Gakusen Toshi Asterisk - Volume 17 - Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

NEW DAYS

Three years later, in Asterisk’s redeveloped district…

Kyouko Yatsuzaki was making her way down the main street, overcome with raw emotion as she took in the brand-new cityscape.

“Things really do change, huh?”

The place that had once been known as the redevelopment area, littered with abandoned buildings, a den of criminals and thugs, had been completely transformed. Now it was filled with orderly structures and populated by friendly tourists and students. It was difficult to imagine the bloodthirsty and violent city of old.

Kyouko, with her unique background as a former student at Le Wolfe and a teacher at Seidoukan, had been wild herself during her school days. Her Ladies Team had been infamous in the redevelopment area back then.

“Sure, sentimentality aside, it’s clearly a change for the better…”

It did make her feel a touch lonely, but she was an educator now. She should be happy that the city’s security was improving.

The redevelopment area was originally the precinct devastated in the Jade Twilight Incident, and while various interests had established themselves there in the aftermath, students from Le Wolfe and dropouts from the various other schools wound up turning it into their stronghold. Eventually, a street called the Rotlicht came into being, lined with illegal shops that gangsters used as a source of funds. Before long, they had established special relationships with the upper echelons of the city, and by then, nobody could touch them.

The reason for this area’s transformation was, of all things, the Golden Noontide incident three years ago. The city council, under pressure to dispel the dark shadow cast by the terrorist attacks, took advantage of the restoration efforts targeting the heavily damaged port facilities and public transport system to announce the revitalization of the redevelopment area as the centerpiece of a new project. To an outside observer, this might have sounded like a pipe dream, but it ended up being the first step in the city’s renewal.

Of course, the illegal organizations that had established themselves in the redevelopment area weren’t happy with this proposal and had been prepared to fight it until the bitter end. They had probably assumed their authority was absolute. After all, though there had been many efforts to rejuvenate the area in the past, none had come to fruition.

This time, however, the situation was different. Le Wolfe, the entity that benefited most from the area’s lawlessness, was in favor of the project. It all began with a public comment from the school’s acting student council president, Korona Kashimaru, filling in for the missing Dirk Eberwein:

“Huh? Well, wouldn’t it be a good thing to get rid of dangerous places? I think it’s a great idea, redeveloping it.”

Her head must have been in the clouds. Without the slightest hesitation, she had let her true feelings show, without any consideration for her responsibilities or position.

In fact, Korona was largely a figurehead in her capacity as student council president, and she had no real political ability to speak of. Because of that, she was also completely in the dark about Solnage’s real intentions. No one expected her to do anything, nor did they think her capable of it. The right to appoint the student council president belonged to the school’s number one, but with Orphelia in the hospital at the time, there had been a power vacuum, so to speak. Besides, why would anyone care about a mere figurehead who was about to be replaced? And so she had been able to speak her mind without anyone to hold her back.

The Rikka city council, having received the go-ahead from the person who should have been their biggest opponent, proceeded to employ Stjarnagarm’s full force to seize control of the redevelopment area. And that was the end of that criminal’s paradise.

The leader of the criminal group that put up the greatest resistance, Rodolfo Zoppo of the Omo Nero, was captured by Haruka Amagiri after a fierce battle, a topic that occupied the news headlines for quite some time.

“…So this is it.”

Kyouko stopped in front of a small café on the corner of the main street. The walls facing outside were made of glass, giving an impression of openness, with a metal door of chic and striking design.

“Welcome! Huh…?! Ms. Yatsuzaki…?!”

After opening the door, Kyouko was greeted by a large, bearded man standing behind the counter who quickly broke into an undisguised grimace.

“Wow, some greeting, Lester MacPhail. And after I came all this way to celebrate your opening.”

“Oh… No, I didn’t mean… Er, thank you.”

“Hmm. That beard doesn’t suit you,” she said, taking a seat in front of him.

There wasn’t much seating inside, and each chair was surrounded by plenty of empty space, so while the building wasn’t particularly large, it still felt roomy. The tables and furnishings were a perfect match for the overall atmosphere—so much so that even Kyouko, who knew nothing about restaurants, was impressed.

“I wouldn’t have expected a guy like you to have such good taste.”

“…She picked it all out.”

“I thought as much.” Kyouko chuckled, leaning against the counter and resting her chin on her hands.

“Come to think of it… Er, the Urzaiz sisters, wasn’t it? Don’t they have a store around here, too?”

“Yep. Apparently they’ve got a pretty good reputation, too. Not that I’d know,” Lester snorted, unamused.

Given their shared past, it must be difficult for him to offer honest praise.

She had heard the sisters ran a cozy restaurant offering cuisine from their home country, famous enough that even Kyouko, who had never shown much interest in such places, had heard about it. People were saying it had a homey ambience, with cheap and tasty food.

“Well, it was pretty funny seeing Irene Urzaiz serving customers like that,” Lester remarked.

Apparently, the two sisters worked at the restaurant together, the younger one in charge of the kitchen, and the infamous elder sister serving customers. Kyouko had to admit that it sounded like a curious sight.

“What’s that? You just said you didn’t know much about it, but you’ve been there?”

“E-er… Well, we’re friends, I guess, so I had to…!”

“You’re not exactly the kind of person I’d expect to see serving tables, either, ya know?”

“Ugh…!”

Lester must have sensed as much. He offered no response, and his huge shoulders shrank back dejectedly.

Kyouko flashed him a wry grin, her expression turning more serious. “I know it’s a bit late for this…but you don’t regret it, do you? You’re still perfectly qualified to enter the Festa. If you went on to university, you could have done a whole lot more.”

“No…I’ve done the best I can.”

“What are you saying? You were ranked fifth on the Named Cult.”

“That’s because…Julis…!”

Lester had been suppressing his emotions up to that point, and now he slammed his fist down on the counter in a fit of anger, causing the cups lined neatly along the edge to clatter loudly.

Lester had won against Julis in their last official ranked match while studying at Seidoukan. It was a huge commotion, of course, what with his defeating a grand slam winner, but he still wasn’t satisfied with the win.

“It’s not like Julis cut corners or anything, right? A win’s a win. You should be proud of yourself,” Kyouko said.

“…I know, but still…” Lester averted his gaze, his face glum.

“Oho…? It’s getting pretty lively in here, huh?”

At that moment, a listless-looking woman with long black hair emerged from the back of the restaurant—a bewitching beauty with sloping eyes and an air of fragility.

“Yo, Melissa.”

“Oh…? It’s you, Kyouko.”

This was Melissa Strauch—or technically, Melissa MacPhail, now that she had married Lester. A former member of Team Irrlicht, the only team in the history of Le Wolfe to win at the Gryps—and a close friend of Kyouko’s.

