The S-Class Mage is a Gyaru!?-Chapter 40: Arcane Symposium, Part Twenty

Chapter 40: Arcane Symposium, Part Twenty
I gather my mana, letting it build like a bass drop at a club. Mana crackles around my perfectly manicured nails as I prepare to-
[Wait, what the fuck?]
The spell dies in my hands as Miyuki’s magic SHIFTS. Like, completely changes flavor. One second it’s got that borrowed tang of Sato’s crusty power, next it’s...
[Oh shit-]
Her next spell hits me dead center, knocking me flat on my ass. My back slams against marble, the impact sending shockwaves through my tits and knocking the wind straight outta me. Through blurry vision, I see another attack coming in hot - all sparks and rage and Sato’s stolen power.
[Shit shit shit-]
I roll, barely dodging. My uniform top decides now’s the perfect time to malfunction, giving everyone a clear view of my cute pink bra as the center of my shirt burns away.
[... Fuck.]
I see Sato. He’s about to stop the match!
"I can fight!" I yell pre-emptively, pushing myself up. Unfortunately, I’ve gotta take my top off entirely, leaving me in just my skirt, platforms, and my bra.
Some dude in the crowd wolf-whistles. I roll my eyes.
[Not the time, bro!]
"I’m good!"
Bitter, Sato clicks his tongue and lowers his hand. It would be too obvious if he disqualified me after that.
[Good. I ain’t losing to these cheating hoes.]
Miyuki’s smirking now, all high and mighty. That borrowed power’s got her feeling herself.
"Ready to give up?" She asks, fixing her perfect hair. "No shame in knowing your place."
[My place?]
Something in me snaps.
[Oh, it’s like THAT?]
"Nah, I know where I belong. Which is, obvs, firmly above you."
Her eyes narrow.
[Yeah, that’s right. Get mad.]
See, here’s the thing about borrowed power, at least from what I’ve read online. It ain’t yours. It’s like wearing shoes that don’t fit. Eventually? You’re gonna trip.
I start circling her, my platforms tapping out a rhythm against marble. Each step sends mana flowing through me, building like the bass at a club before the drop.
"You think you’re sooo special," Miyuki spits, her perfect composure cracking. "Just because you’re S-Class-"
I interrupt her with a spell that splits into three pure mana projectiles in mid-air. Basic shit, really, but with enough power behind it to make her eyes go wide.
She blocks two. The third catches her shoulder, making her stumble.
[That’s right, dance for me!]
But then Sato’s magic flares through her again, and suddenly she’s moving FAST. Like, track-star fast. Her counter-spell nearly takes my head off.
We trade spells back and forth across the stage, neither of us giving ground. Every time I think I’ve got her patterns down, that borrowed power shifts and she comes at me different.
"Not bad," I admit, dispersing another attack. "You actually got some talent under all that stuck-up bullshit."
She responds by launching a spell that literally SCREAMS as it flies at me. I catch it, trying to disperse it like the others, but-
[Oh fuck that BURNS-]
The impact sends me sliding backward, my platforms leaving marks on the marble. My hands are smoking, tingling like I just grabbed a hot pan.
"Talent?" She laughs, and for a second I see the real her beneath all that perfect princess shit. "I’ve been training since I could walk. What were you doing? Working at a maid cafe?"
[... Actually, yeah.]
"Hey," I flex my fingers, shaking off the burn. "Those maid outfits taught me plenty about good presentation."
I punctuate that with a spell that curves around her barrier, catching her in the back. She staggers forward, that perfect hair finally coming undone.
But Sato’s power floods through her again, stronger this time. The air literally crackles around her.
I stop.
[... If I just keep trading spells with her, there’s no way I’ll win. She’s got a whole second set of mana working with her.]
Nodding to myself, my eyes narrow.
[I need to end this fast.]
I start gathering mana, letting it build and build while she throws everything she’s got at me. Each spell that hits my hand just adds to my power, like I’m collecting lightning in a bottle.
"What’s wrong?" She taunts, voice strained. "Finally realizing you’re not-"
The words die in her throat as she sees what I’m doing.
[Yeah, that’s right. Watch and learn.]
I release everything I’ve gathered, not in one big blast, but in waves. Mana pulses out from me like ripples in a pond, each wave perfectly timed to catch her spells and turn them back on her.
Her eyes go wide as her own magic, mixed with Sato’s borrowed power, comes rushing back.
The impact lifts her clean off her feet. She hits the ground hard, sliding across marble.
[Okay, got her! Now...]
I wait. Obviously, I’m thinking Miyuki’s gonna get back up. No way she’d let me win with something like that.
But, no.
She’s not moving. When the dust settles, Miyuki’s lying there looking like a mess for probably the first time in her life. That perfect uniform’s torn, her hair’s wild, and there’s definitely gonna be bruises tomorrow.
[Whoa. I knocked her out?] I blink twice. [Then...]
Sato looks absolutely stunned.
Miyuki seemingly comes to, getting on her knees. She can’t even stand, though.
"Hey!" I yell out at Sato. "It’s done."
Sato pales.
"No... She... She can still..."
"Yeah?" I ask, raising a brow.
Obviously, he doesn’t want to declare me the winner. But, Miyuki clearly can’t fight. It’s obvious to everyone here.
And yet, he doesn’t want to call it.
[... Fine.] I breathe in. [Don’t blame me for this, prez.]
I aim my hand forward. Mana gathers and I shoot out another blast. Obviously, a lot less powerful.
As much of a bitch as she is, I still hold back to stop from actually hurting her.
My spell catches Miyuki as she tries to stand, sending her tumbling across marble. Nothing too hard. Just enough to prove a point.
But then her skirt flips up and-
[Eh?] My jaw falls. [EHHHH?!]
My eyes go wide as I catch a glimpse of something I definitely wasn’t expecting under that perfect uniform. Something substantial straining against pure white panties.
[No. Fucking. WAY.]
"Oh shit..." The words slip out before I can stop them. "You’re-"
Miyuki’s face goes from perfect princess to pure panic in 0.2 seconds. She scrambles to fix her skirt, but it’s too late. The crowd’s already muttering, phones are out, and videos are definitely being taken.
[She’s...] I find myself blushing, actually. [MIYUKI’S A FUTA!!!]
"Miss Hayashi!" Sato finally calls out, probably realizing his star student’s secret is about to blow up all over ManaGram. "The match is over. Victory goes to... to..."
[Can’t even say my name, huh? Crusty ass...]
"Victory goes to Akari Nakamura," he finally grits out.
I step towards Miyuki, who’s still on the ground looking like her whole world just crumbled.
And, well, yeah. That was probably extremely embarrassing.
[Fuck... And her bulge... Wow.]
"Hey," I say softly, offering my hand. "Come on. Stand up."
She looks at me like I just grew a second head.
But, for a second, I think she might actually take my hand.
Then her face hardens.
"I don’t need your pity!" She pushes herself up, trying to salvage what’s left of her dignity. But I catch those tears in her eyes before she turns away.
[Oh honey...]
She storms off stage, leaving me standing there victorious but... Well, also kinda weird.
[Well... shit.]
Still, I won.