Chapter 95: Closing

The final day of Nine Schools Competition is over with the First High School come out as a winner for Monoliths Code official division and successfully achieve triple winner for three years in a row, Arthur and Miyuki are chosen as the MVP for newcomers division.

Tonight the banquet is held as a closing party for Nine Schools Competition, in stark contrast to the atmosphere two weeks ago the hall was filled with peaceful air.

While it's easy to proclaim a neutral spirit, it's not so easy in practice, and it would be a lie to say that there were none with the thoughts of victory or defeat occupying their mind. But now, the fierce competitions of the past 10 days were over. The dress code for the festivities was their usual uniforms.

In some corner Arthur look at the hall accompany by Echidna, there is no one who intrudes their peaceful time because Echidna uses illusion magic so there is no one who will intrude them.

In contrast to Arthur's, on Emilia's side, there is a lot of people coming to her way and it was also because she is together with Miyuki, with their appearance and their talent in magic there is a lot of people who are attracted to them.

There is also some people who is coming to meet with Tatsuya, his performance in the Nine Schools Competition as engineer is hot topic and there is a lot of people who interested to his technical skills, even if his performance in the monoliths code didn't as stellar as his performance as engineer but now there is no one who dares to underestimate him because of he is a course two students in the First High School.

When the ȧduŀt is leaving the room the atmosphere turn become more carefree, now there is a lot of students making groups converse with each other.

"You need to help her now" Echidna point her chin to Emilia's direction where there is a lot of students from inside or outside school gatherings around her and Miyuki

"It seems so..." Arthur put down the glass and ready to walk when he remembers something and turn around to Echidna "don't eat to much cake, you need to control your appetite a little"

"It's okay, Abby cook some food for me before I come here so there won't any problem occur even if I eat a lot of cake now"

"Sometimes I feel wonder, where all of that food gone" Looking at her body, there is no sign of her getting weight at all it's like there is a black hole inside her body that devours all of the things she eats

When Arthur comes to Emilia's side the crowd is dispersing and they're back to where they are coming from.

"Ah, Arthur. I can't find you before, where have you been?" Emilia feels better when Arthur come and the crowd is gone, it's not like she didn't like it but she just feels tired.

"I'm with Echidna over there, how it is? Are you like the atmosphere here?"

"It's just to crowd so I feel slightly dizzy..."

"Then how about we go to Echidna's side? There will be fewer people compare with here, do you want to come along, Miyuki?"

"If it's okay for all of you then I want to go"

"As a star of this tournament, you can't just hide in a corner like that" when Arthur wants to follow Emilia and Miyuki there is Mari's voice heard from his back

"It's not like there will be people who want to talk with me so it can't be considered as hiding, Mari-senpai" Arthur smile at her and decide to stay for awhile

"Are you doing it intentionally?"

"Doing what?" Arthur didn't understand the meaning of her question

Mari didn't answer him instead she getting closer to Arthur before she whispers in a low voice

"Over there, the heir of Ichijou family want to approach Miyuki but you're faster than him and make his chance is gone so I wonder you're doing it intentionally or not" Mari explains to him with a grin on her face, it seems she see it as some sort of amusement for her

"I didn't do it intentionally, I just want to give Emilia some room to take a breath because there is a lot of people crowding her"

"You know, there is a lot of rumors if you, Miyuki and Masaki are involved in some kind of triangle love"

"I didn't know if you like to gossip, Mari-senpai..." Arthur let out a sigh and feeling helpless to her mischief side, it seems the decision to stay here is the wrong choice

"There is such a thing?" This time it was Arthur who is surprises, he didn't know if there is an official website for Nine Schools Competition

"Seriously? Then how you know about the schedule of the tournament?"

"Other than Mayumi-senpai, it was Echidna who tells me about the schedule... since when the rumors about me are started?"

"If I didn't wrong... it was when you and Miyuki walked together to the hotel at night and encountered Masaki in the hotel's lobby, you remember it?"

"Ahh.. at that time... I didn't know there will be people who have so much free time to spread this type of rumors when the competition is held"

Arthur and Mari speak about some menial things before they heard the music is played and some people start to search partner for dancing, Mari didn't leave from his side and it was quite awkward if he is the one who leaves first and when it has happened Arthur receive a message in his terminal.

"Sorry, please wait" Arthur reaches his pocket and takes out his terminal and when he opened the message his brow is twitch because he feels annoyed with the content of the message "Go for it! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ"

Arthur closes the message and puts it in his pocket again, there is no need to check who is the sender because an image of a certain witch appears in his mind.

"You have something important to do?" Looking at his expressions Mari thinks he has some sort of problem

"Yes?"

"Will you give me the pŀėȧsurė of dancing with you?" Arthur ask Mari politely and offer his hand

"What is this... you seem very old if you behave this way" even if she says like that Mari put her hand on top of Arthur's hand "I'm bad at dancing..."

"I'm not good either, don't worry"

Arthur and Mari dancing following the music, neither Arthur nor Mari knew how to dance properly but it was not a formal party so as long as they didn't bother other people it was fine even if she steps on him several times.

When Arthur and Mari are dancing they are crossing path with Tatsuya who is dancing with Honoka, and when Arthur and Tatsuya look at each other one word is surface in their mind... 'Player'

➡️➡️➡️

Arthur has a dance with Mayumi and Miyuki after the dance with Mari, it's not like he didn't want to dance with Emilia but she says she want going out with him and see the stars.

Arthur and Emilia find a place where there is a bench and they sit together and they are very close to each other.

"Nnn... I just want to feel the warmth from you..." Emilia shakes her head and leaning on Arthur's shoulder "it's been a long time we didn't spend time together like this..."

When Arthur heard it he realizes after the Nine Schools Competition is started they have a very little amount of time together because they are busy with their own events.

"Emilia, I-"

"No, it's okay... it's not like I didn't enjoy this tournament..." Emilia stops Arthur from speaking any further and reaches his hand and held it "I enjoy this tournament, But... I feel there is something lack when you're not at my side. So can we stay here for a moment?"

"Of course we can, we will stay here as long as you want. Do you like how our life now?"

"I'm very happy, there is a lot of people who are kind to me. Even if there is also a lot of bad people it's not important as long as there are still people who are kind to me and care about me, I'm very happy because I have a lot of friends here. It's all thanks to you, Arthur"

"No, it was your own effort that makes all of this happened" Arthur embrace Emilia watching the starry sky while Emilia close her eyes and feel the warm from Arthur that she didn't feel for quite some time

They didn't need to say just how much they miss each other, because now when they are together they can feel just how much they miss the time they spent together like this.

All they can feel is each other presence and all they can hear is their breath and beating heart. The scenery, the stars, the moon, and the darkness... the two figures embracing each other is satisfying their thirst for warmth from each other.