Chapter 86 - 086: Hospital

Today is the third day of the Nine Schools Competition. The Men and Women's Ice Pillars Break and Battle Board being held today, making this the biggest hurdle of the first half of the Nine Schools Competition.

The players from First High that had advanced thus far included two men in Ice Pillars Break two men and women in Battle Board and one woman in Ice Pillars Break. This was not going according to plan but was still within the acceptable combat parameters.

Arthur is in the Ice Pillars Break arena when Emilia calls him and says Mari is involved in some accidents and currently sent to the nearby military hospital, it seems even if there is Echidna watching over Mari's competition there is nothing she can do to alter it. It's not like Arthur didn't want to change it but he wants to confirm something.

"I will go to the hospital, you can rest ȧssured I sure she will be fine and focus on your upcoming competition, I will inform you if something is happening" Arthur end the call and walk away from the arena "It seems there is something that can be changed and something will still happen even if I try to change it. Fate, what a strange thing"

It's like how Emilia who will come to the loot cellar with or without Subaru's help. In some historical documents, it said fate is divided into two categories, one is unchangeable fate and another one is changeable fate.

"It seems Mari accident is under the category of unchangeable fate because with her accident the involvement of No Head Dragon is found out"

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Arthur arrives at the Susano base hospital fifteen minutes later, there is Mayumi in the room and the unconsciousness Mari sleeping on the bed.

"Oh, you come. I never thought you will show your face" Mayumi didn't look at Arthur and just watching over the sleeping Mari.

"What is with that unwelcoming word, I just arrive here and didn't say anything yet"

"Tell me honestly, are you know there will be some accidents at Mari's competition?" Mayumi, turn and asking Arthur with a serious face

"Please don't treat me like a fortune teller, I didn't know about it"

"But you say there will be something happened in this year tournament previously"

"I just say it because I received a piece of information about some group of criminals make a suspicious movement around this year competition site"

"...really?"

"I swear if I didn't know this accident will happen (after I try to alter it but failed)" Arthur add a little inside his heart when he answers Mayumi questions

"I'm sorry, Mari is My precious friend. I get a little agitated when I see her condition"

"You didn't need to say sorry, it's understandable for you to act this way" (I was the one at fault here, I know it will happen but didn't interfere more than making Echidna come to her competition)

"How about her condition?"

"Even if Echidna-sensei gives her treatment as fast as she can, several of her ribs are broken and there is some fracture on her left foot, while they've used magic to reconnect them, they still need some time to stabilize. I think you know very well that healing magic is ultimately only an emergency measure."

"Several? How?"

"At that time Mari have a race with the contestants from the Second High when the contestants from the Seventh High want to take over the first position from Mari but she uses magic wrongly and crash to contestants from the Second High and then to Mari" Mayumi tidying Mari's blanket before continuing her story "She is crushed between the dividing wall and the two contestants after she tries to catch them when she is lost her balance at the crucial time"

"I never thought it will that severe"

"Echidna-sensei is the vast person who is reacting, she uses deceleration magic and gravity magic to alter their speed and weight but because the speed of contestants from Seventh High is quite fast and the space between dividing wall and them is not too far, Echidna-sensei magic just can minimize the damage taken by them, if not for her intervention Mari's life will be in danger"

"Then the competition? I think they will pending it because there is not just one person who is involved in this accident"

"Unfortunately Mari will be treated as disqualified contestants because there is a rule that state if there is an accident and there are contestants who can't continue to participate then she will be disqualified"

"I didn't know there is such a rule, and then how about Mirage Bat? Moreover, this is her last year, then she..."

"Yes... I didn't know how to console her" Mayumi has a gloomy face and look very worried for Mari "Arthur, say... are you also think this s not a pure accident?"

"I think you already have an answer to that question, and I think there is someone who is better than me in analyzing the situation in the arena"

"Tatsuya-kun say it was not an accident, and he says he wants to view the record of the competition for confirming if it was pure accidents or not"

"Then we need to leave it to him, I will have Abby to take care if Mari-senpai. I think no matter what happened she didn't want to go home early"

"Thank you, Arthur. But for the replacement..."

