The Asterisk War, Vol. 7: Festival Symphony

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The Asterisk War, Vol. 7: Festival Symphony Page 11

by Yuu Miyazaki


  “But this is… These meteorites—it looks like they just popped up around it, out of nowhere…”

  “Indeed…,” Sylvia muttered.

  Xinglou nodded enthusiastically. “You’re all taught that not a single astronomical observatory had predicted the Invertia, no?”

  Even now, the Invertia was still shrouded in mystery, but there was at least a general consensus that it had been fundamentally different from every other recorded meteorite shower.

  “Are you really saying it happened without any warning?”

  “Why don’t I show you how these meteorites look to us?” Xinglou continued, ignoring Sylvia’s question.

  She clicked her fingers, and the hologram began to zoom toward the planet, looking down on the surface from above.

  A gigantic meteorite entered the image, slamming into the Earth’s surface.

  “Wha…?”

  “It can’t be…”

  Neither of them could believe their eyes.

  Inside the meteor, a sparkling multilayered magic circle was unfolding.

  It was on an entirely different scale, but in appearance at least, it looked just like the kind of magic circle that appeared whenever Stregas or Dantes used their abilities.

  And when the circle disappeared, everything that should have laid inside it was gone, as if completely gouged out of the planet’s surface.

  “It appears to have converted the energy from the impact into some sort of technique. It probably converted everything within a certain range.”

  “Converted… But where did it go?”

  “Not even I know that. We call it the other world,” Xinglou said, her mouth twisting into a broad grin. “You must be taught this as well, no? That if it were an ordinary meteorite, the material gouged out from the impact should have been flung into the atmosphere, where it could have been easily observed? It wasn’t. This is why.”

  Ayato couldn’t help but nod. Judging by the scale of those meteorites, the calamity should have left all humanity facing extinction.

  “The Invertia was no natural disaster. It was caused intentionally by someone.”

  “That’s…”

  Anyone who had that kind of power would have to be some kind of god, and Ayato shuddered.

  “Well, that isn’t important. No matter who did it, or why, they don’t have anything to do with us now,” Xinglou said plainly.

  “…Huh?”

  Then why had she told them about it?

  “My point is this. If someone caused the Invertia, there’s no reason to assume that it was particularly unique.”

  “Are you saying it could happen again?”

  “It could. But what I mean is the opposite.”

  Ayato, all at once, understood. If that was the case, then something similar could have happened in the past as well.

  “Of course, nothing to the extent of the Invertia. That surprised us, too. But that wasn’t the first time that mana and manadite have been brought to the Earth. They’ve been here for a long time, just not to the extent that they are now.”

  “…And Genestella, too,” Ayato murmured.

  Xinglou gave him a short nod. “They were given a lot of names. Wizards, witches, sages.”

  “…It sounds too large-scale. It doesn’t make sense,” Sylvia muttered uneasily.

  Xinglou broke into a loud cackle. “You can believe what you like. Even knowing the truth, it won’t change anything for you.”

  Sylvia seemed taken aback at first but soon regained her composure. “You’re right, of course. But what I’m more interested in is why someone a thousand years old would be trying to pass themselves off as a student.”

  Xinglou’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “…Why, you ask?”

  At that moment, an overbearing sense of intimidation swept over them, a kind of power that seemed to be strong enough to tear through skin, smash bones, and crush organs.

  This is just like Commander Lindwall said…

  Helga Lindwall, the commander of the city guard, had once warned Ayato that both Orphelia Landlufen and Xinglou Fan existed on a whole other plane than everyone else at Asterisk. Now that he had encountered both of them, it was clear she hadn’t been exaggerating.

  “Isn’t it obvious? What I want is to fight strong opponents.” Xinglou smiled joyfully. “This world is wonderful, overflowing with promising young material. But unless that material is properly cultivated, there’s no use at all in its existence. So I volunteer my services to teach them how I can.”

  “So you tend to the livestock so that you can have your fill, is that it?” Sylvia demanded, squaring off against her. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead.

