Volume 9 Chapter 22 Side Event — Swimming Block Tournament in the Old Capital ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It was a clear summer morning. I woke up in my room on one of the upper floors of a high-rise hotel in the Imperial Capital.
I checked the clock. Still plenty of time before we had to meet. I threw the curtains wide open and did radio calisthenics in my underwear. Something I’d never do at home, but somehow ended up doing whenever I stayed at a hotel.
I got carried away and made it all the way to the third set before coming to my senses. A little embarrassing.
It wasn’t like anyone was watching.
I got ready and headed down to the hotel lobby.
”Good morning.”
”Morning, Minoru.”
”Morning~”
Risa and Yurina were waiting in the lobby, along with Karin-san. She’d volunteered to drive the three of us to the venue.
I’d always assumed people living in the Imperial Capital relied mainly on trains and didn’t own cars. Apparently, once you reached the wealth level of the Naruse estate, private vehicle travel became the priority for preserving personal space and thinking time.
That said, unlike her father who had a chauffeur, Karin-san drove herself. As a first-year professional, she’d chosen not to jump into a chauffeured lifestyle and instead aimed for independence through her own effort.
We climbed into Karin-san’s car and headed first to the nearest station to the venue, where I’d meet up with my clubmates from District 13 High School. Risa and Yurina went ahead to the venue. It felt like we’d gotten off at a pointless distance away.
The third day of the tournament started with sorcery-free regulation for sorcerers. Events with fewer participants were wrapped up quickly.
My backstroke turned out to be a single-shot final right off the bat.
I was the block tournament champion, and the pre-tournament consensus had me as a strong favorite to win the national title too.
I finished my warmup and was called immediately to compete. Before the race, I glanced at the spectator section and spotted a cluster of familiar faces.
Kotomoto, the Hinata sisters, Risa, Yurina, and Karin-san.
I waved when they called my name.
”Go for it~” their voices echoed across the venue. Risa and the others cheering from their seats briefly appeared on the plasma vision display, then the camera zoom shifted to Karin-san standing beside them. Probably because her stunning figure by this world’s standards made for a better shot.
The monitor also carried the commentator’s analysis.
”This race to watch is Lane 5, Kō, and Lane 6, Kawai. And also Lane 3, Tatemiya. We’re expecting a three-way battle between block champions.”
For reference, the two others who’d been named were third-years with builds similar to mine. Not from the dungeon exploration group but the Tower Dungeon group – serious swimmers who competed at the highest level. We’d known each other since junior high.
Before entering the pool, I noticed Manaka watching me from within the Shisei High School group. I clenched my fist and gave a small wave. Manaka smiled and waved back.
I gave it everything I had, but I couldn’t beat either of them. My second-year inter-high result: sorcerer class, sorcery-free regulation, backstroke 200 meters – third place nationally.
The awards ceremony wrapped up before noon. Bronze medal around my neck, pose for the camera. This would count as an achievement for future college applications.
The afternoon brought sorcery-active regulation. I changed into my dry clothes and joined my companions in the spectator section, cheering not only for District 13 High School competitors but also for Shisei High School athletes from our local connection.
The next most important result to me was Manaka’s.
Under sorcery-active regulation, the competition went through preliminary, semifinal, and final rounds. Starting with the prelims. Manaka’s 400-meter individual medley was packed with heavyset competitors. No one else was as lean as Manaka. To my eyes, she was the only one worth watching.
The prelims also had commentary, with the announcer’s remarks appearing on the display.
The evaluation of Manaka was honestly not great. Given that she’d been a standout competitor in junior high, the consensus was that she’d fallen off as a swimmer over the past year or so. Still, she was praised for the raw ability it took to break through the block tournament and reach nationals. The general assessment was that she compensated with efficient body mechanics and effective use of her small mana reserves.
Hated to admit it, but the evaluation was fair.
Swimming 400 meters while using sorcery – constantly maintaining maximum physical enhancement would normally drain your mana completely. Even with a sorcerer’s body frame, that was the case, so for someone with Manaka’s build, it was even harder.
”Manaka, do your best. You can make them eat their words.”
”I will.”
