Gakusen Toshi Asterisk - Volume 9 - Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

MEMORIES I: THE NIGHT BEFORE

As a child, Claudia had always assumed she would walk the same path through life as her parents.

She was a prodigy by every definition of the word, gifted with exceptional intelligence and physical ability. She was particularly astute when it came to carefully reading the people around her, easily intuiting what they desired and despised. Moreover, she was endowed with such a fine control over words and mannerisms as to be able to create within others any impression of herself that she so desired.

Indeed, she ought to have been sufficiently qualified for such a future out of both raw ability and breeding. (Her family status was particularly important in the European integrated enterprise foundations.) It shouldn’t have been at all surprising to see her rise to the upper echelons of the IEF realm to sit among the handful of people who held in their hands the power to change the world.

That was, if she hadn’t been born a Genestella.

One day, things would change. The number of Genestella—or rather, the percentage of Genestella within the general population—was increasing, albeit slowly. In a few decades perhaps, or at the very most a few centuries, a time would come when the world’s Genestella would shake off the shackles of being a feared minority.

But that time had yet to come.

In today’s world, Genestella were regarded as little more than freaks of nature. No matter how talented they were, no matter their achievements, there was no place for them in the upper reaches of the system.

Claudia’s parents, Isabella and Nicholas, had, of course, understood that immediately, and so had Claudia by the time she was ten. And yet, upon that realization, she hadn’t succumbed to discouragement or despair.

She had no particularly strong desires, nor was she chasing any particular goals.

She existed in a place far removed from such things as wants or passion.

That was the kind of person Claudia Enfield was.

“Hiiyah!”

A razor-sharp sword swept before her.

Her opponent’s gleaming golden locks danced through the air as she lunged forward, mimicking the way her own golden mane appeared before her eyes as she leaped out of the way.

“A formidable attack by contestant Blanchard! But contestant Enfield has dodged it by a fraction of an inch! Such a fierce contest for the final match of this Rondo Versailles!”

There were many fighting tournaments that ranked below the Festa, but the Rondo, held in several western European countries, was among the most famous. Entry was restricted to those under thirteen years of age, and there were far stricter safety requirements than the Festa. All contestants were obliged to wear padded armor, only specially designated weapons were permitted—each of them Luxes with their power output set to their minimum level—and there was a complete prohibition on the use of special abilities. In short, it was the closest thing to a Festa intended for children. That was also why a point system had been introduced—one gained points for landing a strike on an opponent’s armor, with the winner being the contestant who scored the most.

There could be remarkable differences in the rate of physical growth among Genestella—particularly with regard to physique, muscular development, and the amount of one’s prana. While the situation tended to even out by the time children reached puberty, before that, the differences in prana levels were particularly evident, which meant that a person’s ability to adequately defend themselves could be limited. As such, safety measures were a necessity for such tournaments.

That caution wasn’t, however, due to concern for the children’s own well-being. Rather, the intention was to avoid damaging the goods up for appraisal.

Most tournaments that ranked below the Festa didn’t have much commercial value. Rather, they functioned more as opportunities to show off new talent to the various schools in Asterisk.

…You need to be at a high level to be shipped off to those exhibition shows that pass themselves off as schools, Claudia reflected as she dodged her opponent, who continued to flow toward her gracefully, as if in the middle of a dance.

That opponent—Laetitia Blanchard—had, like her, made it all the way to the final at the age of nine.

“Grrr, why won’t you stay still?!” Laetitia raged, thrusting her blade upward.

Claudia, though, parried the blow with her own short-sword-type Lux, before letting out a kindly laugh. “You’re improving, Laetitia.”

“Rargh! Why are you always so calm?! Take this!”

Her sword carved through the air at an unexpected angle, coming straight for Claudia’s chest. The two had crossed swords countless times before, but this was the first time Claudia had seen Laetitia use such a move.

Laetitia curled her lips in faint smile, as if assured of victory.

However—

“What?!”

Claudia swung her body with all her strength, letting the attack rush right past her, before she used her own sword to lash out in a quick flurry at the armor protecting Laetitia’s legs, arms, and chest.

Almost immediately, the sound announcing the end of the match echoed across the stage.

Claudia, flashing her stunned opponent a gentle smile, deactivated her Lux. “Sorry. That last move was a close one.”

“Argh…!” Laetitia bit her lip, her face turning red in indignation. “Y-you just got lucky! Don’t let it get to your head!”

“Luck? I see… You’re probably right. Including the practice matches, that’s seven in my favor now. You must be having an unlucky run, Laetitia.”

“Rrgh… Th-that’s…”

“But victory always requires some degree of luck, so might I suggest factoring that into your strategy next time?”

