuji out of his focus. It was the violent bump and familiar soft, warm sensation on his back that brought him back to reality.

"Yuuji~! Let's go have lunch~! We've promised Tatsuya to get lunch together, right~? Honoka-chan and Shizuku-chan will also be coming, so let's go quickly~!"

"Ugh… You know there's other ways to get my attention, right…? Hah… A regular guy would've face planted on the desk if you did this to him."

"Hehe~ But you're not a regular guy and you know I won't do it to anyone else~"

"...Fine."

Aika let go of Yuuji as he stood up from his seat and turned towards Honoka, Shizuku, and Miyuki.

"I'm sorry for the wait. Are we ready to go?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Uhn. Anytime."

"Yes. Onii-sama and his friends seem to have also headed out to the cafeteria. He just messaged me."

"Alright, then let's go."

With Yuuji and Aika in the lead, followed closely by Miyuki, Honoka and Shizuku behind them, they all made their way out of the class.

But just as they were about to reach the door, a brown-haired boy and several others called out to them, stopping them in their tracks.

"Ah, Tsubakihara-kun. Would you and everyone like to have lunch together with us? We were just about to head to the cafeteria for lunch as well."

With but a look and his enhanced memory, Yuuji and Aika both immediately recognized the boy before them.

"Ah, Morisaki Shun-kun. I'm very sorry, but we have already made plans to eat with Miyuki's brother and his friends. How about next time?"

"Eh? Her brother…"

A look of surprise flashed across Shun and his friends' expressions before his previous smile returned.

"Uhm… Please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you should mingle much with the "weeds". You, Kiryuu-san, and Shiba-san are the top three of our entire year. You shouldn't mingle with those who have no future in this world of magical technology. For them to be able to enter and stay in this school should already be a miracle for them."

Aika and Miyuki immediately frowned at him and the others who nodded their heads in agreement.

Aika was even ready to snap and lash out at them, but was stopped by Yuuji moving in front of her.

And while Honoka and Shizuku didn't show an emotion as powerful as them, they were both still frowning at the words he intentionally use to depreciate course 2 students.

"Why do they not have a future in this world? If I recall, wasn't the one ranked first in the theoretical exam a course 2 student?"

Shun's face twisted for a moment as if he had received a fast jab to his torso.

"B-But wouldn't you agree that the most important thing in this world of magic is how skilled they are with magic? With theory alone, one wouldn't be able to thrive and would soon be crushed by those with more skill and talent."

"I see…"

This time, Aika was truly about to blow up. But before she could raise her voice, Yuuji's calm voice stopped her in her tracks.

"It is true. In terms of combat, perhaps a majority of those in course 1 would fare better than those in course 2. However, you should know that magic isn't the end all and be all in combat, am I right?"

"..."

As someone experienced in real combat situations, Shun couldn't find a word to refute Yuuji's words.

"I dare to bet there are some in course 2 with the physical prowess to subdue magicians before they could cast a spell. Well, even if there isn't, the world of magic doesn't revolve solely around combat in the first place, right?"

"What…?"

"Research into the utilization of magic to create a sustainable and renewable energy source, the technological advancement of CADs, and the advancement of magical technology in daily life utilization. To me, all of these are far more important than the utilization of magic and magical technologies in combat, and most don't specifically require exceptionally quick application ability, high magical tolerance, powerful interference strength, and amazing magic power to be able to accomplish them. All that is needed is the knowledge, inspiration, hard work, dedication, and the desire to accomplish them."

"Sustainable and renewable energy source". This particular phrase reverberated in Shun and others who heard Yuuji's words. After all, who didn't know the reason that triggered the third world war that had taken too many lives.

And even though they weren't quite knowledgeable in the field, they knew very well how important it is to create a sustainable and renewable energy source. Thus, no one could refute Yuuji's words.

Seeing their silence, Yuuji gave them a gentle smile and placed his hand on Shun's shoulder.

"Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Just because they are lacking in magic power, doesn't mean they are not worth anyone's time. Telling everyone that they must excel in magic in order to succeed in this world would be similar to telling a monkey and a fish that they can only succeed in the world if they could reach the top of a tree."

Yuuji let go of Shun's shoulder and put his hand on Aika and Miyuki's back and began pushing them to the door, hoping to take these two who were about to explode out of the room, with Honoka and Shizuku quickly following after him.

And just before he left, Yuuji glanced at Shun one last time.

