Gakusen Toshi Asterisk - Volume 12 - Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 
MADIATH MESA 
Akari returned to the customer who had told her about the Eclipse, announcing that she would compete—along with a friend—and was given a time and place to wait for further instructions. 
It was one o’clock in the middle of the night, amid the rubble of the redevelopment area. 
A masked, suited man stood before them in the run-down building, his features highlighted by the moonlight leaking in through the decaying roof in the run-down building. He couldn’t have looked more suspicious. 
“…In short, with you both joining us, tonight’s battle royal will have twelve contestants in total.” 
In an unassuming and polite tone of voice, the man explained to them both how the Eclipse worked. For a representative of a secretive underground organization, he seemed surprisingly thoughtful. 
“In principle, there are no rules in the Eclipse. You may use any weapon that you wish, and there are no penalties for how you fight. The match is over when one side is no longer able to compete, but please understand that we cannot be held accountable for the outcome—not even if one party or the other should lose their life.” 
In other words, it was possible to die in this tournament. For Madiath, who had spent the better part of his life fighting under the same conditions, that wasn’t a major concern—but Akari, he suspected, would be less pleased to hear it. 
Or so he had thought, but when he looked toward her, he saw that she was merely wearing her usual ambiguous smile. 
“…Don’t tell me you’re used to this kind of thing?” he whispered, leaning close. 
Akari, however, gave her head a slight shake. “No, I’ve never had to bet my life on something like this before,” she replied in a voice as soft as his own. “But I’m fine with it. This life of mine isn’t worth much to begin with anyway.” 
Madiath could hardly contain his surprise, only realizing after the fact that his mouth had fallen open a fraction. Akari continued to defy his expectations. 
Yes, this was indeed an interesting person. 
He had never met anyone quite like her before. 
“It’s almost time. I will have to take temporary possession of your mobile devices in order to maintain secrecy. I trust this will be acceptable?” 
“I understand.” 
“Fine.” 
The two of them handed their mobiles over as instructed. 
The man gave them a composed nod. “Very good. Please, come this way. The elevator will take you down to the stage.” 
“Elevator? Where…?” Madiath examined his surroundings, but there was nothing amid the ruins that so much as resembled such a thing. 
Before the man could answer, however, their surroundings changed completely, in the blink of an eye. 
“!” 
“This is…!” 
This time, even Akari covered her mouth in astonishment. 
That was only to be expected. A second ago, they had been standing in a dilapidated room lit only by the beams of wan moonlight sneaking in through the cracks above. Now they found themselves in a dank, windowless cellar. 
No, it isn’t our surroundings that just changed… 
“…We’ve probably been transported somewhere else,” Akari whispered. 
“Yeah… I find I have to agree.” 
In other words, they had been teleported to a place they weren’t familiar with. 
“I’ve heard of something like this before. Apparently, Le Wolfe has an Orga Lux capable of teleporting things across preset coordinates…” 
Akari let out an impressed murmur. “Huh, that does sound possible.” 
And if that was in fact the case, there was a good chance that an Orga Lux user, or even Le Wolfe itself, was involved in this Eclipse. 
With the exception of a cold, silver-colored door directly in front of them, the room was completely empty. 
“I guess this is the elevator, then?” 
“Looks like it.” 
Madiath pushed the button on the panel beside it, whereupon the door immediately slid open to reveal a space about twenty-two square yards in size. 
Having come this far, they entered the elevator together, a peculiar sense of unease falling over them as it descended ever downward. 
“…Are you sure you’re all right with this?” Akari asked him all of a sudden. 
“Huh? What do you mean?” 
“With getting dragged into this. It’s going to be dangerous. I mean, I’m glad you’re helping me, but I don’t know how to thank you.” 
“There’s no need for thanks… And haven’t we already been over this?” he replied with a slight grin. 
Akari merely frowned back at him, as if she couldn’t quite accept his response, but said nothing more. 
The truth was that Madiath wasn’t looking to receive anything from her in return. 
Of course, that didn’t mean that he was helping her out of the goodness of his heart. 