Laetitia, angry and at a complete loss for words, looked upset enough to break down in tears.

Claudia, however, still smiling, held out her hand. “…That said, luck may be in your favor next time, too. If that happens, please don’t be too hard on me.”

“—!”

Laetitia turned around for a moment to wipe her eyes, before spinning back toward Claudia to take her hand. “Th-that’s right! It’s unladylike not to praise one’s opponent… Congratulations, Claudia. But next time, I’m definitely, definitely going to win!” she declared, her grin a little forced.

Her smile was unable to completely conceal her feelings, but it wasn’t clear whether that was from the inability to tolerate the humiliation of defeat or her jealousy and envy toward the victor. It was clear, however, that her praise was honest.

Claudia had to admit that she liked that side of Laetitia.

The two girls shook hands to the cheers of the crowd. Even if the Rondo didn’t have much commercial value, it was, in its own way, afforded a great deal of attention. So many spectators had come to watch, in fact, that there hadn’t even been enough seats for everyone.

“This year, we’ve seen the same two contestants fight off in the final as we did last time! And like last year, the winner is once again contestant Enfield!”

Claudia broke into an amused smile at the commentator’s voice. “And besides, you weren’t able to use your abilities, so I don’t really think of myself as having beaten you,” she whispered to Laetitia afterward.

Laetitia was a Strega, capable of creating and controlling brilliant wings of light. She was still honing it into specialized offensive and defensive forms, but there was no mistaking that even in its current stage, it was an incredibly powerful ability. The fact that using such abilities during the Rondo was prohibited meant Laetitia had fought with something of a handicap.

“I-I’m not so shameful as to blame my loss on the rules!” she stammered.

Laetitia herself was no doubt aware that it wasn’t entirely luck that had decided the outcome; but her pride, it seemed, wouldn’t let her admit that out loud.

“Besides, one of these days, I’ll face you in a more suitable place, and then I shall defeat you!” she continued.

“Are you thinking of Asterisk, then?”

“Well, I mean, you’ll be there, too,” Laetitia replied, as if it were a predetermined fact.

“Yes, that’s right… I suppose.”

Claudia herself wasn’t entirely clear where she saw herself in the future.

There was no doubt that the majority of people who participated in the Rondo hoped to one day enter Asterisk. For better or for worse, the Academic City in the Far East was the only place in the world where being a Genestella had any real meaning.

That said, it wasn’t as if Claudia herself was particularly fixated on it. Whether it was entering the Rondo or polishing her skills, she had merely found herself caught up in the flow of events. She felt no more and no less about it than that.

Looking at her own talents objectively, there was no mistaking that she would be able to distinguish herself at Asterisk. At the same time, however, she also knew there were countless people hidden throughout the world with greater talent than she had.

Moreover, crossing that wall wouldn’t be an easy task, no matter one’s determination and training.

If she did have the motivation to climb, there might have been some meaning to her going there. Unfortunately, however, she wasn’t so foolish as to think she could challenge the way the world was put together.

“By the way, Laetitia… I’ve been wondering for a while now, but what is it you’re doing with your manner of speech?” Claudia asked, changing the topic.

“Huh? U-uh, that’s…” The other girl looked away, blushing.

Laetitia usually had a slightly informal, childlike way of speaking. Now, however, her tone was unusually polite, almost overdone.

“Y-yes, well… The other day, I met a certain brother and sister… They were so wise and noble, I thought—well, I thought that they were so wonderful—and that I’d like to be like them, too, if I could, and get closer to them…,” Laetitia explained, fidgeting nervously.

She must have been inspired to change her own character, Claudia thought. Given her somewhat naive way of thinking, that wasn’t particularly unusual, and yet—

“Do you perhaps mean the Fairclough siblings?”

“O-oh!” Laetitia said, her eyes lighting up. “Do you, ah, know them, perhaps?”

“Not at all. I’ve never met them. I have heard rumors, though.”

While they might not have appeared in public events such as the Rondo, it was a well-known fact that there were two siblings, brother and sister, from the famous Fairclough family, both of whom excelled in swordsmanship. Moreover, in spite of their lack of public appearances, there was enough consistency to the rumors about their skills that they did seem to be the real deal.

“Ah, so that last technique of yours… Did you learn it from them?”

“W-well, you could…say that…,” Laetitia replied, scratching at her cheek, her expression somewhere between bashfulness and pride. “A-anyway, they said they’ll be going to Asterisk, too, to Gallardworth, like me.”

Both the Fairclough family and the Blanchard family belonged to the same faction within Elliott-Pound, the integrated enterprise foundation that operated Saint Gallardworth Academy.

