Chapter 7: The Time of Beginning
September.
Through
the ruined streets of the redevelopment zone, lit by the glow of dusk, a group
of bright, cheerful girls walks along, their presence seeming utterly out of
place against the desolate scenery.
“Mmm,
today was pretty close, wasn’t it?”
“Totally,
totally. I feel like I almost scored a clean hit too!”
“Yes,
but it seems that Xinglu-san is still far from fighting seriously...”
“Honestly,
if she really did go all out, there’s no way we’d be standing here in one piece
like this, you know?”
“Quite
so. Still, it’s true that we felt some progress.”
“Maybe
since we got through summer? I don’t know how to put it exactly, but it’s like...
things are starting to click! Huh, what’s that...?”
As
she spoke, the girl walking at the front, gesturing animatedly with her hands, suddenly
stopped.
“P-Please,
stop. ..!”
Just
as they are about to leave the redevelopment zone, they see two women being
harassed by several men. Judging from the fact that the women are not wearing
school emblems, they are likely unlucky tourists who wandered in by mistake.
They do not appear to be Genestella either.
The
men, on the other hand, wear the Rewolf school crest on their chests. Their
appearances are rather intimidating as well.
“Like
I said, this area’s dangerous, so we’re just offering to walk you out, see?”
“Yeah,
yeah. Just good old kindness.”
“Hey,
no need to thank us, alright? Though if you really insist, well, we wouldn’t
say no either.”
“Eek...”
The
two women seem too frightened to even scream, clinging to each other as they
tremble.
“So,
that’s how it is. If you don’t have any objections, we’ll start with...”
One
of the men slowly reaches out his hand, a lewd grin spreading across his face.
And
then.
*
* *
“...Stop
it.”
As
Minato stepped in and brushed the man’s hand aside, he froze for a moment with
a stunned expression, but quickly recovered, glaring back at her with sharp,
intimidating eyes.
Minato’s
body was visibly covered in injuries. A bandage was stuck across the bridge of
her nose, and her arms and legs were wrapped in gauze. All of them were wounds
she had suffered either today or sometime last week. Besides those, traces of
fresh cuts still remained here and there.
“Huh?
And who the hell are you...? Stay out of this.”
“Hah,
what’s a little miss from Queenvail think she’s doing?”
“I
can’t do that. I can’t just ignore people who are in trouble.”
There
were five men, and it was immediately clear that each of them had a decent
amount of skill. They didn’t look like mere street thugs. The old Minato would
have struggled to face even one of them alone.
But.
“Now’s
your chance, hurry...!”
“Y-Yes...!”
Urged
on by Minato’s voice, the women hurriedly fled, their steps unsteady but
desperate as they ran.
“Hey,
wait...”
Just
as the men tried to chase after them, Sophia and Nina moved to block their
path, holding them back. Faced with the two girls’ silent stares, the men
recoiled a step, as if cowed by the pressure.
“Honestly...
you really do have a talent for sticking your nose into trouble,”
“But
that’s also one of Minato-san’s good qualities.”
Chloe
and Yuzuhi said as they arrived from behind, one wearing a scowl, the other a
smile, perfectly contrasting expressions.
“Ahaha...
sorry.”
Minato
gave a wry smile and scratched her cheek.
Team
Kaguya, all of them, bore small cuts and countless scars across their bodies
like Minato. In a way, those marks were proof that they had undergone
relentless training over the past half year.
“But
I won’t cause trouble for everyone, this is fine with just me alone.”
As
Minato said this, clenching her fist, the expressions on the men’s faces
changed.
Though
their faces flushed with anger, their eyes retained a starkly opposite calm.
They
were the eyes of people who had undergone a certain amount of training, ones
who did not let themselves be swept away by emotion.
“...Hey.
Don’t underestimate us.”
“You
think you can take all of us on by yourself?”
“Sorry,
but after this, we can’t just let you walk away so easily...!”
The
men drew out their Lux and took their stances.
Minato,
on the other hand, remained barehanded, shifting only slightly into a
half-facing posture.
The
air was on the brink of explosion, yet Minato remained calm.
She
slowly steadied her breathing, and then, as the men crept closer, they lunged
at her all at once. There was no real coordination to speak of, but their
attacks were reasonably fast and reasonably accurate.
Still,
compared to Xinglu’s, they might as well have been standing still.
Minato
rotated her body lightly, slipping between the men as smoothly as flowing
water.
Neither
the blades nor the light rounds of their Luxes even grazed her.
To
the men, it probably felt as though nothing more than a sudden gust of wind had
swept past.
“What...!?”
As
they hastily turned around, Minato thrust out her right hand.
Clutched
there were five Rewolf school emblems.
The
men gasped and checked their own chests, but of course, the emblems were no
longer there.
“W-When
did she...?”
“D-Damn
it!”
Even
so, just as the men raised their weapons again...
“!”
Suddenly,
a loud gunshot echoed through the ruins.
It
wasn’t the sound of their Luxes. It was something else.
Reflexively,
Minato looked up, and there, atop the ruins, stood a large man shouldering a
massive hunting-rifle-type Lux, looking down at them. He wore a tattered
cassock coat, his long hair fluttering in the wind, and on his chest was the
Rewolf school emblem.
“Hah!
Cut it out, cut it out! You’ve lost!”
“O-Oh,
boss!? You’ve got to be kidding...”
