Hollow Dragon Devil Ice Blade Hero of Seidoukan Academy

by Gaevontracey24

Yukio Amagiri is a kind hearted person with Silver hair and dark red eyes to the Hottest girls of Asterisk and fight a lot of enemies and Hollows along with his mysterious family past which allows him to wield a legendary demonic sword. Harem with Julis being the main girl.

6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Speech

Thought

…

"…I get it now. I see why our master Camilla holds you in such high regard, Saya Sasamiya." Rimcy slowly rose from the dust and smoke and pushed back her hair.

Saya's bullet of light had landed a direct, unmistakable hit, but her opponent showed no signs of damage.

A closer look, however, revealed that the heavy artillery Lux in Rimcy's hand was warped and crushed.

She must have used it as a shield—which confirmed that she lacked Ardy's ability to generate a defensive barrier.

Judging from appearances, Rimcy was likely created for mobility and long range attacks, whereas Ardy specialized in defense and close-range aggression.

"It's just as Kirin said a moment ago," Saya answered drily, the barrel of the Waldenholt still trained on her opponent. "Your attacks are based on flawlessly accurate predictions. But that makes them easier to deal with."

"…I see," Rimcy started with a slight frown. "But I too am able to feel this humiliation, as our master granted us personality and emotion. I've taken your words to heart."

She tossed aside the remains of her Lux. The large device on her back activated with a high-pitched hum and a green glow. "And so, I will meet you with my full strength."

With that, another gun-shaped Lux materialized in Rimcy's right hand, and she floated softly into the air—until, all of a sudden, the green light blazed, and she rocketed upward.

"Oh, wow— Rimcy's flying?! She's airborne!" cried Mico, the tournament's announcer. "Huh, so that thing on her back was an aviation unit. Now, competitors who can fly aren't all that rare, but having the skills to maneuver freely and fight at your full potential—well, that's another story, so."

As Saya listened to the commentary, she followed her opponent with her eyes.

True, some Dantes and Stregas could use their abilities for flight—Julis herself was one example.

Plus, personal flight modules smaller than Rimcy's were already widely available.

But as the commentator pointed out, using flight in combat was a different matter entirely. Needless to say, taking the higher ground over an opponent would generally work in one's favor, but that advantage meant nothing if a grounded Genestella was fast enough.

Still…

"…!"

Rimcy's airborne mobility was truly astonishing.

Saying that she flew like a bird would have been an understatement. It was all Saya could do to keep track of the green arcs trailing behind the Puppet.

"Here I come." A green ray streaked through the air, and bullets of light rained down after it.

Saya tried to set her aim as she dodged the barrage, but her opponent was nowhere to be seen. It was all but impossible to capture her movements as she sped through the air. Her rapid deceleration and acceleration, which would have injured a human, made aiming especially difficult for Saya.

"…This could be trouble," Saya admitted, though a thin smile spread across her face. Right—if this were easy, there would be no point. If the weapons of these Puppets embodied Camilla Pareto's credo, then Saya's victory lay in defeating them with her father's creations. That was why she'd fought this far.

"Burst," she murmured as she poured her prana into the Waldenholt's manadites. Massive amounts of energy flowed to the barrel of the gun, creating a limited force field. Like a glimmering shield, it deflected Rimcy's fire. Channeling just enough prana to keep the barrier from collapsing, Saya aimed.

"There." She shot an enormous ball of light from the right-side barrel, and it easily swallowed the other girl's incoming bullet. In terms of raw firepower, Rimcy's gun didn't stand a chance against Saya's Waldenholt.

The airborne Rimcy twisted to dodge the shot, but at that exact moment, Saya fired another from the left barrel. No matter how impressive Rimcy's aerial ability, it was possible to limit her movements by forcing her to evade.

All Saya had to do was aim properly. This was just what Kirin had said earlier: The precision with which Rimcy reacted to incoming attacks made it easy to manipulate her. And Saya's shot was on course for a direct hit. But then— An instant before impact, the bullet fragmented with a dull explosion.

"Hrm…?" She scowled at the sight. It should have been impossible for Rimcy's Lux to counter

Waldenholt. How did she…? High on her guard, Saya strained her eyes. The smoke cleared to reveal Rimcy holding out her left arm. It had transformed into a cannon from the elbow down, the massive barrel starkly contrasting against Rimcy's slender frame, as if her limb alone had morphed into some monstrous beast.

"Did you think that I was just a doll? That all I could do was a little flying? Even that dim-witted oaf was granted the perfect shield. Is it so strange that Master should have bestowed a fitting gift upon me?" Even though Rimcy spoke matter-of-factly, the pride in her voice was unmistakable.

"A fitting gift, huh?" Saya muttered as she quickly scanned the data readout on her HUD. Judging from the energy flow, Rimcy's gun was not external equipment but a part of her.

That meant that the energy was coming from the parallel manadites that served as her power source—which explained how its firepower could have matched the Waldenholt's.

"I suppose you could say that my Ruin Sharif is the perfect spear," Rimcy went on.

The perfect shield and the perfect spear… I'd like to see them up against each other, Saya thought.

"…I suppose that will be tough to handle." She glanced sideways to see Ardy and Kirin locked in vicious combat near the center of the stage.

Rimcy had yet to position herself so that the other two fighters were behind her, and Saya was in the same boat.

They were both paying partial attention to their tag-team partners, even as they focused on each other.

After all, the smallest lapse in concentration would endanger not only themselves but their partners as well.

As the teammates in charge of long-range combat, the responsibility fell naturally to both Rimcy and Saya.

"Well, I have no problem with that," Saya challenged. "Let's see who's got more power." A straight-on fight was exactly what she'd been after this whole time. Energy poured into Saya's Walden Holt and Rimcy's Ruin Sharif.

"Ruin Sharif—fire."

"…Kaboom." Instantly, two bullets discharged from Saya's Lux, and a stream of light burst from Rimcy's left arm.

The two projectiles clashed at the midpoint with a deafening roar; the gust from the explosion nearly blew both combatants away. "You canceled out my shot. Impressive."

"…Yours, too."

Rimcy and Saya glared at each other, their hair rippling in the ensuing gust. These two had something in common.

Both were enigmatic for the most part, but inside them burned a fierce and unyielding conviction.

"…" Neither spoke as they readied their weapons anew. At the same time…

"Haaaa!"

"Naaaah!" Kirin's Senbakiri arced swiftly through the air, but Ardy deflected it upward with his hammer. She rounded behind him to cut downward from on high, but his barrier blocked the strike an inch from his body. Yet the girl's sword did not pause for an instant, flowing from one attack into the next.

"Now, at the center of the stage, we see Toudou unleashing a fierce combination attack! Ardy's managing to ward off every blow, but he seems to be completely on the defensive, unable to launch a strike back!"

"So this is the famous Linked Cranes technique of the Toudou style I've heard so much about. Yep, it really is impenetrable." The Linked Cranes, the master technique of the Toudou style, was not one maneuver. Rather, by connecting moves together, it created an incessant series of attacks.

"Bwa-ha-ha! Your blade is truly formidable, Kirin Toudou! Your technique is divine—or rather, diabolical! To think that the likes of me would be unable to find an opening to fight back!" Ardy laughed, fending off Kirin's fierce offensive by the narrowest of margins.

"Most excellent! So this is what elation feels like! I can hardly bear it! You see it, too, do you not? With every strike of yours that I defend, I learn and evolve! Wonderful! You are a peerless teacher!" Kirin continued striking mercilessly in reply.

The point of her katana was deflected by Ardy's barrier and sliced his shoulder—but the cut was shallow. She whirled and made a circular swipe at his midsection, but his hammer blocked it as easily as if he could read the air. Just as I thought… A pattern that he's already seen won't work. She frowned slightly, but there was no stopping her blade.

The Linked Cranes allowed her to shift into the next attack from any position or situation. She did see the truth behind his words. As their weapons crossed, Ardy was evolving at a frightening speed.

That was unmistakable. I can't use the transition from Nine Thousand Leagues to Yoshiwara Sparrow… And I doubt that going from White Orchid to Rice-Planting Maiden would work again… There were forty-nine connecting techniques in the Toudou style, and combining them with basic attacks allowed for countless patterns.

But as Kirin's sword carved through the air, she could feel her available options gradually dwindling. Ordinarily, defending against a technique perfectly on the second try would be near impossible. Not even Yukio could manage such a feat; human beings learned physical skills slowly through repetition.

But this opponent was different. All he needed to learn an attack was to gather data on it once.

I might have to take back what I said earlier… Kirin smiled self-deprecatingly as her Linked Cranes continued. While she had pointed out to Ardy the weakness of his mechanical nature, his extraordinary capacity to learn was undoubtedly a strength that arose from the same source.

And what was more—Kirin was now providing him with the very fighting experience that he lacked. At first, Ardy's hammer had been simply fast and precise. But his movements were growing sharper before her eyes, his blows heavier.

Still, Kirin did not expect to lose. The girl had no self-assurance, but she held considerable confidence in her katana technique.

It was not pride in her talents but simply faith in the training she had practiced day in and day out. Despite Ardy's rapid progress, the gap between his and Kirin's close-range combat skills was overwhelming, not to be easily overcome.

But then— "Still! Even if I am collecting invaluable data, such a one-sided fight does leave something to be desired…!" With those words, Ardy body-slammed Kirin to send her flying, then held his hammer high.

Of course, against the Linked Cranes, such a brutish maneuver left a wide opening. It presented Kirin with the perfect opportunity.

As Ardy's huge war hammer came down, Kirin turned it aside so as not to break her blade, then rounded to his flank.

This was not the ideal location for striking the school crest on his chest, but it was a clear shot at victory.

"I have you now!" Kirin swung the Senbakiri with deadly force. "Hah! Very well— Do your worst!"

"Ha-ha… I must say, this all seems really silly to me—but very well. I'll play along. Let us compare our firepower again." Rimcy slowly descended to the ground, presumably to allocate the power used for her flight unit to her gun. "Ruin Sharif—maximum output."

"…Full Burst." Both weapons filled with extraordinary amounts of energy. Miniature lightning bolts crackled around Saya, and the air itself groaned under the strain of the energy. The slightest error in her prana control would result in the Waldenholt exploding.

If that happened, Saya would not escape unscathed. At last, the stored energy reached the critical limit, on the cusp of breaking free.

"Fire!"

"Kaboom…!" A swirling stream of light burst from Rimcy's left arm, and a hyper condensed shell of light shot from Saya's Waldenholt.

Saya grimaced at the recoil as the anchors around her creaked. The two shots clashed between them, just like before, and for a moment they appeared evenly matched.

But then— "What—?!"

The bullet from the Waldenholt overpowered and scattered the Ruins Sharif's laser-like beam. Rimcy turned to dodge—an instant too late.

She stifled a cry, and a giant dome of light swallowed her body.

After a brief silence, the explosion that erupted might have blown away the whole arena.

The raging shock wave shook through all the protective barriers surrounding the stage, enough that it threatened to break them. Screams of terror broke out from the audience.

When the explosion finally subsided, Rimcy knelt with her face twisted in agony in the center of a sizable crater. Her left arm was completely destroyed, emitting sparks and black smoke. The Ruins Sharif was disabled.

Still… Why doesn't she have any other major injuries? Even if she had avoided a direct hit, Rimcy had suffered little damage for an explosion of that magnitude.

As Saya strained her eyes in disbelief, she spied a thin wall of light, shimmering its protection before the robot girl. "Why, that's…"

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha!" A boisterous laugh suddenly rang across the stage. "That was very close, Rimcy!" Ardy was standing at the rim of the crater, looking down at his partner in amusement. "I couldn't protect you entirely, but you can't complain, right?"

"I know…" Rimcy's voice, in contrast, was bitter with defeat.

"I see. So he can generate that barrier to protect things other than himself." Saya hadn't expected this, but it made sense. What's more, the barrier looked thinner than usual, probably because the generator—Ardy—was some distance away.

"S-sorry, Saya. I couldn't quite stop him." Kirin ran up to her and bowed in apology.

"No, Kirin. You did a good job fighting that hulk. More than enough." Saya patted her lowered head and thanked her gently."I couldn't finish her off, but we've basically neutralized one of them. So now it's two-on-one. We have the advantage—"

"Are you sure about that?" Rimcy interjected, standing unsteadily. "…Hmm?"