He simply hadn’t met anyone until now whom he could genuinely say interested him. Whether people were good or bad, strong or weak, friendly or antagonistic, he tended to think of them only in terms of variables that affected his own environment. He thought no more or less of any specific individual. 
In his world, there was no one else but himself—and that had been enough. 
Until he met Akari, that was. 
“I guess we’re here, then.” 
The elevator came to a stop, its silver-colored door sliding open. 
No sooner had they stepped out than they were confronted by dazzling lights and the cheers of the audience. 
It wasn’t, however, the same kind of passion and excitement that one normally found at the Festa—these voices were darker, baser, more wicked in nature. 
“And now at last, our final contestants, Seidoukan’s number forty-four, Madiath Mesa, alias Ravana, and Akari Yachigusa, also from Seidoukan Academy! I’m looking forward to seeing which of our heroes gathered here tonight manages to rise to the top!” The fevered, high-pitched voice—no doubt that of the announcer—echoed across the stage. 
It was an unusually wide stage, hexagonal in shape. In each of its six corners, there were large pillars, which housed elevators, towering high into the darkness. The audience seating seemed to encircle the stage, but given the lighting and the difference in elevation, they couldn’t be seen from down where Madiath and Akari were standing. 
There were no obstacles or the like to be found on the stage—only the figures of ten other contestants silently appraising them. 
“…This is it? Talk about disappointing,” Madiath murmured as he summed them up in turn. 
For an illicit battle tournament operating under the nose of the Festa, he had been expecting something a little…more. 
Of course, the Vigridhr itself was no match for the Festa, but even so, those who took part in it were strong enough that unwary or unskilled entrants could easily find themselves killed. Those who participated in it needed an iron resolve—to keep living, even if that meant death for one’s opponent. 
But Madiath’s opponents now, the ten other individuals standing at the other corners of the stage, seemed to lack that sense of desperation. Frankly speaking, they came across as little more than amateurish. 
Judging by their appearance, they were all students at another one of Asterisk’s six schools, but it was clear enough at first glance that none of them were skilled enough to reach a high position in the rankings. 
That being the case, Madiath reflected ruefully, Akari would no doubt have been fine taking care of everyone by herself. 
“With that, let’s get tonight’s first match under way! Begin!” 
The announcer’s voice still resounding through the chamber, Madiath took note of their closest opponent, a student from Allekant aiming an assault rifle–shaped Lux in their direction. 
But before he could fire— 
“Freeze,” Akari murmured from behind, a wave of mana bursting forth and interrupting his movements. 
“Huh…?!” The Allekant student, flustered, kept pulling the trigger over and over—but far from being able to launch an attack, his Lux’s manadite core lost all power, extinguished. 
And that wasn’t all. 
“Wh-what’s going on…?!” 
“Impossible! My mana won’t respond…!” 
“You mean you can’t use your abilities?!” 
The voices of the students fighting all across the stage rose up in panic. 
Even the audience seemed to be overcome with bewilderment. 
Madiath, grinning, let out a light whistle. “Well now… That is impressive.” 
“What do we have here? Is this Akari Yachigusa’s ability at work? Word has it that she has the power to completely nullify the effects of mana! Pretty crazy, huh?” 

 

As the announcer, no doubt having obtained data on each of the contestants, explained the situation, a wave of shock spread across both stage and audience alike. 
That was understandable. Not only could such an ability essentially incapacitate Stregas and Dantes, it also deactivated any nearby Luxes—and there was no reason, at least theoretically, why it wouldn’t be effective against an Orga Lux, either. 
Of course, that meant she wouldn’t be able to use any Luxes herself. Nor, for that matter, would Madiath. 
But that didn’t matter. 
“Now, then.” 
“Gah…!” 
Madiath took down the Allekant student, still struggling to reactivate his Lux, with a powerful blow to the abdomen. 
If this was the best his opponents had to offer, then he wouldn’t even need weapons to win. 
Checking behind him, he caught sight of Akari turning the tables on a student from Jie Long, using the flat of her hand as a blade. 
The other contestants, having seen what they were both capable of, began to fall back. 
The match may have been a battle royal, but the contestants were already beginning to organize themselves into groups. This was a common strategy—and indeed, Madiath and Akari had been fighting as a tag team from the very beginning. 