At
his words, the men immediately let out pathetic cries and lowered their
weapons.
Then
the big man leapt down from the ruins and fixed Minato with a sharp glare.
It
was obvious at a glance. He was on a completely different level from the
others, a truly seasoned fighter.
At
the same time, Sophia and Nina stepped forward protectively in front of Minato.
Though
Minato’s close-combat skills had improved, her weakness against long-range
attacks still remained.
“You’re
pretty good, kid. These guys are low-level grunts, but even so, they’ve got
enough strength to have made it onto the list once or twice.”
At
the big man’s words, the men glared at Minato with frustrated eyes.
“Well,
what they were doing was just one way of making a living, and I’ve got no intention
of apologizing for that. But you won fair and square, kid. Our rules are
simple, might makes right. We’ll back off quietly here, so how about we call it
even?”
“Huh...?”
Spoken
with such blunt frankness, and without the slightest hint of remorse, Minato
could only stare back at the big man in stunned silence.
“...You’re
the Hackelberg, aren’t you? Of Wild Hunt.”
Chloe’s
voice came from behind.
“Wild
Hunt?”
“One
of the mafia groups that have made part of the redevelopment zone their base.
They’re made up of current Rewolf students, and their leader is the one ranked
6th, the Hunting Lord.”
“Ranked
6th!?”
It
was said that the ranking battles at Rewolf Black Institute were the fiercest
among the six academies.
If
he was sixth in that hierarchy, then there was no doubt he was a formidable
fighter.
“Heh,
that’s flattering. Didn’t expect a young lady like you to know who I am.”
The
Hunting Lord bared his teeth
in a grin and gave an exaggerated shrug.
“I’d
love to stick around and chat a bit more, but, unfortunately, I’m in a bit of a
hurry today.”
“...!”
Immediately
after, new figures emerged from the shadows of the surrounding ruins. Not just
one or two, dozens, perhaps even more.
At
some point, they had been completely surrounded.
“Wild
Hunt has just under a hundred members. They’re known as a combat-oriented
group, but in terms of scale, they’re more middle-tier.”
“C-Chloe-san,
this is not the time to be calmly explaining things!”
“Facing
this many opponents is a bit much, even for us...”
Yuzuhi
let out a troubled smile as she drew her Lux.
The
reputation of being combat-oriented seemed genuine, every one of them looked
like a capable fighter. Especially the four who stepped forward as if to shield
the Hunting Lord, they were exceedingly strong.
“Hey,
hey, don’t get the wrong idea. I told you I was in a hurry, didn’t I?”
With
that, the Hunting Lord laughed and turned smartly on his heel.
“Seems
some of my guys got into a scuffle with some newcomers over at the academy.
It’s turned into a bit of a commotion. I’ve gotta go settle that.”
As
the Hunting Lord walked away, the shadowy figures followed him, disappearing
one after another.
“Well
then, if fate wills it, we might meet again.”
Without
looking back, the Hunting Lord raised
one hand and said so.
“Come
to think of it, there were rumors that the Hunting Lord might be entering next month’s Gryps Festival.”
“S-So
that’s how it is... Rewolf doesn’t really have a strong image when it comes to
team battles, though...”
“Still,
if he can command a group of that size, he’ll surely be a dangerous opponent.”
Sophia
said as she glanced at Minato. But Minato herself seemed uninterested in both
those words and the Hunting Lord, simply gazing up at the sky as it began to
sink into the evening gloom, the moon floating there above.
“I
see... so it’s already next month.”
At
Minato’s murmured words, the members of Team Kaguya all tightened their
expressions.
“Yes.
At last.”
Chloe
nodded as she said it, and Minato clenched her fist tightly.
*
* *
“Mercenary
students, you say?”
While
striding briskly down the dim corridor extending from the central building, Dirk
Eberwein, the student council president of Rewolf Black Institute, answered the
secretary who had only now asked such a question with an exaggerated click of
his tongue.
“Tch!
You useless bitch, if you’re a secretary, at least remember that much.”
“Hiik,
s-sorry!”
The
secretary hurrying along behind him, Kashimaru Korona, apologized in a pitiful
voice, but Dirk ignored her and pressed on.
“...Mercenary
students are a system meant to allow outsiders to participate in the Star
Martial Arts Festival. There are plenty of restrictions, and the points the
academy can earn get reduced, but still.”
“I-I
see... and those mercenary students are the ones causing trouble?”
“Damn
it, that bastard Liberio just had to send over a bunch of troublesome
types...!”
In
the first place, the request to prepare mercenary students for the Gryps
Festival to be held next month had come from Solnage, the Integrated Enterprise
Foundation that operated Rewolf. Given Rewolf’s school culture as a den of
individualists, it was notoriously weak in team-based competitions like the Gryps
Festival. The academy had made use of the mercenary student system many times
before, so there was nothing unusual about that in itself. Even dumping the
selection of those mercenary students entirely on Dirk was, well, tolerable.
What
turned out to be a mistake was contacting an old acquaintance in a PMC from
long ago for that purpose. The man who headed it had enthusiastically
recommended the current mercenary members. Judging from the data, their combat
ability was beyond reproach, and they functioned well as a team. The only point
of concern was that they would be difficult to handle, but that was hardly
unique to Rewolf’s own students.