"You did surpass me, I admit it. But that is not the same thing as surpassing us." She slowly looked up to her partner.

"Ardy, we have little choice in the present circumstances. As much as it pains me, I'll do as you wish."

"Ho-ho, now that's more like it! I'm ready whenever you are!" Rimcy let out a short sigh and spread her arms. Her body emanated a manadite glow.

"Purging ACM unit, first exterior armor, Luxes. Transferring limit control." Her flight unit and armor separated from her body and floated up as several enormous gun Luxes activated and did the same.

"Ah! Here we go, here we go, here we go!" Ardy cried.

"Commence connection!" Rimcy's parts were guided toward her partner, and as the light beacons adjusted their positions…

"Ohhhh! C-could this be—?!" the thrilled announcer blurted. Steam hissed from Ardy's body, and his shoulders split wide open.

Rimcy's flight unit separated into two pieces and docked onto the opening he'd made—in other words, the Luxes and their armor attached to his arms and legs.

As his eyes shined brightly, the light pouring from his body turned from green to blue.

Was this really happening?

"They…combined?" Saya and Kirin stared in disbelief.

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Ardy crowed. "Now you gaze upon my true form!"

Meanwhile, in the exclusive spectator booth of Allekant Académie's student council, Ernesta sat with her legs crossed, feet up on the seat.

"Oh, boy, I didn't think they'd get into enough of a pinch to use that. This is a teensy bit unexpected."

"Are you sure this will work?" Camilla demanded with a stern look from the seat beside her. The booth was empty except for them. "The simulations were fine. No reason to worry."

"I hope you're right. I'm still regretting the decision to equip them with that thing."

"Tee-hee. But your Ruin Sharif was overpowered— Isn't that the whole reason we're in this situation?"

"W-well…" Camilla sheepishly averted her gaze.

"Not that there was any way around it. That Lux of Dr. Sasamiya does have ridiculous firepower."

"I admit, it's a better weapon than I expected."

"Well, if we want to win, then we have no choice but to use it! Right? Right?" As Ernesta's eyes gleamed with utmost joy, Camilla let out a long sigh.

"I don't know— I can't say that the situation looks very good. What are you so happy about, anyway?" Giggling, Ernesta glanced back at Camilla, her expression relaxed and playful.

"It's just that my babies are growing at such an awesome speed. Really, they've completely exceeded my expectations. They're so amazing!" She kicked her legs in sheer elation.

"If they can control that on top of everything else, who knows what they can do?"

Perhaps because of the bulky equipment added onto his shoulders, Ardy seemed far more massive and imposing than before.

Each arm sported a Lux resembling a gun with an enormous muzzle, and his legs had sprouted several similar weapons. He looked, literally, fully equipped.

"What do you say now?!" Ardy asked, sticking out his chest in pride. "Look at me, more majestic and dignified than ever!"

"Grrr… So freakin' cool," muttered Saya, which prompted Kirin to turn to her in surprise.

"Go ahead and attack me!" Ardy declared with raucous laughter, spinning his hammer lightly in his hand and then slamming the butt against the ground. It was enough to create a dent in the earth beneath him.

"I guess it's more than just tacked-on parts," grumbled Kirin.

"…" Saya gave her a small nod, then quickly checked the Waldenholt's status. She'd fired it at full power, and now it needed extra time to cool down. She could switch to another weapon, but it was probably the only one in her arsenal that could break through the robot's defensive barrier.

"Hmm… If you won't attack, then I shall come to you." Saya had hoped to buy more time, but her opponent had other ideas.

As Ardy held up his hammer, she braced herself. She glanced over to Rimcy to find her completely disarmed and uninterested in joining the battle.

Then we should take advantage of the fact that it's two-on-one… As that thought crossed Saya's mind, she was stunned to find a massive black frame before her, just like a wall. He's fast…!

"Saya!" Kirin cried. The hammer came down too swiftly for her to dodge—she would have been a smear if Kirin hadn't rushed in to sweep her up in her arms. The two distanced themselves from the boy to recoup, both exhaling in unison.

"Thanks, Kirin. You saved me."

"Never mind that. His movements—they're completely different from before." Kirin carefully readied the Senbakiri as she continued, sounding suspicious.

"But from the looks of it, his attack is still the same. It's just his speed and power that's shot up to a completely new level…" Saya gasped at her analysis and turned to Ardy. The additional parts on his shoulder were a flight unit.

If he was using them for propulsion, that could explain the increase in speed—but she didn't think that was all there was to it. If his overall performance had been boosted at a more basic level… "Kirin. This is a guess, but I think I figured out his trick."

"His trick?"

"They use multiple parallel manadites as power sources. I think Rimcy gave several of her manadites over to the big one."

"Oh…" That would explain why his basic abilities—like speed and power—had improved.

"Which means…," Saya added, "that the big one must have some kind of flaw."

"A flaw?" "If the big one could handle all the manadites without a problem, there'd be no reason for such a cumbersome system; they would've equipped him that way from the start. But they didn't, because it isn't perfect…I think."

"I see. It makes sense." The first possibility that came to mind was that they had a time limit, like Yukio. If Ardy was now forcing a power output higher than he could normally withstand, he wouldn't last very long.

Or perhaps having Ardy in this state posed some sort of risk. Here, too, Saya could think of several reasons why that would be—it was common for excessive power output to strain a processing system and cause it to break down.

"In any case, we don't have enough information. Kirin, can you buy us just a little bit of time?"

"All right. I'll do my best." Kirin nodded, then held the Senbakiri down at her side and took a few measured breaths.

"Hrm, are you finished with your strategy session? I thought you might try me first, Kirin Toudou." Glaring at Ardy as he casually closed in, the swordswoman drew him step by-step into her attack range—and the instant he set foot within her radius, she leaped at him to strike.

"Hyah!" Ardy received her backhand diagonal slash with his hammer, but the repelled blade immediately moved to the next attack. It was the Linked Cranes.

He was definitely faster, able to respond to all of Kirin's attacks. Nevertheless, he couldn't escape.

"Mm, your skill is truly excellent, Kirin Toudou…! Even now, it's impossible for me to contend with this technique." He laughed as he parried the Senbakiri.

"However—!" Blue light erupted from all over his body, creating a gust of wind. Undeterred, Kirin continued with an overhead slash, but Ardy's hammer blocked it and then hurled her backward. She bit back a cry of shock.

It was unbelievable. He'd broken out of the Linked Cranes by brute force.

Though she was just thirteen years old, Kirin was a Genestella who had endured arduous training. She had tremendous physical strength. Her blows were heavy, and most Genestella—no matter how strong—were hard-pressed just to ward them off.

A skilled swordsman like Yukio might be able to deflect Kirin's blade somewhat, but to fling her whole body was no ordinary feat. At the very least, it would be impossible for a human being.

"Bwa-ha-ha! We're not done yet!" Ardy boasted, rushing in to pursue the girl. She tried to parry with the Senbakiri, but Kirin had just landed and was caught off-balance. She couldn't entirely handle the blow.

"Ngh!" she groaned, as the hammer swept her away once again. She slammed into the defensive barrier at the edge of the stage. "Kirin!" Saya began to run to her, but the girl motioned her back.

"I-I'm fine," she said, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"But— look out!" Turning back to Ardy, Saya saw the massive black form holding out his hammer like a gun, pointed straight at her. A chill went down Saya's spine as she saw an enormous mass of energy gathering at the hammer. It's a projectile weapon…?!

"You are formidable opponents, worthy of respect. You have taught me much. And so, I will follow one of your lessons and crush you with my full strength."

"…That sounds like trouble. Kirin, can you move?"

"Yes!" —But Kirin winced as she tried to stand. "Kirin…is your leg okay?"

"I-I'm fine!" Despite Kirin's dauntless declaration, her right leg was visibly swollen. It didn't seem broken, but the injury would make it difficult to dodge the incoming attack.

"…" Saya silently made up her mind and joined the barrels of the Waldenholt again. It still wasn't cooled down from the previous attack, but under the circumstances, she had no other option. "Kirin, get behind me."

"B-but, you'll—"

"Just do it." There was no time to talk it over, and Saya stopped doing so. She directed her prana into the Waldenholt, instantly reaching the mana excitation threshold in the manadites and filling them with energy—but perhaps because the weapon had not cooled down sufficiently, the response was duller than usual. It won't charge in time…! Just as that realization crossed Saya's mind, Ardy's hammer discharged.

"Wolnir Hammer, firing!" Saya gritted her teeth in frustration, but she had to pull the trigger now.

"Full Burst!" The head of the hammer whirled rapidly toward the girls, but the Waldenholt's shell stopped it at the last instant

. "Ngh…!" Saya had no time to deploy her anchors, so she stood firm the best she could as the recoil nearly bowled her over. The shell of light and the hammer clashed in a shower of energy sparks. But eventually, as if it had succumbed to fatigue, the shell exploded, throwing the two girls into the defensive barrier.

Still, they'd managed to block Ardy's attack. That wasn't nothing. The hammerhead, pushed back by the explosion, returned to Ardy and found its home again at the end of the shaft as he held it aloft. "Hmm… I did not expect you to fend off that attack," he praised. "I must say that I'm impressed."

"…" Saya stood unsteadily and glared back at him.

"…Ready, Kirin?"

"Of course." Kirin rose to her feet behind her partner and readied the Senbakiri. Kirin's voice was full of strength, but she had suffered more than a minor wound.

The injury to her leg was certain to have a significant effect on a swordswoman who relied on speed as she did. Saya's Waldenholt, meanwhile, was shorted out all over. It was no longer usable. And yet… Saya bit down hard on her lip, closed her eyes, and then opened them wide again.

"…We can't give up." She deactivated the Waldenholt and activated another Lux. Type 39 Lux laser cannon Wolfdora—in terms of firepower, it was the next strongest weapon she had after the Waldenholt.

She wasn't sure how effective it would be against Ardy, but she had to try.

"Will you cover me?" Kirin stepped in front of Saya, showing no hint of the injury to her leg.

"How strange. Before this match, I would have called your actions a futile gesture. But now I am struck with awe at seeing you fight to the end." Ardy's tone was uncharacteristically placid, and his whole body erupted once again in blue light.

As if on cue, Kirin and Saya split up to run in opposite directions.

…The first semifinal match concluded shortly after that.

"Saya! Kirin!" Yukio burst into the prep room to find the two girls slumped on the sofa. They were swathed in so many bandages it almost hurt to look at them, but thankfully they seemed to have escaped serious harm.

"Good grief— Are you two all right? They certainly did a number on you." Julis, following on Yukio's heels, wore a worried expression that belied her harsh words.

"…No real damage. We could have kept going, if they hadn't gotten our crests," muttered Saya, looking sullen. She turned her head toward them. Having watched the match, Yukio recognized Saya's bravado.

It was more or less a one-sided affair once Ardy had combined parts with Rimcy. Not that Saya and Kirin didn't stand a chance, but the outcome had been all but decided after Kirin's injury and Saya's Waldenholt breaking down. The pair had fought fiercely after that, but Ardy's awesome strength overwhelmed them.

Still, Saya had spoken the truth, in a sense. The two had kept getting back up no matter how many times they were knocked down. If their crests had not been destroyed, they might well have kept on fighting until their bodies were.

"I never imagined the Linked Cranes could be broken like that…" Kirin sighed with a weak smile, her voice filled with frustration.

"I'm sorry you had to see such a disappointing match. I don't know how to face Flora— She was rooting for us…" Flora had watched the match from the general admission seats but hadn't arrived in the prep room yet.

"It wasn't disappointing at all," Yukio said. "Besides, I don't think anyone could break the Linked Cranes that way."

As someone who had firsthand experience being on the receiving end of the technique, he could say that much.

Kirin's katana strikes were heavy to begin with, and it was all that anyone defending against the Linked Cranes could do to just deflect her attacks.

Yukio couldn't even imagine how much physical strength it would take to send Kirin herself flying.

"No—I've never been as painfully aware of my own inexperience as I am now. In the end, I was relying too much on the Cranes. I have to rethink my strategy from a more fundamental level…" Kirin's voice was tight with self recrimination as her fists clenched.

Yukio made himself swallow the words of comfort he was about to offer. Sometimes, careless consolation could drive a defeated fighter further into despair.

"Anyway, you two have to rest and heal," he said instead. "Your medical exams didn't turn up anything, right?"