"Don't let your sight be clouded, Morisaki-kun. You are a good man with a lot of potential. It would be a shame if you limit your perspective by having prejudice. Try to see the good and strength in a person instead of their weakness. I assure you. You'll find a lot more amazing people around you than you first expected."

Yuuji walked out of the room with his friends, leaving the entire class stunned in silence and their own ponderings to his words.

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

The walk to the Cafeteria was mostly spent in silence.

Well, aside from Aika who was close to saying explicit things that would've caused many eyes to turn to her in shock multiple times. Fortunately, Yuuji managed to stop her in time and help her calm down before reaching the cafeteria.

As soon as they arrived, they met up with Tatsuya, Erika, Mizuki, and a tall, muscular young man who were already holding their meals.

"Ah, you're finally here. You were a bit late. Did something happen?"

Tatsuya asked, looking towards Yuuji, Aika, and Miyuki. But even before they answered, he could already tell just from their expressions that something did happen.

"No… Well, it's a bit troublesome, but nothing big."

"Hmph! It was really annoying!"

"..."

Seeing the helpless look on Yuuji, Aika's annoyed expression, and Miyuki's frown, Tatsuya couldn't help but ask what happened.

And as the one who wasn't completely consumed by emotions, Yuuji explained to them what happened.

As he told them the story, Erika and the brown-haired man's expression turned quickly into an angry frown while Mizuki looked down with a frown as well. Tatsuya was the only one who didn't show any kind of reaction to his story.

"I see…"

"Yeah… So that happened. But don't worry. At the very least, I don't think they'll try and purposefully pick a fight with us. He's just a bit of a prideful person with a tendency of having prejudice. He'll learn eventually… I hope."

"What about you? Are you sure you'll be fine in that class?"

"Hm?"

Yuuji looked at Tatsuya with a slight tilt to his head.

Then with an ever small, almost imperceptible smile, Tatsuya continued.

"I believe with everything you said to them, some might find it a bit difficult to approach you."

"Ah…"

Yuuji finally realized what Tatsuya meant. In an environment where most of those around him discriminate against course 2 students, his stance which was established the moment he confronted Shun would make him stick out and different from the others, perhaps even gaining their enmity.

But…

"Well then, it seems like I'm in luck since I have friends who'd still stick with me, right?"

Yuuji turned towards Honoka and Shizuku who immediately nodded to his words.

The two never really hold any enmity towards course two students, and they got along very well with Tatsuya, Erika, and Mizuki. Moreover, they also agreed with Yuuji's words. One should see and focus on the strength in each other, rather than their weakness.

"See?"

"I'm glad."

This time, Tatsuya's smile was no longer only perceptible to those with keen eyes like Yuuji and Aika or those who had known him for years like Miyuki. He was actually smiling and truly felt a sense of relief and happiness from knowing that his friends didn't held such discriminatory believe.

"Hehe~ That was really well said, Yuuji! I really wish I could see his face when you say it!"

Erika skipped towards Yuuji and bumped her fist on his arm with a grin.

"Well, what can I say? His words really struck a nerve with me, and I personally knew at least one person who could sweep the floor with him before he could reach for his CAD."

Yuuji secretly glanced towards Tatsuya, and before Erika could ask him who that person was, he turned his attention on the brown-haired man who had been standing beside Tatsuya all this time.

"Anyway, I believe this is our first meeting. Hello, my name is Tsubakihara Yuuji. It's nice to meet you."

"A-Ah! I'm Saijou Leonhard! It's nice to meet you too!"

Leo quickly took the hand Yuuji gave and shook it with a wide grin. After listening to his story, Leo's perception of Yuuji was already sky high. He's someone he could definitely get along with.

"Sorry, I was quite surprised to see a course 1 student acting like that. Most of them were not that pleasant folks, in my experience."

"It's fine. I can't say for the rest of the student body, but at the very least, you won't find any of the unpleasant sorts in this group."

Yuuji smiled and glanced towards Aika, Miyuki, Honoka, and Shizuku.

"Nice to meet you~ I'm Kiryuu Aika~!"

"Shiba Miyuki. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"A-Ah, my name is Mitsui Honoka! I-It is nice to meet you."

"Kitayama Shizuku. A pleasure."

"Oh! A pleasure to meet you guys too!"

"Well then, we'll go ahead and buy something first. Can you guys grab a seat for us too?"