Having
judged as much, Dirk finalized the contract, never imagining they would cause
trouble before even their first formal meeting.
“!”
Eventually,
they emerged from the corridor into the western courtyard of the academy, where
a shocking scene spread out before them.
“H-Hieeeee...!”
Korona’s
legs gave out, and she collapsed limply onto the ground.
“...So
you’re the brats Liberio sent over, huh.”
Under
the glaring moonlight that looked down upon the courtyard, an overwhelming
number of students lay sprawled on the ground. The stench of blood was strong
enough to induce nausea, and groans rose from all around. It was a scene worthy
of being called a vision of hell.
Only
three people were still standing there, and none of them wore Rewolf uniforms.
Their white-and-red attire was the formal dress of HRMS, a major PMC.
“...And
who might you be?”
A
girl carrying a grotesquely shaped greatsword on her shoulder asked back with a
mocking smile.
“Dirk
Eberwein. The student council president here.”
“Huh...
I see. Just like I’d heard, fat as a pig.”
The
girl let out a dry laugh, her shoulders shaking, but a tall man stepped forward
as if to restrain her.
“My
apologies, Sir Dirk. This is Roverica, she behaves this way toward everyone,
and she’s been a constant headache for us as well. Allow me to apologize in her
stead for her rudeness.”
“I
don’t care. I’m not some kid who gets worked up over the barking of an
untrained mad dog.”
“...What
did you say?”
The
smile vanished from the girl called Roverica, and a feral light gleamed in her
eyes.
“Stop
it, Roverica. Any further and you’ll be smearing Lord Liberio’s reputation,”
said the bespectacled woman standing beside her, admonishing her this time.
“Tch,
fine...!”
“Please
forgive her discourtesy, Tyrant. I am Medurone, and this man here is
Nevilleworth, our leader.”
Medurone
said this as she introduced the tall man.
“More
importantly, what’s the meaning of this mess? You’re going to explain, aren’t
you?”
“They
picked a fight, so I did them the favor of accepting it. What’s the problem?”
Roverica
pulled a pill case from her bosom, tossed several tablets directly into her
mouth, and crushed them with an irritated crunch. Dirk had heard that the price
of Roverica’s Orga Lux, Bercier-Veurne, was an insatiable hunger, this was
likely her way of dealing with it.
“A
fight, huh... this looks a bit beyond that scale.”
Indeed,
private duels and brawls were everyday occurrences at this academy.
And
given that Roverica and the others were clearly not Rewolf students at a
glance, it was easy to imagine they had been mocked for it.
However,
when Dirk glanced over the fallen students one by one, he noticed that several
of them were fairly high-ranking individuals.
More
than that, among them was ranked 6th, the Hackelberg, one of the Page One.
So these are Wild Hunt’s people...
Even
at Rewolf, where individualists were common, there were actually not that many
who truly lived as complete lone wolves. Belonging to some sort of faction was
more advantageous for surviving in this academy. A famous example would be Buraikan[1],
Arayashiki Hyogo. What Rewolf students struggled with was teamwork and
coordination, not forming groups.
“Just
under a hundred, I’d say... nearly their full roster. You took them all down by
yourselves?”
“Yeah.
It wasn’t even enough to loosen my shoulders. In the end, they’re just trash
who fool around with some game called the Festa in a place like this. They’re
not our enemies.”
Roverica
spat the words out.
“Hmph.
Sounds like your strength is the real deal. That said, looks like there’re only
three of you here, what happened to the other two?”
Since
the Gryps Festival was
a five-person team battle, the mercenary students recruited this time were, of
course, five as well.
Yet
no sign of the remaining two could be seen.
“After
dealing with them, Teordio approached some female students in the gallery and
then disappeared. As for the other one, he is here, but... he does not care
much for showing himself in public. I ask for your understanding,”
Medurone
replied politely.
“...Got
it. If that’s the case, then fine.”
Dirk
let out a small sigh and turned smartly on his heel.
“We’re
leaving, Korona.”
“Huh?
O-Oh, y-yes...!”
He
let the flustered Korona go on ahead, and just as he was about to head back
into the dim corridor, Roverica suddenly called out to him.
“Hey,
hey. No punishment?”
“Huh?
What would I be punishing you for?”
At
that reply, Roverica looked almost taken aback.
“If
you’d lost, I might’ve had something to say. But you won, so I’ve got no
complaints. In this academy, power is everything.”
“Heh...
guess you’re not just some pig after all.”
With
those words, Roverica flashed a vicious grin, swung Bercier-Veurne once, and
drove it into the ground.
“Fine.
I don’t really care about this so-called Gryps Festival, but I’ll crush those
trash who treat it like a game and take the championship for myself. You’d
better look forward to it.”
*
* *
“To
be honest, I’m impressed.”
As
Xinglu said that, she nodded with clear satisfaction, her gaze sweeping over
the five standing shoulder to shoulder before her.
“I
never imagined you would reach this level.”
“Hehe!
Right? I mean, it feels a little weird to say it myself, but I really think
I’ve gotten pretty good too.”
Minato
rubbed just beneath her nose like a boy, puffing out her chest with pride.
With
today, their sparring sessions with Xinglu came to an end. Starting next week,
the preliminaries of the Gryps Festival would
finally begin.
“Heh.
