Gakusen Toshi Asterisk - Volume 12 - Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 
AKARI YACHIGUSA 
“Now then, that completes the formalities. Welcome to Seidoukan Academy, Madiath Mesa.” A youth with glasses closed the air-window in front of him, a courteous if practiced smile rising to his lips. “We only offer special scholarships to those we have the highest hopes for.” 
“I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations,” a young man with unruly blond hair and unusually mature features—Madiath—replied with an eloquent smile. 
Well…to a point, he added to himself. 
They were in the student council room on the top floor of the high school building. Outside the oversized window lay an unbroken view of Rikka, the city of Asterisk, the staging area of the world-renowned Festa. 
He had finally succeeded in making his way to this city. 
Or rather, strictly speaking, what he had succeeded in doing was getting the city to take him away from his past. 
“Come now, you survived eight years at the Vigridhr,” his companion, the student council president, said, patting him on the shoulder. “Just keep doing what you’re good at, and you’ll be fine.” 
“…I hope so” was all Madiath said in response. 
There were several ways of being admitted to one of Asterisk’s six schools, with some ways officially sanctioned, and others not so much. In the former category, there were those who found success in one of the several tournaments that ranked below the Festa, such as the Rondo or the Shikai Tengi. Among the latter, there were those who had been cultivated by the Research Institute, a secretive organization that focused on developing the innate talents and abilities of its subjects from early childhood—and there were still others who were selected thanks to their performance in one of the many underground battle tournaments that took place throughout the world as a form of entertainment for the masses. 
The Vigridhr was one such tournament, albeit a famously brutal one. Unlike many others, it utilized video distribution rather than live audiences and had a business model reliant on gambling. Like the Festa, it pitted Genestella against Genestella, although occasionally, non-Genestella armed with conventional weapons would be entered into it, too—typically cannon fodder who had been ruined by debt, or were being punished for failing one underworld boss or another. Not only was it common for entrants to be killed in the course of battle, but for many of its fans, that was one of the tournament’s main drawing cards. Madiath himself had lost count of how many opponents he had killed in his eight years fighting there, but he felt not an ounce of guilt over his actions. 
That was just how things were done in that world. 
He was an orphan, purchased by the organizers to fight for them. His memories of his life before that, of living as little more than a street rat in some nondescript slum, were faint and distant. He couldn’t even remember his parents’ faces. 
In order to stay out of reach of the law, the Vigridhr was conducted aboard a large airship that was continuously on the move. Madiath had spent almost half his life in the gloom-filled dungeon at the bottom of that vessel. There were always around a hundred others with whom he had shared his fate at any given time—former participants in the real Festa, captured criminals, or dropouts who had since turned to mercenary work. And there was always a small number of child fighters like himself. The Vigridhr catered to a wide variety of tastes. 
Some fighters didn’t even last a month before disappearing forever (and, of course, there were children among that group, too), but those who could adapt themselves to their new status in life were generally able to hold out longer, with some even lasting several years. Madiath was one such individual and, though only a child, had been able to successfully hone his abilities to ensure his own survival. 
In other words, he had achieved a sort of balance. 
In these kinds of underground battle tournaments, strength alone wasn’t enough to live on. If you were too strong, you would be put into increasingly dangerous matches, and that would inevitably shorten your expected lifespan. In a more legitimate setting, it was perfectly reasonable to withdraw after sustaining a critical injury, but places like the Vigridhr afforded their fighters no such option. 
At the same time, the weak were simply used up until they were spent, before being discarded. 
As such, the trick to survival was to find a balance, to be just capable enough—to survive, but not to enter the top rankings. 
Not only was Madiath exceptionally capable of maintaining that balance, he knew how to please the bookmakers to ensure his continued value. He knew instinctively when his victory would or wouldn’t benefit the organizers of the tournament and didn’t mind losing so long as he could do so unscathed. 
In other words, amid the disposable goods that were the tournament’s fighters, he had managed to increase his value to such an extent that even the organizers had a vested interest in his continued survival. 
That was how he had managed to survive in that place for eight whole years—until finally, he was scouted out by Seidoukan Academy. 
In spite of everything, Madiath didn’t begrudge his lot in life. This world had always been a place of inequality and unfairness, the fortunes of its denizens riding almost entirely on luck. The real question was how to make use of that fact. 
