by Yuu Miyazaki
“…”
Ayato couldn’t bring himself to respond. Those were his thoughts, too.
Hilda Jane Rowlands, better known by the alias Magnum Opus, was the very definition of a mad genius. No matter what kind of pressure was exerted on her, her passions, burning hotter than lava, were unlikely to yield.
Even Ayato, who had only met her once, recognized that.
“Can I… Can I have some time to think about it?”
“Of course. Take your time.”
“…Then I’ll get going. Excuse me.”
But as Ayato made his way toward the exit, Madiath called out from behind. “Remember, whichever course of action you decide on, we’ll do our utmost to make it happen. Keep that in mind.”
“Like I said a while back,” Julis began, her expression serious, “I won’t blame you, no matter what you do. Not even if you decide to go with Magnum Opus.”
“I know. Thanks, Julis,” Ayato replied with a forced smile, before turning back to Kirin. “So…I’m really sorry, Kirin.”
“Th-there’s no need to apologize, Ayato…!” she responded, shaking her hands vehemently. It was clear enough from her expression, however, that she was disappointed.
I should probably send Seijirou a letter at least, to thank him for the invitation…
“Kirin,” Saya said from her spot beside her, “even though we can’t make it this time, I’m going to visit soon, even if you change your mind and say not to.” She patted her on the shoulder. “So don’t worry.”
“…Even if she doesn’t want you to, Saya?” Claudia said softly, her voice dubious. “But Kirin, do invite us again, as friends. There’s no need for your father to go out of his way to thank us.”
“Huh? B-but it’s thanks to you all that we won the Gryps…”
“You were part of that victory, Kirin. We couldn’t have done it without you,” Julis corrected with a gentle smile as she stroked her friend’s head.
“B-but I wasn’t there, not when you needed me the most, in the final…”
“If that’s how you want to put it, then we should be thanking you. If you hadn’t taken down Hagun Seikun in the semifinal, we would have never even made it to the championship.”
“Th-that’s…!” Kirin’s face reddened. She stared down at the table.
“Ha-ha, but Julis is right.” Ayato grinned. “The Gryps might be over, but we’re still a team, and we’re all still friends. It’s only natural for us to count on one another, right?”
“Y-yes!” Kirin nodded forcefully, her eyes brimming with tears.
And yet—
“Well then, now that Ayato has brought that topic to a wonderful close…I’d like to speak to you all about next year’s individual tournament, where we may end up fighting one another.” With this, Claudia put her hands together with an adorable clap, tilting her head slightly.
“Claudia, you…”
“…You’ve spoiled the mood.”
Julis and Saya narrowed their eyes at her, but Claudia continued to smile, showing no concern whatsoever for their sharp gazes.
“Unfortunately, as student council president, this is a serious matter that I need to confirm. After all, if either Ayato or Julis were to win at the Lindvolus, they would be the first individual since the second Ban’yuu Tenra to achieve a grand slam.”
Gaining consecutive victories in all three Festas in a given season was commonly known as a grand slam, and only one person in all of Asterisk’s history had managed to accomplish that feat. Looking at it objectively, there was no mistaking the potential for one of them to achieve something historic.
“Thanks to everyone’s efforts, our academy already has a huge advantage in overall points. Although I suppose that goes without saying, considering we won both the Phoenix and the Gryps. Even if we lose at the Lindvolus, there’s still a high possibility that we would come out on top as far as points are concerned. However, now that we’ve come this far, I’m quite sure that Galaxy would prefer that we—”
“—go all the way,” Saya finished for her.
Claudia nodded. “Indeed… But so long as the reigning champion is around, I’m afraid that will be rather difficult.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of Orphelia.” Julis’s voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the iron force of will that rang through it.
“I thought you would say that, Julis,” Claudia said with a chuckle. “But even so…”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Ayato said as he met her gaze. “I won’t be participating. I don’t want to get in Julis’s way.”
“Indeed… I thought you would say that.” Claudia’s shoulders slumped.