Those who lost a Festa match were required to go through medical examinations (while this was optional for the winners). Serious injuries could result in hospitalization, but since Genestella were such quick healers, usually only first aid was necessary.

"Nothing major," Kirin replied. "Although if I had to say, my right leg is a little…"

"Oh—does it hurt badly?" Yukio asked.

"Oh, no. The medicine is working now… But thank you for your concern." Kirin waved him off idly.

She really is brave, Yukio thought. "What about you, Saya?"

"…I hurt all over. But wrecking so many of my Luxes is far more painful." It was an answer he might well have expected from his childhood friend. "We'll avenge you in the final, so rest easy," Julis said. "Right, Yukio?"

"Well, sure, I'd really like to…but I can't make any promises after seeing that match." Ayato turned to her grave. Indeed, when it came to swordplay, Kirin was far superior to Yukio.

It would not be that simple to beat an opponent who could overwhelm her—even with an Orga Lux.

"How valiant of you, Riessfeld," Saya said in mock amazement as she sat up.

"If you can say that after seeing our match, you'd have to be a real idiot, or have something up your sleeve—"

"I don't have any ideas, not against a monster like that," Julis said plainly.

"…So what you're saying is you are a real idiot?"

"I may well be. It's a grand slam I'm after, remember? Wouldn't I have to be an idiot to consider a crazy fantasy like that?" Saya's eyes widened at that, but then she smiled drily.

"…No argument from me. You can't slip up in your first Festa, then."

"That's right." Julis offered her outstretched fist, and Saya bumped her own against it. "…So it's up to you," Saya said.

"Right. We've got this." Yukio smiled faintly as he watched their exchange from the corner of his eye —then his expression quickly became serious again.

After combining with Rimcy, Ardy's strength in the semifinal match had been otherworldly. He seemed too strong.

Was it really possible to become that strong simply by combining some equipment? Something about it is familiar somehow…

As his thoughts raced, Yukio turned his gaze to the entrance.

…

"Sheesh, those reporters are so pushy, I can't believe it. And when I have to get back to repair Ardy and Rimcy, no less," Ernesta grumbled, skipping down the corridor to the prep room.

"…"

Even as she complained, she was smiling—in stark contrast to the silent and sullen Camilla beside her, whose shoes clacked along at a brisk pace. Camilla had been like this since the winners' interview began. The press must have been confused as to why a member of the winning team would be in such a foul mood.

"Come on, Camilla, aren't you ready to cheer up yet? There wasn't much of a choice. We might have lost if we didn't use it."

"…" Ernesta stepped ahead of her tight-lipped companion and spun around to peer into her face. But Camilla did not slow down and walked past Ernesta instead, intent on ignoring her. Ernesta let out a deep sigh, the smile fading from her face.

"…Camilla, you always knew this day would come, didn't you?" At that, Camilla's steps finally paused. It wasn't very fair of Ernesta to bring this up, but she had to.

"You and me, we're trying to get to two different places. Sure, we'll travel together for a while, but in the end we'll have to go our separate ways. You knew that, and you helped anyway. Right?"

"That's not—" Camilla turned and started to say something, but then decided against it. Ernesta sighed again. She was grateful for her friend's kindness, but it was time to put things out in the open. "Your ultimate objective is perfect versatility. Which is to say, you want to make weapons that anyone—any human at all—can wield with ease. Isn't that right?"

"It is." Camilla nodded after a short pause.

"But weapons like that don't exist. They can't. In the end, all weapons rely to some extent on the person wielding them." What was the solution, then? It was simple: Create a new entity—something not human—to handle the weapon. Puppets were the answer. A Puppet could expertly wield any weapon, no matter how complex. All a human had to do was give an order.

"To achieve that, however," Ernesta went on, "the Puppets don't need human-level sentience.

Actually, they must not have it. If they did, they'd be just the same as humans." Ernesta's objective was different. What she wanted was to create with her own hands entities equal to humans in every way—autonomous Puppets that could laugh, cry, rejoice, and grow.

So she trembled with emotion, watching the growth of Ardy during the semifinal match, knowing that was exactly what she'd been pursuing all this time. Ernesta's ultimate objective was that, someday, Puppets like hers would earn the same rights as human beings.

With a sad, wry smile, Camilla looked at Ernesta, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. "Do you remember the first time we met?" she asked.

"Sure I do. I mean, half your body had been blown away, Camilla. That's not the kind of thing you forget," Ernesta replied with a high laugh. Camilla had been accompanying her parents on a business excursion to a conflict zone when they were attacked by a group of anti-government insurgents.

Camilla's parents had hired armed escorts, but they were badly outnumbered. Her parents lost their lives, and Camilla herself suffered life-threatening injuries.

Her parents had been dealing with Frauenlob at the time, and she was transported to one of their labs. Ernesta, already widely known as a peerless prodigy, happened to be researching Puppets in that very laboratory.

While the technology for regenerating human body parts was widely available, the time it took to cultivate organs meant it had no application in emergencies. And so Ernesta applied her expertise to save Camilla's life.

Although she had not asked in so many words, Ernesta was sure it was because of this past that her friend was so insistent on developing weapons that anyone could use. Camilla's parents had tried to fight with the weapons their guards carried, but they weren't even able to activate them properly.

Moreover, Camilla's parents had been ordinary civilians. Even with the use of those weapons, they would have been no match for combat-trained insurgents. In the end, weapons depended entirely on their users. No matter how versatile the device, that would remain an inescapable truth.

….

That was why Camilla pursued Puppets as a solution. More than anyone in the world, Camilla mistrusted human beings. "Yes. Half my body is a Puppet that you made for me. And I swore to give you half of my life in return."

"Yup, and I took it." Ernesta nodded innocently. "That's why…I won't criticize your dream. True, my objective isn't the same —but that's another conversation."

"Then why were you so mad?" Camilla's eyes lit up at those words.

"That was my anger as an engineer! How many times did I tell you? That thing is too dangerous to use in actual combat! And I was right to be afraid! Just look at the abnormal spikes in these readings!"

Camilla jabbed at her mobile device, opening an air-window that displayed many graphs.

"There's no way we can manage this much output! We were one step away from losing control!"

"Aw, c'mon. We didn't really have a choice. If we lose now, then all our work will be for nothing." Ernesta pouted like a child receiving a scolding. "If you wanted results, we have more than enough—"

"Nope. I've been telling you from the start. My only goal is the championship. And then I'll have them make Ardy and Rimcy official students at our school." Unable to contain her excitement, Ernesta began twirling around. Yes, and that'll be the first step to spreading awareness about autonomous Puppets. That's why I simply have to win the Phoenix.

"But that's what I'm saying—," Camilla protested just as a call came to the mobile device in her hand.

"It's me. Yes, it— What?" The tone of her voice changed mid-reply. As Ernesta wondered what the call could be about, Camilla gave her a troubled look. "There's a call for you—from Dirk Eberwein."

"Huh… Well, what do you know. Okay, put him through."

"Right." Camilla touched her mobile, and a new air-window opened to show a slightly overweight young man.

"…Hey. So you're Ernesta Kühne?" Ernesta laughed.

"That's some way to greet someone you're meeting for the first time. Yup. I'm Ernesta Kühne, leader of the Pygmalion faction. Nice to meet you, Tyrant." Ernesta spoke in her usual tone and gave a small bow. Dirk scoffed. "You're even more obnoxious than they say."

"And you're even less likable than they say," Ernesta replied.

"So? What do you want? I thought you guys were all buddy-buddy with Magnum Opus?" For a moment, an unsettling gleam showed in Dirk's eyes.

"You're better informed than I thought. But let me set you straight. We agreed with that crazy broad not to get in each other's way, and that's it. We're not friendly and we're not working together."

"Hmm… I didn't know that. But I guess it makes sense, now that I think about it. No way would she forgive you after you stole Ereshkigal from her."

"Never mind that. I'll get straight to the point. Join forces with us."

"Ugh, that's why you called? What a complete waste of time…!" Camilla glared at Dirk with open hatred, but the red-haired youth paid her no mind. "Hmm, isn't that an awfully blunt way to propose a relationship?" Ernesta said.

"I mean, first of all, we barely know anything about you guys. Shouldn't we explore this after we get to know each other better?"

"Why bother? I said 'join forces,' but all I want is your cooperation, whenever and however we need it. You'll be compensated accordingly."

"Compensated?" Dirk sniffed disdainfully. "We prepared a little gift as a gesture. You can make a decision after you see it."

….

"Excuse me." After a knock and a polite greeting, Claudia entered the prep room.

"Miss Sasamiya, Miss Toudou, I know the outcome of your match disappoints you. But finishing in the top four is something you should be truly proud of. For Seidoukan Academy, the prospects for this Festa season are considerably brighter, thanks to you. I'll make sure the two of you are rewarded accordingly for your achievement."

She gave them a gracious bow, to which Saya and Kirin responded somewhat bashfully.

"N-no, really, that's…!"

"…Don't bother. We fought for ourselves." Yukio had heard that students who placed high in the Festa received significant rewards, although not as much as the winners. Sometimes it was simply money, or sometimes they would be granted privileges similar to the ones extended to Page One students.

The latter sort of reward sounded appealing, considering that the privileges would not be revoked due to a drop in rank.

"By the way, Claudia," Julis asked, "did you happen to see Flora on the way here?"

"No, I'm sorry to say I didn't." Claudia shook her head slowly.

"We said we would meet here after the match…" But considerable time had passed since the match ended.

to and Julis's match was not until evening, so they were in no hurry—but it worried them that Flora was so late.

"You can't reach her on her mobile device?" Claudia asked.

"We've been trying," Julis fretted. Yukio stood up. "I'll go check our prep room again. Maybe Flora got the meeting place wrong."

"Right… I'll go ask reception if they've got any lost children." As if on cue, her mobile device signaled an incoming call just before Julis could leave the room. Seeing who it was from, she smiled.

"It's Flora. What on earth could she be up to?" But then her smile faded, quickly replaced by a more serious expression.

"A voice-only call…?" Frowning suspiciously, she opened an air-window. The visual was pitchblack nothingness, and a deep, gloomy voice said, "Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld?"

"Who are you? Why do you have this phone?!" Julis shouted, fury and panic rising.

"The owner of this mobile device is in our custody," the voice replied dispassionately. "Is Yukio Amagiri with you?"

"Yeah, that's me— Is Flora safe?" Yukio was surprised to hear his name but responded immediately to the matter at hand. Then, after a short silence—

"Your Highness! Master Amagiri! I'm okay!" an excited child called to them. There was no mistaking it. The voice was Flora's.

"If you agree to our demand, we will guarantee her safety."

"And what are you demanding?"

"Apply for an emergency freeze on the Ser Veresta. We'll free the girl once we confirm the request has been received."

"An emergency freeze…?"

"If we determine that our demand was not carried out, or if you contact the city guard or Seidoukan's covert ops apparatus, then we can't guarantee her safety. The same goes if you forfeit or withdraw from the Festa. That is all."

"Hey, wait—!" The air-window closed after the voice had had its say. Yukio quickly snatched the mobile device from Julis's hand and called back. But of course, there was no answer. The caller had turned off the power, or perhaps destroyed the device to avoid being traced.

"Flora…kidnapped…?" Julis mumbled, her face pale.

The strength was gone from her voice. She hardly seemed like herself. It was Claudia who spoke next. "Stay calm, Julis. They're after Yukio, not you. We can't do anything if you panic. That would be exactly what they want."

"Claudia…"

"First, we have to get a firm grasp on the situation, and then we can decide what needs to be done." Julis took a deep breath, exhaled, then slapped both of her cheeks with her hands.

"Yes, you're right. Sorry." A fierce anger still burned in her eyes, but she no longer seemed to be panicking. The exchange made Yukio remember what a dependable friend Claudia was.

"Claudia, what's this emergency freeze that they wanted?" he asked. The kidnappers' demand was directed at him. He was prepared to follow it immediately if possible. Whatever it involved, there was no way it was worth more than Flora's life.

"An emergency freeze is requested when a wielder of a school-owned Orga Lux senses danger from the weapon." Turning to Yukio, Claudia slightly lowered her eyes.

"As you already know, using an Orga Lux entails certain kinds of risks. If there is a real danger, in many cases, it would be recognizable only to the wielder. So an Orga Lux wielder can, at his or her discretion, apply to have the weapon forcibly sealed away."