Don’t get carried away, you little brats. No matter how much you polish
yourselves, you are still nothing more than stones. If you clash head-on, you
won’t stand a chance against teams made of true gems.”
“But
that’s only if we clash head-on... right?”
Standing
beside Minato, Chloe said this with a fearless smile. Xinglu answered with a
grin of her own.
“Heh
heh... honestly, you lot are fascinating. Taken one by one, you’re no more than
odd stones, but when all five are gathered, you make for quite the sight. Why,
it may even be that a landscape of strange stones and rugged rock earns greater
praise than a throne paved with glittering jewels.”
With
that, Xinglu clapped her hands once, sharply.
“Well
then, do your utmost to fight your way through the Gryps Festival. If you make
it to the main tournament, you may well cross blades with my disciples. I look
forward to that day.”
“...Normally,
in moments like this, wouldn’t people pray that they don’t end up facing each
other?”
Sophia
muttered under her breath. Beside her, Yuzuhi covered her mouth and let out a
small laugh.
“No,
I think that, coming from Xinglu, this is the highest praise she could give
us.”
Indeed,
taken another way, it meant she had acknowledged them as being worthy of facing
her disciples’ team.
“Then
farewell. When next we meet, I hope you will have reached even greater heights,
each and every one of you, to the point where you can truly entertain me.”
As
Xinglu said this, the scenery around her warped and twisted.
The
mechanism was unclear, but it seemed she could move instantly to distant
locations in this way.
“W-Wait!
Xinglu!”
Before
she vanished, Minato shouted out to stop her.
“Hm?”
“...Thank
you very much!”
All
five of them bowed deeply in unison.
“Heh
heh, there’s no need for thanks. You are not my disciples. I merely crossed
blades with you and offered a bit of advice. And besides...”
Turning
only her head as she spoke, Xinglu suddenly shook her shoulders, stifling a
giggle like a child who had just thought of a prank.
“Thanks
to you, I’ve come up with a rather interesting plan of my own. You have my
gratitude.”
“Huh...?”
Minato
tilted her head in confusion, but by then Xinglu’s figure had already vanished
without a trace.
“W-What
do you think she meant...?”
Nina
blinked rapidly, looking puzzled, but Chloe cut in flatly.
“Well,
knowing her, it’s probably nothing good.”
“Anyway,
this means we’ve done everything we possibly can, right?”
As
Minato said this anew, the other four nodded one after another.
“Yes.
I have no regrets.”
“Yeah...
I feel like I can give it everything I’ve got now.”
“All
that’s left is to rest our bodies with only minimal training until the real
thing, especially you, Minato. Understood?”
“Exactly.
Overworking yourself is strictly forbidden.”
All
of them wore refreshed smiles, and yet, in their eyes, one could clearly feel
the fierce will and fighting spirit burning bright.
“All
right! Our goal is the championship! Let’s give it everything we’ve got!”
With
that, Minato thrust her fist skyward, brimming with resolve. The other four
raised their right hands as well.
As
if reaching out to seize something shining just beyond their grasp.
*
* *
In
front of the Sirius Dome, venue of the opening ceremony for the 24th Gryps
Festival.
“Honestly,
where on earth did those girls run off to...?”
Chloe
frowned deeply as she looked around, letting out an exaggerated sigh.
Everywhere
she turned, it was people, people, people.
That
was only to be expected, when it came to the opening ceremony of the Star
Martial Arts Festival, the stands were normally packed to capacity (or rather,
during the entire period of the Star Martial Arts Festival, it was rare for
there to be even a single empty seat in the Sirius Dome). On top of that, this
time the stage had undergone a major renovation, so participating teams were
given time to tour the interior before the ceremony began. During that period,
spectators were not allowed inside the dome, which left the area around the
Sirius Dome in a state of extreme congestion.
Originally,
Chloe and the others should already have been inside, touring the venue as
well, but they had been caught up in the crowd and ended up separated from
Minato and the others along the way. Naturally, she had immediately tried
contacting them via mobile terminals, but since the others didn’t know their
own current location, there was no easy way to reunite. They had at least
grasped each other’s rough positional relationship, but finding one another in
this sea of people would be no easy feat.
“H-Hey,
Chloe. Have you found Minato and the others yet?”
Nina
tugged timidly at the hem of Chloe’s uniform, trying to hide as much as
possible behind her, and asked in a hesitant voice. For the shy Nina, this
situation seemed particularly overwhelming.
“So
far, not a sign of them. ...Honestly, this is exactly why opening ceremonies
are such a pain.”
When
there were matches, they could use the academy’s direct subway line, but for
ceremonies like the opening event, its use was generally prohibited.
“Well,
it can’t be helped. Let’s just go inside first. It’s a bit worrying if it’s
only Minato and Sophia-senpai, but if Yuzuhi’s with them, she’ll manage
somehow.”
The
crowd was so dense that even opening a spatial window felt inappropriate, so
Chloe sent a short message to the three they had lost, telling them that they
would be entering first. At the very least, they should be able to regroup on
the stage.
“Nina,
let’s go.”
“O-Okay...
w-whoa!”
Just
as Nina was about to be swept away by the crowd, Chloe instinctively grabbed
her hand and pulled her back.
“Please
spare me. If I lost you too, I really wouldn’t be able to take it.”
“T-Thank
you, Chloe!”
Nina
squeezed Chloe’s hand back, a bashful smile spreading across her face.