In a battle royal, it was common to work together with one’s opponents to take down the most formidable or troublesome parties first. As such, the others all seemed to have set their sights on Akari, but having seen both hers and Madiath’s combat ability firsthand, they were clearly becoming unnerved. 
Such hastily constructed teams, however, were seldom able to capitalize on their advantage in numbers. If one member was willing to sacrifice themselves, they might be able to create an opening for the others to take advantage of, but no one wanted to be the first to move. In a battle royal, the ultimate aim was one’s own survival, and so the members of such teams tended to get their priorities in reverse. 
That was the case this very moment. Each of Madiath’s and Akari’s opponents kept glancing at one another nervously, none willing to take the first risk. 
The audience, having quickly grown impatient, began to shower down jeers and abuse—and yet, still, none of their opponents showed any sign of moving. 
“…Good grief. Talk about boring.” 
If this was how it was going to play out, then he had no choice but to finish things himself. 
But before Madiath could launch into an assault of his own— 
“Well now! This is a problem! It looks like our contestants are all unwilling to fight! Most unsatisfying! But not to worry! Rest assured we won’t let the most exciting show on Earth go to waste! We have something special prepared for moments like this!” 
As the announcer’s cries faded into silence, a large hole began to open in the center of the stage, from which the figures of two men stepped forth. 
The first belonged to a young man dressed in a Jie Long uniform and wearing a half-broken wolf’s mask. 
The second was a tall, emaciated man in the prime of his life, garbed in an everyday kimono and wielding an oversized sword, at least six and a half feet long. 
“Here we are! Our professional fighters who you know so well, Zakir, the famed Scarmask, and Ryoue Arato, the Fallen Swordsman!” 
As the announcer called out the names of the new challengers, the crowd’s boos changed at once into a roar of frenzied excitement. 
“Hah, I guess this was the plan all along.” 
The two newcomers were clearly of an altogether different caliber than the other contestants. 
It looked like the first round, the battle royal, was merely an appetizer, with these two hunting down whoever was left standing for the main course. The Vigridhr followed the same formula every now and then, too. 
“Do you know those two?” Madiath called out to Akari. 
“Yes. They’re both criminals, and famously violent ones at that. Zakir is the former top agent of Jie Long’s intelligence organization Gaishi, and Ryoue Arato is the third person to hold the title of Kensei.” Akari spoke without hesitation, neither her voice nor her countenance betraying any hint of fear. 
“H-hold on! What the hell is this?!” 
“What are Scarmask and Kensei doing here…?!” 
Their original opponents all began to raise their voices in protest. 
However— 
“…Pathetic.” 
Ryoue’s blade seemed to flicker through the air, casting up a spray of blood as he cut through the three contestants closest to him. His skill with that custom weapon of his was nothing short of remarkable. 
“Heh-heh… Don’t say that, Ryoue. This’ll just make their screams all the juicier!” Zakir announced, standing beside him as a bestial grin spread across the exposed half of his face. 
As he spoke, a student from Le Wolfe circled around behind him. He appeared to be one of the more competent of the original entrants and was succeeding, it seemed, in concealing his presence. However— 
“Like this,” Zakir said with a smirk, striking backward with the tip of his hand without so much as glancing over his shoulder. 
“Gyaaaaaaaaaah!” 
The next moment, the Le Wolfe student fell backward with a terrible scream, crimson blood gushing onto the ground surrounding him. 
“Don’t worry,” Zakir said, laughing, his gore-coated hand charged with an incredible amount of prana. “It’s flashy, but not enough to kill you. I just carved out a nice piece of useless flesh.” 
“So he’s put everything he’s got into offense,” Madiath murmured to himself. 
That wasn’t the kind of thing that any normal person could hope to pull off. Either Zakir had a natural mastery over his prana or he had built his way up to this point through endless training. 
“What a horrible thing to do…,” Akari whispered as she looked on at the harrowing sight, but her words seemed somehow cold, almost lacking in sympathy. She may have had a kind, gentle disposition, but even now, she held herself at a distance from her surroundings. 
It was that very fact that had first sparked Madiath’s interest in her. 