My quiet encouragement during the athlete introduction was met with an audible response. Through Air-shaping sorcery!? Hey, save your mana for the actual race! Wasting your Inherent sorcery just so I can hear you – do you not even plan to win?
”I’m going to win.”
I said stop reading my thoughts.
Manaka took her starting position on the block. She launched into the water almost simultaneously with the signal.
Good start.
Entering the water with less splash than the competitors on either side, Manaka surfaced and began swimming butterfly. From the way she moved, the enhancement was concentrated in her legs. While other competitors enhanced their entire bodies and charged forward with explosive power like speedboats, Manaka played it safe in the early stages.
Through the 50-meter turn, the situation remained unchanged. Manaka fell significantly behind heading into the 100-meter turn. The next 100 was the recovery interval. While other competitors eased up on their physical enhancement, Manaka seized the moment and ramped hers up. She closed the gap rapidly, caught up at the 150-meter turn, and by 200 meters had surged to the lead with a nearly 10-meter gap over second place.
The next leg, breaststroke, was the recovery event. The standard strategy was to minimize mana consumption during these 100 meters. Here, Manaka stopped her physical enhancement entirely, switching to pure technique and natural swimming ability. Meanwhile, the competitors on either side, apparently panicked about falling behind, were using their own enhancements to try catching up.
But Manaka’s breaststroke was already fast to begin with, and she had the added advantage of lower water resistance. Through 250 meters, the gap didn’t close at all, and at 300 meters, Manaka maintained first place through the final turn. The last leg was freestyle. Having come this far, it was down to sheer willpower and guts – burning through every last bit of stamina and mana to finish.
At the turn, Manaka kicked into full-body enhancement and took off, with the other competitors chasing at maximum effort.
Manaka was fast. Through 350 meters, the others kept fighting, but the gap wouldn’t shrink. Whether they’d used too much power, the final 50 saw them lose speed. Manaka, meanwhile, didn’t slow down – if anything, she accelerated into a full sprint. In the end, she finished first with a commanding lead of nearly 10 meters over second place.
The crowd erupted.
Manaka had been pre-evaluated as someone who’d put up a good fight but wouldn’t advance past the prelims, yet she’d clinched her spot in the semifinals at the top. Her time was… just shy of the tournament record. Despite competing under sorcery-active regulation, she’d set that mark with low mana consumption and was now being treated as a dark horse.
As Manaka emerged from the pool and headed back to the staging area, our eyes met. I went over to give her something.
It was a single Majo’s Tears – a finely crafted item infused with my own mana. Given Manaka’s mana deficiency and the pallor it caused, this was essential.
”Thank you. I’ll put it to good use.”
”Do your best in the semifinals too.”
That exchange happened an hour before the semifinal. When it arrived…
Manaka had recovered her mana and entered the semifinals as a watched competitor, but was cleanly defeated, failing to advance to the finals. She’d held her own through the first half – up through the breaststroke – but unlike the prelims, couldn’t maintain the lead, entering freestyle in third place. The other competitors had watched the prelims and made sure to counter Manaka’s sorcery-powered backstroke dominance.
Once she hit freestyle, Manaka couldn’t pull ahead like before. Worse, she kept sliding down the rankings, ultimately finishing seventh. The commentator offered only a brief remark about stamina depletion in the final freestyle leg.
I felt bad for her disappointed teammates, but I knew the truth. Manaka hadn’t lost because she ran out of mana – she still had plenty left for physical enhancement. She could have done it, but chose not to. I’d need to confront her about it later.
The third day of the tournament concluded. A few District 13 High School members had placed. We’d celebrate once we got back to the 13th District. Those competing tomorrow returned to the hotel to rest, while today’s competitors headed home.
As for the spectators, Kotomoto and the others caught an evening flight back, while Risa and Yurina were driven by Karin-san to the Naruse family’s Imperial Capital vacation house. I’d actually been invited too, but with Risa insisting I needed rest, I decided to stay at the hotel for another night.
That left me with a clear agenda for the evening.
Yes – Manaka-chan solo time.
Manaka arrived at my room in a white one-piece dress, elegant as always. She passed by me on the way to the bed, and I caught a lovely scent signature. No trace of chlorine in her hair at all – she’d clearly taken the time to freshen up.
”Minoru, congratulations.”
”Thanks.”
