Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 03 - Nine Schools Competition (I) Read Online Free PDF Page A

sky.

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    Their destination was Yakumo's temple.
    However, the one training tonight was Miyuki and not Tatsuya.
    Miyuki had already been selected as a participant in the Nine Schools Competition, so additional preparation was necessary.
    The events in the Nine Schools Competition heavily emphasized the need for magic talent, but at the same time did not wholly ignore physical characteristics. In the "Battle Board" event, contestants with faster reflexes and a better sense of balance held the advantage, while the "Crowd Ball" event required a good balance between tactics and stamina.
    For Miyuki, who excelled in Speed and Freezing Magics, "Icicle Destruction" was almost specifically designed to show off her talents. Forget the Newcomers Division, she could probably cruise to victory even in the Official Division.
    However, with the individual contests split by gender causing the number of events to increase, Miyuki was also going to participate in the "Mirage Bat" event, where she would have to "use a bat to split open the balls of light floating in the air".
    Miyuki also received martial training from Yakumo alongside Tatsuya, so her frail frame belied her superb physical status. Even so, given that there weren't many opportunities lately for her to exercise, this training served as a precaution for the main event.
    Tatsuya turned off the engine near the entrance before pushing the vehicle into the temple. After leaving the vehicle in the temple garage, the two of them went to greet Yakumo.
    At this hour, Yakumo should be doing night training with his disciples.
    Just as they expected, as they approached the darkened dojo, they could detect various concealed presences, as well as the occasional footstep that couldn't be completely muffled and the sounds of bodies hitting the floor.
    Tatsuya slowly pried open the ancient doors to avoid distracting the disciples from training.
    Even though the door opened without a sound, a kunai still came flying towards them. Tatsuya used the blade-proof and bullet-proof jacket to deflect it before pulling out a lead ball concealed in his biker suit and firing back.
    However, Tatsuya's "marble" (a type of concealed weapon that is hurtled using finger force alone, from the same system as "point ball") didn't seem like it hit the target.
    "Tatsuya, it looks like your marbles haven't improved much. Don't think magic is enough to cut it, you need to practice your projectile weapons as well. However, you made the correct decision in deflecting the kunai rather than catching it."
    There was no detectable presence, only the voice.
    Tatsuya didn't aim right in front of him where the voice came from, but instead fired a second marble towards the rightmost wall.
    "Oh ho?"
    Accompanying this surprised shout, a force rippled outwards from the spot Tatsuya aimed at.
    Tatsuya quickly put an arm around Miyuki and sprang backwards.
    A split second later, a pitch black sword wave slashed down vertically from the ceiling above, barely missing Tatsuya's back by a hair as he covered his little sister.
    Tatsuya quickly stepped forward with one foot.
    A bokken painted completely black was rendered completely still with Tatsuya firmly stamping on it.
    Yakumo abandoned the idea of striking a second time as he let go of his immobile weapon.
    ". . . . . . Sensei, you have such an interesting way of greeting people."
    ". . . . . . I should be the one saying that. Wasn't your marble filled with killing intent?"
    Master and disciple faced one another in the darkness, before simultaneously breaking out into evil laughter.
    Tucked inside Tatsuya's bosom, Miyuki was blushing furiously. Thankfully, that was difficult to discern in the surrounding darkness — at least that was what Miyuki thought, but Tatsuya had already noticed due to being in contact with her stiff body, while Yakumo had detected this through her erratic breathing.

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    Somewhere within the temple illuminated by torches in the four corners,