“You’ll be going to Seidoukan, right? I’ll look forward to seeing you in Asterisk,” Laetitia said with a defiant grin, very much like the matter had already been determined.

“Hmm… One would think so, wouldn’t they?” Claudia’s answer, however, was accompanied by her usual vague smile.

Things might end up happening that way, or they might not.

For her, it made little difference.

“If I can, I want to be by your side forever,” Saya said shyly in the light of the setting sun.

Ayato, standing across from her, merely stared at her in mute astonishment.

“It’s okay. You can give me your answer later… I just wanted to tell you,” she added, before quickly turning around and rushing back in the direction of the girls’ dormitory.

She quickened her pace, until finally she reached an area out of Ayato’s line of sight. There, she stepped off the path and hid in the shadow of a tree.

Leaning against the trunk, she put her hands together and raised them to her chest with a sigh.

Her face, with cheeks flushed and eyes shut tight, was truly innocent.

It looked like her decision to come out with that confession had been quite the momentous occasion for her.

“Well now, Sasamiya’s more maidenly than she lets on,” Eishirou murmured to himself, high in the branches of the trees above her.

Of course, he had been too far away to clearly hear what they had said. Strictly speaking, he had read their lips.

“But this is getting pretty interesting, huh? I mean, just look at that stupid gaping look he’s making.” He glanced back toward Ayato, who, it seemed, was so astounded that he still hadn’t moved from where he was standing.

Eishirou was hiding in a corner of one of the groves of trees that provided some greenery to Seidoukan’s wide grounds. Autumn might have arrived, but the leaves that hid him hadn’t yet changed color and were still a verdant green.

“Hmm… But not asking him for his response—that won’t do. What on earth was she thinking?” he muttered to himself.

Neither Saya nor Ayato were used to dealing with matters of the heart. From Eishirou’s perspective, there was nothing more irritating than having to watch them fumble their way through their feelings blindly.

There was no mistaking, however, that this would certainly throw a wrench into the plans for Ayato’s relationships with the other girls.

“Well, I guess I’m gonna have to report it to the prez. Maybe I’ll finally be able to see her make a cute little surprised face?” he continued, before shaking his head doubtfully.

He couldn’t even imagine what a surprised Claudia might look like.

“Maybe I’ll give it to the newspaper club instead? But then, the club prez doesn’t really like this sort of thing anyway. And I’m not gonna be able to see her too easily right now, either.” With that, he took his mobile from his pocket, about to call Claudia, when—

“Good grief, so you’re using your techniques for voyeurism, are you?” a low, hoarse voice said from behind him. “I thought you’d grown up a little, but it looks like you haven’t changed at all, Eishirou.”

“!” Eishirou jumped up, spinning around and reflexively pulling out a dagger-type Lux—but he was already surrounded by several figures, all seeming to seep out from the shadows around him. With the exception of their eyes, they were masked and clothed entirely in black, their identities hidden so thoroughly that it was impossible to so much as tell their ages or genders.

Eishirou, however, knew precisely who they were—especially the man with the hoarse voice.

“…Well, if it isn’t my dear father. I didn’t think you’d be here… You look well,” he returned with an ironic smile, trying to ignore the sweat that had begun to run down his forehead.

His father—Bujinsai Yabuki—was dressed the same as the others, the only exception being that his face was uncovered. He was a middle-aged man of medium build, his face so wrinkled that the creases seemed to have been carved into his flesh, his hair combed down flat and smooth, his eyebrows pure white.

“Don’t say what you don’t mean,” the older man said with an affected sigh as he sat cross-legged on the branch behind him. “Don’t think I haven’t heard that you’re still tottering about without a care in the world. It’s disgraceful.”

“Oh? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Eishirou answered glibly, preparing his Lux as he carefully scanned his surroundings.

“Did you think you could take us all for fools? Despite joining Shadowstar, you’re still taking your own jobs and associating with outsiders.”

“No, no, not at all—that’s not a fair accusation. I mean, I might have made a few acquaintances here and there, but that’s simply for work. Just building up a bit of influence, wouldn’t you say?”

“So the little babe is going to talk to me about work, is he? How pathetic. Do you even realize that it’s precisely because we never serve two masters that we’ve been able to survive this long?”

…I wonder whether you realize that’s why I left the village, Eishirou retorted mentally, his chin resting on his hand as he flashed Bujinsai a fawning smirk.

Eishirou’s clan, the Yabuki, was, in short, a secretive paramilitary organization that specialized in ninjutsu, the ancient Japanese art of stealth, camouflage, and sabotage. Additionally, they belonged to and preserved a bloodline that, under the influence of a sacred piece of urm-manadite that had come to earth long before the Invertia, had long since diverged from the surrounding population. Only two such groups remained in Japan—the Yabuki and the Umenokouji.