Perhaps
because she had had so few friends until now, Nina often showed strong
affection toward the members of Team Kaguya, and among them she was especially
attached to Chloe. It might be that she sensed some kind of sympathy in their
similar circumstances.
For
Chloe, it wasn’t particularly troublesome, but it wasn’t as though she never
felt unsure of how to respond, either.
In
any case, still holding Nina’s hand, Chloe pushed her way through the crowd and
at last reached the entrance of the Sirius Dome.
“Phew...
honestly.”
Compared
to outside, it was noticeably less crowded, but even so it was still bustling.
By simple calculation alone, there were 256 teams, 1,280 participants in
attendance (though, strictly speaking, the number was probably a bit lower,
since some teams wouldn’t be touring the new stage or attending the opening
ceremony).
“All
that’s left is to meet up with Minato and the others.”
“Right.
Hopefully we can find them quickly... for now, let’s look around this area.”
“Sophia
really stands out, so I’m sure we’ll spot her right awa... kyan!”
“Kyah...!”
Because
they were walking while glancing around restlessly, Nina nearly collided with a
girl coming toward them from the opposite direction.
Nina
almost lost her balance and fell, but the girl’s hand slipped out smoothly and
gently supported her.
“I-I’m
so sorry! I-I was distracted looking for someone...!”
As
Nina hurriedly apologized, the girl bowed just as deeply in return.
“N-No,
I’m the one who should apologize! I was looking for someone too...”
“...!”
At
that moment, Chloe’s eyes widened involuntarily. She recognized the girl.
A
beat later, Nina seemed to realize it as well, her mouth falling open.
“Um,
are you hurt at all?”
The
school emblem shining on the girl’s ample chest was a red lotus, namely, that
of Seidoukan Academy. Her gleaming silver hair and the Japanese sword hanging
at her waist left no room for doubt.
“Y-Yeah,
I’m fine...”
“That’s
a relief.”
The
girl smiling so openly and without reserve was Toudou Kirin.
Formerly
ranked 1st at Seidoukan Academy, and a semifinalist in last year’s Phoenix
Festival. Without even Orga Lux, let alone Lux, she had defeated countless
powerful foes wielding nothing but a single Japanese sword, one of Asterisk’s
foremost swordswomen.
This isn’t just strong... it’s on
another level.
Chloe
felt cold sweat trickle down her back.
As
a Benetnasch who had long devoted herself to grasping the academy’s combat
capabilities, Chloe found it far from difficult to gauge an opponent’s
strength. Even from slight movements and the girl’s build, it was clear that
she possessed extraordinary power. In Queenvail, the only ones who could
possibly match this level were Silvia and Neitnefer, perhaps also Sophia,
assuming she were in peak condition.
“Ah,
Saya-san! Over here, over here!”
Just
then, Kirin suddenly raised her hand and called out.
“...Ah,
Kirin. Thanks. I was starting to get a bit lost.”
In
response, a short, blue-haired girl approached at an unhurried pace.
“I
figured as much when you didn’t come back after going to the restroom.”
“After
all, it’s been a year since we last came here. And with the renovations, getting
lost is only natural.”
“But
only the stage was renovated, the dome’s structure itself doesn’t seem to have
changed...”
“...Well,
that sort of thing happens.”
At
Kirin’s words, the blue-haired girl abruptly averted her gaze.
Even Sasamiya Saya...
This
girl, who had teamed up with Kirin and advanced all the way to the semifinals
of the Phoenix Festival, might not be ranked herself, but there was no doubt
she possessed more than enough strength. The Lux she wielded boasted
performance on par with, if not superior to, Arlequint’s latest cutting-edge
weaponry.
If they’re here, then that means...
“Anyway,
let’s hurry back. Ayato and the senpais are waiting.”
“Got
it.”
“...Ah,
well then, excuse us.”
Kirin
bowed politely to Chloe and the others once more, then departed down the
corridor together with Saya.
Beyond
them...
“H-Hey,
Chloe... that is...”
“Yes,
it is. One of this tournament’s top contenders for victory, alongside
Gallardworth’s Lifrodes.”
A
boy and two girls stood ahead, greeting Kirin and Saya with smiles.
The
current Seidoukan Academy’s number-one ranked student and the champion of the
Phoenix Festival, wielder of Orga Lux that burns and cleaves all things,
Ser-Veresta, the
man known as Murakumo, Amagiri Ayato.
Teaming
up with Ayato to claim victory in the Phoenix Festival, the fifth-ranked
student, the Gluhen Rose, Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld.
And
at the same time Seidoukan Academy’s second-ranked student and the student
council president, wielder of the Orga Lux Pan-Dora said to grant the power of
future sight, Parca Morta[2]
Claudia Enfield.
“...Team
Enfield.”
Even from a distance, their overwhelming power was unmistakable.
Perhaps
Nina felt it too, because she gripped tightly at the hem of Chloe’s clothes.
“To
win it all, we have to beat people like them too, right...?”
Her
voice was clearly trembling. It was only natural.
It
was true that Team Kaguya, Chloe’s team, had grown stronger. Compared to when
they fought Team Merveille, the difference was like heaven and earth. Each
member’s individual growth was remarkable, and whatever their weaknesses might
be, in their areas of expertise they had improved to the point that even Fan
Xinglu acknowledged them.