"So—the kidnappers want to make the Ser Veresta unusable?"

"It would seem so."

"B-but then," Kirin interjected timidly, "can't you just have the freeze lifted once Flora is freed? It doesn't have to be sealed forever, does it?" With an expression that neither confirmed nor denied, Claudia shrugged her shoulders.

"Yes, that's true, as far as the procedure itself is concerned. An emergency freeze is meant for just that—emergencies. After the Orga Lux is sealed away, a detailed inspection is carried out. If that reveals no danger, then the freeze on the Ser Veresta can be lifted immediately. However…"

"…if he did that, Yukio 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, Yukio 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. Yukio 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. Yukio felt guilty toward the weapon, but with a life on the line, the choice was perfectly clear.

"Are you sure, Yukio?" 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, Yukio…" 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," Yukio 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,

"Yukio, 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 Yukio.

"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 Yukio and the Ser Veresta. This means the mastermind is almost certainly Dirk Eberwein. For whatever reason, he's had Yukio 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, Yukio?"

"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 Yukio," 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 Yukio, 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." Yukio had just decided to pursue finding his sister, but there were other Festa tournaments. There was nothing to consider. Seeing this exchange between Yukio 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 be back to her usual self.

"But—why did the kidnappers insist on us not forfeiting the Festa?" Yukio 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." Yukio 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."

"…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.

(At Noon Match)

"Winners: Yukio Amagiri and Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld!"

….

The redevelopment area was once the site of the Jade Twilight Incident, an event without parallel in the history of Asterisk. At the time, the entire area was sealed off, and the situation was resolved thanks to the brave actions of Helga Lindwall, the leader of the Stjarnagarm.

Still, the incident resulted in tremendous casualties —as the city dealt with the aftermath and questions of blame and accountability, allocation of the recovery budget was met with endless delays. Meanwhile, student delinquents—mostly from the Le Wolfe Black Institute—occupied it as their base of operations.

As they engaged in occasional skirmishes with the city guard, the place became a gathering place for dropouts as well as criminals from outside the city. Now it was a full-fledged gangland. Still, not all of the redevelopment area was a hotbed of violent crime. The Rotlicht, located on the outskirts, was relatively safe.

As long as one avoided the slums, there was little immediate danger. There were dilapidated buildings here and there throughout the district, deserted due to the risk of collapse. Claudia surmised that Flora's kidnappers were using one as a hideout.

"They're not in this one, either," Kirin murmured with a stern expression, examining the map displayed in her air-window. Several red points blinked on the map, indicating areas of interest.

Claudia had previously made a list of all such buildings, and, once she'd repurposed the information for their present mission, had given them the data. The map did help, but there were too many locations for two people to cover.

Only Le Wolfe had a thoroughly detailed knowledge of this area, and the list they had was incomplete. And what was more, Saya and Kirin couldn't split up, since Saya completely lacked any sense of direction. But searching together was probably unavoidable anyway—if Flora's kidnapper really was a special agent working for Le Wolfe, it would be too dangerous to face him alone.

"…We'll just have to go through them one by one." Saya walked beside Kirin. Her voice was slightly agitated, though her expression was as calm as ever.

"You're right," Kirin agreed.

"Next, there's— Ouch!" Pain shot through her right leg. It was the injury she'd suffered in her fight against Ardy. "…Don't overwork yourself."

"N-no…! I can handle this!" Kirin was hunched over in pain, but she forced a smile and immediately stood up again. Not only was she injured, Kirin was so exhausted from the fight that she couldn't move the way she wanted, and she was short on prana, too—if they did run into something, it would be best for her to avoid combat if at all possible.

Although Saya didn't show it, she had to be feeling similarly. But a pair of young women walking in the redevelopment area attracted a certain kind of man. The ones they had encountered so far had not been too persistent, but it was only six in the evening.

There was no telling what might happen as the night wore on. Those men would be less likely to harass them if they knew that this pair were none other than Seidoukan's Saya Sasamiya and Kirin Toudou, semifinalists in the current Phoenix.

But per Claudia's instructions, they hid their heads under their hats and wore the most nondescript clothing possible. They wouldn't be recognized unless someone studied them up close. And then, a call reached Saya's mobile. "Hmm… It's Yukio."

"Saya, Kirin, what's going on?" "…Sorry. No leads yet."

"Oh… Okay. Just don't push yourselves too hard. Your leg is in pretty bad shape, Kirin." It was almost as if Yukio had been watching their earlier interaction.

"D-don't worry about me—I'm fine!" Kirin replied. But even though this wasn't really the time for such consideration, she was still glad to receive it from him. "By the way," Saya said, "since you're calling, it must be over already?"

"Yeah. We made it to the final, thank goodness." Saya and Kirin exchanged glances and smiled. "We'll get ready and join you over there as soon as we can," he added.

"Can you send us the data?"

"Sure." Saya sent him the map with the cleared buildings marked. "You shouldn't push yourselves too hard, either," Kirin said.

"You have the championship tomorrow."

"We'll be fine." Yukio laughed.

"Talk to you soon." With that, he hung up. Yukio and Julis joining them would help their effort, but it still wouldn't be easy to find Flora within the allotted time. The remaining list of locations to investigate was immense.

"…Let's go, Kirin." Saya started walking again.

"Right." She nodded firmly and continued beside her classmate. There was no use agonizing over it. As Saya had pointed out, all they could do now was check the target locations one by one. "Anyway, I'm glad they advanced."

"I knew Yukio could do it." Saya's pride was clear in her reply.

"The next one is the championship…"

"Even for him, it'll be hard to beat them without the Ser Veresta."

"…Yes, I think you're right." The two knew the strength of Yukio and Julis's final opponents better than anyone. And considering how quickly the Puppets were learning, they would be much stronger in the championship than they had been in that day's match.

Abruptly, Saya paused. "Saya…?" Kirin turned to find her standing still, gaze fixed on the ground.

"Kirin…" Saya said her teammate's name in a tiny, trembling voice. "I really wanted to win." Kirin's heart filled with the frustration she had kept at bay.

"Me too," Saya managed to answer, her voice quavering the same way. The two stood without a word for several moments. Finally, Saya scrubbed away her tears and raised her head. "Let's go. There's still something we can do." She broke into a run. Kirin nodded, still biting her lip, and followed.

(The Next Day)

Strolling slowly down the back alley, Yukio's mind raced. "If the kidnapper really is hiding out in the Rotlicht, then…"

"…Hey, you." A voice called to him from behind. He turned around to find three menacing men eyeing him up and down.

"Uh… Can I help you?" Yukio asked. They practically radiated violence. If they were going to ask him anything, they wouldn't do it nicely. "So you're the punk that's been sniffing around on our turf?"

"Yeah, you don't look like a cop… Come with us. We gotta talk." They seemed to be with the mafia that ran the area.

Although Yukio had been careful not to stand out, the nature of their business made this lot very cautious. They'd found him much sooner than he'd expected. Like Saya and Kirin, he'd come in disguise—no more than a Hollow Mask and a hoodie, but it was something—so at least they had yet to realize who he was.

"Well, I'm just looking for someone, that's all…" As he spoke, Yukio quickly gauged the men's strength. Judging from their unrefined prana and the way they carried themselves, they didn't seem to be formidable foes.

By now Yukio could release his seal with a degree of freedom, so he'd be able to drive them off without too much trouble.

It wouldn't be wise to start trouble, but he couldn't tell them the truth either —which he doubted would satisfy them, in any case. Then there was only one thing to do. Yukio turned and dashed away.

"Hey! Hold on, you!" Angry voices rang from behind, but of course he had no intention of holding on. The question was whether he should head toward Main Street or farther into the winding passageways.

He didn't want to attract more attention, but during the time he'd rescued Priscilla in the redevelopment area, his unfamiliarity with the streets had gotten him cornered. Maybe hiding himself in a crowd would be a better idea.

The moment he made it back onto the street, he realized it had been a mistake. He caught sight of several men radiating the same sort of malevolence among the crowd. Yukio knew he was in trouble, and he could feel the first group of pursuers closing in from behind.

He couldn't turn back. But if he stayed on Main, it was only a matter of time until they found him. What do I do…? After some hesitation, he was about to take a step forward when a murmur reached him.

"Hey, kid. Are you on the run?" The voice was so quiet, it would have been easy to miss amid all the footsteps and hubbub. But it captured his attention like magic and led his eyes to its owner.

"If you're in trouble, I could help." A few paces in front of him, a girl stood against one of the pillars supporting the open-air corridors and revealed a thin smile.

She wore a bulky hat covering her head, and Yukio couldn't make out the details of her face, but she seemed to be about his age. Her chestnut hair was tied carelessly, and she wore jeans with a loose blouse.

Overall, she didn't stand out much, and if she hadn't spoken to him, he would have simply passed her by without noticing or remembering her.

"Um…have we met somewhere?" Yukio asked, thinking her voice seemed a bit familiar.

"Hmm? I don't think so…but what do you want to do? If you just stand there, those guys behind you will catch up." At her reminder, he checked, and the men were already almost upon him. He didn't know who she was. It could be a trap.

But somehow, Yukio could tell she wasn't deceiving him. It wasn't logic, but gut instinct.

"All right. Can you help me?"

"Sure. Follow me!" The girl grabbed his hand, then started a run toward the opposite alley. The men noticed and chased after them, shouting, but the girl paid them no mind as she led Ayato this way and that. She apparently knew these streets like a native.

"…" As the girl rushed along the narrow corridors, she sang under her breath. Her voice was too soft for Ayato to discern the words clearly, but he could detect a melody.

At the same time, Yukio sensed the mana stirring around her.

Is she a Strega…? He could feel the men receding behind them, and their voices grew distant. At the same time, the scenery underwent a sudden transformation. Suddenly, they were among several crumbling urban structures

. The girl ran swiftly, her hand surprisingly soft in his. Her prana was so quiet that he hadn't noticed at first, but if she was a Strega, then obviously she was a Genestella like he was. J

udging from her age, she had to be a student, too. Her breath stayed even despite the long dash, evidence of regular athletic training. But even so, Yukio couldn't guess the extent of her abilities; she was hiding it well. "Whew. I think we should be okay now." Arriving at a vacant lot surrounded by decrepit structures, the girl turned to Yukio with a small smile.

"Thanks. You really saved me back there." There was no way he could have escaped on his own. The girl laughed.

"So? What'd you do to get guys like that after you? They try to shake you down or something?"

"No, nothing like that… It's complicated." She didn't seem to be an enemy, but he couldn't explain the situation to just anyone. Hearing his evasive answer, the girl only nodded in understanding.

"Mm, I get it. You don't have to explain." She took a seat on some construction debris.

"You should wait before you go back, though. They won't chase you this far out of the Rotlicht, but things are a little tense right now, and they're not the sort to give up so easy."

"Tense?"

"You know, with the Festa. The city guard is way more strict than usual. So the mafia types running the Rot have more lookouts than usual."

"Oh, I see…" During the Festa, people flooded into Asterisk from all over the world. It was only natural that there would be more visitors to the Rotlicht, too. While it was the norm for most things to go unchecked most of the time in the Rot, the city guard had to put extra personnel on the ground for this.

But if that was the case, the kidnapper had more reason not to hide out here. Not just because of the increased police presence, but because there would be fewer businesses willing to harbor trouble.

Then what if they're not in the Rotlicht after all…? He thought he should begin looking somewhere else right away. He had no time to waste. And yet there was something nagging at the back of his mind…

"Thanks for everything," he told the girl. "I'd like to thank you somehow, but I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Oh, don't worry about it—Yukio Amagiri."

"!"

He immediately jumped back. She clapped her hands as if impressed. "Wow, nice reflexes. You didn't make it to the finals on dumb luck. But it hurts a little that you're so suspicious of me."

"…How did you know my name?" he asked cautiously. The girl gave him an exaggerated shrug.

"I'm sure you're trying to be incognito, but that's a pretty flimsy disguise. If you want to give people the slip, you need to change your aura, too. You're a celebrity now—you've got to step up your game a little, you know."

"Huh…?" It was true that Yukio hadn't spent a lot of effort on his disguise, but he was surprised to learn it was so obvious.

"Just so you don't get the wrong idea, I didn't help you because you're Seidoukan Academy's top-ranked."

"Then why…?"

"It's only natural to help someone in need, isn't it?" She answered his question as if it were glaringly obvious.