“Well, I thought I’d better drop by sooner or later. I mean, my buddy’s a mom now.”

Cradled in the woman’s arms, an adorable baby was sleeping peacefully.

“Oh, he looks just like his mom. He’s so cute, eh?”

“…He’s my kid, too, you know,” Lester murmured, but the dark cast to his face lightened as soon as Melissa handed him the child.

“The usual, Kyouko?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Melissa wrapped an apron around her waist and set about grinding some coffee beans.

Melissa used to run a café in the Rotlicht. Kyouko, a frequent customer in those days, could clearly remember the delicious taste of her coffee. Even here, Melissa was the manager, and Lester was merely an employee.

“So, back to what we were talking about…,” said Kyouko. “You got yours, too, right? Julis’s invitation?”

“Oh. Yeah.”

New to fatherhood, Lester still seemed a little nervous cradling the baby in his arms.

“Are you going?”

“You must be kidding. Between running a new shop and looking after this little guy, there’s no way I’m going to Lieseltania.”

“It doesn’t bother me,” Melissa interjected. “Quit worrying and go. We don’t have much work to do here anyway.”

“Ugh…”

Lester’s shoulders slumped again at the caustic comments coming from behind his back. Melissa certainly had a sharp tongue, though she unleashed it only on those she cared about. Not that Kyouko was going to tell Lester that.

“Here you go,” Melissa said.

A rich aroma wafted up from the cup of coffee handed to her, tickling Kyouko’s nose.

She sipped the beverage, with its subdued bitter flavor and strong acidity—the same taste that she had always relished.

“Yep, it’s delicious. You’d think a flavor this good would bring in more customers…,” Kyouko said, glancing around at the empty tables and chairs.

“We’re having a bad day today,” said Melissa. “It isn’t usually this quiet, you know.”

“That’s right,” Lester added. “Everyone’s probably at the stadium or watching one of the big screens set out on the corner of the next street over. Hold on, aren’t you supposed to be there, too, Teach?”

“Well, it’s not like I’m her homeroom teacher or anything. I did give her a few pointers back when she fought in the Gryps, though.”

At that moment, the door swung open, and a plump student entered the café.

“Brr, it’s cold out there… The usual, Lester… Oh! Ms. Yatsuzaki?!”

“Well, if it isn’t Randy Hooke.”

Lester’s former crony was apparently still hanging around.

“Why do my old students always scream when they see me?” Kyouko murmured.

“Doesn’t that just go to show what kind of teacher you are?” Melissa shot back, tongue sharp as always.

“Ugh…”

Lester and Randy both nodded, as if they couldn’t have said it better themselves.

“That’s all we have to report on Elliott-Pound for now,” Eishirou said in Seidoukan Academy’s special viewing lounge at the Sirius Dome.

His master—Claudia Enfield—smiled calmly and recrossed her long legs. “Thank you, Eishirou. That must mean Ernest and Diana’s engagement has been finalized. In that case, there’s little doubt that those favoring Genestella will gain the upper hand in the organization… It would probably be wise to liaise with Elliot as soon as possible. I’ll see what Laetitia can do…”

She paused there, resting her hand on her chin and lowering her gaze in thought.

Claudia had matured after she entered the university at Seidoukan Academy, but she’d never lost her gentle temperament. To those students who didn’t know her true nature, she must have seemed like the ideal elder sister, which explained her impressive support from men and women alike. That said, she’d also refined her sinister streak, and as far as Eishirou was concerned, she was a veritable demon.

Nonetheless, her abilities and shrewd judgment were beyond question, and she continued to serve as student council president. She was the longest-serving leader in the academy’s history, and even counting the other five schools, the only administration that had lasted longer than hers was probably that of the Ban’yuu Tenra at Jie Long.

Aside from her role as student council president, she was also a student, and secretary to her mother, Isabella. She wasn’t only wearing two hats—she was juggling three. Moreover, she wasn’t just analyzing information from within Asterisk pertaining to the city’s six schools; she was also monitoring intel on the integrated enterprise foundations that governed them. In all likelihood, she was planning for her graduation when she would move up to Galaxy.

As such, the work she entrusted to Eishirou was much more challenging than before, and to be honest, he wished that she would cut him some slack.

“Now then, for your next task…”

“Um, Prez? Isn’t it gonna be a little hard for Shadowstar without me? I heard there aren’t a whole lot of new recruits. We’re low on manpower, right?”

Strictly speaking, Eishirou was more Claudia’s personal spy than a Shadowstar agent these days.

His missions snooping around the integrated enterprise foundations were getting too hard to manage, and to be perfectly honest, he wanted to take a break and do something a little easier.

“Don’t worry about that. Silas Norman’s abilities are a good match for the current situation. He’s very excited, I believe, to be so close to paying off his debt.”

“Ngh…!”

With the transformation of the redevelopment area, Asterisk’s underworld had similarly undergone a drastic change. In short, espionage had increased, while direct confrontations between rival organizations were rarer. As a result, the power of the more militant factions, namely Grimalkin and Gaishi, had been diminished, while those more geared toward intelligence gathering, such as Sinodomius and Benetnasch, had come to dominate. Silas’s ability was puppet manipulation, but it also allowed him to obtain information from his foes, so he was highly suited to this new kind of work.

“Well, if you really don’t want to, I can take that into consideration…,” Claudia began. “But the mission I have in mind will be rewarding. Given the current offerings over at Shadowstar, I think you would get bored fairly quickly.”

“Well…” Eishirou didn’t know how to answer.

His motto was to live life lightheartedly. He didn’t want to be constrained by anything, but at the same time, he wanted to observe interesting events and people up close. He knew full well how difficult it was to balance those two desires. Claudia was well aware of his nature—probably even more than Eishirou himself—and was therefore good at handling him.

“But yes, I must give you some time off as well. You’ll want to spend some time with your girlfriend, I’m sure.”

“What?!” Eishirou froze.

“The former head of the newspaper club…,” Claudia began with a grin. “She’s now a reporter for…ABC, was it? How romantic that your relationship started with a chance reunion.”

“Hey, h-how did you…?!”

It was certainly true that Eishirou had met his former boss by chance at the scene of an incident a little while ago—their first encounter in several years. But no one else should have known about that. He had made sure not to let even his underlings at Shadowstar tail him.

“Oh-ho. You’re not my only source of information, Yabuki,” Claudia responded with a flawless smile.

There was no doubt about it—she’d soon rise to the upper echelons in Galaxy.

At that moment, an air-window snapped open between them, announcing the arrival of a new visitor.

“Oh, is it already time?” Claudia murmured as she pushed a button to open the door, revealing a girl with short green hair.

“Thanks for inviting me, Ms. President!” she said energetically.

The girl was the image of naïveté and cheer, without the faintest hint of negativity.

“Welcome, Flora.”