“Now, now, you didn’t come all this way just to lecture me, did you? No, you must be here on some kind of job, right?” Eishirou asked, furtively retreating as he took in his surroundings.

The five figures closest to him were probably the Kinoe, the most elite members of the clan. On top of that, he could sense close to another ten individuals lurking somewhere nearby.

“That’s what I’m on my way to find out.”

Jobs were always issued to the head of the clan in person—that was how it had always been.

“So I’m guessing they specifically asked you to bring such a large party?”

“You could say that.”

Today, the clan accepted jobs only from the IEF Galaxy—or more specifically, from its highest executives—who referred to them by the inane name of “the Anglicism the Night Emits.” In a certain way, they were to Galaxy what Shadowstar was to Seidoukan. Shadowstar, however, was permitted to act only within Asterisk, and it recruited from the general student body, while the Yabuki were entrusted with carrying out Galaxy’s secret maneuverings irrespective of where that might take them. In a way, Shadowstar’s activities could be said to comprise a subset of the Yabuki’s, although in Shadowstar’s favor, there were also naturally things that only students could access.

Of course, the foundation wasn’t solely reliant on the Yabuki. It also had its own paramilitary brigades and special forces that functioned under its direct control—in addition to its own intelligence services, which worked tirelessly to gain an edge over the other foundations’ similar branches in endless, secretive feuding.

There was no mistaking, however, that the highest executives—essentially Galaxy itself—viewed the Yabuki with particular esteem.

“Once we accept a job, we carry it out all the way to the end, without letting any personal feelings get in the way. Which is why, before we begin, I want to ask you how you fit into it all.”

“…”

That was enough for Eishirou to ascertain just what kind of job his father was about to be entrusted with. “I see, I see. So Galaxy’s finally decided to take care of the prez, huh?”

“We haven’t received it yet,” Bujinsai answered.

He was no doubt merely feigning ignorance—there was no way he would mobilize the clan like this if he didn’t already know what it would entail.

“But it does seem like that’s the case,” he added, a cold light flashing in his eyes, a dangerous glimmer bordering on bloodlust.

Sensing the sudden chill, so strong and arising so quickly that it was like a blade of ice piercing his heart, Eishirou instinctively leaped away from Bujinsai in order to break through the encircling Kinoe.

“Ugh!”

And yet, as if having anticipated his movements, the Kinoe immediately reached out to him, trying to pen him in.

Eishirou managed to break out of the trap by striking the leg of one of the five Kinoe, sending them crashing, then jumped over another figure and twisted its neck. Leaping away once more, he drove a powerful kick into the back of the neck of another figure, which had been coming toward him from the side.

The remaining Kinoe, however, paid no heed to their fallen comrades. He was getting ready to lash out at another of them with his dagger when a heavy weight slammed into him from the side, pressing him against the trunk of the tree.

“Oh? So you can take down three Kinoe all by yourself now? You’ve been working on your skills, I take it?” Bujinsai noted, impressed, as he stroked his chin.

With that, the three Kinoe whom Eishirou had taken down jumped back to their feet as if nothing had happened, positioning themselves beside him in silence.

They didn’t look to have suffered any damage; in fact, his attacks didn’t seem to have done anything at all. Eishirou knew firsthand just how skilled the Kinoe were, and so while it might take them some time, considering that there were five of them, there was no question that they would be able to subdue him if they so desired.

But that wasn’t the Yabuki’s way of doing things. No matter the situation, their highest priority was to reach the target as promptly and as surely as possible.

Just thinking about it all reminded him how much he hated them.

“Listen up, boy! I know how fond you are of that girl, Seidoukan’s student council president. But you had better not do anything stupid. That’s my warning to you as your father.”

“…Well, thanks.” Eishirou, still being held down with a force strong enough that it risked breaking his arm, could move only his face to glare back at Bujinsai, towering above him.

Casting his gaze as best he could at his surroundings, he could make out several spell charms marked with complex symbols placed here and there to ward off intruders.

How diligent of them… I guess I can’t count on them to let down their guard…

Eishirou, giving up, relaxed his body. Nothing would be gained from trying to resist them now.

“We might have our disagreements, but I do have a certain level of respect for you and your talents. It would be a shame to lose them over something like this. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“In a way.”

Bujinsai could say what he wanted, but Eishirou knew well enough that if he was to get in the way of their mission, his father wouldn’t hesitate to break his neck.

“And so?”

