Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Led by the chairwoman of the Disciplinary Committee herself, Yuuji, Aika, and Tatsuya soon arrived at the headquarters of the committee, and they were immediately welcomed by a... surprising sight.

The large, wooden table at the center of the room was filled with boxes, papers, CADs, and various other things, spared around in a complete mess. But that wasn’t the end. The entire room was filled with things messily spread around, boxes stacked on top of each other, opened boxes that could barely hold the things shoved in there, as well as papers and CADs of various types, size, and shapes, covering the floor to the point that even walking around would risk bumping into or stepping onto something.

“Welcome to the Disciplinary Committee headquarters! This will be where you’ll be spending the majority of your time while you’re not in class or patrolling. So I hope you find it comfortable!”

Mari walked casually into the room, as if the mess didn’t exist in her eyes, and welcomed the three, who were stunned by the sight, with a smile.

“Uhm... May I clean up this room, first and foremost, Watanabe-senpai? As someone aspiring to be a magic engineer, the state of this room is unbearable for me.”

“I would like to help as well, senpai. Even as someone not aspiring to be a magic engineer, this is just...”

“Mm... Even for me, this is a little...”

Mari blinked a few times in surprise.

“Alright... Wait. Tatsuya-kun, why do you aspire to be a magic engineer? With your combat capability, wouldn’t you be able to easily get a license?”

Tatsuya picked up a CAD and began cleaning up the fragile devices first before moving on to the others as Yuuji and Aika also began cleaning up.

“No... At my skill level, I can’t hope for more than a C-level license.”

After a while and with the four of them cleaning up, the room had become completely different from when they first entered.

Things that were all around the place were put tidily into a box which is moved to a place where people won’t bump into them or into a cabinet, and the CADs are also properly placed on the shelves for the members’ ease of access.

Just then, two males entered the room. One of them was a built man with a strong jaw, square chin, and spiky hair, while the other had a softer, younger look. Both of them were course 1 students, judging by the flower emblem on the side of their shoulder, and a band signifying their status as members of the Disciplinary Committee.

“Morning!”

“Good morning!”

“Oh, ane-san! So you’re here, huh?”

The man with spiky hair said as soon as he saw Mari present in the room.

“Chairwoman, we have completed today’s patrol mission. No arrests have been made.”

“Ouch!”

Just then, with rolled up papers in hand, Mari smacked the spiky haired man across the face and continued to beat him on the head.

“Don’t call me ane-san! How many times do I have to tell you that! Is that head of yours just an empty ornament?!”

“P-Please don’t beat me up like that!”

“Hmph!”

The man sighed and looked around, and his eyes immediately widened in shock. The other man, the one with a softer, younger look, also widened his eyes in shock.

“C-Chairwoman, w-why are the two sensations of the school here right now? C-Could it be...? A-Are they joining this committee?!”

“Yes, they are. Let me introduce you. This is Tsubakihara Yuuji and Kiryuu Aika. I fought tooth and nails to have them in our ranks so you better treat them well.”

Yuuji and Aika stepped forward and lowered their head in a bow.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to working with you.”

“It’s nice to meet you~! Please take care of me~”

“My name is Sawaki Midori. Likewise, Tsubakihara-kun, Kiryuu-kun.”

Midori shook both of their hands and turned towards his friend. He was being very silent, considering he was boisterous most of the time.

He saw him staring at Aika in a daze, absolutely mesmerized by her beauty. His eyes were wide and unmoving, and there was a slight blush on his cheeks.

But almost immediately after, a loud slapping sound resounded as Mari began pounding on his cheeks with her rolled up papers and yelled at him.

“Why are you looking at your juniors like that?! Do you have no manners?! How could you stare at a girl that blatantly!”

“I-I’m sorry! Please, stop that!”

A few more slaps later, Mari stopped with a huff, and the beaten up man finally introduced himself.

“M-My name is Tatsumi Koutarou. Uhm... Sorry for staring like that. I was really surprised when I saw the two of you. I’ve only heard of you in rumors. I hope I didn’t offend you.”

“No no~ It’s fine~ It’s nice to meet you, Tatsumi-senpai~”

“It is nice to meet you as well.”