“Hiya!”

Flora Klemm. Formerly a maid at the royal palace in Lieseltania, dispatched to Asterisk by Julis’s brother—and once kidnapped by Grimalkin. She had still been a child back then, but she had since grown considerably taller, her supple and toned physique the proof of her training.

She had entered Seidoukan Academy just this spring.

“You invited her, Prez? Why?”

“Why? So she can watch the match from the best seat in the house, of course,” Claudia answered, motioning to a nearby chair.

Flora offered her a polite bow as she sat down.

“Flora—Thaleia, I should say—is one of our most promising rookies. She carries Seidoukan’s future on her shoulders. We need to make sure she sees every moment of this match.”

“I—I’ll do my best!” Flora answered, staring down at the empty stage as she squeezed her hands together in her lap.

There was still a little time left before the match got underway, and she was waiting in eager anticipation.

“Heh. Sounds like the prez thinks pretty highly of you,” Eishirou remarked.

“Of course,” Claudia answered. “She’s the first new user of the Ser Veresta since Ayato.”

Flora had entered the Named Cult shortly after starting at Seidoukan, and had attracted considerable attention with her flamboyant style of swordsmanship, reminiscent in some ways of several of Gallardworth’s fighters. But most noteworthy of all was that she had been chosen to wield the Ser Veresta.

Since Ayato graduated, many students had tried to wield the Orga Lux, but none had been able to earn a decent compatibility rating. Until Flora got her hands on it, that is.

“B-but…I still haven’t quite mastered it…,” she said, her shoulders drooping.

That was no surprise. It had taken Ayato Amagiri himself close to three years to master the weapon. And of course, its use required immense quantities of prana. Without Ayato’s considerable reserves, you wouldn’t be able to use it for long.

Flora seemed to be above average when it came to prana, but she couldn’t compare to Ayato. For that reason, she activated the Ser Veresta only when she absolutely needed to use it.

“Yep, I remember him well, even after all this time…,” Flora murmured. “Mr. Amagiri really was amazing.”

Eishirou couldn’t fail to notice a look of pride briefly pass over Claudia’s features.

It’s a good thing she’s still as cute as always…

“What’s that, Yabuki?” Claudia asked, as though she’d read his mind.

“No, no, it’s nothing.” Eishirou looked away to escape her intimidating smile.

“Oh, right…,” Flora began, putting her hands together as though she’d just remembered something. She glanced between the two of them. “You two both received an invitation from Her Highness, didn’t you? Will you be attending?”

“Yes, of course. It’s been a long time since I last saw Julis in person.”

“So long as I’m not on a mission, I’d be happy to go. Right, Prez?” Eishirou said with a sideways glance.

Claudia let out a deliberate sigh. “Understood. I won’t assign you any work during that period, Yabuki.”

“All right!”

He had finally secured himself a real vacation. In his line of work, you never knew when missions would come flooding in, so a guaranteed day off was something to treasure.

“I wish I could get a response from Mr. Amagiri…but I don’t even know how to get the invitation to him.”

“Indeed… But he does know about it, yes?”

“Oh, of course. Her Highness told me she mentioned it to him the last time he called.”

“Then there shouldn’t be any problems. Ayato isn’t the kind to betray a friend’s trust. I’ll be sure to bring it up next time I hear from him as well,” Claudia reassured her.

“Thank you!” Flora exclaimed, her face lighting up as she dipped her head.

“Well, it looks like it’s about to start down there.”

Fueled by the live commentary, the audience around the stage was positively electric, their excitement palpable.

Flora leaned forward in concentration, while Claudia’s eyes narrowed in anticipation.

The next moment, Mico Yanase’s clear voice rang out:

“Now then, it’s finally time for the deciding match of this year’s Lindvolus! Which one of our contestants will carve themselves a place in the annals of history?!”

A figure walked by herself down the dimly lit passageway leading up to the stage.

The first time she had come this way, she had been with a partner.

The second time, with all her friends.

Several years had passed since then—and now, Kirin Toudou walked alone, her shoes clacking against the hard floor.

She would be lying if she said that she didn’t feel a little lonely. She felt helpless at times, too.

No matter how much she grew, no matter how strong she became, she was still the same old Kirin.

But that was fine. So long as she remained herself, so long as he could see her, wherever he was, that was enough.

Passing through the entrance gate, she came to a halt and caught her breath.

Then, breaking into a run and leaping down from the bridge onto the stage, she heard the audience cry out in excitement. Her long, untied silver hair fluttered down her back, sparkling in the light.

“Dashing through the east gate is Seidoukan Academy’s number one! She made it into the top four in the last season’s Phoenix and triumphed in the Gryps together with the Glühen Rose, Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld! The sixth-generation Sword Saint! The Keen-Edged Tempest herself! Often called the greatest swordsman in the history of Asterisk, Kirin Toudou!

She was overflowing with energy.

She had sustained several injuries so far, but none were so serious as to hinder her ability to move around the stage.

That said, she wasn’t confident that she could prevail over this next opponent.

“…”

Here she came.

On reflex, Kirin’s body tightened, and she gulped.

Her opponent had only just passed through the gate, and though she was still out of sight, the sense of overwhelming power emanating from her froze Kirin to the core.

Her foe today was the third-generation Ban’yuu Tenra, Xinglou Fan.

“And now! Appearing from the west gate, Jie Long Seventh Institute’s reigning number one! The girl who inherited the legendary title of Ban’yuu Tenra! She’s long been said to possess absolute power! Though due to age restrictions, this is her first time actively participating in a Festa! She was rarely seen on the stage until now! Dominating in all her matches, proving the rumors true, it’s Xinglou Fan!”

Xinglou descended from the bridge without making so much as a sound, breaking into a satisfied grin as she laid eyes on Kirin.

“Mm-hmm… Good, good. You’ve developed well, just as I had hoped.”

The last time Kirin had seen Xinglou in person had been at the reception after the last Lindvolus, three years ago. In that time, she had grown into a beautiful girl. Of course, Kirin had made sure to watch recordings of each of her matches, so she was familiar with her appearance. But seeing her up close like this made the differences obvious.

She was small and delicate, not particularly tall, her limbs slender and her body still developing, though obviously well toned. Her hair had the iridescence of a butterfly’s wings, and while it looked much the same as before, she now wore it cut considerably shorter.

“Your duel against Xiaohui Wu in the semifinals of the Gryps, and your rematch against him six months ago—both were superb.”

“…I wasn’t strong enough back then.”

As promised, Kirin had given Xiaohui a rematch six months ago, and she had lost by only a hair’s breadth.

“Ho-ho-ho! Xiaohui aims high indeed. But…if you had used the Orga Lux you wear at your waist, I expect the outcome would have been very different.”