”Your Exchange battle opponent placed third nationally. I’m proud of you.”
She gave me a warm smile as she reached into her pocket and produced a Majo’s Tears, pressing it into my hand. I checked it – the mana inside was completely depleted. She’d used every drop again today.
Perfect timing to ask about her puzzling behavior earlier.
”Manaka, why didn’t you give it your all in the semifinals?”
”What do you mean by ‘my all’?”
”In the final 100 meters – if you’d pushed harder, you could have made the finals.”
”…”
Manaka fell silent. After roughly ten seconds of quiet, she suddenly began releasing mana outward – the same way she did during an Erosion Game, radiating untyped mana into the air around her.
That mana felt familiar. It was mine.
”Using other people’s mana is just something everyone does, right? More importantly – was the amount of mana enough?”
Under sorcery-active regulation, mana recovery items were unrestricted through the block tournament stage. Full mana usage was permitted each race. At the national tournament, however, restrictions were placed on mana recovery item usage.
Under sorcery-active regulation, there were preliminaries, semifinals, and finals. First came the prelims. Manaka’s event – the 400-meter individual medley – was packed with heavier-built competitors. No one as slim as Manaka was in the field. To me, she was the only one worth watching.
Even in the prelims, there was a proper commentator, and the display showed live remarks.
Honestly, Manaka’s evaluation was low.
Considering that she’d been a standout competitor in junior high, the consensus was that, over the past year and a bit, Manaka had effectively fallen off as a swimmer. Even so, she was praised for the raw ability that carried her through the block tournament and into nationals. Her body control and her efficient use of limited mana were the usual talking points.
As much as it annoyed me, that assessment was accurate.
Swimming 400 meters while using sorcery was no joke. If you kept maximum physical enhancement running at all times, you’d usually run out of mana. Even with a sorcerer’s physique, that was true. For someone built like Manaka, it was even tougher.
”Manaka, do your best. You can still surprise them.”
”Of course.”
I muttered encouragement after the athlete introductions, and she answered me. Air-shaping sorcery!? Hey, don’t use mana right before you swim! Are you trying to lose if you’re wasting Inherent sorcery just so I can understand you?
”I’m going to win.”
Stop reading my thoughts.
Manaka settled into her starting stance on the block and sprang forward almost at the same time as the signal.
Good start.
She dove into the water with less splash than the swimmers on either side, then surfaced and started butterfly. The way she moved made it obvious her enhancement was focused in her legs. While the other swimmers enhanced their whole bodies and surged ahead like speedboats, Manaka chose to conserve herself at the start.
Even after the 50-meter turn, nothing changed. Manaka fell far behind by the 100-meter turn. The next 100 was the recovery stretch. While the others eased off their body enhancement, Manaka saw her chance and pushed hers harder. She closed the gap fast, caught up by the 150-meter turn, and by 200 meters had taken the lead with almost a 10-meter gap to second place.
The next stroke, breaststroke, was the rest leg. The usual strategy was to keep mana use as low as possible during these 100 meters. Here, Manaka cut her physical enhancement completely and switched to pure body and technique. Meanwhile, the swimmers on both sides seemed to panic at being left behind and used their own enhancement to try to catch up.
But Manaka’s breaststroke was already fast. She also had the advantage of lower water resistance. By 250 meters, the gap still hadn’t closed, and by 300 meters Manaka kept first place through the turn. The final leg was freestyle. From there on, it was pure grit and pride – using every last bit of stamina and mana to finish.
At the turn, Manaka kicked into full-body enhancement and ran. The other swimmers chased at full strength.
Manaka was fast. By 350 meters, the others were still fighting, but the gap wouldn’t shrink. Maybe they’d spent too much power – the last 50 meters made them slow down. Manaka, on the other hand, didn’t lose speed. If anything, she got faster, breaking into a sprint. In the end, she took first place by nearly 10 meters over second.
The crowd cheered.
The pre-race expectation had been that Manaka would do well but not advance, yet she was now moving on to the semifinals in first place. Her time was… just short of the tournament record. Even under sorcery-active regulation, she’d posted a record with very low mana use, so people were treating her as a dark horse.
As she climbed out of the pool and headed back to the waiting area, our eyes met, and I walked over to hand her something.