Julis, meanwhile, seemed to be blushing slightly, her eyes refusing to meet his. “Y-you don’t need to worry about me, or anything, all right? Even if we were to face each other, I’d just take you head-on and beat you to a pulp.”
“Ha-ha… But now that I’ve got a better grasp of Haruka’s situation, I don’t really need to enter it anymore. I don’t have any other wishes that need granting.”
His original reason for taking part in the Festa was to help Julis, to be her strength. Even if through that he had managed to locate his sister and now hoped to finally wake her, he wasn’t about to abandon Julis.
And he would be much freer to support her outside the tournament. Various troubles had reared their heads during both the Phoenix and the Gryps, after all, and there was no guarantee that something similar wouldn’t happen during the Lindvolus.
“You’re as selfless as ever, I see… What about you, Saya?” Claudia asked.
“I’ll be in it,” Saya answered with a short nod. “I’ve got a score to settle.”
That score was no doubt with Camilla Pareto of Allekant…or rather, with her puppets, Ardy and Rimcy. Saya and Camilla’s relationship seemed to have developed into something of a rivalry since the end of the Phoenix.
“But if all you want to do is settle a score, wouldn’t a duel be enough…?” Kirin asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Saya let out a slight sigh, shaking her head. “I agree… But Ardy and Rimcy belong to Ferrovius and Pygmalion, so Camilla Pareto can’t just use them as she pleases.”
“Well, they probably wouldn’t come out of it in one piece if they went against you, right?” Ayato joked.
Camilla’s position at Allekant seemed to be rather secure, but even so, there would almost certainly be consequences for her should either of the two puppets be damaged while using them to settle a private matter.
“It sounds like she’s planning on entering, and this time victory will be mine.” Saya was working herself up, clenching her fists tightly. “So if I’m put against you, Julis, I’m not going to go easy. I’ll knock you out stone cold.”
“Hmph. That’s my line. I’ll roast you along with all your Luxes.”
Claudia watched from the side as the two of the them glared at each other ferociously, before she let out a feigned cough and turned to her next target. “Ahem. Well then, Kirin. What about you?”
“Ah… I—I, I mean… I haven’t decided yet…” Kirin spoke evasively, averting her gaze as if trying to hide.
Kirin tended to look rather timid at first glance. This time, however, Ayato found himself struck by a vague sense of discomfort.
She may well have been rather reserved with regard to pretty much anything that wasn’t related to her mastery of the sword, but she wasn’t the kind of person to be paralyzed by indecision. And yet, right now, she clearly seemed to be of two minds.
“Hmm, I see,” Claudia answered with a light chuckle. “There’s no need to worry about it yet. After all, it isn’t for close to a year. Please, think it over carefully before you make your decision. Although…there’s no denying that, as far as the school is concerned, we would prefer you take a break this time.”
“Huh?”
“…What’s that supposed to mean?” At this, Julis—who, until that very moment, had still been butting heads w
ith Saya—turned her piercing gaze toward Claudia. “This better not have anything to do with anyone getting in the way of me scoring a grand slam. If it does—”
“No, of course not. Kirin has already taken part in two Festas, you see. Taking into account her age, and the fact that she still has plenty of room to grow, it would be a waste to have her use her third and final opportunity now, wouldn’t you say?”
“That’s…” Julis, no doubt realizing there was nothing wrong with Claudia’s reasoning, held her tongue.
No student in Asterisk could participate in the Festa more than three times. That was one of the fundamental rules set out in the Stella Carta. There was no denying it would be regrettable for Kirin to use up all her opportunities while still only a middle school student.
As far as Ayato was concerned, her skill with a sword was already a cut above his own.
It wasn’t hard to believe that, one day soon, she might even surpass Saint Gallardworth Academy’s former student council president Ernest Fairclough.
“Which is why…” All of a sudden, Claudia’s voice became bright and buoyant. “We would like you to consider this.” She opened an air-window, sending it toward Kirin.