“Well…”

It was true that she hadn’t used the Fudaraku. Or rather, that she hadn’t been able to use it.

After all, she had been saving it for today.

“Good, good. Xiaohui told me you gave it your all. He told me the reason, too, though he wasn’t at all pleased about it.” Having said that much, Xinglou’s shoulders began to tremble in quiet laughter. “He’s left Jie Long again, embarking on a journey of training and discovery. Thanks to that, Hufeng and Cecily are stirring up all kinds of trouble. Now that the twins have moved up to headquarters, we’re lacking in good leadership.”

“Huh?! Xiaohui’s taken another leave of absence…?”

This was the first Kirin had heard of that. She would hardly be able to live with herself if she was to blame.

“Don’t fret. It’s a good thing. You know what they say: ‘If you love your children, send them out into the world.’”

“I guess so… So where has he gone on this training trip?”

“I do not know. But perhaps he will bump into the Murakumo somewhere.”

That was within the realm of possibility.

Kirin broke into a soft smile as she imagined that encounter.

“Well…you’ve kept that Orga Lux of yours sheathed ever since I announced my intention to participate in this year’s Lindvolus, yes?”

“That’s right.”

Kirin had decided to use her final opportunity to participate in the Festa to enter this year’s Lindvolus. She had known from the beginning that should the Ban’yuu Tenra choose to enter, she would inevitably run into her sooner or later. For that reason, Claudia had forbidden her from using the Fudaraku.

“Oh-ho, I’m pleased to hear that. But I never thought the sixth-generation Sword Saint would be so wary of me.”

“…There’s no need to be self-effacing. I’ve heard just how strong you are. And someone else at Seidoukan once faced the Ban’yuu Tenra at full power.”

“Oh, I see, I see. Julis, you mean? Yes, she has a meticulous sense of duty, that one. She even went out of her way to send me an invitation the other day.”

Before Xinglou could say any more, a mechanical voice sounded out to announce the pending start of the match.

“Dear me, we’ve let ourselves get carried away with idle chatter. This is a place where fists and blades do the talking. Isn’t that right, Keen-Edged Tempest?”

“…Yes,” Kirin answered with a nod.

Xinglou flashed her a wry grin as she made for her starting position.

Kirin felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Perhaps this conversation was Xinglou’s way of helping her alleviate her anxieties.

But even if it was, she doubted it was for her sake.

She probably wants to enjoy this fight to the fullest…

In that case, she would give her opponent everything she wanted.

“Lindvolus, Championship Match—battle start.”

With the match underway, Kirin unsheathed the Fudaraku. A gush of purple electricity shot out, scorching the air around her.

As she pulled the blade out, it resisted like a giant dragon raging in her hands. Kirin clenched her teeth and held it in check—otherwise, the weapon might have gone on a rampage at the slightest opportunity.

After all, the Fudaraku was an Orga Lux in the shape of a Japanese sword, whose ability was to store energy while the blade remained sheathed in its scabbard. And the more energy the weapon had stored in it, the more difficult it was to control. A month’s worth of energy was said to bestow a level of power similar to any of the Four Colored Runeswords. Back when she had fought Percival Gardner during the Golden Noontide, she had defeated the Holy Grail with four months’ worth of accumulated energy.

Right now, the Fudaraku had a full year of energy stored inside it.

And Kirin was strong enough now to control it.

“Haaaaaaaaaah!”

She drew her sword with a heated cry as a gust of wind swept across the stage.

“Hah… Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Wonderful! What majesty! Such fierce spirit! I can’t hold back any longer! Let’s go!”

Xinglou’s cheeks were red with excitement. She cracked her knuckles and—

…! She’s gone?! Kirin wondered in a panic. No, she’s behind me!

There was no way that the Ban’yuu Tenra, as capable as she was, could have moved faster than Kirin’s clairvoyant eyes could discern—which meant that she must have used some teleportation ability.

Kirin leaped forward, twisting her body in midair, and unleashed the Fudaraku in a blinding flash.

“Oh-ho! So you can respond to my shukuchi techniques on the first try?!”

In an instant, Xinglou appeared behind Kirin, attacking with a powerful kick and quickly countering when she lashed out with her Orga Lux to meet it. But Xinglou still managed to dodge the strike in an unbelievable display of martial arts.

Xinglou jumped into close range, unleashing a palm strike with her right hand, which Kirin caught with the Fudaraku. While not on the level of the Ser Veresta, the Fudaraku should have had more than enough stored energy to cut through practically anything. A direct hit on one’s bare hands should have caused injury, yet Xinglou brushed the blade aside with a simple flick of her wrist, then delivered a fresh strike with her left hand.

“Huh?!”

Kirin circled around to the right and attacked with a downward slash while falling back a half step—but it wasn’t enough. She sliced clean through the sleeve of her opponent’s Jie Long uniform, but at the same time, Xinglou’s elbow punch landed square in her gut.

“…!”

“Ngh!”

Kirin was thrown backward by the force of the strike as her next slash made a shallow cut into Xinglou’s upper arm.

And then—

Spitting out bloody phlegm, Kirin unleashed another strike.

“Hmm!”

The slash, unleashed with her full strength, bisected the stage in a straight line, and while Xinglou ducked low to dodge it, it still sent a tuft of her hair fluttering like the wings of a butterfly as it landed softly on the ground.

“…Impressive. With swordsmanship like that, you’re truly unsurpassed. In that case…”

The space around Xinglou distorted, three vajras emerging from the void—Dokkosho, Sankosho, and Gokosho.

“Sage tools, left behind by the first Ban’yuu Tenra. Now then, let’s go.”

The three vajras floated around Xinglou like satellites—until they were suddenly launched at her.

The ground beneath Kirin’s feet was blown away as the first vajra sailed toward her like a missile, followed quickly by the second and third.

They did indeed possess frightening destructive power, but Kirin found them easier to respond to than when Xinglou had attacked at short range a moment ago.

Most of all—

“Pah!”

Kirin slashed down with the Fudaraku, right for the Dokkosho as it rose up again before her.

“…! What?”

The blow split the vajra clean in two, releasing a cloud of shattered fragments into the air behind her as she came to a halt, then dispatched the Sankosho and the Gokosho the same way.

“…I wouldn’t have expected you to so easily destroy my sage tools. You’re more than I imagined.”

“Physical martial arts might be a different story, but when it comes to a contest between weapons, I won’t lose,” Kirin declared as she braced herself for more.

Xinglou fixed her with a look of genuine contentment. “Oh-ho…! I underestimated you. Then let’s have another taste!”

The grin on Xinglou’s face lost its magnanimity and gained a dangerous edge.

“Rejoice. I didn’t even let Helga Lindwall taste my next technique.”

Once again, the space around Xinglou warped—but this time, she extended her hand into the distortion.