It was one Majo’s Tears. A top-quality item infused with my mana. For Manaka, who already looked drained and pale from mana shortage, it was probably a must-have.
”Thank you. I’ll use it well.”
”Do your best in the semifinals too.”
An hour later, it was time for the semifinals.
Manaka had recovered her mana and was attracting attention in the semis, but she lost cleanly and failed to reach the finals. She fought well through the first half, all the way through breaststroke, but unlike the prelims she couldn’t hold onto first place. By freestyle she entered in third. The other competitors, after seeing her prelim swim, had started using sorcery in backstroke too so she couldn’t run away with the race.
Once freestyle began, Manaka couldn’t widen the gap like before. Worse, she kept sliding back, and in the end she finished seventh. The commentator only gave a brief explanation: she had run out of stamina in the final freestyle leg.
I felt bad for the others who were disappointed, but I knew better. Manaka hadn’t run out of mana and failed to use enhancement. She still had room to enhance herself; she simply chose not to. I was going to ask her why later.
The third day of the tournament ended.
A few District 13 High School members also placed. We’d celebrate after we got back to the 13th District.
Those who would swim tomorrow returned to the hotel to prepare, and those who had swum today went back home.
As for the spectators, Kotomoto and the others flew back on an evening plane, and Risa and Yurina went with Karin-san to the Naruse family’s Imperial Capital villa. I was invited too, but Risa said I probably wouldn’t be able to relax there, so I stayed at the hotel for one more night.
That meant there was one obvious thing to do at night.
Right. Manaka-chan private time.
Manaka came to my room in a white one-piece dress, looking like a proper young lady.
As she passed by me on the way to the bed, I caught a nice scent signature. There wasn’t even a trace of chlorine in her hair. She’d really finished herself up.
”Minoru, congratulations.”
”Thanks.”
”Your Exchange battle opponent placed third nationally. I’m proud of you.”
Manaka smiled at me, took a Majo’s Tears from her pocket, and handed it over. When I checked it, the mana inside was empty. She’d used everything again today.
Perfect timing. I asked her about today’s strange behavior.
”Manaka, why didn’t you go all out in the semifinals?”
”What do you mean by all out?”
”The last 100 meters. If you’d gone all out, you could have reached the finals.”
”…”
Manaka went silent. After about ten seconds, she suddenly started releasing mana. It was like when she used Erosion Game, sending colorless mana out of her body.
I recognized that mana. It was mine.
”Using someone else’s mana is something everybody does, right? More important – did you have enough mana?”
Under sorcery-active regulation, there were no limits on mana recovery item use through the block tournament stage. You could use full mana in every race. But at nationals, there were restrictions on mana recovery items.
—
Summary:
Minoru competes in the sorcery-free backstroke at nationals, placing third overall. In the sorcery-active regulation, Manaka shocks everyone by topping her preliminary heat with a dark-horse performance, only to inexplicably throw the semifinals by deliberately withholding her enhancement magic. That night, Minoru confronts her about it and discovers she’d been siphoning his mana all along.
Manaka crushes prelims, takes first, then gets knocked down in semifinals after other swimmers adapt to her style. Minoru gives her a mana-infused Majo’s Tears, then later learns she was using his mana and deliberately held back. The chapter ends with nationals rules limiting mana recovery use, leaving her strange choice unresolved.
—
Trivia:
1. Minoru does radio calisthenics in his underwear whenever he stays at a hotel – a habit he’d never have at home.
2. The backstroke nationals final was a single-race elimination, not a series of heats.
3. The two rivals who beat Minoru – Kō and Kawai – are Tower Dungeon members, meaning they train purely for competitive swimming unlike the dungeon exploration group.
4. Karin-san insists on driving herself despite being a first-year professional – she wants independence before taking on a chauffeur.
5. Naruse estate wealth is so extreme that car ownership becomes preferred over public transit for the thinking time it preserves.
6. Manaka’s pre-tournament evaluation noted her small mana reserves as both a weakness and a sign of efficiency.
7. The commentator’s analysis on the plasma vision display was publicly visible, meaning all competitors’ evaluations were common knowledge.
8. Manaka’s semifinal loss came because other competitors specifically studied her prelim swim and adjusted their sorcery usage to prevent her backstroke dominance.