"Well, as much as I can, anyway. Besides, you don't look like a bad guy." She was terribly straightforward.

Again, he couldn't imagine that she was lying. He had to apologize. "…Sorry to doubt you after you helped me."

"You are a nice guy," she laughed.

"It's not that I—" She broke off, pursing her lips, and turned in the direction they had come from. Yukio noticed an instant after she did. A Hollow Man was heading toward them.

"Man, you had to run all the way out here… Spare a thought for the guy who has to come after you, would ya?" he drawled, stepping out into the moonlight. He had a darkish complexion and stubble, and he looked around thirty— definitely not a student with a large amount of reiastsu. He was dressed casually in cargo pants and a T-shirt, but with a bundle of Lux activators tied to his belt.

"So, you're that dumbass who's been snooping around? I hear you're looking for someone, but you got our guys all worked up. I'm gonna have to bring you in." Although there was no energy in his murky eyes, the way he carried himself was characteristic of a well-trained fighter. Yukio could tell he had expertise.

"Aw, geez… I didn't think they'd chase us all the way out here." The girl looked skyward and clutched her hat to her head.

"I'm broke, y'know. I gotta work hard to make ends meet. So thanks for making some work for me, I guess… Huh?" The man stopped sauntering forward and opened his droopy eyes wide. A cold viciousness gleamed in their murky depths.

"Well…they told me I was after a guy, but there's a chick here, too. Ain't that a lucky mistake. Now I've got some motivation." With a leering smile, the hollow man activated a pair of Luxes, large knives with curved blades. He licked his lips in anticipation as he held one in each hand.

"My orders are just to bring you in—you can put up as much of a fight as you want. It wouldn't be any fun if you didn't."

"Hold on. She has nothing to do with me." The man's eyes were clearly on the girl. Yukio had to speak up about the misunderstanding.

"Um, I think you're wasting your time," she remarked. "He looks like the type to put his own interests above his job, so I don't think he'll let me go that easy. Isn't that right, Nguyen? Alias Double Snake, Doi Ran, former rank seven of Jie Long Seventh Institute?"

"Oh, so you know about me, little lady? Isn't that flattering."

"I never dreamed a Lindvolus semifinalist would stoop to being a gofer for the mafia." The girl sighed and slowly rose to her feet.

"Hey, it was a long time ago," Nguyen said, tension filling the air.

This is bad, Yukio thought. If he had to fight this guy, he couldn't let the girl get involved. Just as he stepped forward to get between them, Nguyen hurled a knife at him in warning. Ayato twisted to dodge it, but the timing was frighteningly accurate. It knocked him completely off balance.

{Seems it's got tougher armor than typical Hollows} Sparda spoke up, Yukio nodding as he summoned Kuroakamitsu to his left hand, using his Sonido to appear between them along with cutting the thread that was around Chestnut's ankle.

"You know…this town isn't on the menu for your kind" Yukio spoke as he glared at the Hollow as he pointed the cleaver sword at it threateningly. The spider Hollow thrust out both spear legs, Yukio using Amonusen to block both as he held his ground much to the surprise of the Hollow.

The large sword was enveloped in ice. The Hollow Genestella recoiled in surprise, but it was too late for him to retreat. With one large swish, Yukio struck his sword onto the Lux knives, causing sparks to fly. However, the blue lightning didn't bother him; all it did was focusing his rage and purpose into that singular point.

The lux Knives began to be encased in ice, both from the friction and force as well as the subzero temperature that covered Yukio's Zanpakuto. The girl were surprised at this; Yukio's sword was an elemental type?

The spear then broke into pieces, and the Hollow Genestella recoiled in pain as his gauntlet was frozen as well! He backdashed, but found out that Yukio was following him by using Shunpo; speed that was comparable to his own. Underneath his helmet, the Knight's eyes widened.

"Stay outta the way, brat." By the time Yukio had recovered, the man was already within reach Yukio's accomplice.

"Look out!" he cried as Nguyen's other knife gleamed and slashed at the girl. "Huh. That's all you've got?" As Nguyen attacked relentlessly from left and right, the girl deflected his blows with one hand.

"What?!" the man's face contorted with disbelief. Yukio was just as surprised. Nguyen's attacks were keen and swift. He was the type who preferred speed and frequency rather than power.

even Yukio could have easily deflected every strike, especially not inside his attack range. "Not bad, girly!" Nguyen laughed nervously. "Guess I'll stop holding back!"

"No, I've seen enough." The girl ducked under his arm and spun behind him. She and Yukio made it look like nothing, but taking advantage of such a slight opening was like threading a needle.

He slashed his sword towards Nguyen's stomach as his body began to freeze before shattering it with purple lightning, causing him massive damage and Just as their assailant whirled around, the girl's kick landed in his solar plexus.

Nguyen hurtled into one of the nearby building's walls, unable to scream as he passed out from the pain of both attacks. The impact was strong enough that Yukio thought the building might crumble, and new cracks were spreading along the wall.

"…If you were in your prime, it wouldn't have been this easy," the girl said ruefully to Nguyen, who lay motionless, and quickly turned toward Yukio. "So…you're looking for someone?"

"Huh…?" Ayato blurted, still stunned.

"He mentioned it." The girl glanced at Nguyen.

"Oh—um, yeah."

"I might be able to help, if you want any help."

"Help? You?"

"Sure." The girl returned Yukio's question with a teasing smile. "But first… let's go somewhere else." She pointed one slender finger upward.

….

The girl climbed lightly up the emergency staircase of a relatively intact abandoned building. Yukio followed, mentally replaying what he'd just witnessed. Nguyen was a strong fighter. He might be past his prime, but if he'd advanced to the semifinals of the Lindvolus, he was the real deal. There were only so many people who could handle fighters like him with literally a single blow.

"Here we are!" When they had arrived on the roof, the girl turned to face him. This seemed to be the tallest building in the vicinity. They had a decent view of the redevelopment area. Above them, the sky was full of stars. But the eastern horizon was already turning cobalt. Dawn was approaching.

"Sorry to take your time when you're in a hurry," she said. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, it's nice of you to help, but I can't get you involved. I've caused you enough trouble as it is."

"Hmm…" The girl nodded as if in approval. "I see. I think I'm starting to understand what kind of guy you are."

"Me?"

"Yup. Basically…you're kind enough to think of other people even when you've got big problems of your own. At the same time, you try to shoulder everything on your own, and you won't lean on other people."

"Guh…" Her analysis was almost identical to Julis's. It left him tongue-tied. "Your quarterfinal match was pretty good, though. The way you fought with Miss Riessfeld, you looked like an actual team."

"…You notice a lot." True, the quarterfinal match had been a turning point of sorts for Ayato and Julis. But that wasn't something a casual spectator would catch.

"'Course I do. And I was watching today's match closely, too—well, yesterday's. The one where you didn't use the Ser Veresta. Or maybe you couldn't?"

"…" She also had some impressive intuition.

"Oh, sorry," the girl said with a laugh.

"I don't mean to pry. Well, anyway— can you tell me anything about the person you're looking for?"

"But I—"

"Don't worry, I won't follow you or anything. You just need to know where they are, right?" As she spoke, the mana around them stirred, slowly gathering around her in a spiral.

"Are you…a Strega with an investigation ability?" He had suspected that she had some kind of powers, but if those powers favored detection, it might be possible for her to discover Flora's location.

"Not seeking, exactly, but…well, sort of related. I need some information to make an image, though."

"Right. I'm looking for a ten-year-old girl. Her name is Flora."

"Just to make sure, she's not lost, is she?" "No. She's being held by someone. I have some guesses about who the kidnapper is, but nothing certain."

"Okay, I don't think I need anything there. Can you tell me about the girl— her appearance, her personality? And if you have a picture, I could use it." Yukio told the girl everything he knew about Flora. But he'd only met Julis's young friend a few days ago. He didn't have a wealth of information to give.

"I can ask someone who knows her better, if you need more," he offered.

"No, it's fine. I think I have enough. Hold on."

His companion looked down and began mumbling to herself. Yukio couldn't tell what she was doing. But people often had their own rituals to activate their abilities, so it was probably something of that nature.

"There, that should do it." She clapped her hands and looked up.

"But first, I need you to promise me one thing. Okay?"

"What kind of promise?"

"Promise me that you won't tell anyone what you're about to see."

"…Okay. I promise." That seemed easy enough.

"Good. I'll get started. Let me see a map. The larger, the better." Yukio took out his mobile device. He adjusted the air-window to the maximum size and displayed a map of the redevelopment area.

"Okay, this is—," Yukio began, then fell silent as the girl removed her hat and unbound her hair. She touched her headphone-shaped accessory, and the color of her hair gradually changed. It turned from chestnut to bright purple—the color of the sunrise unfolding at that very moment. Her subdued, quiet aura transformed into something dazzling and powerful. It was then that Yukio recognized her breathtakingly sculpted face.

To be fair, there probably wasn't anyone in Asterisk, or even the entire world, who would fail to recognize her now. The supreme songstress. The greatest pop idol in the world. The student council president and top-ranked fighter of Queenvale Girls' Academy, alias the Witch of Fearsome Melody, Sigrdrífa, semi-finalist of the last Lindvolus.

"Sylvia Lyyneheym…" Yukio whispered her name in awe. Sylvia smiled at him, then stretched out her arms as if spreading a pair of wings. From behind, the newly risen sun bathed her in brilliance.

"Thought and memory, thou winged twins, fly, oh swiftly fly, and bring me the voice of a sweet child imprisoned." A clear, strong voice, completely unlike before, intoned a mournful melody like a folk song. Of course Ayato would recognize this voice. He had little interest in the trends of the day, but even he knew her name, her face, and her singing voice. "

Beyond the clouds of dawn, upon the winds of twilight, from the edge of nightfall, lead us onward…" As a storm of mana raged around her, Sylvia's song deftly manipulated and rearranged it.

She was the most famous singer in the world, and thus the most famous Strega. Even the Witch of Solitary Venom, Erenshkigal, two-time champion of the Lindvolus, couldn't surpass her in terms of fame. And Sylvia's abilities were versatile.

Usually, Dantes or Stregas would employ their own core images to activate their powers. Not even someone with multi-faceted abilities like Julis could escape the limits of her mental imagery of fire and flowers.

But Sylvia Lyyneheym, it was said, could change her image freely by using song as a medium. Which meant that right now, she could use her powers for seeking. In a way, her abilities were reminiscent of Seisenjutsu, which was a result of the pursuit of versatility. But her power was the complete opposite in nature.

Whereas Seisenjutsu was a set of codified techniques, Sylvia achieved versatility by making her images fluid. In singing songs specific to an image, she could manipulate mana to give shape to all kinds of phenomena—although there were some limitations, such as prana consumption and her aptitude for different abilities.

The only type of skill she could not use was healing. But not even Seisenjutsu had successfully codified healing. Perhaps it was fundamentally different from other powers.

"Black emissaries of thought and memory, fly down to me and reveal now the truth…" When Sylvia finished singing, two black feathers floated above the map, slowly revolving. They spun for several moments, but their circled grew tighter and tighter.

"Mm-hmm… It looks like she's outside the Rotlicht, in one of the northern corners," she announced nonchalantly. Yukio still couldn't believe his eyes, but he quickly recovered. The girl in front of him might be the greatest superstar in the world, but if her powers were genuine, he had no time to waste marveling at them. "That's where Flora is?"

"Yeah. Pretty sure, unless they've taken some really strong measures against detection. I could narrow it down a little better if I had more time…"

"No, this is more than enough. Thank you—thank you so much." Ayato bowed his head in gratitude. They had been searching blindly until now, so narrowing down Flora's location was a tremendous step forward. They didn't have much time left, but now there was hope. Sylvia gave him a small, delighted laugh.

"I'm glad I was able to help. Well, I'll get out of your hair. Actually, I'd better, or I'll get an earful from my manager." Looking satisfied, she placed her hat back on her head.

"Miss Lyyneheym, wait!" Yukio had so much to ask her, and so much gratitude to repay. But he didn't have the time now. "Can you tell me how to reach you?"

"Wha…?" Her face went blank with surprise at his request. At first, he couldn't understand her reaction, but soon he did.

"…Oh." He had asked her without thinking—her, the world-famous songstress.

She can't just go around giving out her phone number, he scolded himself. But Sylvia studied Ayato's face for a bit, then finally burst into laughter.