Projected in the middle of it was—
“…A katana?”
“No. If you look carefully, it’s got a small core. It’s a Lux… No, wait a second. It’s…”
Julis and Saya, having crowded behind Kirin to get a better look, couldn’t help but murmur their impressions.
“Very good, Saya. You clearly have an eye for these things. Yes, it’s a very intriguing katana-shaped Orga Lux, and with an intriguing name, too. The Fudaraku. It’s written with the characters for lotus and degeneration, but it’s named after the abode of the goddess Kannon.”
“An Orga Lux…!”
Claudia nodded, and the remaining four of them swallowed their breath, taken aback more by the sight of the weapon than the explanation of its name.
“Is this that new Orga Lux you said that Galaxy was developing?”
“My, I didn’t think you would remember, Ayato.”
He remembered her saying something to Kirin along those lines back around the time of the Phoenix.
“Indeed, this is a brand-new item straight from Galaxy. So what do you say, Kirin? Won’t you try it?”
“M-me…?”
“Of course, you would need to take a compatibility test first. While you may be unranked right now, I doubt anyone would complain about giving you priority considering your achievements.”
“Um, I mean…” Once more, Kirin’s expression clouded over.
Kirin…?
There was a clear look of hesitation in her eyes.
Something was bothering her.
“We won’t force you. But with your Senbakiri beyond repair, you’re going to need a replacement, don’t you think?”
Amid the ferocity of their semifinal match in the Gryps, Kirin’s cherished Senbakiri had been shattered. As a result, she had been using a standard blade-type Lux for the past few weeks.
Additionally, Ayato’s Ser Veresta had been destroyed in the championship match.
While his Orga Lux could at least be repaired, restoring it to its previous condition, and, of course, adjusting it to his own requirements, would probably take several months.
For that reason, Ayato was also making do with his spare blade-type Lux.
To make matters worse, even once the Ser Veresta’s repairs were complete, it wasn’t at all certain that it would still allow him to wield it. That possibility was what had Ayato most concerned.
“But what does giving Kirin this Orga Lux have to do with her not participating in the Festa?” Julis asked bluntly.
If the Fudaraku truly was powerful, it would have made more sense from the school’s perspective to give it to someone else if Kirin wasn’t going to take part in the upcoming Festa.
“Well, the Fudaraku’s ability is somewhat…or shall I say, fairly special, you see,” Claudia answered with an impish grin. “However… Well, I can explain everything in detail later. Please, just keep it in mind.”
“…Why? You don’t need to put on airs.” Saya pouted.
Claudia, however, merely glanced at her watch with an elegant flourish. “I’m afraid that we’re out of time.”
At that very moment, the school bell rang out, signaling the end of their midday lunch break.
“Argh, already?” Saya grumbled.
With that, as they each stood up from their seats, Claudia put her hands together giddily and approached Ayato, as if only now remembering something important.
“I’ll be waiting for you at the hotel after class,” she whispered into his ear.
“…Huh?”
When Ayato, who had turned stiff for a moment with a rush of confusion, turned around, Claudia was already making her way toward the exit, her expression as composed as ever.
“W-wait, Claudia…!”
He called after her, only to have his mobile ring with an incoming message.
It contained only two things: a meeting time and a room number at the Hotel Elnath.
The Elnath was Asterisk’s foremost luxury hotel, renowned for the gardens on its top floor, which served as the meeting place of the monthly Rikka Garden Summit, where the student council presidents of Asterisk’s six schools exchanged opinions with and attempted to outmaneuver their counterparts.
Ayato had come alone to a room in that very high-rise building. As he inserted the key card he had been given at reception into the slot by the indicated room, the door swung open without a sound.
Waiting for him amid the darkness was—
“Ayato! It’s been a while!”
“Sylvie…?!”
Sylvia, lounging on the sofa inside, waved to him with a delighted smile.
“Sylvie, what are you doing here…?”
“What am I doing…? You haven’t heard?”