"Of course. Leave it to us."

"Thank you."

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

After school.

Yuuji, Aika, Miyuki, Honoka, and Shizuku had promised to go home with Tatsuya and the others and grab some ice cream on the way home.

They've promised to meet up near the school gate, and upon exiting the building, they could already see Tatsuya's group waiting for them there.

"Sorry for the wait~!"

"It's fine. We just got here as well."

Mizuki replied to Aika with a kind smile.

"Alright, then let's go-"

Just as they were about to go, a voice shouting up Yuuji's name stopped them in their tracks.

It was a familiar voice.

"Morisaki-kun…"

Yuuji responded as they all turned towards the approaching Shun and his group of friends.

Erika, Mizuki, and Leo frowned upon hearing the name and immediately shifted their attention towards the one Yuuji was referring to and put a face to the name.

Shun and two of his friends approached Yuuji and his group before stopping a few meters away.

"I've thought a lot about what you said, Tsubakihara-kun… And I do understand your point."

Shun began with a solemn tone. His eyes locked onto his with a frown.

"I see. That's great. I'm very glad."

"But… Even so, I'll only believe something once I see it myself. That is why…"

With a swift and practiced movement, Shun drew his gun-shaped CAD and aimed it towards Leo who was standing a few steps behind Yuuji.

"Show me that your weeds are indeed worth something just like Tsubakihara-kun say."

A look of shock that Leo showed at Shun's absurd actions and words quickly turned into a feral grin.

The chance to beat the sh*t out of the smug b*stard came sooner than he thought.

"Hoo? That's interesting. Fine, I'll show you my worth."

"Don't fall too quickly, weed!"

Light began to emit from Shun's CAD as he began deploying the activation sequence of his spell. And at the same time, Leo charged towards him with his hand stretched forward.

"Onii-sama!"

"It will be fine."

In an instant, the distance between them narrowed. But before Leo could reach him, Shun's CAD was tossed into the sky as Erika appeared suddenly before him with her baton drawn.

"Kuh!

"At this distance, it's just faster to move my body, you see?"

Aika grinned and tapped her baton to her shoulder a few times in a relaxed manner.

"You…"

He couldn't see her movement. Before he knew it, she was already there, and his shock was immediately followed by an intense pain on his hand that caused him to let go of his CAD.

"I agree with you, but weren't you just about to smash my hand too?"

"Goodness no~! I would never do such a thing~!"

"Don't you dare laugh it off!"

Shun stumbled backward as the pain in his hand was still stinging from the hit.

"I dare to bet there are some in course 2 with the physical prowess to subdue magicians before they could cast a spell."

Is this what Tsubakihara-kun meant…? Is she the one he was referring to?

Shun pondered as he stared at the girl, anger and frustration visible on his face.

No… That can't be…

"You mere weed…"

Seeing their friend hurt, the other two guys who came with Shun raised their hands and began to cast spells towards Leon and Erika as well.

"No! Everyone, don't!"

Honoka reached for her CAD in a moment of panic, trying to cast a spell before they could finish casting.

But before she could reach it, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"There's no need for that, Honoka-san. Everything will be fine."

"Eh?"

Just then, two pain screams resounded.

When she turned and looked, she saw the two male students, who were casting a spell, had fallen onto the ground after being blown away by an invisible force.

Then, another voice resounded from a few distance away.

"Stop it right there! Unless for self-defense, head to head magic attacks are criminal acts!"

A familiar feminine voice, albeit in a strict tone that was new to Yuuji, resounded along with two sets of footsteps approaching them.

"I am Watanabe Mari , head of the Disciplinary Committee! I shall be taking your statements now. All of you, come with me."

The student council president, Saegusa Mayumi, and the one who had recently introduced herself, Watanabe Mari, approached them, both fully prepared to cast spells at moments notice in case they choose to struggle in retaliation.

"Eh? Y-Yuuji-kun…?

Amongst the frozen group of students, Yuuji stepped forward to Honoka's surprise as she watched him approach the two seniors.

"I apologize for the ruckus. We didn't expect our little horseplay to get this out of hand."

Mari raised her hand towards him, ready with a spell. Her eyes widened in shock from his appearance for a moment before her cold, strict expression returned.

"Horseplay?"

"Yes. I told my classmate and friend, Morisaki-kun, that I know a few course 2 students who were extremely adept in physical combat.