That was why Madiath didn’t want for much. He would be happy just to live in peace and comfort, as much as was possible. He’d had his fill of life and death and wanted nothing more to do with that world. If he could make use of his talents, he was sure he could find another way. 
That was his only wish. 
At least, it had been then. 
 
“I’ll call again,” Madiath said with a smile and a wave as he bade farewell to the sweet-voiced woman at his favorite establishment. 
The Rotlicht was overflowing with brilliant lights in every color imaginable. He slipped into the backstreets, hoping to avoid the drunks and solicitors who lined the main road. 
The air in this part of the city was stagnant, but the warm spring nights were pleasantly comfortable. 
A year had passed since he had first arrived in Asterisk. 
He had been living a quiet life, almost exactly as he had planned. 
Having been invited to Seidoukan on a special scholarship, he was obliged to show some level of performance, so he made sure to get himself listed at number forty-four. It would certainly have been possible for him to make the Named Cult, or even the very top of the list, but he had no desire to deal with all the troubles that that would bring. 
His living expenses were covered by his scholarship, and thanks to his current position, he received enough money to occasionally enjoy himself in the city’s entertainment district. He had a warm room, ate three meals a day, and, every now and then, engaged in a little contest or had a bit of fun—in other words, it was his ideal lifestyle. 
He did have a certain obligation to Seidoukan, however, and being enrolled on a special scholarship, he, of course, had to earn a certain amount of points for the academy in the Festa—but he could no doubt satisfy those requirements just by entering the tournament. In any event, he could worry about that later. 
He had plenty of time yet until he graduated from the academy’s college. And until then, he would enjoy his life to the fullest extent possible. 
Those were the thoughts running through his mind as he made his way through the Rotlicht—when, all of a sudden, he was struck by a sense of danger and stopped immediately. 
He peered deeper into the alleyway ahead of him out of sheer curiosity, until, in the tight space between two buildings, he could make out a group of what looked like Le Wolfe students circling a lone woman. Judging by her gaudy dress, she must have been a worker at one of the local establishments. 
Unlike the woman, who was perfectly calm, the five men surrounding her looked incensed and were each brandishing Luxes of one kind or another. They also seemed to be somewhat drunk. 
Even so, their quarrel seemed to be purely verbal—at least, until one of the men let out a blaring shout and rushed toward her. 
However, at that moment, there was a sudden pulse of mana, and the glow of the men’s Luxes was simultaneously extinguished. 
The quintet, clearly panicked, threw their Luxes to the ground and flew toward her with their fists alone. 
“Heh…” 
The next instant, the men all lay sprawled on the ground, and Madiath found himself overcome by a sense of admiration. 
Her assailants might not have been much to begin with, but even so, taking them all down at once, without even having to lift a finger, was nothing short of impressive. 
After a short pause, however, the woman suddenly tottered, raising her hands to her face as she fell to her knees—though, as far as Madiath could tell, not one of her assailants had managed to land a blow on her. 
He watched on suspiciously, leaning down to pick up a large stone lying on the ground. 
One of the five men, his face contorted in pain, stumbled to his feet, fumbling to ready his pistol-type Lux. Its manadite core had already begun to emit a brilliant light, his finger narrowing around the trigger—when Madiath, one step ahead of him, threw the large rock straight into his face. 
The man, blood gushing from his nose, fled. 
Unperturbed, Madiath squatted down and held out a hand to the woman. “Are you all right, Miss?” 
Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be slightly older than he was. He couldn’t really say that her flashy dress suited her, but her facial features were perfectly, beautifully symmetrical. Her hair, reaching down to her waist, was a light pink in color, like the cherry blossoms that would be in bloom right around this time of year. 
“…Thank you,” she said as she brought her ragged breathing under control. She looked up at him with a faint smile. 
“There’s no need for that. I did it out of impulse.” 
That was the truth. 
By nature, Madiath spared little thought for others. Even if other people were suffering, so long as it didn’t affect him, he didn’t care what happened to them. 
“I guess I got involved with some bad clients. We run an honest place, unlike most of the other establishments around here, but we must have let down our guard…” The woman let out a resigned sigh. 
