Chapter 44 – ４４ – Regarding the Matchups for the Debut Battle

Debut Match Arc

“We will now begin the A-Rank Group limited meeting. Today, we will once again discuss the debut matches.”

As the appointed time arrived, Mr. Ajitori and Ms. Tarui entered the room, and the meeting commenced. Every student, including myself, was present.

“I will state this upfront: what is required in the debut matches is for each of you to demonstrate what kind of power your Masked Form possesses. Therefore, the pairings have been decided by the academy to ensure that no match becomes a one-sided affair.”

“…That said, as you may have guessed, there are the intentions of the sponsors to consider. However, there is no need to worry about such things. Your duty as Duelists standing on the stage remains the same: give your absolute all to win the duel. That is all.”

In other words, even if a pairing looks like there is a gap in strength at first glance, that is not actually the case. At the very least, the matches are rigged to be competitive. And regardless of the pairing, our objective remains unchanged.

“For that reason, the pairings I am about to announce are unlikely to change. There are many factors that could alter a Masked Form’s combat ability—the physical ability tests from two weeks ago, the function checks from last week, this week’s lessons on Skills, and next week’s adjustments to the Masked Forms. Even so, the pairings stand.”

“…”

Glances shifted toward Fuchibeni for a split second before returning to the teachers. Regardless, the certain part was that no matter what happened, the pairings would not change.

“I will now announce them. First, Midorikawa Naruki and Morikuni Tomoe. You two will fight last as the main event of the day.”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

The pairing for Ms. Morikuni and me remained the same. Well, the fact that it didn’t change even after my Masked Form was revealed… I should probably assume that Ms. Morikuni has something capable of breaking through my defenses.

“Next, Fuchibeni Yoshio and Kibitsu Hiyobi. You two will fight first.”

“Got it.”

“Understood.”

Fuchibeni and Kibitsu… a pairing of the third and fourth highest Magic Capacities. A reasonable pairing… right? Come to think of it, I don’t even know what Kibitsu’s Masked Form looks like—actually, I don’t know the forms of any of the A-Rank Group except for Fuchibeni’s. I only know their Magic Capacities. So, judging whether it’s reasonable or not is impossible for me.

“As for the remaining pairings, first we have Tōsaka Kinji and Kamei Sachi.”

“!??”

Tōsaka and Ms. Kamei… Huh? There seems to be a significant difference in Magic Capacity between those two. Perhaps because they were aware of it, both of them looked quite surprised.

“Then, Hitsujiuta Moe and Magariya Ken. Finally, Ōasari Aika and Tokuto Makoto. Those are the pairings.”

“…”

The rest… it looks like they just paired them up in order of Magic Capacity. Those seem like safe pairings. But still…

“I feel like it’s perfectly split into male-versus-female matches,” someone remarked.

“No, Kibitsu and Fuchibeni are both guys, and Midorikawa and Ms. Morikuni are both girls—at least in appearance.”

For now, let me list the pairings again. Including the order of battle, it goes like this:

Fuchibeni VS Kibitsu

Ōasari VS Tokuto

Hitsujiuta VS Magariya

Kamei VS Tōsaka

Morikuni VS Midorikawa

Isn’t Tōsaka way too advantaged because of the Magic Capacity difference? Including Tokuto, who had just called me out, everyone was looking at Mr. Ajitori as if demanding an explanation for that specific pairing.

“Teacher! My Magic Capacity was barely at the A-Rank threshold! I think it’s a bit much to put me against Tōsaka, who is fifth!”

“I agree. These duels are meant to show what our Masked Forms can do, right? In that case, wouldn’t it be more natural for my opponent to be Ms. Hitsujiuta instead of Ms. Kamei?”

“True. I suppose I should explain this part. To put it simply, among those excluding the top four, Kamei was the opponent whose victory was most uncertain when matched against Tōsaka. That is why this pairing was chosen. As for the detailed reasons… please gather information and think about it later. Information-gathering ability is also essential for an excellent Duelist.”

“…”

Ah, Ms. Kamei and Tōsaka actually spoke up. And Mr. Ajitori gave us an explanation.

However, the person with the highest win rate when excluding me and Ms. Morikuni, huh. In this case, is Tōsaka’s Masked Form special, is Ms. Kamei’s special, or are they both? Since either is possible, I’ll ask Suzu later why it’s like that.

“Furthermore, since the first match begins at 19:00 on the day, the schedules for various activities will change. Please be mindful of this. Also, since guests from outside the academy will be invited and the event will be broadcast live on television, please ensure your behavior maintains the dignity of an academy student. Especially you, Midorikawa.”

“Yes?”

“Take the utmost care to ensure there is no repeat of the previous broadcast accident. There is a limit to how far excuses like ‘it was an accident’ or ‘I didn’t do it on purpose’ will carry you. Understood?”

“Ah, yes.”

He means “don’t strip.” I know. But still, even in the duel with Fuchibeni, when the tension rose, I ended up stripping naturally… I’ll try my best not to, but whether that will actually work… I’m not so sure. Well, I’ll do as much training as I can.

“Now, is there anything else to discuss…”

“…The Masquerade Devices.”

Right, it seems there’s more.

“…Masquerade Devices developed and manufactured by various companies currently exist and can be purchased in various locations, including shopping malls. Some of you may have received them as part of support from your sponsors. However, for the debut matches, please use the Devices distributed by the academy. It would contradict the purpose of this event if the results were altered by differences in rear-end support.”

Devices… Ah, now that he mentions it, I feel like I’ve seen those somewhere… did I? No, I wasn’t paying attention, so I can’t tell. But do Devices really create that much of a difference in a Masked Form’s combat ability? This is another thing I should ask Suzu.

“…That is all.”

“I see. Then, we will proceed immediately with the meeting regarding this week’s Masquerade classes, so make sure you don’t miss anything.”

“Eh, no break!?”

“Are you serious…?”

“I guess this is to make up for the lost week.”

“…”

After that, the regular meeting took place, and the day ended.