It seems that it had interested him, so he came to us to see if it is indeed true. But unfortunately, it seems like we went a bit too far when we just wanted to show our capabilities to each other. Before we knew it, we ended up taking things a bit too seriously and caused the situation to escalate drastically."

Yuuji told his story in an eloquent manner, perfectly depicting the situation as one born out of respect and curiosity in each other's strength that unfortunately got out of hand. No matter how hard and how deeply Mari peered into Yuuji's eyes, trying to find any signs of lies or subterfuge, she could only see the truth in them

However, that wasn't enough. Even though his story might be plausible, there were still points that she couldn't understand. Not to mention, the atmosphere she felt between the two groups was not one that stemmed from a friendly exchange of knowledge, but a clear tenseness born out of conflict. And upon seeing the emblems on their uniforms, she could easily guess the reason behind it.

"...Is that why you stopped that girl from reaching for her CAD?"

"Yes."

"Then what about those two? Would you care to explain why they were about to activate an attack-type spell?"

The two Mari referred to flinching as they lowered their heads in fear of the punishment.

"That was just a simple essential singularity-type movement spell meant to knock the others away from Morisaki-kun when they felt it was going too far. And its potency has also been considerably suppressed. They are only trying to protect Morisaki-kun."

The only spell which was to be cast that he knew about beforehand was Honoka's spell that she almost cast in the anime. But, since he didn't want her to get into Mari or Mayumi's radar, he stopped her from even reaching for her CAD.

The spells Shun and his friends were about to cast weren't specified in the anime, so in that instant, he used his elemental sight to read the activation sequences as it was being launched.

Fortunately, although he wasn't as skilled in it as Tatsuya, he seemed to have correctly deduced it after seeing Mari and Mayumi's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh… I see that you have the ability to read activation sequences as it is being launched."

"I learned it from my friend who is extremely adept in analysis. I'm still green in that field. However, as it was a simple spell, I was able to deduce it correctly."

Yuuji sneaked a glance at Tatsuya and returned his gaze towards Mari.

"I see…"

"I truly apologize for causing this ruckus."

"..."

Mari looked at Yuuji as he lowered his head, still hesitating on how she should pursue this case. But as she was deliberating, Mayumi moved in front of her and smiled brightly.

"That should do it, don't you think, Mari~? Yuuji-kun has apologized as well, so I think that's enough~"

Mayumi then turned towards Yuuji and the rest of the group with a gentle yet prim smile.

"Showcasing each other's speciality in order to gain knowledge is not prohibited. However, the use of magic still entails detailed restrictions. It would be wise to refrain from any self-schooling that involves magic activation."

"Since the president herself seems to be so inclined, I shall look the other way as well this time. However, make sure none of this is repeated again in the future."

Yuuji, Aika, and the others all bowed towards Mari and Mayumi as they started to walk away.

But just after a few steps, Mari stopped and turned back towards Yuuji.

"What is your name?"

"Class 1-A, Tsubakihara Yuuji."

Her eyes widened in recognition of the name before narrowing once again.

"Tsubakihara Yuuji… I see. Interesting. Don't cause any trouble again, honor student."

"I understand."

Mari and Mayumi then walked away, heading back into the school building, as Yuuji watched their backs receding into the distance.

"Tsubakihara-kun…"

Yuuji turned to his side, his gaze meeting Shun's as he kept his frowning expression at him.

"I'm still not convinced by your words. But for now… Thank you."

"Don't mind it. But, if possible, try a different way of testing others' strength other than pointing a gun to their head next time, okay?"

"Ngh…"

His face twitched for a moment before walking away along with his friends, leaving Yuuji behind.

"Hah… He's just as troublesome as he is in the anime, huh? And here I thought he'd calm down a bit after I talked a little sense to him."

Just then, he felt a body suddenly jumping onto his back and clinging on him. Without even having to see it, there was only one person who would do such a thing and who owned a chest that would cause such a heavenly sensation on his back.

"Oh my~ That's no good isn't it, Yuuji~? You've been marked as a problem student on your first day of school~ What are you going to do now~? Are you going to be a delinquent~?"

"Aika… Get off me… We're still outside…"

"Ara~ Are you embarrassed~ Ufufufu~ Fine~"

Yuuji let out a sigh as Aika jumped down from his back and turned towards the others who were approaching him.

"Well then, that was a bit unexpected. But… are we still getting ice cream?"

"Of course~!!!"