“I see. That’s unfortunate. Anyway, are you okay? With strength like yours, I doubt any of these thugs would’ve been able to take you down.” 
“Ah, um, well…” The woman, stammering, averted her gaze. 
“Right. Well, take care, then.” 
If she didn’t want to talk, he wouldn’t hang around. He turned to leave, giving her a light wave, when— 
“Um, please, don’t go. At least let me give you something to thank you…” 
So she began, but once more, the woman fell silent. 
“Don’t worry about it,” he said over his shoulder. “But if you really want to, I guess you can buy me something to eat if we bump into each other again.” 
But the Rotlicht, of course, had a high turnover of both clients and establishments. Nor, for that matter, did Madiath frequent this particular section of it. He was unlikely to ever see her again. 

 

Or so he had thought. And yet— 
“Ah…” 
“Oh…” 
The next day, as he arrived at the school cafeteria for lunch, he came across the pink-haired woman standing right next to the ticket machine. 
“You…?!” they exclaimed in unison. 
“…So you’re a senior here,” Madiath said, staring at her collegiate uniform. 
“And you’re a high schooler. You must be very mature to hang around that kind of place late at night,” she said with a hint of rebuke. 
“…Madiath Mesa. Second-year at the high school here.” 
“Akari Yachigusa. Second-year at the college here.” This time, the woman—Akari—held out her hand to him. 
Madiath himself didn’t know exactly why, but he found himself hesitating for the briefest of moments before accepting it. 
“Well, Madiath. Let me treat you to lunch, as promised,” she said with a faint, evanescent smile. 
 
Before they knew it, Madiath and Akari found themselves getting to know each other. 
That said, Madiath was, of course, a high school student, and Akari a college student. They were generally in different parts of the campus, so they weren’t able to meet all that often. Rather, they would bump into each other maybe once or twice a week in the cafeteria and sit down to talk over lunch. 
“By the way, Akari, why are you working in the Rotlicht?” Madiath asked one day over a plate of tandoori chicken. 
Akari responded with an amused, if somehow bitter, smile. “For money, of course.” 
Madiath had only come to realize it lately, but Akari often wore such a smile—or rather, it seemed as if she seldom wore any other expression. 
“But why there?” 
From what he understood, the place where Akari worked was no more than a drinking hole, and thereby better than most other establishments in the area. That didn’t change the fact, however, that it was still the Rotlicht. Perhaps it would have sounded strange coming from him, but he doubted that any respectable student would dare go near the place. 
“I need to pay for my tuition and living expenses, you see.” 
“Oh…?” 
Tuition at Seidoukan—or any of Asterisk’s six schools, for that matter—wasn’t particularly expensive, but it was enough to pose problems for anyone who had to cover it themselves. All the more so if they had to pay for their own living expenses, too. 
While Madiath, who was on a special scholarship, was an exception, the vast majority of students were supported by their families. There was no shortage in Asterisk of those who had been blessed in that way. He had always thought of Akari as one such person. 
Still, that wasn’t what he wanted to know right now. 
“In that case, why not try to get ranked? You’d have no problem making it, with your abilities.” 
The power that he had watched her wield that day had been considerable. The way he saw it, she was in no way inferior to Seidoukan’s Page Ones. 
“That’s… I don’t want to draw attention to myself.” Once more, she flashed him that smile, tinged, somehow, with a touch of sadness. 
She didn’t seem to want to talk about it. 
“…But that goes for you too, Madiath, doesn’t it?” 
“Huh?” 

“I saw your ranking match the other day. It looked like you were going easy on your opponent, like you weren’t putting everything you had into it,” Akari said as she lifted a spoonful of curry toward her mouth. 
“Heh…” Madiath couldn’t help but feel somewhat chagrined by her observation. 
It was certainly true that he had been selected to participate in a ranking match the other day, but he was sure to put in just enough effort to meet the school’s expectations of its forty-fourth-ranked fighter. He thought of it as a performance of sorts, a way for the school to show off their prized special scholarship student. He always thought of the matches that way. 
“No way, you’re telling me you saw through that?” He dipped his head slightly. 
“I see,” the young woman said in a low voice, leaning forward. “So I was right. Don’t worry. I won’t tell.” 