She remained that way for a brief moment, as though rummaging through a drawer. When she pulled it out, she was gripping a stick-shaped black object.

“Is that…?”

“Hmm, not so familiar an item in the world of today, is it? An old Chinese hard whip.”

Like that, Xinglou casually brought it swinging down.

“Its name is Dashenbian.”

“…?!”

The next moment, some huge, invisible force came bearing down on Kirin from above, crushing her under its weight.

“Ughhhhh!”

Though she tried to catch the blow by raising the Fudaraku, it was too heavy, too strong. Unable to deflect it, she was forced to endure, bracing herself with both feet while the weight pushed her back, carving a crater into the ground beneath her.

Until finally—

“Hah… Hah… Hah…!”

Kirin just barely survived the blow. Xinglou, watching from her perch at the edge of the crater, put her hands together in a slow clap.

“Well done. You are deserving of high praise.”

“…No way… That was real…?”

Dashenbian.

Even Kirin knew that name. The God-Striking Whip, a magical weapon known as a baobei, wielded by Jiang Ziya, the protagonist of the old Chinese novel The Investiture of the Gods.

There were countless Orga Luxes in Asterisk bestowed with names tying them to legendary weapons from all eras and cultures, but those were ultimately nothing more than borrowed motifs.

…But this was Xinglou Fan, so just maybe…

“Of course, I’d like to say it’s real…but that isn’t the case. It’s a replica of a relic left in the Immortal Lands long, long ago.”

As she spoke, Xinglou reached into the distortion over her shoulder.

“Now then, the next one… Yes, the Huaxue Shendao should do nicely.”

Appearing from the warped space was a bright red blade dripping with a bloodlike liquid.

“Now, the match has only just begun. Don’t let this be the end, you hear?”

Kirin rose to her feet and caught her breath, then, wiping the sweat from her forehead, looked up at Xinglou. “…Before we started, I didn’t feel like I stood much of a chance against you. I still feel the same way.”

“Oh?” There was unmistakable disappointment in Xinglou’s eyes.

“But I’ll say this… I don’t have any intention of losing.”

“…”

It wasn’t that Kirin was unable to accept defeat with good grace. Yes, Xinglou Fan’s strength was formidable, and Kirin had yet to reach that realm herself—but that didn’t mean she had already been defeated.

Pulling the Hiinamaru from her waist, she repositioned herself, brandishing two blades.

Xinglou’s eyes opened wide, and with her hair bristling wildly, she broke out into a laugh. “Heh-heh-heh…! Well said! That’s the best rebuke I’ve heard in centuries!”

Then, Kirin and Xinglou moved simultaneously, lashing out toward one another.

As their blades clashed amid the fury, the frenzied cheers of the audience filled the stadium.

“A stowaway?”

Percival Gardner looked up to see that her immediate superior, Haruka Amagiri, seemed slightly troubled.

The Lindvolus was over, and the officers at Stjarnagarm finally had a chance to take a breather. But that wasn’t to say that Asterisk was free of trouble. Percival was still a rookie officer, but she was sent out into the field seemingly every day and had returned to headquarters now only for a quick meal.

But as far as Percival was concerned, the busier she was, the less time she had to be worried by stray thoughts.

“Right, a stowaway. This kind of thing’s pretty rare, but, well, we’re dealing with a minor here. She wasn’t carrying any form of ID, and she won’t tell us her name or what happened to her, either.”

Haruka was now considered the second most capable officer in the force after Helga Lindwall, though you wouldn’t guess it at first glance due to her calm and gentle demeanor. Of course, anyone with the right training would recognize her for what she was. In any event, she was always relaxed—a sight that made Percival realize what it meant to possess real strength.

Calm, gentle, direct, and strong—the polar opposite of herself.

“But…there was a number, tattooed into her right shoulder.”

“…!”

At these next words, Percival leaped up with a jolt, almost falling from her chair.

That sounded just like the serial number that had once emblazoned Percival’s right shoulder, proof that she had formerly belonged to the Institute.

“…I understand. I’ll take her statement.”

“Thank you. I’ll inform the commander and have her leave this in your hands.”

“Understood.”

Normally, such serial numbers were erased at the time of shipment. And besides shipment, there was only one other way out of the Institute.

Disposal.

Percival clenched her teeth as she marched briskly through the corridors of Stjarnagarm’s headquarters.

After the Golden Noontide, Percival had been required to undergo an extensive period of hospitalization. Her mind, manipulated by the Varda-Vaos, had needed considerable time to recover, and even now, she still occasionally had flashbacks to the days she’d spent under its influence.

Yes, unlike with Ursula Svend, whose consciousness had been completely hijacked by the Varda-Vaos, Percival’s memories remained intact. As if she would never be permitted to escape the truth of what she had been trying to accomplish, nor the gravity of her sins.

Thanks to the integrated enterprise foundations’ desire to keep everything secret, the strong evidence of intense brainwashing, and some personal intervention from Claudia Enfield at Seidoukan Academy, Percival had been conditionally exempted from any form of punishment. But that wasn’t to say that she had been forgiven for her actions. And more importantly, she couldn’t forgive herself.

Unable to stay at Gallardworth, she decided to drop out, though her friends did everything they could to stop her. That was when Helga, the commander at Stjarnagarm, reached out to her.

If, Helga told her, she wanted to atone for her sins, what better way could there be than to protect this city and its people? Those words had brought Percival to Stjarnagarm, and she had remained with the police force ever since.

In retrospect, the integrated enterprise foundations were probably happy with this arrangement, as it would enable them to keep a close eye on her future activities. While Helga’s dislike of the IEFs was well known, the organizations themselves seemed to think highly of her, though they were sometimes frustrated by her actions.

Still, no matter how hard she pushed herself as part of the city guard, Percival still hadn’t been able to forgive herself. Perhaps she never would.

Even if—

“…”

As she turned over these thoughts in her mind, she realized that her feet had already delivered her to the door leading into the interrogation room.

Putting her mind in order, she knocked, then turned the handle.

“Oh…”

Inside was a young girl, standing in the middle of the room despite the supplied chair.

No sooner had she laid eyes on Percival than she cowered, retreating fearfully to the back of the room. Her dull gray hair was disheveled, her dress dirty. It was clear at first glance that she had no one else to defend her. She looked to be around twelve or thirteen years old.

“Hmm…?”

Percival felt a strange sense of incongruity as she watched her.

The girl stiffened, shrinking back.

What’s this…?

She hadn’t been able to believe it, but there could be no mistake.

“One-one-five-seven-three-three-nine-four,” she began.

“…Huh?”

“That was my serial number, when I was there.”

“…!”

The girl stared back at her, wide-eyed.

“Won’t you talk to me for a minute?” Percival suggested, offering her a chair.

