by Yuu Miyazaki
“…if he did that, Ayato wouldn’t be able to use the Ser Veresta ever again.” Julis finished Claudia’s sentence, looking repulsed by these tactics.
“Oh? But…”
As Kirin tilted her head in confusion, Ayato held out the Ser Veresta activator. “If I did something like that, it would never forgive me.”
“Ah…” Finally understanding, Kirin lowered her head in frustration.
Right. It was impossible to imagine that this recalcitrant Orga Lux would take such treatment lying down. Ayato didn’t know how aware the Ser Veresta was of its surroundings, but based on past experience, he had no hopes that it might graciously take their predicament into consideration. The sword would never let him touch it again, let alone draw on its powers.
But, still…
“Claudia, what specifically do I have to do to apply for the freeze?”
If that was all it took to save Flora, there was no reason to hesitate. Ayato felt guilty toward the weapon, but with a life on the line, the choice was perfectly clear.
“Are you sure, Ayato?” Claudia said, looking pained.
Of course, losing the Ser Veresta at this point in the Phoenix would deal a serious blow to their chances. As a friend, Claudia might not want to press the issue, but she also had her responsibilities as Seidoukan’s student council president.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“I’m sorry, Ayato…” Julis stared at the floor, frustration and guilt plain on her face.
“It’s okay, Julis. She’s family to you, and that comes first,” Ayato told her gently, putting a hand on her shoulder.
“But…even if you do it, we don’t know that they’ll actually release Flora,” mumbled Saya, breaking her silence.
The thought must have crossed the minds of everyone in the room, though they’d refrained from saying it aloud.
“Still, if we don’t agree to their demands, Flora will—”
“That’s not what I’m suggesting. I’m only saying we have other options.”
“Options…?”
“We rescue Flora. Problem solved.”
“Wha…?” Julis began, falling speechless.
But on hearing the idea, Claudia began seriously considering it. “I see. That is a possibility.”
“The kidnapper told us not to involve the city guard or the covert ops,” Saya continued. “They didn’t mention any other restrictions. Then that means finding and rescuing her on our own is okay.”
“Do you expect these criminals to buy your twisted logic?” Julis demanded.
“No, it might not be as insane as you think. It doesn’t matter whether the kidnappers would be persuaded by the logic; all we need is for them not to find out.” Claudia paused, then turned to look over everyone in the room. “I have a proposal. Of course, it’s up to you to decide whether you wish to go along with it…” Her gaze rested squarely on Julis.
“Fine. Let’s hear it.”
“In that case—first, I was never here. I know nothing of this. And I will disappear for a while. I will think of an excuse later, but I’ll be incommunicado.”
“Huh?”
As the group gave her a collective blank stare, Claudia went on, “Ayato, you will apply for the emergency freeze procedure. This request requires the approval of the student council president—which is to say, my approval. That buys us time until I return.”
“I see. By applying, I will have agreed to their demands…”
The delay would be at the student council level, and the kidnappers could hardly place the blame with Ayato.
“In the meantime, you find out where the kidnappers are and rescue Flora. But I can’t miss the presentation of awards for the Festa. That means we can only stall until tomorrow’s closing ceremony. The emergency freeze does not require any discussion to be implemented, so you should assume that the application will be accepted as soon as the closing ceremony is over.”
The award and closing ceremonies were scheduled for after the championship. The championship would start at noon, so even if it was a drawn-out match…
“I would say you have roughly twenty-four hours,” Claudia added.
“That’s an impossible task,” Julis said.
Asterisk was larger than it sometimes felt. To determine the location of the kidnapper in a mere twenty-four hours would be impossible without the help of the city guard.
“I don’t think it is,” Claudia said. “Searching all of Asterisk would be difficult, but in this case, we can narrow it down. I think you already have a good guess, Julis.”
“The redevelopment area!” Julis looked at her with a gasp.
“H-how do you know?” Kirin asked.
“There’s only one person who would do something this brazen. Plus, the real target is Ayato and the Ser Veresta. This means the mastermind is almost certainly Dirk Eberwein. For whatever reason, he’s had Ayato and the Ser Veresta in his sights for a while now.”
“The Tyrant…” Even Kirin had heard of him. “The Devious King.”
“Of course, if he’s directly involved, he’ll make sure there’s no evidence leading back to him. We shouldn’t hope to find any. But if he’s gone this far, he’s likely to be working with Le Wolfe’s intelligence—the Grimalkin. So, the place we’d most likely find Flora is in their territory, which is the redevelopment area. Besides, that’s the only area where they could play rough and not draw attention to themselves.” Claudia summed up their plan of action. “So, in short—while we pretend to have accepted their demands, we find the kidnappers and rescue Flora within twenty-four hours. That is my proposal. What do you think?”
“…”
Julis was silent for a while, but then she turned to her partner, placing the final decision in his hands. “What do you think, Ayato?”
“I think…it’s not a bad plan. I can deal with giving up the Ser Veresta, but Saya is right that it wouldn’t guarantee Flora’s freedom. We should try everything we can.”