“Thanks,” Madiath responded, staring back at her carefully. 
Now, for the first time, he found himself truly interested in this Akari Yachigusa. 
“…Um? What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?” Akari had turned slightly pink. 
“No. I was just thinking how much you must like that curry.” 
“It’s delicious. Why don’t you try some?” 
“…I’ll pass.” 
The curry was the hottest item on the cafeteria’s menu by a long shot—excruciatingly so. 
Even when he was just looking at it from across the table, the fragrance was enough to make his eyes burn. 
Akari, who until now had been eating it without even the slightest hint of trouble, suddenly rested her spoon beside the plate. “By the way, Madiath. There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.” 
“Yeah?” 
“…Have you ever heard of anything called the Eclipse?” 
“‘The Eclipse’…? I don’t think so.” 
She certainly didn’t seem to be referring to the astronomical phenomenon. 
“Why do you ask?” 
“No, it’s okay. Forget I said anything.” She flashed him another smile before going back to her curry. 
“…” Madiath merely stared at her in silence for a long moment. 
He had long suspected she was hiding something deeper, something she wouldn’t volunteer no matter how he asked her, but he guessed this was something different yet again. 
But that wasn’t what was bothering him. Rather, it was her sheer evasiveness. He found it so tedious. 
In which case… 
Still watching her, he said, with a somewhat artificial smile: “Why don’t we go on a date?” 
“…Huh?” The spoon fell from her hand with a light clatter. She remained frozen in place for a drawn-out breath as she turned scarlet all the way to the tips of her ears. 
It was an awfully pure response for someone who worked in the Rotlicht. 
“Um… You’re joking, right?” 
“Nope, I’m serious.” 
“But I’ve got classes this afternoon…” 
“It’s okay to skip them once in a while.” 
At this, her eyes began to dart to and fro. “Surely, it won’t be any fun…for you, I mean…with me. I’m not—” 
“I don’t know about that… I, for one, think it’d be plenty fun.” 
“But I mean, there’s so many places, I don’t know if I can afford to—” 
“Since I invited you, I’ll pay.” 
“No, I couldn’t ask that of a high schooler—” 
“Well, then we’ll just have to go somewhere that doesn’t cost anything.” Madiath, unwilling to take no for an answer, shone her a satisfied smile. 
“Ahhh…” After she sighed, once more, that somehow bitter smile rose to Akari’s lips. “I see… A date it is, I guess.” 
He might have called it a date, but Madiath didn’t really have anything special planned. 
They simply strolled through the commercial area, window-shopping as they discussed all manner of trifling topics. 
However, when they stopped at a small park on the edge of the residential area to take a break, Akari seemed to be in good spirits. 
“…It’s nice here,” she whispered as the wind brushed through her rose-colored hair. 
There was nothing particularly special about the park other than the fact that it met the water’s edge. It didn’t have any children’s play equipment, but from atop the small hill covered in grass, it was possible to see as far as the other side of the crater lake. The sun was beginning to make its descent, the heavens tinged with color. 
“Ah, the sky looks so wide from down here,” Madiath said as he lay down on the grass, staring up at the indigo expanse. 
“The sky…?” Akari tilted her head toward him. 
Madiath tapped the ground at his side, urging her to join him. 
As she timidly lay down beside him, she let out a sigh of contentment. “I see what you mean… This is actually pretty relaxing.” 
“Right? You know, where I used to live, I wasn’t able to see the sky for such a long time. So it’s refreshing, being able to stare at it like this now.” 
To Madiath, who had spent his childhood in the hull of a cramped, gloomy airship, that high, expansive sky was a symbol of freedom. 
“…Really?” 
“You’ve heard of the Vigridhr, right? That’s where I come from. I can’t imagine anything worse than that filthy, reeking place. But I guess I wasn’t particularly aware of the sky back then. I only realized how good it feels to be absorbed into it after I got out.” 
Of course, Asterisk, too, was its own kind of prison. 
But even so, the fact that he was able to have hope for the future, the fact that the world was now filled with color, meant that it was a completely different one. 
“…Yes, I understand. It’s the kind of thing you only realize after you’ve seized freedom.” There was a strong sense of feeling to those words—something other than sympathy. “For a caged bird, the cage is the whole world,” she murmured, before falling silent, still staring up at the sky. 
