The Irregular at Magic High School: Everyone Loves My Brother?!

Tatsuya, after finishing his report at the club headquarters and visiting the infirmary, hurried toward the student council room. He was later than usual, and even with magic, he couldn't let a girl walk home alone. But…

"Brother!"

"Hey, good work!"

"Nice job!"

"Yo!"

At the school entrance, his sister and friends were waiting for him.

"Great work today! You really shone!" Miyuki said.

"Not really. Good job to you too, Miyuki," Tatsuya replied, gently patting her head. Their two friends sighed.

"I know they're siblings, but still…"

"Something about it…"

"They do look good together, though," the third friend, Mizuki, said earnestly, prompting wry smiles from the others.

"Sorry for keeping you so late," Tatsuya apologized.

"No worries, my club orientation just ended," one friend said.

"Yeah, she was at practice too, so don't sweat it," another added.

"Don't say it like that!" the first shot back.

"Brother, no need to apologize," Miyuki said with a playful smile. Tatsuya gave a wry grin and turned to his friends.

"Thanks. It's late—want to grab food? My treat, up to a thousand yen each."

"Sweet! For real?" Leo jumped at the offer. Erika, who'd normally join in, held back, likely because Tatsuya had treated them recently.

"It's Brother's kindness, so let's go," Miyuki urged.

"Yeah, Tatsuya's treat!" Erika chimed in.

"I'll take you up on that, Tatsuya!" Mizuki added.

Miyuki's emphasis on "kindness" felt a bit heavy, but Tatsuya was glad she'd saved him from embarrassment.

"Let's go, then," he said.

"Time to eat!" Erika cheered.

"You were just holding back!" Leo teased.

"It's rude to refuse kindness," she retorted.

"Greedy," Leo muttered.

Erika snapped back, and their usual bickering flared. Tatsuya and Miyuki ignored it, while Mizuki fretted but didn't intervene. The two argued until they reached the restaurant, where food finally calmed them.

"By the way, Tatsuya, didn't the kendo club use a lethal B-rank magic?" Leo asked. "How'd you come out unscathed?"

"'High-Frequency Blade' has a narrow range. Avoid contact, and it's manageable. It's no different from a real sword otherwise," Tatsuya explained.

"That sounds like you're saying a real sword's no big deal," Erika said, concerned.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Mizuki added.

Miyuki dismissed their worries. "No sword can beat Brother."

"Pretty confident, huh?" Leo said.

"In physical combat or swordsmanship, no one can match him," Miyuki declared.

"Uh, Tatsuya's skills are amazing, but Kirihara-senpai was on another level," Erika countered.

"'High-Frequency Blade' uses ultrasonic waves, right?" Mizuki asked.

"Some users wear earplugs to avoid ultrasonic sickness," Leo noted.

Miyuki's confidence puzzled them. Tatsuya was a second-tier student, less skilled in magic—weren't they worried?

"It's not just that Brother's exceptional," Miyuki said, stifling a laugh. "Neutralizing magic formulas is his specialty."

"Neutralizing magic formulas?" the three echoed in unison, unfamiliar with the concept.

"That's a rare skill, right?" Erika asked.

"It's not taught in high school, and even if it were, not everyone can use it," Miyuki explained. "Erika, after Brother charged in, didn't you feel something like motion sickness?"

"A bit, but some people around me were too nauseous to stand," Erika admitted.

"That was Brother's doing. You used Cast Jamming, didn't you?" Miyuki asked.

Tatsuya nodded. "Can't hide anything from you."

"I know everything about you," Miyuki teased.

Leo interrupted, "That's not sibling talk!"

"Really?" Tatsuya and Miyuki said in unison, tilting their heads. Leo slumped, defeated.

"You can't win against them," Erika consoled.

"My bad," Leo admitted.

"That's not quite right," Tatsuya said.

"Isn't it fine, Brother? Our strong sibling bond is real," Miyuki said, leaning her head on his shoulder. Leo and Erika faceplanted onto the table.

"I'm heading home," Erika groaned.

Amid the joking, Mizuki alone looked confused yet intrigued. "Miyuki, tone it down. Someone doesn't get it's a joke," Tatsuya warned.

"Joke?" Mizuki gasped, blushing as all eyes turned to her. The group found her reaction endearing.

"Speaking of, Miyuki, you mentioned Cast Jamming? That's magic interference, right?" Erika asked.

"Not exactly radio waves," Leo corrected.

"Figure of speech! But it needs a special stone, right? Anti-something…" Erika trailed off.

"Antinite," Mizuki supplied.

"Right, Antinite!" Erika said. "Tatsuya, you have one? Those are pricey."

Mizuki assumed Tatsuya used Antinite, a common necessity for Cast Jamming. But his answer surprised them.

"Nope. Antinite's military-grade, not something civilians can get," he said.

"But you used Cast Jamming, right?" Erika pressed.

Tatsuya leaned in. "Off the record, I used a specific magic-jamming technique based on Cast Jamming's principles."

Erika, Leo, and Mizuki tilted their heads, puzzled, but Miyuki listened with a delighted smile.