“I see…” Julis fell silent again, closing her eyes as if to calm herself—until she abruptly opened them again. “Very well. Let’s do it.”
The group nodded firmly in unison.
“But Ayato,” Saya said, “you and Riessfeld should get ready for your semifinal match.”
“I agree,” Claudia added. “The kidnappers insisted that you not forfeit the Festa, so you should concentrate on the match.”
“Easier said than done. How can I concentrate?” Agitation was written all over Julis’s face. “If I had my way, I’d forget all about the Festa and go search for Flora right now.”
“Oh? But wouldn’t that mean giving up on your wish, Julis?” Claudia said.
“I don’t care. If I have to sacrifice the very thing I’m trying to protect, there’s no point.” Julis stated decisively, but then she quickly turned to Ayato, guiltily lowering her eyes. “Um… I’m sorry. I said that thinking only of myself, but we’re a team. I’ll honor your decision, too.”
“You don’t need to worry about that, Julis. I feel the same way.”
Ayato had just decided to pursue finding his sister, but there were other Festa tournaments. There was nothing to consider.
Seeing this exchange between Ayato and Julis, Claudia gave them a weak smile. “Really, you two—you’ll need more ambition than that to make your wishes come true in this city. Especially you, Julis. You’re too afraid of loss.”
“What do you expect? I don’t want to go through that ever again,” Julis muttered in reply.
Claudia continued to speak like a mother lecturing a child. “You will save Flora, and you will win the Phoenix. That’s the spirit you should have. I’m speaking not as your student council president, but as a friend.”
“Claudia…” Julis stared back at her in surprise. Then she let out a sigh. “Fine. If that option exists, I have to take it. I couldn’t bear to let some criminal’s plan go off without a hitch.”
With that, she slammed her fist into her palm. She seemed to b
e back to her usual self.
“But—why did the kidnappers insist on us not forfeiting the Festa?” Ayato voiced the question that popped into his head.
This seemed like an unnecessary condition, if Dirk Eberwein was simply aiming to put the Ser Veresta out of commission.
“I’m only speculating, but it must be to confirm that you carried out the demand,” Claudia said. “If you don’t use the Ser Veresta in a match, that would be proof that you agreed to the conditions. Whether or not the application for the emergency freeze is accepted would be up to Seidoukan’s internal bureaucracy. It would take even Grimalkin some time to follow up on that.”
“I see…”
“But this also gives us the leeway to trick them. Usually, the Orga Lux in question is collected by the Materiel Department at the time of the application. I’ll arrange it so that you can hold on to the activator in secret—and then you can use the Ser Veresta as soon as Flora is safely rescued.” Claudia entered some commands in her mobile device. “I just sent you the electronic application for the emergency freeze. And some data that you might find useful.”
Ayato checked his mobile to find an assortment of documents in his inbox.
“I do apologize, but that’s all I can do for you. Please refrain from contacting me until Flora is safe again.”
“You’ve done more than enough to help. Er—thank you, Claudia.” As Julis extended her words of gratitude, Claudia responded with a gentle smile.
“Well, let’s get started. The clock is ticking.”
“Right.”
Saya and Kirin exchanged glances and stood.
“Oh, you may want to wear a simple disguise when entering the redevelopment area,” Claudia added, suddenly remembering. “I’m told Grimalkin is a small organization, so I doubt they’ll have a large team for surveillance. But you can never be too careful. If you’re not immediately recognizable, it should be all right. A hat or something would be enough, I’d think.”
“Got it,” Saya replied.
As the two girls turned to leave the prep room, this time, Julis hesitated briefly and then called out. “Wait. I’m glad for your help. But you—”
“Julis.” Saya cut her off, using her first name. “It’s only natural to help a friend in need. Don’t worry about it.”
“I feel the same way,” Kirin said.
Julis’s eyes widened, but then she gave an awkward smile and a firm nod. “Yes—of course. Saya, Kirin—we’re counting on you.”
They had to be ready to collapse after such an exhausting battle. Even so, Saya answered with a clear smile. “…Mm-hmm. We’ve got this.”
CHAPTER 3
THE SEMIFINALS: MATCH TWO
“…Nngh…ah…”
Flora woke with a groan, and the first thing she saw was her own shadow under the lamplight.
Dazed, she looked up to see several dim lights hanging from the ceiling. She was indoors, in a large room. The floor and walls were damaged to reveal the layers underneath, but the building itself didn’t appear very old.
“Don’t make a fuss.”
The voice was dark and cold, as if echoing up from the depths of the earth. Fear took hold of Flora like a block of ice on her back.
It was an inorganic, chilly voice. She’d never heard anything like it before. As she reflexively shrank from it, she realized for the first time that her hands and feet were bound. Her mouth was gagged, and she was seated with her back against the wall.
She raised her head to see a tall man standing not far from her, in the shadow of a pillar.
Tight, pitch-black cloth covered his entire body, including his head—all except for the eyes. At first glance, he seemed emaciated and unarmed, but he held himself with an eerie stillness that revealed nothing at all.
“Sit still and be quiet,” he said simply. But he didn’t need to say more; the intimidating quality of his words brooked no argument.