  Ayato couldn’t help but be impressed by her courage in the face of that overpowering aura.

  “Ah-ha, very good, Miss Diva.” Xinglou laughed with unbridled amusement. “I don’t normally like eating before a meal…but when it smells so good, I can only endure so much.” There was a threatening glint lurking deep in her eyes.

  But at that moment—

  “Master, the preparations for the airship are complete… Wh-what are you doing?!”

  A panicked voice rang throughout the hall from its entrance.

  The overpowering sensation that had been flowing over them disappeared without a trace.

  “Ah, Hufeng. It’s a good thing you’re here. I was about to lose my patience.”

  “Please, master, leave your personal quarrels for after the fair. If something were to happen, even you wouldn’t escape the consequences.”

  “I understand. My apologies, Miss Diva. It looks like I went a little too far.”

  “Not at all. I knew you weren’t being serious.”

  The two of them exchanged amused smiles.

  “…Master, who are our guests…?” The boy, whom Ayato had at first mistaken for a girl, was staring at the two of them with a perplexed expression.

  Huh…? Isn’t he Jie Long’s—?

  “Seidoukan’s and Queenvale’s number one fighters,” Xinglou said. “If I’m not mistaken.”

  “What…?” The boy’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

  Ayato and Sylvia glanced at each other, before removing their disguises.

  The boy continued to stare at them for a short moment, until shocked recognition spread across his face.

  “Whaaaaaat?! Wh-wh-wh-wh-what are you doing here, Sylvia?!”

  “Ah yes. Ayato Amagiri, you were going to the Gran Colosseo, weren’t you?” asked Xinglou, completely ignoring the boy. “We were just about to go there ourselves. Why don’t you come with us?” Without even waiting for a response, she grabbed him by the hand and began to drag him along.

  “W-wait…!”

  “Don’t go deciding things all on your own!” Sylvia ran after them. “Ayato is still on a date with me!”

  Xinglou, however, paid her no attention. “Hurry up, Hufeng,” she called after the boy. “How long do you plan to stand there?”

  “…Ah! O-of course!” he exclaimed as he regained his senses and took off after them. “Forgive me!”

  “It’s time for the main event.” Xinglou laughed joyfully as she continued to pull Ayato through the corridor. “Let’s hope that they found some good material.”

  CHAPTER 6

  THE GRAN COLOSSEO

  Airships weren’t an uncommon means of transportation in Asterisk. Having been miniaturized from their traditional counterparts thanks to the science of meteoric engineering, they could take off and land from any open space the size of a heliport.

  They were, however, mainly targeted to tourists and were seldom used by students. The only exceptions were probably the members of the various student councils when they wanted to avoid the usual traffic congestion on their way to the central district.

  Such as right now.

  “Ah, sorry for not introducing myself sooner… I-I’m Hufeng Zhao. I’m Jie Long’s student council secretary.”

  “You’re the Peerless Thorn, the Tenka
Musou, right?” Sylvia asked. “I’ve heard about you, too, of course. And you came to one of my concerts, didn’t you?”

  “Huh? H-how do you…?”

  Sylvia smiled. “I try to look at the face of every person who attends my concerts. Of course, I can’t remember everyone, though.”

  The boy—Hufeng—blushed. “I-I’m honored!”

  Ayato had heard of Hufeng Zhao as well. He was currently ranked number seven at Jie Long and had been a runner-up in the Phoenix four years ago. At the moment, however, he looked just like any other of Sylvia’s fans.

  “My apologies. He does love Miss Diva.” Xinglou, sitting directly across from Ayato, laughed.

  The airship, decorated with a painted dragon, seemed quite small from the outside, but it was surprisingly spacious. It could probably hold a maximum of ten passengers. The interior was decorated in an oriental design like one would expect from Jie Long but also fitted with large viewing windows along the sides, so that they could overlook the city below.

  “By the way, um…”

  “Call me Xinglou. You aren’t my student, so there’s no need for formalities.”