She had called herself an unwanted child, but what kind of life must she have led to live so detached from everything? 
“There’s our professional fighters for you, folks! Just watch how they spice things up!” 
With Zakir and Ryoue having entered the stage, the spectacle was turning into one of carnage, one that had the audience hanging on tenterhooks. 
While Madiath had guessed as much, this was what the audience of the Eclipse had come to see. 
Zakir and Ryoue took care of the remaining contestants in a matter of minutes before finally turning their gazes toward Madiath and Akari for the first time. 
“Heh, time for the main dish… I’ve been looking forward to you two.” 
“…Disappear…” 
Only the four of them remained standing—Madiath, Akari, Zakir, and Ryoue. 
“I’ve fought swordsmen before, so I’ll take Ryoue Arato,” Akari began. 
Madiath, however, held out a hand to stop her. “Don’t. Leave them both to me.” 
“Huh…? But Madiath…” 
Akari’s unique ability was highly effective against Stregas and Dantes, but it was completely useless against those who fought empty-handed, like most students from Jie Long, or those who used more traditional weapons. Zakir and Ryoue both fell into those categories. 
That probably wasn’t a coincidence. The organizers of the Eclipse had no doubt selected the two of them knowing full well her strengths and weaknesses. She was skilled in close combat—Madiath would grant her that—but she was nowhere near the level of the two opponents facing them now. 
“I’ll handle them. Besides, you’ve still got something left to do, right?” Madiath said as he stepped in Zakir’s and Ryoue’s direction. 
“Huh? What’s this? You think you can fight us alone or something?” 
“Insolence…!” 
Perhaps thinking he was trying to make fools of them, Zakir and Ryoue glared at him, their eyes burning with savagery. 

Madiath, on the other hand, said nothing, merely continuing to walk slowly toward them, one step after the other. 
He was already within Ryoue’s range. 
And with his next step, he was within Zakir’s, too. 
At that moment— 
“Pò!” 
“Yah!” 
Zakir came hurtling toward him with an outstretched palm from his right, while Ryoue lunged forward with a wide slash from the left. 
They were rapid, sharp, unerringly precise blows—but nothing more than that. 
“Huh?!” 
He quickened his pace ever so slightly, deflecting Ryoue’s blade with the back of his hand, while at the same time countering Zakir’s strike and launching into a quick flurry of punches directed into his chin. 
“Ugh!” 
With Ryoue, having spun halfway around due to his failed slash, now vulnerable, Madiath then moved to drive his elbow into his lower back. 
After pivoting rapidly from one opponent to the other, Madiath now strode calmly into the center of the stage—when Zakir and Ryoue both crumbled soundlessly to the ground behind him. 
“…Huuuuuh?!” 
The audience, so shocked by what had just happened, was utterly silent, as if they had been doused with water. The vast majority of them probably hadn’t even realized just what he had done. 
“Now then, Akari!” he beckoned toward her as she glimpsed over his shoulder. 
At last, that vaguely bitter smile of hers was no more, her eyes staring at him wide in surprise. Madiath, still not used to seeing her act so expressive, couldn’t help but feel a touch of pride. 
“I wasn’t expecting that,” she said meekly. “They looked so strong, but to think they fell so easily…” 
“It’s nothing. They were weak, that’s all. More importantly…” He paused there, spreading his arms out wide. 
Akari blinked at him for a moment, before a strange smile—one that he hadn’t seen before—rose to her lips. “Something left to do, huh?” she murmured, her shoulders trembling with amusement as she lifted her arm into the air—and poked him lightly in the forehead. 
“Argh, I’ve been beaten,” he said flatly as he lowered himself theatrically to lie facedown on the ground. 
After a long, drawn-out moment, the audience, having realized what exactly had just happened, began to rain down a storm of abuse. 
 
“Looks like you got your prize money safe and sound.” 
“Yes. Thank you, Madiath,” Akari said with a relieved smile, before bowing deeply toward him. “This is for you.” 
“I told you, there’s no need for thanks,” Madiath said with a chuckle as the two of them began to make their way out of the redevelopment area. 