Unable to do anything else, Flora quickly set to diagnosing her situation.
Hmm, I was watching the semifinal of the Phoenix tournament when someone called to me…
Her memory ended there, but she thought the man in black before her had the same voice. Did that mean he’d flagrantly kidnapped her from that crowded place?
The crime seemed too bold to succeed, but, upon reflection, Flora had to wonder how many people in that overexcited atmosphere would pay any mind to those around them.
In any case, I’ve been kidnapped—that’s obvious.
Because of her upbringing, Flora was used to dealing with situations that skirted the law, as well as those who made their living outside it. But this was the first time she’d been kidnapped. And yet she found herself calm, probably thanks to her fearless character.
There would be no ransom to be had by kidnapping a child from a poor orphanage. So this couldn’t be about money.
It was possible that he was after Flora herself—but that also seemed unlikely, judging by his indifference so far.
She couldn’t have been chosen randomly. Flora was a child, but she was also a Genestella. If the kidnapper needed just any child, he hardly needed to choose such a high-risk target.
Then does this have something to do with Her Highness…?
If Flora herself was not the objective, then the other possibility was her connections. He had kidnapped her to demand something of Julis—that seemed the most plausible explanation.
Once she had reached this conclusion, she stole a glance at the man. If she was right, then she couldn’t very well just sit there. She hadn’t come all this way to be a burden on Julis.
Maybe I could escape when he isn’t paying attention, or at least contact Her Highness somehow…
Flora tried to move without letting him notice, and— “Hmmf?!”
She felt her head being grabbed from behind and powerfully shoved against the floor. At the same time, a cold, sharp something pressed into her neck.
“I thought I told you to sit still.”
But the man had not taken a single step from his place in the shade of the pillar. An accomplice…?
That couldn’t be. Flora had been sitting up with her back directly against the wall.
It was then that she noticed the pulse of mana.
He’s a Dante…!
“That was your last warning.” As he spoke, the thing that had been pressing Flora down vanished.
Lying on the floor, Flora sighed in relief.
She hated to admit it, but this was not an opponent she could outsmart. Apparently, she had no choice but to do as he said.
For now, at least.
“And finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for! There are only two matches left in this Phoenix tournament—the upcoming second semifinal, and tomorrow’s championship! Who will emerge victorious from this match to compete against Allekant? Will it be Seidoukan, or Gallardworth?!”
As Yanase’s exhilarated announcer voice washed over them, Julis strode to the center of the stage, looking disheartened. “Finally, it’s time for our match.”
“That felt like forever…”
After Saya and Kirin had left, Ayato and Julis had simply waited in their prep room. But, admittedly, it felt less like waiting and more like slow torture from worry and restlessness.
“I thought I was more or less used to feeling weak and helpless… But this time, it’s different.” Julis laughed hollowly.
“Well, let’s trust Saya and Kirin to take care of it and focus on our match,” offered Ayato.
“Right. I know.” Julis shook her head as if to shake off her apprehension, then turned her eyes on the pair who had emerged from the opposite gate.
They were two young men in St. Gallardworth uniforms—though actually, one was still a boy. He seemed to be the same age as Kirin, perhaps a bit older, with fluffy blond hair and lingering childish innocence in his charming face.
Elliot Forster, Gallardworth’s twelfth-ranked fighter, was a young prodigy known by the alias Claíomh Solais,
the Shining Sword. Because dueling was strictly regulated in Gallardworth, people said it was harder to climb in rank there compared to other schools. It was highly unusual for a middle school student to become a Page One in that environment.
Standing beside him was a broad-shouldered youth with a shaved head—Doroteo Lemus, alias Brightwen, the Armored Mage. He was ranked eleventh. In stark contrast to Elliot, he had the look of a battle-hardened veteran, and he was more than twenty years old. This was his third Festa tournament.
Ayato had skimmed their data, but now that he faced them in person, he could sense their strength. These were formidable opponents.
“I’d like to finish up the match quickly and go look for Flora, but against two knights of Gallardworth, that’s easier said than done. We won’t beat them if our minds are elsewhere.” Julis glanced at Ayato and shifted her shoulders. “And on top of that, you can’t use the Ser Veresta.”
“Well, I’ll deal somehow,” Ayato muttered as he activated a sword.
“Your optimism’s encouraging, at least,” Julis said drily. “You take Elliot Forster, then. I’ll handle Doroteo Lemus.”
“Got it,” he nodded.
She faced their opponents again. “If the ones who kidnapped Flora are watching…they’ll see. We’ll show them our real strength.”
“Phoenix Semifinal, Match Two— Begin!”
As the school crest system declared the start of the match, Ayato immediately released his seal.
Before, he’d used the image of breaking free from binding chains—but no longer. All he had to do now was mentally insert a key into the lock that held the chains. And then he would overflow with power.
“Burst into bloom—Amaryllis!” The mana around Julis condensed at once, creating a maelstrom of heat.
The giant fireball roared from her hand toward Doroteo…and landed a direct hit. A searing, six-petaled flower blossomed into a fiery explosion.
But—
“Ha-ha! That’s some greeting, Glühen Rose.”