  “Okay, Xinglou. Are you taking part in this event, too?”

  “No. I’ve only been involved in the management. Hufeng will take part in my stead.”

  Hufeng, who until now had been in high spirits, knit his brows. “I didn’t want to, but my master insisted…”

  Unlike Xinglou, Hufeng seemed to be quite earnest, so he probably always had something to worry about thanks to her.

  “But it should be a good opportunity to observe the Murakumo up close and personally, so if I do have to participate, I’ll make the most of it,” he said, staring at Ayato defiantly.

  His eyes glowed with the distinctive passion of a trained warrior.

  “There was also a last-minute addition, a special guest.”

  “A special guest?”

  “Pendragon.”

  “Pendragon…?” Ayato startled. “From Gallardworth…?”

  Xinglou nodded. “There isn’t anyone here in Rikka who can match him in swordsmanship. Then again, if that young lady from Seidoukan were a little older, who knows how it would turn out?”

  “Oh, so Ernest will be making an appearance, too…” Sylvia trailed off, as if lost in thought. “Xinglou, is registration still open?”

  “Huh…? Sylvie?”

  “S-Sylvia?!”

  Ayato’s and Hufeng’s faces both blanched at the unexpected question.

  Xinglou, however, leaned forward, letting out a burst of laughter. “Aren’t you the eager one, Miss Diva.”

  “This is a rare opportunity, after all.”

  “Good, good. I’m afraid it’s closed already, but leave it to me. I’ll ensure that a spot will open. Although I doubt that anyone would be foolish enough to try to stop Sylvia Lyyneheym from joining in on the fun.”

  Xinglou beamed, taking out her mobile device.

  “Ladies and gentlemen!” Eishirou’s voice echoed through the Sirius Dome to a tremendous roar of excited cheers that rivaled even the Festa. “Thank you all for waiting! I hope that you’ve all been enjoying the school fair. To those of you who think you’ve had enough, and to those of you who still want more, I guarantee you that today’s event will be the highlight of these past three days! It’s finally time to open the Gran Colosseo!”

  The participants were already gathered on the stage.

  No sooner had the airship landed than Ayato, Sylvia, and Hufeng were each handed a Lux and shown to the stage with the other participants.

  There were thirty-one of them in total. Nobody, it seemed, had been told what would happen next.

  “This is Eishirou Yabuki, of Seidoukan Academy’s newspaper club, covering this joint event from three of our great schools. Welcome!” Eishirou, standing in the commentary box, announced in high spirits.

  He seemed to have quite a talent for live commentary, Ayato thought, considering that it wasn’t his usual line of work.

  “Yo, Amagiri,” came a familiar voice from behind his shoulder. “You still sporting that dumb look, huh? Not what I was expecting from the champion of the Phoenix.”

  “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Irene? You look as energetic as ever.”

  “Yeah, you think so? Thanks to you, the Gravisheath’s a piece of junk. I’m down to eighteen in the rankings now.”

  She might have been feigning anger, but the fact that she could maintain even that position without the Gravisheath was no doubt thanks to her great physical abilities. Having fought against her himself, Ayato knew that her idiosyncratic fighting style was in no way inferior to those of the people ranked higher than her at Jie Long.

  “Right, I heard that you came to visit us this afternoon. That you brought a woman with you. You’re quite something, huh?” she added with a smirk.

  “Ah, that’s…”

  Priscilla must have told her.

  But in that case, how could he explain himself?

  “Each and every contender in today’s Gran Colosseo was strictly screened from the ranked lists of each academy! Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce our esteemed guests! Let’s start with the name most fresh in your minds, the champion of the Phoenix, Seidoukan Academy’s top-ranked fighter, heir to an ancient school of swordsmanship, the Murakumo, Ayato Amagiri!”

  And with that, the spotlights all swung toward him, forcing him to narrow his eyes to see through the glare.

  At the exact same moment, a wave of cheers erupted all around him, the crowd’s passion washing over him.