It was almost dawn. Akari, the winner, had been allowed to return to the surface on the elevator they had used to descend to the stage. Madiath and the other defeated contestants, however, were taken down the hole that had appeared in the middle of the stage, and so it took him a good length of time to make his way back. 
If he had been the winner, he would probably have just gone straight back to the academy, but Akari, it seemed, had decided to wait. 
The area beneath the stage had been set up like some kind of prison. It brought back unpleasant memories of his time in the Vigridhr, but fortunately, there didn’t seem to be anybody forced to live down there as he had been. There, he and the other defeated contestants were awarded a small sum for their participation. Those with serious injuries, however, received the bare minimum of medical treatment—payment for which was deducted from their reward at an exorbitant rate. 
The person who handed Madiath his payment also had a few words for him: “If you’re going to do that, try to make it look a bit more natural next time.” 
Madiath’s response was simple: “Don’t worry. There won’t be a next time.” 
Of course, giving the audience a natural defeat was, after all, his specialty—and so he had lost the way he had on purpose. If he had to give a reason for having done what he did…perhaps it had something to do with the fact that this was the first time in several years he had ended up taking a match seriously. 
In any event, he had to admit that it wasn’t like him. 
In fact, it wasn’t like him at all to take things as seriously as he had been doing of late—whether that was going out with Akari or taking part in the Eclipse. 
Still, he didn’t dislike this new side of himself. 
Out of nowhere, Akari, walking by his side, asked him a question: “Madiath, why are you being so kind to me?” 
“Because I’m interested in you,” he answered honestly. 
Akari tilted her head, her cheeks turning pink. “That’s… Do you mean, romantically?” 
“Huh…,” Madiath returned vacantly; it had thrown him. “Ah… I wonder. Unfortunately, I’m not so clear on that myself.” 
That was the honest truth—he himself couldn’t say exactly what light it was he saw her in. 
“I see… What a coincidence. I feel the same way.” 
“You do?” 
“I don’t really know what it means to love someone. I mean, if you can’t even love yourself, how are you supposed to fall in love with someone else?” Akari said with her usual vaguely sad smile. 
“That’s—” 
But before Madiath could properly respond, both he and Akari came to a sudden stop. 
Something was waiting for them in the darkness. 
“Oh-ho! Things have gotten a little awkward, haven’t they, children?” 
The figure had the shape of a young woman, but to Madiath’s eyes, it didn’t appear human. She was pretty in a way that seemed to disguise her years, with long, black hair and loose-fitting Chinese-style clothes, but Madiath could sense a maturity and depth of experience that belied her appearance. 
“The Ban’yuu Tenra…” 
“…Xiaoyuan Wang.” 
The name of the figure in front of them spilled from both of their mouths simultaneously. 
Even Madiath, who had spent his childhood in the Vigridhr estranged from the affairs of the world, knew of this woman. Xiaoyuan Wang was the only person in all of Asterisk’s history to win a grand slam at the Festa, and now she ruled over Jie Long. From what he understood, she had become a teacher at the institute after graduating and now dedicated herself to nurturing her students. 
“Oh, I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ve actually just come back from watching the Eclipse. Though it shames me to admit it, Zakir was an unworthy student.” As she spoke, Xiaoyuan’s gentle smile and tone of voice remained completely unchanging. 
“Don’t tell me the great Ban’yuu Tenra is here to take revenge on us?” Madiath glowered when a cold chill suddenly ran down his spine. 
She looks like a genuine monster… I guess it’s true what they say—you can find just about anything in this city. 
In all his years, Madiath had never seen anyone as manifestly powerful as her. 
“Fret not. I wouldn’t debase myself like that. I just wanted to confirm something for myself.” 
“Confirm what, exactly…?” 
Before he could finish speaking, however, Xiaoyuan had somehow moved directly in front of him. 
“Wha—?!” 
“Madiath!” 
She appeared within range of him with unbelievable speed, sending her fist lunging toward him so fast that he barely had enough time to catch it over the sound of Akari’s desperate cry. The surface of the road began to break beneath him as he stood his ground against a successive wave of strikes, the cracks radiating out all the way to the dilapidated buildings on either side. 
“Just as I thought… So you can parry that, too, can you…?” 