Koutaro then slapped Yuuji’s arms a few times and grinned widely.

“Oooh! You’re really well-built! And now that I can see you upclose, I can definitely say that those rumors weren’t exaggerations after all! If I was a girl, then I would definitely be head over heels for you like my female classmates.”

“A-Ahahaha... Thank you for the... compliment?”

Yuuji forced a smile and held his arm where Tatsumi slapped him. It didn’t hurt at all, but the sensation that lingered made him unconsciously hold it.

“Don’t mind him, Tsubakihara-kun. A pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard many amazing things about you. I look forward to working with you.”

“Likewise, Sawaki-senpai. I will be relying on you from now on.”

Midori nodded and turned towards Aika with a soft smile as well.

“Kiryuu-kun as well. I look forward to working with you.”

“Hehe~ Please take care of me too, senpais~!”

“Oh! And if you ever have any trouble during your patrols, just say it to your radio. I’m sure all the guys will immediately come rushing to help you!”

“Hehe~ Of course~”

Well, I won’t need them since Yuuji will definitely come to me at a moment's notice~

Aika added in her mind.

Koutaro’s grin disappeared after a while as he glanced towards Tatsuya. He then turned back towards Mari and began.

“By the way, Chairwoman... Seems like these two aren’t the only new faces here... An emblemless, huh?”

“Tatsumi-senpai, I believe your choice of word may run afoul of the banned words regulations. In this case, the correct term for it would be Course 2 student.”

Mari smiled helplessly and crossed her arms.

“You guys, you’re going to get the rug pulled out from under you if you think so simplistically like that.”

She sat on the wooden table and leaned in slightly.

“Between you and me, Hattori just got himself royally tripped up a little while ago.”

“Eh?! You mean...”

The two immediately turned their eyes towards Tatsuya in shock.

“...that guy defeated that Hattori?”

“That’s right, and in an official match too.”

“What the... To think that Hattori, who had been undefeated ever since he entered this school, was defeated by a new student... We’ve got ourselves not only two, but three phenomena, huh chairwoman... This is amazing.”

“That’s really reassuring! I’m glad we have him on our side!”

Mari then turned towards Tatsuya with a smile.

“Surprising isn’t it?”

Tatsuya met her gaze and she continued.

“This school, with its asinine Bloom/Weed labeling, is teeming with people either wallowing in their sense of superiority, or drowning in their sense of inferiority. To tell you the truth, I’ve been fed up with it all. Fortunately, both Mayumi and Juumonji of the Extracurricular Activities Federation know what kind of personality I have. They’ve used their recommendation slots to pick people who are relatively immune to those kinds of sensibilities. Their feelings of superiority may not quite be zero and they might not be as... nondiscriminatory as your friends here. But they’re good guys who can evaluate others’ skills fairly. I don’t think this place will be all that uncomfortable for you.”

Koutaro then approached Tatsuya with his hand raised towards him.

“I’m Tatsumi Koutaro of Class 3-C. I look forward to working with you. Able guys like you are more than welcome here!”

“I’m Sawaki Midori of Class 2-D. I look forward to working with you as well, Shiba-kun. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask us.”

Tatsuya paused for a moment. Even though he had seen this scene happen once in the anime, to experience it in reality himself... This sense of acceptance, and not discrimination was... nice.

He grabbed the hand Koutaro held up to him and shook it.

“I'm a first year student, Shiba tatsuya. Likewise... I look forward to working with you as well.”

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

“Then, I’ll suck you off while you cook!”

“Hah...”

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

The next day.

It was the first day of the new members' invitation week, when all the clubs within the prestigious Magical University Affiliated First High School would show off their club activities and recruit freshmen to their circle.

With the expected commotion and troubles born from excitement and passions of the students in trying to recruit promising talents into their club, the Disciplinary Committee gathered in their headquarters the first thing in the morning for a briefing by the chairwoman before they patrol the school and handle the aforementioned troubles.

“Once again this year, the week of unbridled shenanigans is upon us. As the snagging of talented club members is a crucial task that directly influences the power map of each club, it is unfortunately not uncommon for the ensuing mad scramble to degrade into no-holds-barred fistfights or magic shootouts.”