Team
Kaguya had become strong. There was no doubt about that.
But
even so, when compared to championship contenders like those...
“B-But...
we just have to do our best, right!”
Nina
clenched her fist and looked forward, and Chloe was taken aback by that sight.
“Because
that’s why we came all this way!”
That
Nina Achenvall, of all people, saying this.
“...You’re
right.”
Chloe
gave a gentle, wry smile and softly placed her hand on Nina’s head.
Surely
it wasn’t just Nina. Minato, Yuzuhi, and Sophia would probably say the same
thing.
And
if that was the case, then naturally, Chloe would too.
“Let’s
do our best, to win.”
“Yeah!”
As
she gently stroked Nina’s hair while Nina looked up at her with a smile, Chloe continued,
“But before that, we need to meet up with the others. Let’s go, Nina.”
“Phew,
finally here.”
The
moment she reached the entrance of the Sirius Dome, Minato couldn’t help but
slump down.
People
nearby giggled at the sight, and Sophia, her face flushing red with
embarrassment, hurriedly scolded her.
“H-Hey,
Minato-san! Please don’t sit down in a place like this...!”
“But
Sophia-senpai, there are just way too many people!”
They
had pushed through the surging crowds, bowing repeatedly in apology to those
they bumped into, and somehow managed to make it this far. The matches hadn’t
even started yet, not even the opening ceremony, and they were already
exhausted.
Minato
had been on Asterisk for a long time, but this was her first time actually coming
to Festa’s venue. The tickets were expensive, and even if you came to watch,
from the seats in the back the competitors looked like tiny specks. In the end,
you were just watching through the monitors set up high in the venue. In that
case, watching the broadcast from home wasn’t much different.
“Haah,
if only there were a waiting room, we could rest a bit...”
Athletes
scheduled to compete at the Sirius Dome today were provided with waiting rooms,
but only powerful teams, championship contenders, were allowed to fight on the
main stage. Team Kaguya had drawn some attention by defeating Team Merveille,
but they weren’t treated quite that favorably yet.
“More
importantly, shouldn’t we be looking for Chloe-san and the others first?”
Yuzuhi,
whose hair hadn’t so much as been disturbed despite passing through that crowd,
said so while scanning their surroundings.
“Oh,
right, right!”
“Honestly,
Chloe-san and Nina-san getting separated at such an important time... how
careless!”
Sophia
crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks, but.
“Well,
wasn’t it Sophia-senpai who was completely fixated on the candied apples at the
food stalls...?”
“What!?
I-If you’re going to say that, then Minato-san, you were practically leaning
into that mobile donut stand!”
“Ugh,
t-that’s...!”
“...Both
of you, please, that’s enough.”
Just
as their bickering was about to turn ugly, Yuzuhi stepped in with a wry smile.
“A-Anyway!
There are three of us here and two of them there! From a numbers perspective
alone, it’s obvious that they’re the ones who got separated!”
Sophia
cleared her throat and declared something that sounded logical, and yet somehow
didn’t.
“W-Well,
anyway, I’ll try contacting them.”
Outside,
the crowd had been so dense that it felt inappropriate to even open a spatial
window, but it should be fine here.
Thinking
that, Minato pulled her portable terminal from her pocket, just then.
“...Oh
my! What an adorable little kitten!”
Out
of nowhere, the face of a man Minato had never seen before popped right up in
front of her. He was tall, with chestnut-colored hair, a handsome young man.
“Huh?”
For
a moment, Minato froze, utterly blank, unable to process what she’d just been
told.
Meanwhile,
the man praised her in a smooth, flowing cadence.
“That
uniform, Queenvail, was it? I see, I see. I’d heard it was full of cute girls,
but I never imagined this much. Still, there’s surely no one else as lovely and
adorable as you. Those big, beautiful eyes like a starry sky, that elegant,
slender waist, and that endlessly changing expression, utterly charming.”
“U-Um,
that’s... I mean...!”
Never
before having been praised by a member of the opposite sex, Minato panicked,
her face turning bright red as she stumbled backward.
“H-Hey!
Are you hitting on her here of all places? Please stop this at once!”
Sophia
stepped in protectively in front of Minato, but.
“Oh,
and this lady here is absolutely radiant as well. That shining golden hair,
that refined and graceful countenance, that dignified bearing... you’re
beautiful like a goddess.”
“W-Well,
my...”
Sophia,
clearly not entirely displeased, lowered her gaze with her cheeks tinged red.
“My,
my, meeting such wonderful girls like this, even by chance, is nothing short of
pure luck. If you’d like, perhaps we could spend a little more...”
As
he spoke, the man reached out, as if to put an arm around Minato’s shoulders, but
just before he could, Yuzuhi’s hand firmly stopped him.
“One
shouldn’t touch a woman so casually, you know?”
Yuzuhi
said this with a gentle smile. The man widened his eyes in surprise, but
quickly recovered, shrugging his shoulders with a grin.
“Ah,
my mistake. Still, your glossy black hair...”
“Fufu,
unfortunately, we’ll have to pass on shallow flattery.”
Yuzuhi
replied sharply, her smile never leaving her face, cutting him off cleanly.
“Oh
my... how severe.”
For
a fleeting instant, the young man’s eyes flashed sharply, clashing head-on with
Yuzuhi’s gaze.
And
then.
“Ah!