The girl hesitated for a moment before accepting the invitation. After that gesture, she seemed to open her heart ever so slightly.

“…So why did you come to this city?” Percival asked bluntly.

There was no point in asking her name or age. What she needed to know was her intentions.

“I—I… They didn’t need me anymore… Th-they said I wasn’t n-necessary anymore, that I couldn’t be of any further use… So before they could dispose of me, I… I—I was desperate to escape…” The girl spoke falteringly, her voice thin and trembling. “I…I don’t really know where it was…but I saw a city…with, er… A Festa? A Lindvolus? Anyway, I saw a video of it…and it was so, so beautiful… I—I…I wanted to go there…! S-so…!”

Before Percival knew it, the girl was leaning forward in her chair, pouring her heart out.

“Oh…!”

Perhaps having noticed her own excitement, the girl blushed, looking down at the floor in embarrassment as she pulled back.

“…I see. In that case, I have one more question,” Percival asked quietly, her eyes narrowed. “Are you hiding your true strength?”

“…!”

The girl swallowed.

There could be no doubt about it. Percival’s eyes would have seen through any attempt at falsehood. The girl was concealing immense power. In all likelihood, she was just as strong as Percival herself. Otherwise, there was no way she would have been able to escape from the Institute.

And if she was that capable, there was no way that the Institute would have disposed of her. Deceiving the staff there would have required a great deal of determination and ingenuity.

In other words, she had chosen the path of disposal for herself.

“H-how…? N-no one ever saw through me before…” The girl was staring straight at Percival with a bewildered look.

“Why did you hide it?” Percival asked.

Then, staring at the ground, the girl answered in a small, mosquito-like voice: “B-because…I—I was scared…”

“Scared…? Of your own powers?”

The girl responded with a robotic nod.

There was clearly a contradiction here. Afraid of exercising her own abilities, yet longing for the stage of the Festa and wishing to enter it for herself.

But Percival understood her painfully well.

Not everyone was capable of coming to terms with their feelings and desires. There were those who found themselves unable to choose, never able to abandon one desire to pursue another.

“I understand. Now, for my last question.” Percival paused for a moment. “What do you want to do now?”

The girl looked away, her jaw clenched as though she was holding back her words. Finally, after a short silence, she shook her head and looked up, filled with determination. “I—I…I want to be in the Festa!” she said firmly.

“Very well. In that case, I can help you.”

“Huh…?”

As Percival held out her right hand, the girl’s eyes widened in surprise.

To her, Percival was little more than an officer of Stjarnagarm, a figure whom she had only just met. She didn’t even know her name.

Besides, Percival didn’t even have the authority to do this. While Haruka might have let her conduct the questioning here, the promise she’d just made clearly transcended the scope of her duties. Depending on how things ended up, she might earn herself more than just a simple rebuke or admonishment.

Maybe she was just compensating. Perhaps she was trying to make amends by helping this girl because she had been unable to save her own friends.

That said, this was the first step that she had taken on her own. It wasn’t Subject #11573394 at the Institute who was extending her hand here, nor Agrestia wielding the Holy Grail, nor even an officer of Stjarnagarm—it was Percival Gardner herself.

“…”

The girl stared at the proffered hand for a moment, then, timidly, she reached out to accept it.

Her hand was small, but warm.

As Percival held on with her right hand, she used her left one to open an air-window. The fact that the girl had escaped from the Institute meant that she had no name, nationality, or anything else. At this rate, she would probably end up in a facility where there was a ninety percent chance she would be preyed on by other children. There may have been plenty of good people in this world, but the kind who flocked to foundling children were usually the bad ones.

It would take a great deal of effort to keep that from happening.

What the girl needed wasn’t the power of an individual, but that of an organization.

“…This is a surprise. I wouldn’t have expected you to call me, Gardner.”

The face in the air-window was that of Elliot Forster, Gallardworth’s highest-ranked pupil and student council president. It had been ages since Percival had last seen him, and he looked to have grown—he was taller now, an imposing representative of Saint Gallardworth Academy.

“It’s been a while, Percival.”

Standing by Elliot’s side was his girlfriend, Noelle Messmer.

Just as the girl had, Percival made up her mind and bowed her head to the two figures in the air-window.

“I’m sorry for coming to you so suddenly, but I have a favor to ask… Will you help me?”

And so it was that the girl, who later took on the alias Hexametros, ushered in a new era together with Flora Klemm, alias Thaleia, and Xinglou Fan, the Ban’yuu Tenra, in what would come to be known as the Era of the Three Maidens—but that’s a story for another time.

“Three beers for now, Gramps. And pickles and rolled omelets.”

“Coming right up!”

The bustling Friday night pub was almost at capacity.

At the far end of the tatami-floored room, Saya, seated at an old table, sat cross-legged in her suit as she ordered several items without even looking at the menu. Given her childlike appearance, she was often asked to show ID at places like this, but since she was a regular here, that hadn’t been necessary. In terms of looks, she had hardly changed over the past three years—or over the past six years, either, for that matter.

In those large cities that emerged from the Invertia relatively unscathed, there were still many shops and restaurants that continued the traditions of centuries past. That was especially true here in Kyoto, where large-scale urban redevelopment was restricted. That said, the buildings themselves had no doubt been rebuilt or remodeled several times over.

“Here, the menu. Order whatever you like. Most of it’s good.”

“…”

Sitting across from her was Camilla, who looked vaguely uncomfortable, her expression difficult to read. Like Saya, she was wearing a suit, and her hair was notably shorter than before.

An international conference on meteoric engineering was taking place this weekend in Kyoto, and both Camilla and Saya were due to attend. After graduating, Saya had transferred to the meteoric engineering department at a university in Kyoto rather than continuing at Seidoukan’s own higher education institute. Camilla and her guest, however, had to travel all the way from Asterisk to attend.

“What’s wrong?” Saya asked.

“No, I just thought… I mean, I told you I wanted to talk about something, right?”

“Yep. Go ahead.”

“…Here?” Camilla glanced around, her words barely audible.

“Is something wrong?”

“Well, er… It just doesn’t feel like the best place for a private conversation.”

“Your partner seems pretty into it, though,” Saya observed, glancing to the next seat over.

Ernesta was looking curiously around the restaurant, her eyes positively sparkling.

“Yeah! I’ve always wanted to come to a place like this! Tatami! Look, the floors are tatami! This is so nice! I’ll have to make a place like this in my lab!”

Ernesta was wearing a suit, too, but she was only accompanying Camilla. She wasn’t attending the conference herself. Both had already graduated from Allekant Académie and were continuing their research with their own laboratories at Frauenlob.

“This place is actually pretty good for secret conversations,” Saya explained. “The noise makes it hard for anyone to listen in, and no one would bother to eavesdrop here anyway.”