Mari then turned towards Yuuji, Aika, and Tatsuya who were sitting at the end of the long, wooden, meeting tables and smiled proudly.

“Luckily, this year we were able to replace our departing graduates in time. And with incredible and promising talents as well. Let me introduce you to them. Stand up.”

The three of them stand up, and immediately, all eyes fall unto Yuuji and Aika, not only for their transcendent beauty, but the prestige they’ve accumulated since they first entered the school as well. It is well known that they were ranked second and third in the entrance exam as well as having displayed tremendous knowledge in magic and general studies that impressed teachers and students alike. It is no wonder that everyone here has been eyeing them the moment they arrived in the headquarters.

“As all of you might already know, this is Tsubakihara Yuuji and Kiryuu Aika of Class 1-A, and Shiba Tatsuya of Class 1-E. They’ll be joining the patrol detail right away.”

Koutarou and Sawaki glanced at them secretly and smiled, a look of pride in their eyes for perhaps knowing about them and becoming acquainted with them sooner.

“That’s amazing, chairwoman... I can’t believe these two would become a Disciplinary Committee member...”

Other whispers of agreements and awe followed as they all looked at Yuuji and Aika in amazement. Especially Aika, as most of them were also entranced by her beauty except for Koutarou and Sawaki.

But then, one of them pointed towards Tatsuya with his thumb and asked.

“Are they going to be useful?”

“Don’t worry. They’re all competent. I’ve already observed Shiba-kun’s skills in person, and I believe none of you would doubt the skills of these two celebrities here?”

The room became silent. While some were still doubting Tatsuya’s skill, they all held their tongue, knowing the kind of personality their chairwoman has.

“Very well. Then, let’s send you on your way. Mobilize!”

“Yes!”

The seniors all exited the room and began their patrols while Yuuji, Aika, and Tatsuya stayed for a bit to get their arm band and recording device.

Disciplinary Committee members are permitted to carry their CADs on the school grounds. They are also free to use it as they see fit without the need to request anyone’s permission. However, if it is found that they used it inappropriately, they will not only be relieved of their post, but their punishment will also be more severe than a regular student committing the same offense.

“I have a question. Are we allowed to use the Disciplinary Committee’s equipment as our CAD.”

“That’s fine, but those are old-school, you know?”

“That is true. They may be out-school, but they’re all the high quality devices calibrated for experts for their time.”

“If that’s the case, then feel free to use them. They’re just sitting there collecting dust anyway.

“Thank you very much. Then, I will be borrowing these two.”

“Two of them? You’re really an interesting one, aren’t you? How about you, Tsubakihara-kun, Kiryuu-san?”

“We will be using these if you don’t mind, chairwoman.”

Yuuji and Aika both shifted their sleeves up a bit, revealing a beautiful, titanium bracelet around two centimeter wide on their wrists.

They’re high quality CAD devices Yuuji borrowed from Tatsuya that he had calibrated a few days ago for the both of them. Numerous spells have been programmed into Aika’s CAD, which would allow her to defend herself easily.

Meanwhile, he also programmed some spells into his CAD as well as the lesser version of his innate active magic, a spell similar to telekinesis. It is a very more powerful and advanced spell, even more than the level of spells most students would be able to wield, though still much more limited than his “Gravity”, which is capable of bending the literal space around him. But his ability to use it could be easily explained by his exam rankings and the skills he had shown thus far.

Mari looked at the two bracelets back and forth and smirked with a teasing look.

“That’s fine, but matching CADs, huh?”

“Hehehe~”

Yuuji smiled helplessly as Aika gave Mari a peace sign.

“Alright. Just don’t mistake this as a chance for a date. You’re still on the clock, okay?”

“Yes~!”

“Of course.”

“Then go. Be careful, and good luck.”

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

Patrolling outside, where tents have been erected along the center road in between the two massive courtyards leading up to the main entrance of the First High School where all students walk through every morning, Yuuji looked around vigilantly, alone.

Unfortunately, Aika and Tatsuya were assigned somewhere else; Aika in the gymnasium and Tatsuya in the entrance at the end of the road he’s currently walking. So for the first time ever, he walked alone in this school.