“Ah, not really. A few minutes ago, Claudia told me to come here, so here I am…”
At that moment, Claudia appeared from the back of the room, grasping a glass in one hand and a bottle of some kind of beverage in the other.
“My apologies.” She chuckled. “I only wanted to tell you the bare minimum, for the sake of security.”
“Oh?” Sylvia asked, eyeing him suspiciously. “Then were you expecting to get up to something naughty, Ayato?”
“No!” Ayato hurriedly denied. “I just thought that if Claudia was going to go to these extremes, it had to be something really important!”
“My… Thank you for trusting me.” But Claudia couldn’t keep a faint blush from rising to her cheeks.
“Hmm, I guess Ayato trusts you, Claudia. How lucky for you,” Sylvia ribbed, both physically and metaphorically.
“The same goes for you, too, Sylvie. I trust you as well,” Ayato hastily amended.
“Huh? R-really?” At this admission, Sylvia’s trembling voice was unnaturally high.
Claudia laughed. “It looks like Ayato is quite skilled at taking us by surprise, wouldn’t you say?”
“You got me…” Sylvia murmured, hanging her head.
This time, Claudia rested a hand on her shoulder.
“…Are you always like this, Claudia? You don’t think you’re being unfair?”
“Not at all. I’m sure you’ll forgive me this small pleasure. It must pale in comparison to that of being the world’s favorite diva.”
“Um… So, who are we waiting for?” Ayato asked nervously, interrupting their banter.
Claudia had prepared four glasses. In other words, there was still one more person yet to arrive.
“That would be… Ah, what impeccable timing.”
As Claudia spoke, Ayato—and, of course, Sylvia too—noticed someone else approaching.
“…It looks like everyone’s here.”
The voice belonged to a black-suited figure with long, blonde hair.
The second Ayato laid eyes on that gentle smile, A
yato knew exactly who she was. Her face and mannerisms were too much like Claudia’s.
“How do you do, Ayato Amagiri? And you, Sylvia Lyyneheym? My name is Isabella Enfield.”
Of course.
“It seems my daughter is indebted to you especially, Amagiri.”
“N-no, I just…”
Standing in front of him was the very woman who had put Claudia’s—no, her own daughter’s—life in such jeopardy during the Gryps.
Looking at her now, Ayato could hardly believe her capable of such a thing.
“Now then, we’re pressed for time, so let’s get right to it, shall we? After all, we’ve gone to the trouble of having not only an incredibly busy top IEF executive, but also the world’s most popular idol, give us some of their precious time,” Claudia began as the four of them took their seats at the nearby table.
“So… What’s going on?” Even Ayato could tell this kind of meeting wasn’t a normal occurrence.
Isabella was the CEO of the foundation Galaxy, while Sylvia was the student council president of Queenvale Academy for Young Ladies, whose parent company was W&W. Sylvia was undoubtedly crossing a very dangerous line simply by being here.
“I told you earlier, before the championship match at the Gryps, that there was something I wanted to discuss with you, right?” Sylvia began.
“Sure, but why do we need—”
“Because she’s heavily involved in it.”
“…!”
In other words, this was going to be about—
“Right. We’ve come to talk about Varda and Lamina Mortis… About the Golden Bough Alliance, basically.”
“The Golden Bough Alliance…?”
This was the first time Ayato had heard the name.
“Before we get to that, I probably need to explain some things. Ayato, I’ve already told you part of this… The cost of my wielding the Pan-Dora is that I experience my death countless times over, but as a side effect of that, I’m able to piece together bits of information about the past that I wouldn’t otherwise have access to.”
Ayato stared back at her blankly. “Sorry, what does that have to do with this?” he asked, wishing she would go into a little more depth.
Claudia cupped her chin in her hand, as if deep in thought. “Yes, well… Let’s say that my little darling shows me my possible death ten years from now. There’s a lot that could change in ten years’ time, so that won’t be of much use to me. But there may well be tidbits contained within that dream that relate to now, or even to the past—things that most definitely have happened.”