"… Pfft! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! I like it! It's been a while since anyone's made such a direct move on me." "N-no, I wasn't trying to make any moves…!"

"Call me Sylvie. That's what people I actually like call me." With that, she took out her mobile device and turned it toward him.

Yukio's phone chimed as it received the contact. "My personal contact," she explained.

"Get in touch anytime. Although I've been busy lately, so I might not be able to answer."

"Uh, okay…" Yukio stood bewildered by the simplicity of the exchange.

"Actually, you've fascinated me for a while. And after seeing you in person, I think I'm even more intrigued," she said brightly, pulling her hat deeper over her eyes, and tapped him lightly on the chest as she passed by him.

"Good luck, Yukio. I'll be praying for Flora's safety, too."

After parting from Sylvia, Yukio immediately sent the data on Flora's supposed location to the others. Their response didn't take long. Multiple air-windows opened, first from Julis and Saya, then Eishirou.

"It's fantastic that we have a place to look," Julis said, "but how did you narrow it down to this location?"

"Um, well—sorry, I can't tell you." Her question was only natural, but Yukio couldn't break his promise to Sylvia.

"Hmph, all right. I am curious, but we're short on time."

"…Anyway," Saya added, "now that we've narrowed things down, we're almost there." "Right," Eishirou chimed in.

"I know that part of town, so I should be able to help." Julis nodded.

"It's settled, then. Let's all meet at—"

"But, Yukio and Julis," Saya interrupted. "You two shouldn't come along."

"Huh?"

"What?"

Both responded simultaneously in surprise.

"What are you talking about?!" Julis cried.

"Why should we have to stay back?!"

"…You two have to fight in the championship," Saya explained. "You'll never make it if you meet us over there."

"That's true, but…" The demands of the kidnapper precluded them from forfeiting the Phoenix. And although they had a clue now, there was no guarantee they would be able to rescue Flora. They knew they still had to follow the kidnapper's instructions. And yet…

"The championship isn't until noon," Julis insisted. "We still have time!"

"No, Sasamiya is right," Eishirou said, surprising Yukio. "If the kidnapper is at this location, too, then we should keep the group small. Besides, if you get spotted before we rescue her, you'd have a hard time explaining yourselves."

"And it's reckless to fight in the championship like that," Saya added. "You should get all the rest you can."

"Grr…!"

"But…!" They both saw the logic of their friends' words, but it was unbearable to come so close and ultimately be unable to help.

"Yukio, Miss Julis—it's all right! We will definitely rescue Flora!" This time, it was Kirin who spoke.

"…"

Julis had no reply. After a long pause, she let out an equally long sigh of defeat. "Fine. Then we'll focus our energy on the championship."

"Right," Yukio Agreed. Saya and the others were in the right, so Ayato and Julis would be selfish to push the issue. They had to yield.

"…Good. We save Flora, and you two avenge our loss. Then everyone's happy." Satisfied, Saya nodded.

"Oh, that's right," Julis said. "You two are counting on us."

"To be honest, it's a pretty tall order," Yukio said with an awkward smile. He meant to lighten the mood, but the truth was, it would be no easy task to defeat the Puppets without the Ser Veresta.

Without a solid plan, they might not even be able to put up much of a fight.

"Nothing to worry about," Saya said.

"As soon as we save Flora, you'll be able to use the Ser Veresta."

"If we make it in time," Eishirou added playfully, inviting a glare from Saya. Seeing them both, Yukio felt the tension leave his body. They were all giving everything they had to their respective tasks. And what Yukio had to do now was…

….

(The Final Match)

Overwhelming. There was no better word to describe his strength. Ardy roared with laughter.

"What's the matter, Yukio Amagiri?" Yukio barely dodged Ardy's hammer, then rounded behind him and swung his sword.

Of course, the attack never reached its target and was absorbed by the defensive barrier. On top of that, another barrier sprang up to hurl Yukio away, and Ardy swept sideways with the hammer at his airborne body. Yukio reached out to drag his sword against the ground, changing his trajectory enough to dodge the attack.

"Burst into bloom—Primrose!" Julis's fireballs rushed at Ardy, but they were also foiled by multiple barriers.

"What the hell?!" Julis fumed. "He's so strong now, it's just absurd!"

"My feelings exactly…!" Yukio distanced himself from Ardy to regroup with her, then nodded with a pained smile. Ever since the semifinal, Yukio had thought Ardy's strength was abnormal. From his basic specs like strength and speed to the power of his weapons— he was enhanced in every way imaginable.

Even if Rimcy's entire power source had been channeled into him, it couldn't possibly have increased his power output by this much. What was even more terrifying was that he was even stronger than he'd been back then.

"He didn't put up multiple barriers at once when he fought Saya and Kirin!" Julis protested. Being a fast learner was one thing. This was on another level entirely. Luckily for them, Ardy was not attacking with much aggression. He seemed to want to enjoy this fight for as long as possible.

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Wonderful!" The Puppet crowed.

"My body is overflowing with strength! And I can harness it far better than I could before! What joy! What splendor! This is the true power my master has bestowed upon me!"

"True power…?" With that phrase, one possibility arose in Yukio's mind.

"Hey, Julis—what if Ardy had these specs all along?" What if combining with Rimcy was a way not to make him more powerful, but to unleash power he already had?

"Like with your seal?" Julis asked.

"It's not impossible, but why would they —? Yukio!" Alerted by her shout, he saw Ardy hold out his hammer like a rifle, with the head pointed at him.

"Take this—my Wolnir Hammerrrr!" Ardy bellowed, and with a boom that shook the air, the head of the hammer barreled toward them.

"Julis, hang on!" Yukio pulled her close and leaped sideways. After the ensuing explosion propelled them away and sent them tumbling on the ground, they quickly regained their stances—and saw that the entire blast radius of the hammerhead was now a crater.

"That move seems more powerful than before, too…," muttered Julis beside him. It was already destructive enough, but now, even if they avoided a direct hit, they might be hurt by the shock wave.

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha! I'm not done yet!" Ardy laughed. Ardy caught the returning hammerhead with the shaft, and immediately aimed it again.

"That thing can do rapid-fire, too…?!"

"Julis, run!" The two dashed along the outer edge of the stage. Explosion after explosion chased them.

"Is this a bad time to ask if you have a plan?" Ayato wondered. "It is, actually! But maybe if we could do something about that barrier…" They were both racking their brains as they ran, but it would be difficult to overcome such a dramatic difference in strength.

"Hrm. Unlike Rimcy, I'm no great marksman. Can't seem to hit anything— Oh, wait." As if a brilliant idea had struck him, Ardy broke into laughter.

"Bwaha-ha-ha-ha! Of course! What if I try this?!" Suddenly, a barrier sprang up to block Yukio and Julis's path.

"Wh-what, now?!" Julis cried. They tried to change direction, but multiple barriers had already materialized to surround them.

"Now you'll have a hard time dodging!" As Ardy beamed, his hammer hurtled toward the pair.

"Ngh…!"

"Argh…! Burst into bloom—Anthurium!" She promptly formed a shield of flame, but the hammer broke through it with no trouble.

Yukio jumped in front of her, prana focused. They were swallowed by a concussive wave that felt powerful enough to rip him limb from limb, and his sight went dark for a moment; he slammed into a barrier with enough force that he could hear his bones creak. It felt like someone had stomped on all his organs.

"Ngh…ugh…" And that was after I shifted all my prana to defense…

Wiping the blood from his mouth, Yukio slowly got to his feet. "Julis… Are you alright?"

"More or less, thanks to you…" Julis had also taken significant damage, but she managed to stand with a sardonic smile.

"You saved me." But they would be unable to withstand another attack like that.

"Oh-ho, on your feet again after that? Impressive!" Even as he showered them with praise, Ardy retrieved the hammerhead when it returned to him, already aiming anew.

Yukio could tell he was gathering power to it. I'll have to sacrifice myself and hope for the best—! Even if he was disabled in taking down Ardy, as long as Julis remained, they would win the match.

He doubted he could penetrate Ardy's barriers even with a suicide attack—but it was better than losing without trying. And as he steeled himself and adjusted his sword grip—

"Ardy is just dominating down there! Will this final championship match come to a— Huh?! E-excuse me?!"

"Whoa, whoa! What's going on?!" Suddenly, a pair of confused voices from the broadcasting booth rang out through the arena. Immediately after came a voice that belonged not to an announcer—but to someone familiar to Yukio and Julis.

"Er, ahem. Yukio, Julis, can you hear me?" The calm, gentle voice was unmistakably Claudia's.

"Flora is safe. You can put your minds at ease. And— fight to the very best of your abilities." It was clear that Yukio, Julis, Ardy, and everyone else in the arena were stunned.

"Hee-hee. Well, then. Sorry for the intrusion."

"Whaaat?! Th-that was the student council president of Seidoukan Academy just now, wasn't it?!"

"Uh, yep, looks like. I think that was Miss Claudia Enfield herself."

The announcers and the spectators were still confused over the sudden intrusion, especially since her statements were meaningless to them all. Yukio and Julis alone stared at each other and burst out laughing.

"Pfft, ha-ha-ha-ha! That was over the top, even for her!" Julis exclaimed.

"I can't believe she barged into the broadcasting booth just to inform us," Yukio said. True, there was no other way to contact fighters in the middle of a match.

Claudia might be reprimanded for violating some Festa regulation, but they knew she had done it for their sakes. "Well, if she went that far for us, we can't afford to lose."

"We have to win for Saya and Kirin, too," Yukio agreed as he drew the activator from the holster at his waist. Their friends had done their part, and now it was time to do theirs.

"Hrm, I haven't the faintest idea what that was about—but all I can do is fight to the best of my ability!" Ardy aimed his hammer at Yukio and Julis, and the hammerhead began spinning furiously.

"Wolnir Hammer, firing!" With a low boom, the hammerhead sped toward them. But Ayato calmly activated his Orga Lux with its deep red urm-manadite.

"… Ready, Ser Veresta?" A blade of pure white, swathed in symbols of jet black red.

With a single stroke, the enormous single-edged sword cleaved the hammerhead in half, as well as every last one of the barriers surrounding Yukio and Julis. "Payback time."

….

"Can't you do something, Ernesta?!" In the private spectator booth reserved for Allekant Académie, Camilla fretted at her partner.

"Wellll, you might think so, but…"

"You know as well as I do that these numbers shouldn't be rising like this! You have to shut it down, now!" Compared to Camilla's intense face, Ernesta looked practically drowsy.

"And you know that Rimcy transferred limit control over to him, Camilla. There's nothing we can do now."

"There's still manual override." All Puppets were required to have a remote kill switch in case of emergency. Ardy was no exception.

"Oh, stop it. You want me to kill my own baby?" Using the override, however, would damage the Puppet's CPU, and there was a high probability of irreparably corrupting the software as well.

"You have to, if it's necessary. That responsibility is yours."

"Responsibility, huh?" Ernesta sounded rather put out, then faced Camilla with a slightly more serious expression. "But even now, I have faith."

"Faith? In what? In yourself, his maker?" Ernesta only shrugged. Camilla glared at her for a while, then finally let out a deep sigh and sat back in her seat.

"It's a reckless gamble, if you ask me."

"Hee-hee, haven't I told you before? Life is nothing but a series of gambles."

"All winning streaks come to an end," Camilla scolded, although she looked resigned. Ernesta grinned. "I guess they do. But otherwise, it wouldn't be any fun, right?"

….

Yukio gripped the Ser Veresta and closed in fast on his opponent. The robot activated his defensive barriers again to block Yukio's path, but the youth easily cut through them, one after the other.

"I see. So this output isn't enough to stop you. Well, then!" With a battle cry and superhuman speed, Yukioo leaped into close range and swung the Ser Veresta up from below.

Ardy's armor was thick, but for the Ser Veresta, which could burn through even his defensive barriers, it might as well have been made of paper. The timing was perfect. Ardy had no way to defend against the charge. Or so Yukio had thought. With a ferocious groan of effort, Ardy used his hammer to deflect the Ser Veresta.

"Wha—?!" Ayato stared in shock. What was he even looking at? He had just destroyed the hammerhead, and yet— "Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! You'd be wise not to underestimate my barriers!" Ardy shouted.

"If a single barrier can't stop you, I can compress them together, and not even the Ser Veresta can break through so easily!"