The evening glow was soon swallowed by darkness. As the lights around the park came on, she began to speak: “I’m…an unwanted child.” 
Her voice was stripped clean of both sadness and anger, but beneath that vaguely bitter smile that rose to her lips, Madiath detected hollowness and a sense of loss. 
“My family’s worn the Yachigusa name for centuries, as a badge of honor. But then I was born, a Genestella. Unwanted, shunned by everyone around me. Even my own mother…” 
Madiath said nothing, merely listening in silence. 
“Even in my earliest memories, I lived alone, in a tiny little building cut off from everyone else. Whenever I saw the sky outside, everything felt so cramped, so small… Ah, um, sorry. I guess I’m getting carried away, talking about this…” Akari stumbled over her words as she came away from the reverie of the sky. 
She may have had a difficult upbringing, but Madiath spared no pity for her. The world was filled with unfairness, with cruelty, with suffering. 
But there was something, something bordering on sympathy, that brushed faintly against the inside of his chest. 
“Even though you’re the one who started us down this conversation…” 
“Yeah,” Madiath answered, his lips curling in a teasing smile. “You don’t have many friends, do you?” 
“…You can be pretty mean, huh.” Akari, still wearing her own meaningful smile, pouted. 
“Ha-ha, did you think I was some kind of saint?” 
“Well… It’s true there aren’t a lot of people I would call friends. Only one, I suppose. She’s already been married off, so we don’t get to talk very often…” She stared off into the distance longingly. 
“Huh. Looks like we’ve got more in common than I thought,” Madiath answered with a chuckle. 
“I thought you were pretty popular, though?” Akari asked, her voice filled now with surprise. 
“I can socialize, sure. But only because I have to. I wouldn’t call those people friends.” 
“I see… I guess you’re right.” She nodded in reluctant agreement. 
“Well, it’s getting cold. We should head back.” Madiath rose to his feet, brushed off his trousers, and held out a hand to her. 
“Thank you,” she said as he helped her up. 
Even after she had risen to her feet, however, Madiath still didn’t let go. “Now then,” he began. “What exactly is this Eclipse you mentioned?” 
Akari, surprised, tried to pull away, but Madiath held firm. 
“I’d like to know more.” 
“It isn’t… I mean…” 
“It can’t be as serious as what we were just talking about, right?” 
She hesitated for a moment until, perhaps convinced by this logic, she began: “I don’t know much about it myself. That’s why I asked you. Just in case you did… All I know is that it’s some kind of fighting tournament.” 
“Hmm… And?” Madiath showed no sign of moving, nor of letting her go. 
“…One of the customers at the shop suggested I sign up to it,” she continued reluctantly. “He’d heard what I’d done to those guys from Le Wolfe the other day. He said if I had the skill and needed the money, it would be worth my while. It sounds like you can earn a lot in just one night there. But he told me to keep quiet about it…” 
“That sounds pretty shady.” 
“…Right?” Akari responded with a sigh. 
“Do you need it that much? The money?” 
“The truth is… The city guard has cracked down on the shop, and we’ve had to stop doing business for a while. So it’s been hard.” 
“I see.” 
That was enough for Madiath to get a grasp of the situation. 
This Eclipse sounded like the kind of thing he had been forced to fight for in his past life. He had never suspected that something similar could be taking place right under the nose of the world’s most popular legitimate battle tournament. 
“So are you planning to do it?” 
“…To be honest, I’m thinking about it. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time until I’m kicked out of school.” 
No matter the reason, the integrated enterprise foundations didn’t forgive those who failed to pay their tuition. The story might have been different if she had demonstrated some other form of value to them, but an unranked student like her would be expelled without even a second thought. 
“…I don’t want to leave just yet,” she said, her gaze downcast. The hand gripping his was filled with an unexpected strength. 
“In that case…” 
Madiath himself was surprised by the words that rose to his lips. 
What he wanted most was a life of peace and comfort. That was why he had come to Asterisk. And now he was about to poke his head into something that was clearly the polar opposite of what he had worked so hard to achieve. 
And yet, despite all that— 
“I’ll join you, then,” he declared. “Maybe I can do something to help.”