"You can choose between Miyuki and Emilia, or even choose both of them as contestants for official Mirage Bat. With Honoka and Satomi ability and add with Tatsuya's technical support they will claim first place and second place easily"

"Replacing Mari is can be done easily but replace another person is impossible, no one want to give up their chance to appear in this competition" Mayumi experienced Emilia's reaction and speed of activation magic when they're ambushed by the terrorist, and she knows it well there is no one who can compete with her in term of speed but there is no way she replaces the contestants after they're selected.

"You must use the opportunity of Mari's condition to the fullest extent, call the contestants who will be participating in the Mirage Bat and tell them about Mari's condition and how it was impossible for her to participate. Tell them we need to win over this year Mirage Bat as a present for Mari-senpai, and then tell them if there is need a sacrifice to achieve it in the form of replacement of Miyuki and Emilia. Lastly, you didn't need to ask them one by one just give them time to think over it and they just need to inform you via mail"

"... that's not pleasant idea... but I think we need to do it" Mari amaze by Arthur suggestion and think over it, after several minutes she stands up from her seat and talk to Arthur "I will gather them now, I leave Mari under your care"

Mayumi didn't wait for Arthur replied and dash out of the room leaving Arthur alone there with the unconsciousness Mari.

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She did not wake very quickly.

There seemed to be a thick cloud hanging over her consciousness, so it was difficult to grasp her surroundings.

What was she doing here...?

This was the first question that flashed across Mari's mind as she awoke.

"Mari, are you awake? Do you know who I am?"

An annoying voice and annoying face...

"What?"

"You didn't remember me? Are you remember your name? You're Mari, one of my maids... And I'm Iron Man"

"I didn't know why but I have an urge to smack your head right now" Mari's face twitch a little and it seems she is trying to get up before Arthur push her gently

"If you still use violence as your first option than it was confirmed you didn't have mental damage. Please don't get up first, several of your ribs are broken and there is a fracture on your foot too so it's better if you rest in the bed"

"Just how twist my personality in your head so you can recognize me if I choose violence, speaking of which what will you do if I didn't react like before?"

"Of course I will call the doctor and make them do a full scanning for your brain and search the best psychiatrist for you"

"I will remember it, I will avenge today treatment when I have the time.... oh thank you"

Arthur helps Mari to drink water before he takes a seat at her side

"How long I was unconsciousness?"

"Not that long, around the afternoon I think"

"How long will I be out?"

"At least a week for a full recovery, though you are cleared for daily activities you need to use a wheelchair. Still, to be on the safe side, you are forbidden from strenuous activity for the next ten days."

"Hey, then...!"

"You'll have to withdraw from "Mirage Bat" too. There's nothing we can do about that."

"Is that so..." Mari sighed and closed her eyes. She reopened them after a short interval.

"What was the conclusion of the contest?"

"Third High and Ninth High advanced to the final, maybe we can hope for the third place if Kobayakawa-san doing her best"

"About the rest?"

"They successfully enter the final"

"So I'm just the only one who is failed..." Mari turn her face and look at the sunset through the window, her body trembling a little and there is a suppress sound from her throat, at that time there is a hand that covering her eyes gently, feeling the warmth from that hand Mari's eyes become blurred and it seems attracted by the warm of that hand, teardrops are coming out of her eyes.

"I'm failed...just me... this is my last chance" every time her trembling voice is coming out of her mouth the guilt in Arthur's heart is increasing, he can prevent it but there is unknown thing that made him just make simple preventive measures in the form Echidna without providing her with extra information.

"This is not your fault (this is mine)... you are working hard enough, if you didn't try to help them then both of them will die as a magician forever"

"But because of me... we will be in a very hard position to win this competition... you won't understand... how hard it was for me... if we failed to achieve our dream as a third-year"

"Please believe in your teammates, we will win this year competition together. And you didn't make we will fail but you will make our team's spirit to winning this competition elevate. You're already doing your part, for now, you need to get better early and cheer them up. But before that you must force out your gloomy feelings, you didn't want to make them worry about you more than this, right?"

Mari didn't say anything, inside the room just a sound of sobbing is heard.,