"So that's what you did." Yukio saw multiple sheets of light layered at the end of the shaft where the hammerhead should have been. "But in that case…!" If Ardy was using his barriers in place of a weapon, then Yukio had nullified his defense. Just one strike. All he needed was to reach Ardy's school crest.

"Hyaaaaaaaaah!"

"Raaaaaaaaaah!" Both fighters roared as the Ser Veresta and the hammer clashed in a burst of sparks.

When Yukio slashed diagonally down with his Lux, Ardy deflected it upward. When Ardy thrust with his hammer, Yukio parried. They struck at each other dozens of times, neither budging an inch.

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! This is fun! So much fun! But I'm not done yet! You still haven't seen my full strength!"

But… "You'd be wise not to forget me!" With the Aspera Spina, Julis traced a magic circle in the air, and an enormous dragon made of flames took shape.

"Burst into bloom—Antirrhinum Majus!" The fiery dragon spread its wings and lightly took to the air to attack Ardy from above. Embroiled in the battle with Yukio, the robot had no way to defend himself. He deflected Yukio's latest attack, sprang back to distance himself, then gripped his hammer to face the dragon. Yukio was not about to let this opportunity pass.

"Amagiri Shinmei Style, Middle Technique—Earth-Piercing Hornet." He held his weapon aloft with the blade pointed forward, then executed six consecutive thrusts

. It would be possible for Ardy to deal with Yukio's attack or Julis's dragon, but not both at once.

"Raaaaagh! This is not overrrrrr!" He roared even louder, and blue light erupted from all over his body. The tremendous force sent Yukio flying back, and it blew away the dragon of flames, too.

A blue light…?! So that's what this is…! Ayato barely managed to regain his balance before landing, and Julis ran over to him. "You all right?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine…but this is gonna be tough," he replied, keeping an eye on Ardy. The robot's howl was relentless, and the blue glow only grew brighter.

An invisible force was swirling around him—they could not get close again. "But what is that…?"

"Don't you see it, Julis? How similar that is…?"

"What do you mean?"

"I should've seen it earlier. No matter how strong those barriers are, there's no way he should be able to fight the Ser Veresta head-on. The only weapon we've seen that could pull that off was…" Looking astonished as the answer occurred to her, Julis finished Yukio's sentence.

"…the Gravisheath."

"Right." Yukio nodded to her.

"Only another Orga Lux could defend against the Ser Veresta." The Ser Veresta was one of the Runeswords—it burned through everything, impossible to defend against. Irene's Gravisheath, which they'd faced in the fourth round of the tournament, had been the only weapon that could withstand attacks from the Ser Veresta.

"So Ardy must be using an urm-manadite for a power source," Yukio concluded. All ordinary manadites gave off a green glow. Only urm-manadites glowed in other colors. While it wouldn't be impossible to add color artificially, that clearly wasn't the case for Ardy's blue aura.

"But—does that mean Ardy is an Orga Lux himself…?" Julis wondered, chilled.

"I'm not sure. I don't know if it's correct to call him one—but we can assume that at least the barriers are generated by an Orga Lux." That would explain everything. Ardy combining with Rimcy was a way to channel the urm-manadite as a power source—or rather, to use multiple manadites to control the urmmanadite's excessive output. In other words, one of the modules he'd received from Rimcy was a regulatory device.

"Wait!" Julis cried.

"Does that mean— Is Ardy going out of control right now?!" The color drained from her face as she recalled the match against Irene. It was true that the current situation bore a close resemblance to when the Gravisheath ran amok. But Yukio's assessment was different.

"It looks like Ardy has more power than he can control, but I think—" Before he finished his thought, Ardy's roar abruptly stopped. The raging force field vanished, and a sudden calm descended on the arena. But Ardy's blue light still radiated freely, continuing to grow in intensity.

"… Ha…ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Now I see! This—this is my power! No wonder the Master sought to keep it in check!"

"Did he manage to contain it…?" Julis's eyes went round. Yukio, however, had vaguely suspected this. The amount of power that could be drawn from an Orga Lux depended on the compatibility between the user and the urm-manadite

. Obviously, Ernesta would have considered this. Yukio speculated that Ardy's personality had been attuned to the urm-manadite's.

"Well, as much as I hate to—I think it is time we finished this!" As Ardy spoke, Yukio noticed that countless cracks had appeared in his armor, revealing the same blue light. His body was unable to withstand the energy output.

"Here I come!" The Puppet showed no hesitation as he formed another hammerhead of barriers and charged. Yukio Readied the Ser Veresta at his side to face him.

"Raaagh!"

"Ngh!"

Ardy's attack was clearly faster and heavier than when they had faced each other moments before. Wielding the enormous hammer should have posed a significant difficulty, but Ardy's overwhelming power output and learning capacity allowed him to overcome it.

After exchanging several strikes, Yukio found himself on the defensive. Although not as large as the hammer, the size of the Ser Veresta was slowing him down. He could barely keep up with Ardy's newfound speed. It's only a matter of time before he overtakes me…!

"Yukio, get back!" Julis cried sharply. Quickly realizing what she meant, Yukio used the flat of the Ser Veresta to block Ardy's swinging hammer and let the momentum carry him into a backward leap.

"Hmm, something else up your sleeve?" Ardy rumbled, sounding amused. "Very well, I shall prove to you that nothing will work on me now!"

"Oh, is that so? Then take this!" Julis swung the Aspera Spina down as a giant magic circle lit up at Ardy's feet.

"Blossom—Rafflesia!" A fiery flower of extraordinary size materialized in front of Ardy's face and began expanding. But their opponent only bellowed with laughter.

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Look well! See what I can do in this state!" Defensive barriers materialized in four directions, boxing in the flower and crushing its petals. Flames and explosions raged inside the box, but the barriers did not give in the least.

"That's not possible…," Julis muttered, stupefied. Her shock was understandable, since Rafflesia was her most powerful conditional move. The Gravisheath had defended against it once, but only partially.

This total shutdown of her technique came as an unwelcome surprise.

"Now it's my turn!" Ardy held out his palm, and barriers formed and layered atop one another to form a massive sphere. An enormous amount of energy began pouring into it. He was directing the output of the urm-manadite there—a ball of raw power. Then Ardy closed his hand, and the sphere shrank to fit inside his fist.

"No way…!" Yukio's instincts screamed that he was in extreme and immediate danger—but there was nothing he could do.

"And now— Explode!" When Ardy opened his fist, all the condensed energy was released at once. The violent explosion engulfed the whole arena. There was nowhere to run.

"—" The flash turned Yukio's field of vision to blank white, and the roar of the explosion drowned out Julis's scream. After being blown away like so much dust, he almost lost consciousness. Luckily—if it could be called lucky—the searing pain running through his body forced him to stay awake.

"Guh…agh…" With a groan, Yukio managed to prop himself up and ascertain the situation. His school uniform with its reinforced composite fabrics was ripped in several places, but the crest was intact despite a few cracks.

Had he protected it subconsciously? He looked around in relief and froze. The arena before him was completely destroyed. The ground was carved out into a crater, baring the artificial soil designed to absorb impact.

Even the defensive barriers protecting the spectator stands were sparking here and there. Only a small space at the center of the explosion remained unscathed. Countless barriers covered Ardy with a dome of defense. He was standing in the middle of that explosion—and he's not even scratched? That meant Ardy's barrier might be strong enough to withstand the Ser Veresta.

Things could be different if Yukio were able to draw out the full power of the sword, but at the moment, he was no match for Ardy wielding his urmmanadite to the fullest.

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Let us continue! I'm still—" Suddenly, Ardy dropped to his knees.

"Hrm…?" Was it deterioration due to the urm-manadite's elevated output? His legs were discharging blue sparks. Ardy did not appear to be too seriously hurt, but Yukio was glad for the time it took him to regroup. If an attack had come then, he wouldn't have been ready to defend himself.

"Yukio, how are you doing…?" Yukio turned around at the faint voice to see Julis dragging herself up. But with an agonized expression, she immediately dropped to the ground again.

"Julis!"

"I-I'm fine…is what I'd like to say, but obviously, that would be a stretch…" As Ayato supported her, Julis lay weak in his arms, smiling ruefully. "Tell me the truth… Do you think we can still win?"

"…Well, I don't think it's completely hopeless." If they could keep buying time, it seemed likely that Ardy would break down. But actually, he doubted they could get that much time.

They were already at the limits of what they could endure. He did still have prana to spare, but the cumulative damage had worn down his stamina. He could cross weapons with Ardy perhaps ten or twelve more times.

"That doesn't sound terribly realistic," Julis said. "Do you have anything else?"

"If I could just move faster than he does, I'd have a shot at finishing him off…" But he was trailing in speed, and he couldn't even dive in for one final charge. He might try a Meteor Arts move—but while that would make his attack stronger, it would also make the sword larger, slowing him down even more. He'd never be able to hit Ardy.

"Faster…" Julis looked up at him with a gasp, as if she'd thought of something important. "I remember Claudia saying that the Ser Veresta assumes a shape that's best for the one who wields it. But its current form isn't exactly meeting that criterion. If we could do something to fix that, would it help?"

"I mean, it's a good idea, but…"

"You made it larger to use a Meteor Arts technique. Isn't that essentially the same thing?" She made it sound easy, but in fact all Yukio had done then was to pour in his prana.

"I'm bad at fine-tuning my prana," he pointed out. "Really bad."

"Hmm…" Julis thought for a bit, then told him with firm resolve, "All right. I'll do that part."

"Huh?"

"Let me touch the Ser Veresta for a second." Ignoring his bewilderment, Julis reached for the Lux in his grip.

"Hey, wait—!" Wincing in pain, the girl quickly let go of the sword. She had touched it for only a moment, but her palm was hideously burned.

"Heh… It is hard to handle. It won't let just anyone so much as touch it. Well, a Strega like me would never be able to use it." She had told Yukio before that most Dantes and Stregas could not use an Orga Lux.

"No matter," she went on. "That should be enough. Yukio, try using a Meteor Arts technique."

"Meteor Arts? Now?" She nodded, and Yukio poured his prana into the sword in his hand. In response, the blade lengthened. Julis placed her right hand atop his. "Julis…?"

"Burst into bloom—Alexandrit." Julis's prana flowed through Yukio's right arm, and bright flames coiled around the Ser Veresta's blade. "What's this…?"

"It's a technique to wrap a weapon in fire," she replied, "but now I'll use it to help you control your prana. All you have to do is pour it in."

"O-okay…!" Yukio put his faith in Julis and obeyed. The Ser Veresta abruptly stopped growing.

"Yukio, imagine it. The shape and size easiest for you to use—the ideal form for the Ser Veresta."

"…" He kept silent and pictured it. Julis's flames wrapped around the blade in a spiral and squeezed it; then black symbols did the same. The urm-manadite core glowed stronger and shook with a low growl.

At last, the Ser Veresta transformed into a slender, supple weapon a little larger than Kirin's Senbakiri. Along the length of its blade, the black symbols and flames intertwined to create a wondrously beautiful weapon.

"Phew… There. This is your—Yukio Amagiri's—Ser Veresta." Julis exhaled heavily and gave him a faint smile.

"It's…," he said in wonder. "That's all I can do in this match. I'm leaving the rest to you, Yukio."

"…Got it, Julis." Yukio gently laid her down and swung the Ser Veresta toward Ardy, facing his opponent once more.

"Sorry to make you wait," he said.

"Not to worry. I had a slight malfunction on my part as well. I had to make some stopgap repairs." Yukio walked slowly to the center of the stage—or rather, the field of dirt scattered with pieces of the stage.

Opposite him, Ardy also advanced at a steady pace. The two came in range, and— They closed in, clashing in the middle of the stage. With a ferocious shout, Yukio swung the Ser Veresta. This is amazing! I can't believe how light it feels; it works so much better! It seemed like his sword was twice as fast. Ardy barely blocked the strike with his hammer, but the head made of barriers was knocked away—and not cut through; it was simply melted and repelled by the heat.

"What—?!" He started, but he quickly rematerialized his weapon and brought it down. Even if Yukio had eliminated his disadvantage in speed and improved his weapon enough to win, one blow from his opponent would be the end. He didn't have the stamina to continue parrying and countering.

I have to settle this now—! Yukio barely dodged the attack, then made a thrust at the crest on Ardy's chest with all his might. But the hammer blasted through the bottom of the stage.