As usual, eyes gathered towards him, most in awe and mesmerized, some in jealousy and envy; all things he was used to. However, despite having worn the armband of the Disciplinary Committee, signifying his membership to the organization, a few clubs still approached him and asked if he would like to join them.

The female members of clubs quickly approached him, grasping at any chance they could get to have Yuuji enter their club, as the male members failed to stop them and looked at him with a glare. But Yuuji gently rejected their invitation and proceeded to continue with his patrol.

Right after he rejected the ninth club invitation from a beautiful, ponytailed, third-year female student with an extremely well-endowed figure, he noticed a crowd of recruiters surrounding a familiar student.

Is that... Erika?

Her unmistakable and beautiful red-orange short hair was all he needed to recognize her in the midst of the crowd. And with his keen senses, he could hear faint sounds and voices of struggle from within.

“Please forgive my rudeness, but I must go, senpai.”

“Aah... Then please come and visit the tea-ceremony club on the third floor! I’ll always welcome you!”

Ignoring the sultry, slightly disappointed, voice of the girl, Yuuji quickly made his way through the crowds with amazing speed, comparable to when people use magic to accelerate their steps. In fact, many thought so. But he was purely running with his physical prowess, without any enhancement by magic.

In a few seconds, he could see Erika's figure being fought over. Some grabbing onto her arms, some on her blazer, causing it to slide off her shoulders slightly.

Immediately, he tapped his CAD once and Erika began to float up a few meters from the ground into the sky.

“Uwah! W-What’s happening?!”

And right after those words left her mouth, she felt a gentle embrace and the bright blue sky covered by Yuuji’s figure.

“Don’t talk, or you’ll bite your tongue.”

As if time had slowed down, Erika felt her heart thump loudly when she saw his smile and felt the sensation of his touch around her body...

Her panic seemed to just suddenly disappear when she saw him, and was replaced by a feeling of pure relief, safety, and warmth in his arms.

Yuuji glanced down and saw her staring at him in a shock, and decided to quickly let her down. Holding Erika in a princess carry, he landed softly on the ground and run from the crowds, leaving behind the dazed group of students who just saw someone being lifted into the sky and another jumping meters above the ground, catching her, and then run off after landing without a noise.

Yuuji quickly brought the still frozen erika to a more desolate part on the side of the school and put her down gently.

“Alright, we’re safe now. So? How was your first experience flying?”

Yuuji smirked before he gently put her blazer back on with his eyes close and turned around.

And seemingly snapping out of her daze, Yuuji could hear the rustles of clothes for a moment before she began to speak.

“Y-You...! Was that you?! How could you just toss someone in the air?! You almost made my heart burst!”

Yuuji turned around and saw Erika, properly dressed once more, but glaring at him with red blushing cheeks. He was a bit confused why she was blushing but ignored it for a moment and smirked.

“It’s my magic. Calm down, it’s just meant to make you float up for a while.”

“That scared me, you know?! Hah... I don’t need this early in the morning...”

“It’s better than a cup of coffee, isn’t it?”

“You...”

Yuuji’s eyes widened in realization when he saw Erika glaring at him, her body trembling, and a bit of tears pooling at the corner of her eyes. He finally realized that unlike him or Aika, who was used to flying around with his magic, being lifted up into the air so suddenly must’ve been shocking for anyone.

“I-I’m sorry... I’m used to this kind of stuff, so I forgot how shocking it must be for you...”

Yuuji lowered his head, genuinely sorry for scaring her with his magic. Now that he recalled the events that just happened, he remembered the same thing happening to Tatsuya instead of him.

I could’ve just used the magic Tatsuya used...

He was distracted by a lot of things at that moment. Trying to reject the girls approaching him without hurting them, and keeping an eye on any trouble in the midst of this chaos. He simply had no leeway of remembering every single scene from the anime he watched a few weeks ago.

Her glare softened when he bowed. And now that the shock had subsided, she was no longer that upset at him. She just had a small pout as she looked at him.

“...If you’re that sorry, then keep me company after this, alright?”

“...Alright.”

AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!!

Also, if you'd like to read additional chapters ahead and get a pdf version (Light & Dark), please feel free to check out my at /verglasx ~!!