  “Next up is Gallardworth’s very own Pendragon! The man who led the Silverwinged Knights to victory in the last two Gryps, Gallardworth’s top-ranked fighter, a knight among knights with whom the Runesword fell in love at first sight, Ernest Fairclough!”

  The spotlights turned to Ayato’s right, illuminating a handsome young man in a Gallardworth uniform with his hand raised lightly to the crowd.

  That was all it took for a burst of high-pitched squeals to descend upon the stage.

  He was clearly popular with women, Ayato mused.

  “And now, next on our list, an unexpectedly late entry into the competition, our peerless songstress, the world’s top idol, Queenvale’s top-ranked fighter and runner-up at the Lindvolus, the woman with the most enchanting voice in the world, our Sigrdrífa, Sylvia Lyyneheym!”

  This time, the spotlights moved to the left, and an explosion of cheers completely surpassing those given for Ayato and Ernest flooded the Sirius Dome.

  Or rather than cheers, Ayato thought, they were more like wild screams.

  “A-amazing…”

  “What were you expecting? She is the world’s most famous singer,” Irene sputtered, her expression showing a complete lack of interest in her. “I’m more interested in him,” she continued, glancing toward Hufeng, who was doing some warm-up exercises by the wall. “I thought of going back to hand-to-hand combat, you know? But Jie Long’s fighting styles are far too logical. Like, in the way they use their prana. And he’s one of the best at that.”

  “Oh? So you’ve seen him fight in person?”

  The flow of a person’s mana and prana was all but impossible to sense just by watching a recording.

  Ayato had seen videos of Hufeng’s matches, and the impression that he had received was that his speed was completely out of the ordinary.

  In fact, he might have been faster than anyone he had ever seen before.

  “Well, duh… Looks like we’re finally up to the explanation.”

  “With that out of the way, the Gran Colosseo has so far been described only as a field simulation battle, so allow me to explain the rules! I’m sure that our contestants are dying to know as well!”

  The Sirius Dome seemed to be at maximum capacity despite the vague publicity. Perhaps, Ayato mused, fanning the flames of people’s curiosity had worked in the event’s favor.

  Events that took place in the Sirius Dome had to be appr
oved by Asterisk’s City Council. That required a considerable amount of funding, so if there were any question about the plans, there was no way it would have gotten to this point.

  Moreover, the fact that it was taking place in the Sirius Dome on the last day of the school fair would no doubt be seen by many visitors as proof of its worth.

  “First of all, the Gran Colosseo is organized into three parts. Contenders who satisfy the conditions of each phase will proceed into the next one. Those who fail will be disqualified.”

  “Satisfy the conditions, huh…? It almost sounds like a game.”

  “Seriously, you’re too naive. They’re saying this whole thing was organized by Ferrovius’s vice-chair.”

  Ferrovius was the largest of Allekant’s many warring factions, headed by Camilla Pareto.

  “They’re apparently in the middle of a dispute over Pareto’s successor or something. This whole thing seems to be designed for them all to show off their research.”

  There was no arguing that it was hard to believe that they had gone to this much effort for the sake of pure entertainment.

  “Well, that’s enough friendly chat. Let’s do our best, yeah?” Irene said, departing with a wave.

  A huge air-window opened above the stage listing all the conditions described by Eishirou.

  “And most importantly, the Gran Colosseo is not a battle royal! Fighting between participants is expressly forbidden, so anyone who intentionally attacks another contender will be automatically disqualified. Furthermore, in the pursuit of fairness, all contestants can use only the Luxes prepared for them by the organizers.”

  “So that’s what this is for,” Ayato thought aloud, glancing at the blade-type Lux that he had been given.

  That meant that he couldn’t use the Ser Veresta. It made sense, though: No matter what the conditions were, there was no arguing that the other contestants would be at a disadvantage if he used it.

  “It’s also expressly forbidden for Stregas and Dantes to use their abilities—although there’s only one person to whom that should apply.”

  That person, of course, would be Sylvia.

  It sounded like the organizers wanted the tournament to be about physical ability and technique only.

 

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