“…Are you sure?” Camilla still looked suspicious, but she gave in, letting her shoulders droop.

“Ernesta Kühne. I wasn’t expecting to see you here, since you’re always holed up in your lab.”

Ernesta had hardly been seen in public since the Golden Noontide three years prior. Saya remained in regular contact with Camilla, but it had been a very long time since she had last spoken directly with Ernesta.

“Hmm? Well, I’m getting so close to my goal, I thought it would be nice to step outside a little, you know?”

“Are you talking about the long-term vision you mentioned?”

“Oh? So you remember?” Ernesta grinned as she helped herself to a piece of the newly arrived rolled omelets. “Actually, we’re planning to discuss a unified legal framework for autonomous puppets at the next Concordia. Yep, things are moving along quicker than I expected.”

“Legal framework…?”

“Uh-huh. Ever since the Golden Noontide, countries all over the world have been regulating what you can and can’t do. But those rules don’t really match reality, do they? So we’re working with the integrated enterprise foundations to smooth things out.”

The Golden Noontide incident. Naturally, regulations surrounding autonomous puppets were tightened afterward—but at the same time, rather than decreasing, demand for the machines had only gone up. The reason for this was simple—the whole world had seen that the only way ordinary people could hope to hold their own against Genestella was with the help of such puppets. As such, legal regulations and the situation on the ground had clashed, leading to a whole swathe of problems. All that being said, setting up a global framework would have been a tall order even if the situation wasn’t so complicated.

But after giving the issue a little thought, the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.

“…So that’s why you used the Golden Bough Alliance. To involve autonomous puppets in a global incident and force a discussion.”

“Who knows…?” Ernesta replied vaguely. “But don’t you think this is a much better outcome than having Genestella and regular people all hate each other?”

“…!”

The Golden Bough Alliance’s objective had been to create an unbridgeable rift between ordinary humans and Genestella, an outcome thwarted only by stopping Orphelia. If the public had known that the Golden Noontide terrorist attacks were all a front for Genestella liberation, chaos would have inevitably ensued. The only reason it had been kept to a minimum was that the autonomous puppets, the entities that had actually implemented the attacks, had borne the brunt of the criticism.

“You’re saying you had all this planned?” Saya asked.

“No way! It was all coincidence, or rather luck. If you hadn’t stopped them, it would have all been meaningless. Besides, with puppets becoming more and more widespread, there would have been a similar incident sooner or later. So the sooner we get decent legislation in place, the better, right?” Ernesta, holding a beer in one hand, broke out into a grin.

“…I don’t like you very much. But I do respect you,” Saya remarked.

“Nya-ha-ha, don’t worry about it. But I’ve always wondered… Why do you hate me? Was it something I did?”

At those words, Saya placed the mug in her hand down on the table. “Have you forgotten?”

“Eh?”

“The first time we met—you kissed Ayato on the cheek.”

“Oh, that… You’re still upset about that? Seriously, you’re so petty! First of all, I thought that swordsman dumped you! So it should be fine, right?”

Saya downed what remained of her beer and then, fixing Ernesta with a glare, called out, “Another round, Gramps!”

“Coming right up!”

Leaning forward over the table, she said, “That doesn’t mean I’ve given up yet.”

That day three years ago, Saya and the others had all been rejected. Yes, not just Saya—but Julis, Kirin, Claudia, and Sylvia, too. All of them.

“Sorry. But I want to see with my own eyes what the lives of Genestella and ordinary folk are like after I graduate from Seidoukan. I don’t like admitting it, but I think Madiath Mesa saw more than I ever did, that he gave it all more thought, too. And that’s what guided his conduct. I rejected his beliefs and actions, so I have a responsibility to him. To prove that I was right. To prove it to myself, at least… That’s why I’ve made my decision,” Ayato had answered, his head bowed.

He said that he had no idea how long it would take, and that he couldn’t drag them along as he sought out an answer.

Frankly, Saya had thought it was all rather stupid—and she still did. There was no need for any of that. There was no point. But at the same time, it was so very like him. So none of them had condemned Ayato’s answer, but none of them had given up on him, either.

“Oh,” Camilla interrupted. She had been silently sipping her beer all this time. “I guess I might as well get to the point, then?”

“Right. What did you want to talk about?” Saya asked, urging her to continue.

Camilla cleared her throat. “Ernesta and I are thinking of launching a new project together. We’d like you to join us.”

“…What project?”

“It involves artificially creating holes to communicate with the other side.”

“Huh…?”

This was even more outrageous than Saya had expected, leaving her utterly stunned.

“Magnum Opus already succeeded in creating artificial holes. However, her method isn’t something we can reproduce. We need a different approach. Theoretically, we know a hole can be created by converging stable quantities of high-powered energy for a certain period of time. Which means…”

“In other words, you want to build a Lux to generate a hole?” Saya finished for her.

“Precisely,” Camilla answered with a satisfied nod.

Saya folded her arms, sinking into thought for a few minutes.

It was an interesting suggestion. More than interesting. And yet…

“I have two questions.”

“I’ll answer them.”

“The first one. Why me? I’m not a genius like you two are.”

Saya had attracted considerable attention thanks to the Luxes that she had designed and built during her time at Seidoukan. But most were actually designed by her father, Souichi, though she had added some personal flourishes of her own. She couldn’t have made them by herself. After all, she had still been a student in the middle of her studies. Very different from Camilla and Ernesta.

“I’ll answer that question!” a tipsy Ernesta began. “Sure, you might not be a bona fide genius. But you’re gifted. And you’ve got precisely the kind of talent we need.”

Ernesta, it seemed, wasn’t a particularly strong drinker.

“…Okay. Then my second question. You’re planning on communicating with the other side? How?”

“That’s…”

“Using puppets, of course.”

Saya had suspected as much. So long as Ernesta was involved, that had to be the answer.

“It seems that contact with the other side poses considerable risk for humans. So we’re going to try opening communications through puppets first.”

“Hmm…”

“If possible, we’d like to hear from someone who’s actually come into contact with the other side. But that’s not easy.”

As far as Saya knew, there were only three individuals who were qualified. Orphelia Landlufen, Hilda Jane Rowlands, and—

“All right. I’ll participate in your project,” Saya said, downing her second beer in one long gulp.

The Secret Caravan.

This unusual music festival was held intermittently, its time, date, location, and the performers announced with little advance notice. Yet owing to the status of the artists that it attracted, it was so popular that tickets always sold out immediately.

This time, the festival was being held over three days in the Australian wilderness. It was currently on its second day.

“Heya! How’s it going?”

“Whoa! Sylvia…?!”

As Sylvia stepped inside the tent serving as a waiting room, the members of Rusalka relaxing inside jumped to their feet in a flustered panic.

“S-Sylvia…?! What are you doing here?!”