There you are! Hey, Chloe, over here, over here!”
“Haa...
honestly, I was wondering where you’d gone.”
Pushing
through the crowd, Nina and Chloe came over.
But
the moment she saw the young man, Chloe’s expression froze like stone.
“T-Teordio...?
Why... why are you here...?”
“Hm?
Wait, could it be... Minervieu?”
“Huh?
E-Eh?”
Seeing
a reaction she had never witnessed from Chloe before, Minato blinked in
confusion, looking back and forth between the young man and Chloe.
“The
fact that you’re here means... surely...”
Chloe’s
voice was trembling.
“Hey,
Teordio! What are you loitering around in a place like this for...!”
“!”
This
time, three more figures appeared behind the young man. At the front was a girl
with messy hair; behind her stood a towering, powerfully built man and a woman
with glasses.
Only
then did Minato finally notice. Including the young man, all of them wore on
their chests the emblem of crossed twin swords. And yet, their white-and-red
uniforms were unmistakably not those of Rewolf.
“Haha,
sorry, sorry. But thanks to that, I got to have this unexpected reunion, so cut
me some slack, will you?”
“Huh?”
At
those words, the messy-haired girl cast a dangerous glare toward Minato and the
others, and the instant her eyes landed on Chloe, her face lit up in surprise.
“Ku...
kuhahaha! I see, I see, so that’s how it was! This is where you were sold off
back then, wasn’t it, Minervieu!”
“Haa...
long time no see, Roverica.”
To
the girl called Roverica, who wore a smile brimming with amusement yet tinged
with contempt, Chloe responded with a resigned, almost dismissive sigh.
“And
Nevilleworth, and Medurone as well.”
“Hoh...
it really is Minervieu.”
“Yes,
what an extraordinary coincidence indeed.”
The
burly man and the bespectacled woman standing behind Roverica spoke in calm
tones. It seemed they were all acquainted with Chloe.
“Um,
Chloe... who are these people? And Minervieu...?”
When
Minato asked hesitantly, Chloe averted her eyes and answered in a small voice.
“...Before
I was bought by Queenvail, they were my teammates when I worked with a PMC.
Minervieu was... my name back then.”
“Eh?
Then...”
Only
now did Minato recall it.
Chloe
had been bought and brought to this academy.
Which
meant that this girl Roverica and the others were once Chloe’s comrades.
“...I’d
heard that Rewolf would be fielding mercenary students, but I never imagined it
would be you.”
“Hah,
it’s just a job. Otherwise, who’d come to a boring dump like this of their own
free will?”
Roverica
spat the words out, and then Teordio cut in.
“More
importantly, you’ve gotten to know some awfully cute girls, haven’t you,
Minervieu? I’d love an introduction.”
“These
girls are my team... my precious comrades. I’d like you to keep your hands off
them, Teordio.”
Chloe
shot him down with a cold look.
At
that, Medurone lifted her glasses, knitting her brows.
“A
team. ..? What do you mean? Surely you’re not saying that you’re also competing
in this Gryps Festival?”
“And
if I am, Medurone, what of it?”
“I
can’t understand it. You were bought by Queenvail as a special operations
agent. Appearing on such a public stage as this...”
“This
is my own choice. It’s not a mission, and it’s not because I was ordered to.”
Cutting
Medurone off, Chloe spoke in a tone unusually forceful for her.
“I’ve
gained something I want to achieve... a dream I want to grasp. ...The dream of
winning my freedom.”
“Chloe...”
This
was the first time Chloe had ever spoken her desire so clearly, in words.
As
Minato listened, deeply moved, a peal of malicious, hate-filled laughter
suddenly echoed through the space.
“Kukuku...
kuhahahaha! I was wondering what nonsense you’d start spouting, but to think
you’d rot away in a spineless trash heap like this and lose your mind,
Minervieu! Dreams? You call that a dream? Ridiculous! That’s nothing but a
fantasy clung to by worthless trash!”
“...It’s
not ridiculous!”
In
the next instant, Minato shouted so loudly it surprised even herself, stepping
forward to face Roverica head-on.
Perhaps
sensing the dangerous tension, people quickly backed away from around Minato
and the others, forming a ring of onlookers in their place.
“Hah?
And who the hell are you?”
“I’m
Wakamiya Minato, Chloe’s friend!”
Roverica
glared at Minato with eyes brimming with murderous intent, as though only now
truly registering her presence, but Minato had no intention of backing down
even a step.
“Anyone
who mocks Chloe’s dream, I won’t forgive! No, it’s not just Chloe! Yuzuhi,
Sophia-senpai, Nina-chan, and me too, everyone competing in this Gryps Festival is fighting for a wish they want to fulfill!”
To
go to the moon. To master the ultimate art. To save a brother. To protect
family. And... to become free. Wishes that differed from person to person, yet
none could be relinquished... dreams.
“And
that’s exactly what I’m calling ridiculous, you trash. Playing around and then
winning some reward for it? Hah, don’t make me laugh!”
Before
they realized it, Minato’s group of five and Roverica’s group were standing
lined up, facing one another.
No,
to be precise, Roverica’s group wasn’t four.
The
first to notice that was Nina.
“H-Huh...?
There’s... another one...?”
“Oh?
You saw through the concealment technique.”
As
Nevilleworth murmured in admiration, space itself wavered and twisted, and from
it, a short boy emerged silently.