“I don’t know what your problem is, but isn’t this a bit much…?” Taken aback by her overpowering physical strength, Madiath only barely managed to hold her small fists at bay. 
“Oh-ho! This is just a warm-up!” Xiaoyuan replied, a dauntless grin rising to her lips, when— 
“Oh dear… Is that it?” Finally, she relented, leaping backward to put some space between the two of them. “This is unfortunate. As I feared, you have talent, but you lack savagery. Most distasteful.” 
“…You come at me out of nowhere, and then you criticize my fighting?” Madiath demanded, feeling vaguely aggrieved. “And what’s this about savagery?” 
“Savagery is the wellspring of one’s fighting spirit, born from one’s competitive instincts. Anger, hate, envy, desire—the impulse to destroy your opponent arises from these primal passions. The strong burn bright with their savagery, to one extent or another. But not you. Most ironic, given your appellation, Ravana. You’re no Demon King.” 
“You’re a talker, huh?” Madiath remarked, but inwardly, he couldn’t help but be impressed by how well Xiaoyuan had read him. 
Anyway, it wasn’t like he had picked the name for himself. 
“There might still be time to make something more appetizing out of you…but I don’t see much point. I’ll be waiting for you to discover your inner savagery,” Xiaoyuan said with a wave of her hand—and just like that, she was gone, vanished as if into thin air. 
“What the heck is that supposed to mean…?” 
“I wonder…?” Akari murmured, clearly unsure how to respond. 
At the time, Madiath had yet to understand the depth of meaning that lay behind Xiaoyuan’s words—but it wouldn’t be long until he found out. 
 
The following day, in the student council room at Seidoukan Academy— 
“No, no, you fought magnificently, the both of you. I’m impressed, truly,” the student council president said from his position by the window, flashing a stiff smile to both Madiath and Akari. 
Despite his words, however, his eyes clearly burned with indignation. 
“Who would have thought that you were both harboring such talent? To defeat Scarmask and the Fallen Swordsman like that… I don’t know how I missed it. My eyes must be failing me.” 
“I’m shocked as well,” Madiath retorted. “I wouldn’t have expected our esteemed student council president to have anything to do with that shady little enterprise.” 
Far from responding to this provocation, however, the student council president merely returned to his seat, letting out a composed sigh. 
As rotten as he might have been, he had still earned his position and so would hardly be incompetent. 
Whether he was fully competent or not, though, was another matter entirely. 
“Let’s put the fact that you weren’t forthcoming about your abilities aside for now. Everyone has their own private circumstances, after all…myself included, of course.” The student council president folded his hands, looking sternly at Madiath and Akari from across his desk. “Madiath. For now, I want you to take part in this year’s Phoenix. I won’t take no for an answer. You are living off one of our special scholarships, after all.” 
“…Fine.” 
Every case was different, but most students who enrolled on special scholarships were bound by certain contractual obligations, which they didn’t have the liberty to ignore. Participation in the Festa, when instructed by their school, was one of those. 
If he were to break that contract now, he would almost certainly find himself back in the hull of that cramped, gloomy airship—and he wasn’t about to let that happen. 
“Very good. There aren’t any particularly notable stars taking part this year. So as long as you keep doing what you did yesterday, you shouldn’t have any problem taking the crown.” His mood perhaps lightening, the student council president flashed him a smile considerably warmer than before. “Now then, Akari Yachigusa.” 
“…Yes?” Akari, until now staring down at her feet in silence, answered softly. Her expression was as veiled as usual, but she was clearly sullen. 
“Your ability to halt the flow of mana is extraordinary. Looking over our data, it appears that we already knew about it…but it says here that you can’t control it very well? And that you have no fighting experience nor confidence in your capacity to defend yourself.” 
“…That’s correct.” 
“Oh?” The student council president raised an eyebrow in feigned surprise. “Enlighten me.” 
“Once I activate my ability, I’m unable to dispel it when I want. In the past, I couldn’t even control when it activated. And just like your data says, I’ve never been taught how to fight.” 
There was probably no lie in Akari’s response. 
Judging by what Madiath had seen, her close-combat ability was quite high, but her movements and techniques didn’t appear to be in line with any particular style. 
