The Irregular at Magic High

Chapter 26

Just before the school gates closed, in the club headquarters. "The situation is concerning the Kenjutsu Club's barging in on the Kendo Club's demonstration for new members." 

Tatsuya, having witnessed and experienced the event, provided details concerning the attempted brawl — including how after Mibu Sayaka and Kirihara Takeaki started arguing, he had stepped in their struggle and personally challenged the Kenjutsu club — to the three people standing before him. 

"Even so, after taking on more than ten opponents, it's a wonder you're still so well." 

Facing him to the right, the Student Body president, Saegusa Mayumi. 

"To be exact there were fourteen people. As expected of Kokonoe-sensei's disciple I guess." In the centre, the one who in a sense is his boss, the Public Morals Committee chief, Watanabe Mari. Laughing interestedly — not in the sense of 'strange', but in the sense of 'amusing' — while commenting made her words rather ironic. Though her expression was somewhat insincere, she's probably praising him. What most impressed Mayumi and Mari (?) was, after overpowering Kirihara, Tatsuya had only defended against the frenzied mob of Kenjutsu club members without attacking. 

However, Tatsuya had not shown off any techniques worth praising. He seemed to have the skill of an average high school student, but they didn't know what level. That was why those attackers fared that much worse than the Yakumo temple students — they had no idea he could manage fourteen opponents at once and sustain no injuries and how valuable that was. 

Instead, Tatsuya's awareness was focused on the 3rd Year male student, on the left side. It's likely that he is the Club Management Group Leader, Juumonji Katsuto. Bearing the number '10' in his name, the eldest child of the Juumonji house. (He looks pretty steep alright...) Standing up, he was about 185 cm. That alone didn't make him a big man to be looked up upon. Rather, it was the thick chest and broad shoulders and the rippling muscles, easily recognizable even under a uniform. It wasn't just his physical features; every element that makes up a human seemed to be condensed in him, giving his character an incredibly heavy sense of presence. 

As expected of one who stands alongside Mayumi and Mari as part of the First High School Big Three, Tatsuya thought, understanding just from his appearance and impression. 

"You didn't see the incident's beginning circumstances?" Being questioned by Mari, who had changed her expression, Tatsuya snapped back to reality. Once again, he recalled the event of the report he had just finished and replied affirmatively to her question. 

"That's right. Whether Kirihara-senpai had provoked the Kendo club or the Kendo club had earlier caused some grievance against the Kenjutsu club, we cannot say for certain." What he had seen was from the point when Mibu and Kirihara had been quarrelling. 

Along with Erika, they were behind the stands and were about to exit the gym when they heard the buzz of an argument breaking out, but they hadn't heard the contents. By the time he had waded through the crowd and arrived on the scene, both Mibu and Kirihara were at swords' points already. "Is that why you didn't act straight away?" That question was from Mayumi. Katsuto seemed to have assumed the listener's position. 

"I intended to intervene only if I deemed things became too dangerous. If they only ended up bruising each other, that's a problem between themselves." Tatsuya answered Mayumi's question conditionally. As Mayumi said, Tatsuya had initially taken the attitude of a bystander since he didn't know who he should stop. You could possibly say that he had the option to simply stop both, but

since that would result in him gaining the reputation and notoriety of defeating both of them, that case wasn't considered. However, that wasn't the only reason. The duties requested of him by the Public Morals Committee was the prevention of magical violence. Neither Kirihara nor Mibu, when they started sparring, had used magic. Had Kirihara not used the magic "Sonic Blade", it was likely that Tatsuya would have simply watched until the end.