“...”
“Hieee...!”
Faced
with that sharp gaze, Nina shrank back, yet even so she clenched her fists
tightly and held her ground without retreating.
“Tch,
every last one of you’s got eyes I can’t stand...! So you’re the reason
Minervieu went soft, huh.”
“It’s
not Minervieu! It’s Chloe!”
The
instant those words left her mouth, a sudden slash came at Minato. The grotesquely
shaped greatsword that Roverica activated in a heartbeat was swung with perfect
precision straight at Minato’s neck, but just before its tip could reach her,
Minato caught it with one hand and forced it to a stop.
“...!”
Roverica’s
eyes flew open in shock.
In
truth, that blow had been so fast that even Minato, whose perception had been
honed through sparring with Xinglu, could scarcely follow it. If it had been
the usual Minato, her head might truly have been taken off. Even Minato herself
did not understand how she had managed it.
But.
No
matter what, even if it cost her life, she had no intention of yielding here.
From
her left hand, which had seized the tip of the greatsword, blood dripped
steadily to the ground.
Roverica’s
gaze collided with Minato’s, strength pouring into the hand gripping the
greatsword and the hand clutching its blade.
And
then...
“My,
my, there are certainly some rather hot-blooded young ladies here. And before
the opening ceremony, no less.”
Just
as that calm voice rang out, a blond young man appeared, parting the ring of
onlookers. Simply by standing there, he radiated an overwhelming presence, a
dashing noble youth.
The
moment Sophia saw the young man leading a group clad in the uniforms of Saint Gallardworth
Academy, she covered her mouth in surprise.
“B-Brother...!”
“Eh!?”
If
he was Sophia’s brother, then this young man was Ernest Fairclough, the
top-ranked student and student council president of Saint Gallardworth Academy.
And
that also meant that they were Team Lancelot, the defending champions who had
conquered the previous Gryps Festival.
Ernest
cast Sophia a brief glance and offered her a gentle smile, then turned back to
Minato and Roverica and softly issued a warning.
“Now
then, you aren’t seriously thinking of starting a brawl here, are you?”
“And
if I am? It’s got nothing to do with you.”
Roverica
shot back with a glare, but Ernest let out a small sigh and, without warning,
flashed the greatsword at his waist.
“...!?”
The
blade, which seemed poised to cleave Minato’s arm in two along with it, instead
slipped cleanly past her and sent only Roverica’s greatsword flying up into the
air.
“I
can’t allow that. As a representative of Gallarworth, guardians of order, and
as the Holy Knight entrusted with this Holy Sword, I simply can’t.”
Ernest
said this while maintaining his calm smile.
The
Holy Sword, formally the Orga Lux Lei-Glems[1], its
blade was said to be able to choose and cut only objects designated by its
wielder. Alongside Ser-Veresta wielded by Amagiri Ayato of Seidoukan Academy,
champions of the Phoenix Festival, it was one of the powerful magic swords known
as the Four-Colored Magic Swords.
“Roverica,
stop this now. If you go too far, it’ll cause trouble for that person.”
When
Nevilleworth spoke in a quiet voice that nonetheless carried unmistakable
pressure, Roverica clicked her tongue, then caught her greatsword as it came
spinning back down.
“Can’t
be helped. I’ll back off for now. But... Wakamiya Minato, was it?”
Roverica
fixed Minato with a gaze so full of malice it was nearly murderous.
“I’ll
carve you to pieces. Don’t forget that.”
“...Fine.
I’m not going to lose to someone like you.”
When
Minato shot back, Roverica clicked her tongue once more and walked away.
“Phew...”
At
last, as a sigh of relief escaped someone’s lips, Minato’s legs gave out and
she collapsed onto the ground.
Partly
because the tension had broken, but also because her strength had suddenly
drained away.
“...Minato,
you’re not okay... obviously. You were wounded by Bercier-Veurne.”
Chloe,
standing beside her, held out a hand with a worried, half-exasperated look.
“Eh...?
What do you mean?”
“I’ll
explain later. Well, with a wound this minor, it probably won’t have much
effect.”
Chloe
let out a breath as she looked at the injury on Minato’s hand.
“Ah!
More importantly, Chloe, are you okay?”
“Me?”
“Because,
the way they said those awful things...”
As
Minato began to say that, Chloe cut her off with a gentle smile.
“I
am Chloe... Minato’s friend, and a member of Team Kaguya, Chloe Flockhart.
Nothing more, and nothing less.”
“...Yeah.
I see. You’re right.”
Minato
smiled back, stood up, and turned once more toward Ernest.
“Um,
thank you very much! You really saved us!”
“Heh,
don’t worry about it. I merely did my duty.”
With
that, Ernest turned smartly on his heel.
“Oh,
and one more thing... please take good care of my sister, Sophia.”
“Uh!
Y-Yes...!”
When
Minato glanced at Sophia, she was looking down, her hands clenched tightly
before her chest. She must have had her own thoughts. But no matter how close
they were as teammates, there were boundaries one could not cross, no,
boundaries one must not cross.
“Well
then, shall we head to the stage ourselves?”
As if to change the mood, Yuzuhi clapped her hands lightly and said so in a gentle voice.
[1] Ruffian
[2] The
All-Seeing Sovereign
[3] The White-Filtered Magic Sword