9. Majo’s Tears are individually crafted items that require personal mana infusion – they’re not mass-produced.
10. The 10-second silence before Manaka releases mana suggests she was deciding whether to reveal she’d been borrowing Minoru’s power.
1. Manaka’s field is the 400-meter individual medley, not a sprint race.
2. The commenter notes her body control and mana efficiency as her key strengths, not raw speed.
3. Her prelim win is significant because her build is considered unfavorable compared with the other swimmers.
4. The other competitors studied her and adjusted their sorcery specifically to counter her backstroke lead.
5. Majo’s Tears is treated as a limited-use competition item rather than a casual gift.
6. Manaka can still release mana after the race, suggesting her loss was a deliberate choice, not an accident.
7. Nationals impose stricter mana recovery rules than the block tournament.
8. Risa’s concern about Minoru staying with her suggests tension if he stayed at the villa overnight.
Notes:
• S – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• A – A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R’s high school squad.
• Minoru – The protagonist and narrator is a black-haired Demon reincarnated from Japan, standing 183cm with sharp eyes. Pragmatic yet internally hurt, this eldest Tatemiya son wrongly believed his childhood friends abandoned him. Serving as ‘master’ to a mixed female group, he uses inherent spatial manipulation sorcery to command a handgun and subjugated monsters like Pape in mid-guard combat.
• M – A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• Yurina – A stoic, analytical 165cm Plain-folk vanguard with a black ponytail and G-cup. A humanities student and eldest daughter of seven, she uses a katana and Severing Sorcery in Minoru’s party. She protects Chifumi, fights alongside Mitsuki, and addresses Minoru-sama with polite deference. Efficient and loyal, she trusts his judgment despite feeling unsettled by his escalating violence.
• Karin – The eldest Naruse sister and older sibling to Risa, she is a university student currently studying business at the Imperial Capital.
• Risa – A curious humanities student (167cm, light brown semi-long hair, H-cup, black eyes) and the youngest Naruse sister. Playfully assertive and protective of Minoru’s group, this mid-guard sorcerer has no inherent magic but wields magic pistols and Hinoki’s power. When Asunaro takes control, her eyes turn red, enabling fire and lightning sorcery. She is also known to bake cookies for Tatemiya.
• Yuri – A cheerful, energetic, and curvy Higashi High first-year student dating Shibuya. While calculating, she is fiercely loyal, even winning a third-place Best Couple Award with him. She was an acquaintance of Kibe Yurina in middle school. Known for being aggressive toward Hayato and displaying overt favoritism, she is defined by her intense relationships, vibrant spirit, and distinct presence.
• K – A student from East Middle who followed N to National High School out of care, successfully remaining pure through N’s protection until a misunderstanding involving Anonymous Student 0008 led to her capitulation.
• R – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.
• Naruse – Naruse is the paternal surname of sisters Anri, Risa, and Momono, separate from their mother’s magical Shoji line. Led by their influential hotel/dungeon manager mother, this wealthy old-money sorcerer family and merchant guild provides institutional support to local establishments. They reside in an understated, modest private estate featuring an integrated dungeon and a small dojo.
• N – A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.
• T – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• B – A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S’s group.
• Kotomoto – Junior high school acquaintance of Minoru who watched the swimming nationals from the spectator stands.
• Tatemiya – Tatemiya is the family name of Minoru, a pragmatic protagonist in a world with reversed beauty standards. He leads a strong-female harem with analytical detachment, treating interactions as transactions. Strained by Manaka abandoning Minoru, the family has tense ties with the Kugas. Associated with a symbolic residential gate, the name connects to Manaka’s father’s social circle.
• Manaka – Manaka Kuga is an elegant, sharp-featured Shisei High student, authoritative circle leader, and strategist for the top-tier Kuga family’s Founding Strong-Females. Minoru’s refined yet direct childhood friend, she uses a short staff for spatial/air-shaping sorcery. Known for her aristocratic bearing and “-chan” honorific, she manages security, led a year-long deception, and orchestrated an exchange battle request.
• Shisei – An acquaintance involved in high-profile activities.
• Majo – A member of Minoru’s group whose presence is noted to be vital for success.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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