Having said that, she clearly wasn’t an amateur. 
“In other words, you taught yourself?” 
“Yes…by watching others.” 
“Even better! Let’s say it was that natural ability of yours that pulled you through the Eclipse.” 
“That was all thanks to Madiath—” 
But before Akari could explain further, the student council president rose to his feet. “I would very much like for you to team up with Madiath in the Phoenix as his tag partner,” he declared. 
Madiath had expected from the moment that he and Akari had been called to this office together that it might come to this. 
“…I’m sorry,” Akari replied with a sad smile, her voice wavering, as if she were on the verge of crying. “I can’t do that.” 
“Hmm…” The student council president appeared disappointed for a brief moment but quickly regained his composure. “Unlike with Madiath, I can’t force you to compete. This is a request, and you’re free to turn it down—but I would like to hear, at least, your reason for doing so.” 
“I… My family told me not to bring attention to myself.” 
“The Yachigusa family? One of the oldest in the country, no? I’ve heard a bit about them. They do seem to be a bit stuck in their ways… In Europe, at least, the upper classes have started to see the advantages to be gained from letting Genestella be Genestella…” The student council president let out a deep sigh as he shrugged before flashing her another smile. “But are you really so concerned by what these outmoded relatives of yours think?” 
“Huh…?” At this, Akari looked up at him. 
“The one you’re really concerned about…is your mother, no?” 
At that moment, Akari’s feigned composure shattered. “—!” 
“…Don’t you think you’re pushing it a bit?” Madiath demanded with an edge, taking a step forward. 
The student council president turned pale as he slunk away. “S-sorry, but it’s my job…!” 
As he spoke, several figures suddenly appeared around him, as if to shield him from attack. Their appearance would have been sudden, but Madiath had sensed their presence in the room from the moment he entered. 
“So you’re Shadowstar.” 
The five students, each wearing deep hoods that concealed their faces, appeared to know their way around a fight. 
That was to be expected of Seidoukan Academy’s secretive intelligence and operations organization. 
All of a sudden, the student standing at the forefront of the group, who carried himself with the most confidence, removed his hood. 
Staring back at Madiath was his own face. “Ooh, look who we have here!” his mirror said with a fearless grin. 
Great… A copyist… 
Madiath had fought against a great many opponents during his days in the Vigridhr. Among them, the number of Stregas and Dantes with copy abilities was by no means inconsiderable. The question was always how accurate they could pull it off, and under what conditions. 
“Let’s leave it at that, Lantana,” the student council president said. 
The man—Lantana—put on his hood again, returning to his previous position. 
“Do you understand, Madiath? I didn’t mean to threaten Miss Yachigusa here. Quite the opposite. I’m trying to help.” 
“To help?” 
“If I could convince the Yachigusa family, and Akari’s mother in particular, wouldn’t that solve all our problems?” the student council president explained. 
“You’d convince my mother…?” 
“Well, not me, strictly speaking—Galaxy would.” 
“…” At this, Akari fell silent, deep in thought. 
Certainly, it would be difficult for anyone—even an esteemed upper-class family—to turn down an offer from an integrated enterprise foundation. 
“…I’m grateful, but I don’t want to burden my mother any more than I already have…,” Akari replied, but it was clear she was still in two minds. 
Perhaps noticing her indecision, the student council president refused to relent. “Hah, don’t worry about that. We won’t burden her. Think of it as a negotiation. I’m sure they’ll understand so long as we politely and firmly lay out our arguments. If they still say no, well, that will be the end of it.” 
Madiath, on the other hand, found himself at a crossroads. 
It would be easy enough for him to put a stop to the present conversation, but he had no idea how hard he should push it. This clearly wasn’t the kind of problem that would be solved by an outsider’s meddling, but this situation included him, too, and he found himself wavering over whose side he should take. 
He, who until now had viewed others only through the lens of his own interests, was unable to decide whether to act or not. 
“…Will you promise not to force her?” Akari asked in a faint, trembling voice. 
With this, the student council president held out his hand. “Of course. It’s a promise.” 
Akari nervously accepted it with her own. 
In the end, all Madiath could do was stand there and watch on in paralyzed silence.