“Haah…” As he watched that cold glimmer return to Bujinsai’s eyes, Eishirou let out a resigned sigh. “I certainly am fond of the prez. But I’m attached to my own life span a little more.”

“That’s a good attitude to have.”

And with that, the force with which he had been held back suddenly abated.

Eishirou rose to his feet, brushing his hand against his clothes as if sweeping away dust.

Bujinsai and the Kinoe had completely vanished.

The evening sun had almost completely fallen beneath the horizon, a forlorn twilight settling over the trees.

“…Tch.” Eishirou clicked his tongue in exasperation and, after a slight hesitation, reached for his mobile.

“I can keep a sense of duty at least, Pops,” Eishirou muttered as he entered Claudia’s number and set the device to voice only.

“…Whew…”

Ayato, wiping at his still wet hair with a bath towel, let out a long sigh as he sat down on his bed.

All he could think about was Saya—and what she had said to him.

He liked her, too, of course, and he knew for a fact that her intentions were honest. However, he had only ever thought of her as an extended family member, never anything more.

“…Or maybe that’s just what I wanted to think,” he murmured to the empty room as he fell backward onto the bed.

Eishirou hadn’t come back yet—although there was nothing unusual about that, considering that there were no classes during the Festa—giving him the perfect opportunity to try to put his thoughts in order.

Having been reunited with her in Asterisk after all those years, it was almost as if she hadn’t changed at all since their childhood, when they had spent almost every passing day by each other’s side.

That had made him incredibly happy.

But if she had asked him to give her an answer on the spot, he would have found himself hard-pressed to know what to say.

Right now, he had a wish that he wanted to see fulfilled: to be able to wake his sister, Haruka, from her unending sleep.

Most of his thoughts were occupied by his drive to fulfill that wish, but given the seriousness of Saya’s feelings, she deserved no less than his full attention.

Saya no doubt knew that as well, which must have been why she had said that he didn’t have to give her his answer immediately.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to take her up on that offer…”

Once he had put everything in order, he would be able to face her properly and give her his full attention.

And in order to be able to do that, he would have to focus first on winning the next match.

“…Right!” He slapped his hands against his cheeks to fire himself up, when his mobile, which he had flung beside him on his bed, began to ring. “Huh? Again?”

It was already past midnight.

He opened an air-window, and Claudia’s face appeared before him.

“Good evening, Ayato. I’m terribly sorry to call you this late, but do you have a moment?”

“Ah, I don’t mind… But is it urgent?”

They were due to have a strategy meeting with the other members of Team Enfield in the morning, so if it wasn’t pressing, they would be able to discuss it then.

“Yes, I’m afraid so.” Claudia’s expression, devoid of her usual smile, was unusually serious.

“…Okay. What is it?”

“Yes, well, you see— Is it true that Ms. Sasamiya confessed to you?”

“Wh-wha—?!” Ayato found himself blurting. “H-hold on a minute! How you do know that?”

“I am the student council president.”

“What does that have to do with anything?!”

She might have been well-informed, but this was something else entirely.

“Putting that aside, I’m also deeply concerned about what kind of response you might have given her.”

“…I don’t have any obligation to tell you that.”

It was, after all, a private matter.

“Yes, you’re quite right. However…we’re still in the middle of the Gryps, are we not? If anything was to happen that might interfere with our teamwork, that would be a cause for serious alarm to us all.”

It was certainly difficult to argue with that.

“As the team’s representative, I have to ask.”

“…That’s just an excuse,” he replied sullenly, glaring at her. If she already knew that much, however, there was no use remaining silent. “I haven’t given her one yet. She said I can give her my answer later, so I was planning to do it after everything’s over and done with.”

“Is that so…?” Claudia fell silent, nodding calmly. “…Ms. Sasamiya really is quite impressive,” she murmured, as if talking to herself.

“Claudia…?” Ayato asked, sensing something out of place in her actions.

He couldn’t put it into words, but whatever it was, it had stirred a deep-rooted sense of uneasiness somewhere inside him.

“I understand, Ayato. Thank you for telling me the truth… Well then, see you tomorrow.” Before Ayato could respond, she flashed him her usual smile, signaling the end of the conversation.

“Yeah. See you then,” Ayato grudgingly replied before the air-window snapped shut, filling the room with silence. “…I guess I’ll have to ask her tomorrow.”

His vague sense of apprehension was still bothering him, but there was nothing he could do about it right then.

He turned his gaze out through the window, toward the cloud-covered night sky. Though so spectacular just a few hours ago, both the moon and the stars were now completely hidden from view.

“Right, it’s supposed to rain tomorrow…”

He pulled the curtain shut in silence, hoping the weather wouldn’t turn out too bad.