Information gets out that Kanda, an anti-magic advocate and Diet member, will visit First High School with the media to observe the school's curriculum, claiming that he has heard disturbing rumors about it. He plans to create an uproar with the media and assert that the school is brainwashing students into the military - if he finds anything suspicious of that nature. To stop this ploy, Tatsuya suggests performing an experiment showing the students creating a Sustained Gravity Control-Type Magic Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor = Stellar Furnace. The students plan on demonstrating that the magic education they receive at the school can solve energy problems, and that magic can contribute to the peace of humankind depending on the type of magic they use.

News outlets were enthusiastically reporting the great success of the stellar furnace experiment carried out by the students at First High School. However, since Takuma Shippou had heard from his father that the Saegusa Family was going to be the ones to deal with Diet member Kanda, he thinks they used Tatsuya to claim credit for the experiment's success themselves. Takuma then takes his pent-up anger out on Kasumi Saegusa, who he happened to pass by on campus. Kasumi, unable to turn a blind eye to these insults against her family, is on the brink of engaging in a magic fight with Takuma... But then, the Disciplinary Committee intervenes before either of them makes their move, and takes them in for questioning. Tatsuya suggests they let them duke it out in an official match to end this mutual enmity between the two once and for all.

A notice has been sent to the magic high schools across the country that a portion of the events in the Nine Schools Competition will be changed. Shockingly, three of the six events will be changed. In order to respond to the sudden change in events, First High School's Student Council is thrown in a frenzy to understand the new rules, reselecting athletes and readjusting their CADs. While everyone was complaining about the Competition's management due to the sudden change in timing, one month before the start of the Nine Schools Competition, Tatsuya had a growing suspicion about the strong military flavor of all the newly added events.

Tatsuya and the other Student Council members were spending their days extremely busy in order to deal with the sudden change of events for the Nine Schools Competition. However, out of the blue, Tatsuya receives an email from an unknown sender. The email states that the changes in the competition were due to pressure from the JDF, and that the Kudou Family was planning to piggyback on the JDF's order to test out a secretly developed military weapon at the Steeplechase Cross-country Event. This prompts Tatsuya to head to Nara, where the Kudou Family's stronghold is based, to find out more about the experiments they are conducting.

It turns out that the secret experiments that the Kudou Family has been conducting was for developing parasite dolls, a female combat robot possessed by a parasite. Experiments on the dolls' operations are being conducted at the Steeplechase Cross-country venue, where security is abnormally tight - so much so that Tatsuya himself can't even break into the premises. As such, Tatsuya orders Pixie to keep an eye out for the parasites while he conducts adjustments to the CADs and gives instructions to the underclassmen as an engineer. However, this continual sense of nervousness and nonstop days of hard work are tiring out Tatsuya. He's never felt this tired before.

The women's division of the Steeplechase Cross-country Event has finally begun. Tatsuya has Pixie figure out the location of all the parasite dolls and tries to eliminate them before they come into contact with the players. However, the parasite dolls unleash their magic at speeds that exceed Tatsuya's imagination. Though it is difficult, he manages to seal away the first parasite doll. Tatsuya goes on to seal away the remaining parasite dolls one after another, but the highest-performance models, the Prime Four, now stand in his way.

In order to obtain cooperation from Retsu Kudou to capture Gongjin Zhou, Tatsuya, Miyuki and Minami visit Nara, the home of the Kudou Family. Retsu Kudou readily accepts Tatsuya's offer and introduces him to his grandson, Minoru. Minoru is one year Tatsuya's junior, and although he is physically weak, he is said to be a very powerful magician. At the dinner table, Minoru hears that Tatsuya and his friends are looking for a traditional magic user and offers his help. The next day, as Tatsuya and the others are scouting the Traditionalists' base in Nara under Minoru's guidance, they are attacked by the Traditionalists at Nara Park.

The nationwide Magic High Schools Thesis Competition held by the Japan Magic Association. Also known as just The Thesis Competition will be held in Kyoto. After experiencing the Thesis Competition being attacked by the Great Asian Alliance last year, Mikihiko, the head of the Disciplinary Committee, proposes to the Student Council that this year they would like to inspect the area around the venue in advance to ensure security. Tatsuya, Miyuki, Minami, Leo and Erika will also be accompanying him. On his way home after the Student Council meeting, Tatsuya learns from the news that Mayumi's bodyguard, Saburo Nakura, was murdered by someone in Kyoto.

As Tatsuya is researching the Traditionalist bases in Kyoto under Minoru's guidance, he meets the owner of a restaurant, who is also a Traditionalist, on the way to Kiyomizu Temple. The shop owner shares that he is concerned about the current state of Nara's Traditionalist sects being absorbed by casters from the Continent and offers to share information with Tatsuya. Based on the restaurant owner's information, Tatsuya narrows down a place in Kyoto where the Traditionalists are hiding. He meets with Mayumi, who wants to find the culprit who killed Nakura, and Masaki, who happened to come across them during a battle against the Traditionalists, and heads to Arashiyama with them.

The night before the Thesis Competition. Tatsuya receives a report from Fumiya that they have located Gongjin Zhou's whereabouts. He was hiding at the JGDF's 2nd Supply Base in Uji. Tatsuya speculates that he would not have enough offensive power to fight alone at the JGDF's base, so he contacts Masaki. When Masaki hears that they would need to invade an army base to get to him, he hesitates for a moment but decides to accompany Tatsuya to fulfill his responsibilities as a member of the Ten Master Clans. The two invade the army base where soldiers controlled by Gongji Zhou await...