“What am I doing here…? I’m the secret guest on the last day.”

“Whoaaaaa! I—I had no idea…! I’ll definitely have to watch…!”

Judging from Miluše’s astonishment, the Secret Caravan’s clandestine status extended even to its performing artists.

“Wow, that’s big news! We’ve got to post this online…!” Tuulia exclaimed, pulling out her mobile.

“N-n-no, you can’t! You’ll upset the organizers, not to mention the chairwoman will be furious!” Mahulena, sitting nearby, hurried to stop her.

“Right! I’d better do it anonymously, so I don’t get caught!”

“That’s no good, either!”

This time, Mahulena snatched Tuulia’s mobile from her hand in a brisk, flowing motion. Hers was a lonely battle, as usual.

“But…if you’re on tomorrow, what are you doing here today? Heh-heh…” Suddenly, Päivi adopted a serious tone and quietly changed topics. “Is this about our reconnaissance activities?”

“No, no. I mean, you guys, Rusalka, are now the uncontested number ones at Queenvale. I just thought I’d drop in to say hello,” Sylvia explained with a respectful bow.

At this, the faces of the five band members instantly relaxed.

“O-oh? Well, it’s true. Th-thank you?”

“I-it feels good to hear that from you, Sylvia…”

Miluše and Tuulia both rubbed the bridges of their noses, looking away with embarrassment.

“…Hah, we only moved up because Sylvia graduated.”

Mahulena was the only one who managed to maintain a cool demeanor, but even she looked pleased. It was adorable.

In fact, even after Sylvia and Neithnefer left Queenvale without going on to the academy’s university, Rusalka’s popularity had remained unshakable. Try as Mahulena might to explain away their success, the band had become increasingly popular—so much so that Sylvia couldn’t afford to rest on her laurels.

“…All you need now is for your leader to take the top ranking at school.”

“She got beaten to a pulp in her last official match…! Such a pity…,” Monica said with a mean laugh.

“Ugh…! W-we promised not to talk about that!” Päivi butted in.

Miluše’s shoulders visibly dropped.

Queenvale’s current top-ranked student was Violet Weinberg, Overliezel. She’d received training at the Liangshan, and despite Queenvale’s reputation as the weakest of Asterisk’s schools, she was practically unbeatable.

“Keep it down, Rusalka. This tent isn’t soundproofed, so try to be a little quieter… Huh? Sylvia?”

“Oh, Chloe.”

Entering the tent with a sullen face was Chloe Flockhart, who had succeeded Sylvia as student council president at Queenvale Academy for Young Ladies.

“The organizers have been looking out for me for a while, and they asked me to come this time, too.”

“I see. How are Minato and the others doing?”

“Oh, everyone’s fine. The space development plan has been restarted, so Minato’s hard at work studying for the next round of astronaut recruitment. Yuzuhi’s looking out for her, so I think she’ll be fine.”

It was no coincidence that space development programs, which until only recently had been relegated to the past, were being restarted in countries all across the world. Perhaps the integrated enterprise foundations had decided, following the Golden Noontide, that it was necessary to venture into space to acquire information on the massive reserves of mana and urm-manadite said to exist on the other side.

“Nina is very supportive as vice-president. It’s only thanks to her that I’m able to set foot out of the academy like this. Sophia is the only one of us who’s graduated, so we don’t get to see each other as much as we’d like…”

“I heard she’s modeling exclusively for Diana Pound’s clothing brand. She seems to be doing exceptionally well for someone so new to the industry.”

Most students at Queenvale involved in the performing arts continued to work professionally through one of the many firms affiliated with the integrated enterprise foundation Warren & Warren. Even Sylvia, despite having graduated, was still leaving all production and branding matters to Petra, just as before.

“But you’re still active, too, right, Sylvia?” Chloe asked, arms crossed.

“Me?”

“Apologies for saying this, but I honestly didn’t think you would stay popular after leaving Queenvale. Of course, your songs are wonderful, and as an idol and a diva, you’re the best of the best. But I always thought the basis of your popularity was your charm as Sigrdrífa and as a student at Asterisk.”

That analysis was probably spot on. In fact, Sylvia had often thought of herself that way.

Sylvia Lyyneheym, an idol of both song and combat.

“But now that you’ve graduated…you keep rising to even greater heights simply as the diva Sylvia Lyyneheym. I admire that.”

“It’s not like I’ve stopped fighting, though. I mean, I was invited to the Rondo, and I’m keeping up with my training. But, well…if you ask me, it’s all thanks to her that I’ve been able to advance to the next stage.”

Chloe nodded in agreement. “I think so, too. Ursula Svend’s songs really are wonderful. And most of all…they fit your voice and personality perfectly.”

Ursula had been released after the Golden Noontide, albeit under the watchful eye of the integrated enterprise foundations. Though clearly a victim of the Varda-Vaos, she’d still found herself in a difficult position, though compared to Ladislav Bartošik, who had been placed under a prolonged period of house arrest, her treatment was fairly lenient.

As soon as she was discharged from the hospital, she said to Sylvia, “This isn’t meant as thanks for you saving my life, but I’d like to offer my songs to you. Will you take them?”

Since then, Ursula had been actively working as a songwriter.

Sylvia had to perform her own songs when making use of her Strega abilities, but as an artist, she was happy to sing others written by professional composers and lyricists.

But no sooner had she started singing them than Ursula’s songs had become unprecedented worldwide hits. Singing her friend’s songs, Sylvia was more fulfilled than ever before.

That was how much they had captivated her heart.

…Just like the song she had overheard that rainy day years ago, whose name she still didn’t know.

I wish I could hear her sing it again…

She had asked Ursula several times, but she had refused.

Even though she wasn’t responsible for any of it, it seemed she was still upset about everything the Varda-Vaos had done. It was an undeniable fact that her body had been used to ruin countless people’s lives.

That was why Sylvia hadn’t said anything about it all this time.

Ursula was strong. Sylvia was sure she would be able to face her trauma, to overcome it.

After all, she was the mentor of the world’s most popular diva, Sylvia Lyyneheym.

“Oh… By the way, Sylvia. I heard from the chairwoman that you got an invitation from Lieseltania, right?” Chloe, perhaps uncomfortable with the silence, moved to change the topic. “It’s unusual for you to take on a request like this.”

Sylvia wasn’t particularly choosy about her work, but she did often turn down requests to perform at ceremonies and the like. She’d feel guilty if she upstaged the main event.

But this was a special occasion.

“I have to, right? I mean…my rival in love is going to be crowned queen. I have to be there to celebrate.”

And of course, she had little doubt that he would be there.

So she would hold no punches. She would take the stage and sing to the best of her ability, hoping to attract as much attention to herself as she could.

After all, her opponent was the grand slam winner Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld.

There was no need to hold back this time.