"Guh!" Yukio leaped away from the chasm opening at his feet as Ardy launched into the air with his flight unit and locked onto his opponent.

"I have you now!" His hammer rushed at Yukio with a force that might have crushed the wind itself—but Yukio used the flying fragments of the stage to leap even higher. He felt as if his body was surpassing its own limits, but he was confident that he had the ability now to make that possible. He used shiki to grasp where the largest fragments were, and he sprang from one to another to get behind his victim.

"Raaaagh! Not so fast!" Ardy roared. His blue aura shine even brighter, and his flight unit fired like a rocket to turn him around. At the same time, Ardy swung his hammer sideways to meet his foe.

But— "Amagiri Shinmei Style Master Technique—Hellmoon!"

Yukio had already leaped in under Ardy's guard. As the hammer shattered the broken slab where Yukio had just been, the Ser Veresta traced a half-moon arc. The two fighters passed each other in midair and, unable to land properly, crashed into the ground with impressive plumes of dust. Yukio lay on his back, panting, pushed too hard for too long. He could no longer stand up, let alone swing his sword again. All he could see was one bright light on the distant ceiling shining down straight at him.

What had happened to Ardy? Had the Ser Veresta reached him? He didn't have the energy to look. But he didn't have to—the automated announcements let him know instead. "Ernesta Kühne—badge broken."

"End of match!

Winners: Yukio Amagiri and Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld!"

As silence settled over the arena, a more human-sounding mechanical voice burst into laughter.

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Oh, I've suffered a crushing defeat!" The applause began with a few scattered claps, but it gradually swelled into a thunderous cheer.

"At…At last! At last it's decided! We have our winners! At the end of this incredible battle, the champions of the Phoenix are Amagiri and Riessfeld of Seidoukan Academy!"

"Well, I was completely lost in it there, so. That was a fantastic fight, just what a championship match should be!"

Cheers and applause, ovations and whistles, the voices of the two announcers.

As the adulation washed over Yukio, he slowly closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

….

Since the stage in the Sirius Dome was now in no condition to serve as a venue, the closing ceremonies were hastily moved to the Procyon Dome. Fewer students would participate compared to the opening ceremony, so a slightly smaller venue would not pose a problem.

In fact, only the champions and the second-place team were to participate in the award ceremony, which did nothing to make Yukio more comfortable on stage. After the match, Julis had been immediately taken to the therapy center, and Ernesta had hauled Ardy off to the lab—meaning that at this moment, the only contestants on the stage were Yukio, Camilla, and Rimcy. Meanwhile, the stands were packed to the brim with people.

Anyone could attend the ceremonies (as capacity allowed), and the more entertaining the championship match, the more people stayed for the closing ceremonies. The full house proved that the spectators had been very happy with the battle.

"…And all of this only goes to show how splendid this Phoenix tournament was. In particular, the special provisions for the two fighters from Allekant Académie, while implemented strictly on a trial basis, are sure to have significant impact on the rules for future tournaments…"

Up on the dais, the Executive Committee chairman, Madiath Mesa, was presenting his thoughts on the tournament. Whereas his words at the opening ceremonies had been directed primarily to the students, now he was speaking to the audience, here and at home. He sounded slightly more formal. The student council presidents of each school were also lined up on the dais. As Yukio scanned their faces, his eyes met those of the president of the Queenvale Academy for Young Ladies.

Sylvia gave him a tiny smile and a mischievous wink. Yukio's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly looked away.

Just as reality set in that this girl was the Sylvia Lyyneheym, he saw that others had their eyes on him, too—namely, the student council presidents of St. Gallardworth Academy and Jie Long Seventh Institute.

The latter's eyes were sparkling, which was unnerving.

In contrast, the student council president of Le Wolfe Black Institute, Dirk Eberwein, did not even glance his way.

They had no proof that Dirk was behind the earlier incident; they'd simply have to await the findings of the city guard's investigation.

Claudia had contacted the guard once she was told that Flora had been rescued.

She took Julis's place at Yukio's side for the post-match interview, and there, she revealed the kidnapping to the public.

The press conference room erupted into chaos, such that extra time had to be allotted for the interview, and the award ceremony—originally scheduled for early evening—was now taking place so late that it was completely dark out. It seemed Claudia had received a stern dressing-down for failing to report the kidnapping right away.

"Now, let us welcome the winning and runner-up teams of the Twenty-fourth Phoenix tournament. Please step up, all three of you."

Beckoned by Madiath, Yukio climbed the dais to loud applause from the stands. "First, I commend the distinguished skill and determination of Camilla Pareto and Ernesta Kühne, alongside the splendid performance of Ardy and Rimcy. Congratulations." Madiath shook hands with Camilla and handed her a large trophy.

"It's an honor, chairman," she replied. "I don't think it's an understatement to say that your contributions mark a new chapter in the history of the Festa. We must continue to evolve, and to do that, we need talents like yours. I look forward to seeing your future accomplishments." Madiath then faced Rimcy to shake her hand.

"I can't say how Puppets will be treated in the Festa going forward, but your performance in this tournament is sure to play a significant role in deciding that."

"…Much appreciated, sir," Rimcy said with her usual cool expression. "And I commend the unbreakable spirit and glorious victory of Yukio Amagiri and Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld. Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir." Madiath's strong hand gripped his. "You persevered despite the interference against you in the championship. You are truly deserving of this trophy. We on the Executive Committee promise to fully cooperate with the city guard to uncover the truth. Rest assured that something like this will never happen again."

"Thank you." The trophy was carved with a hexagonal emblem, the symbol of Asterisk. It was bigger than the one Camilla held and massively heavy in Yukio's hands. "I personally enjoyed your match very much. I'm looking forward to seeing you fight again in the next Festa."

"Uh—yes, sir…" Madiath nodded to him with a smile and placed a hand onYukioo's shoulder, prompting him to turn around. It was then that Yukio saw the gaggle of reporters surrounding the stage. "Now—let us applaud the fighters who won our hearts and provided us with unparalleled excitement and drama!" On Madiath's cue, the entire arena burst into thunderous cheers and applause. It was the greatest and most passionate ovation since the Phoenix had begun.

She sighed, shaking her head regretfully. "And so on a personal level, I can't accept that match as a victory."

"But—"

"I'm not the only one who feels that way," Camilla said, cutting off Saya's protest and then stepping aside to make way. It was Rimcy who stepped forward. "Saya Sasamiya, I wish for a rematch against you."

"A rematch…?"

"Well, the current rules don't allow for our little ones to duel," Camilla added. "So who knows when that might be…" Saya took this in with blank surprise, but then the corners of her mouth softened into a smile. "All right. Then I'll suspend your retraction until that day comes."

"…What do you mean?" Now it was Camilla's turn to be startled. "I have my pride, too," Saya replied. "I can't accept that as a victory, either."

"But—"

"Don't worry. Next time, I'll crush you into the ground." Saya smirked. Camilla smiled thinly in return. "…I see. Then we will strive to fly even higher."

"Indeed." Rimcy alone maintained an aloof expression, but Yukio thought he sensed her fierce fighting will. The underground blocks of Asterisk were the domain of the Infrastructure and Maintenance Department. Frequent regular inspections made them less than ideal hiding places for criminals and the like—but there were certain exceptions. For instance, a fugitive with a thorough knowledge of the routes and schedules of said inspections could find them useful. They might not be any place to hide out long-term, but they were perfectly suitable as escape routes.

Wading in the knee-deep water, his arms hanging limply, the man picked his way through the labyrinth of sewers. There were lights on the walls, with a fair amount of distance between them, but the illumination was too weak for him to see very far. Undeterred, the man walked at a steady pace, then abruptly stopped. "I'm impressed that you made it this far with those injuries."

"…"

The echoing voice was bright and airy, in contrast to the surroundings.

"You're Grimalkin's Gold Eye Number Seven. Your name is—oh, yeah— Werner, right?" Werner turned to see a boy with a friendly smile standing in the dark. "That scar on your face—I know you. You're one of Shadowstar's ninjas."

"Oh, you've heard of me? I'm flattered." With no hint of caution, the boy casually approached the man.

"Of course I have. In our profession, anyone who stands out quickly becomes the subject of rumor." There was an inorganic chill to Werner's emotionless voice.

"I hear you don't care for rules. You must be quite a headache for Seidoukan."

"Well, I've got no comeback for a pro like you," the other said blithely with a wry smile.

"Still—isn't it boring to just do as you're told?"

"Who are you working for?"

"I wonder?"

A hint of hostility came into the boy's voice. In the next instant, a spike shot out of the boy's shadow to pierce him through the chest—or so it appeared. Only his impaled uniform hung in the air. The boy had vanished.

"That was a displacement jutsu."

"!" Werner heard the boy speak from behind him, but he could not turn around. A hot shock ran through his torso, and lukewarm fluid surged into his throat. He collapsed into the dingy water with an impressive splash. If there had been enough light, one would have seen a fluid dyeing the sewer red. The boy flicked the blood from his kunai knives. "Now you know why I turned down the offer from your organization," he told the man belatedly. Picking up his uniform with the gaping hole in it, he scowled. "Crap… This was brand new…" In the basement block of Allekant Académie's research lab…

"Oh, wow, you're a mess. Looks like we'll have to renovate your guts from the frame out." Ernesta, in the midst of repairing Ardy, spoke jubilantly—totally at odds with what she was actually saying.

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Yes, I'd imagine so!" Opposite the reinforced glass window in the workshop, the limbless Ardy bellowed with laughter.

"But, y'know, if we want a material that can withstand the urm-manadite output, we have to make it from scratch. Even if we talk to the folks in the Sonnet faction, it'll take some time… Ardy, you're gonna have to put up with a temporary body for a while, okay?"

"Hmph! Nothing for it, I suppose!"

"Okay, so let's start by— Now what?" Just as Ernesta was about to get to work rebuilding him, a call reached her mobile.

"Well, well…" With a grin, she cut off the audio connection to the workshop before opening an air-window. "My esteemed Tyrant, how are you on this fine day? What can I do for Your Excellency?"

The portly young man on the screen answered her greeting with a noise of disgust.

"…Tch. You're such a piece of work."

"Oh, come on! You're the one who sent me a gift that turned out to be empty when I opened it." Ernesta squirmed, fidgeting playfully.

"Shut up, bitch," Dirk spat. "You failed to cash in on the opportunity, and your stupid pile of scrap metal's to blame."

"It's not like I asked for that opportunity, you know."

"Hmph. Whatever. I just want an answer on what we discussed the other day." "An answer?" Ernesta said, looking blank. "Are you going to team up with us, or not?" "Oh, that. Obviously the answer is nein. " She made a big X with her arms. "You guys just aren't my type."

"The feeling's mutual." Dirk glared at her with open displeasure.

"But…are you sure you'll be able to finish that third Puppet on your own?"

"—" The air around her grew tense. Ernesta maintained a smile, but her gaze sharpened. "Hmm—I see. Not bad. I didn't even tell Camilla about her. You guys at Le Wolfe really are good at this game, huh?" "Can't find the right urm-manadite, can you? No surprise, since no one's more tightfisted than Frauenlob when it comes to urm-manadites for use in the field. Bet you'll have a hard time getting it from the research institute."

"…" "Well, things might be different if you'd won the Phoenix."

"And? Le Wolfe isn't any different when it comes to urm-manadites, is it? I wouldn't wanna be stuck with an empty gift again."

"Who said anything about us getting it for you?" Ernesta frowned suspiciously, but she quickly guessed what he meant and smiled stiffly.

"Oh, so the people behind your schemes?"

"No one's backing us. We lend each other a hand when the situation calls for it. We've got interests in common, nothing more."

"Uh-huh…," Ernesta responded vaguely, then thought for a while.

"So? Can I have a damn answer already?"

"Okay. I'll hear you out," she said at length. Even then, the irritated scowl remained plastered on Dirk's face.

"Good. I'll contact you later." The air-window blinked off. Staring at the space where it had been, Ernesta let out a long sigh. "Well, who knows what kind of trouble this'll bring…," she murmured, but before she knew it, her mouth had curled into a grin.

"Y-Yukio— Ouch!" As Yukio came into the room, Kirin jumped up from the bed at the sight of him—or she tried to, before grabbing her side in agony.

"Kirin, no, you shouldn't get up!" Yukio ran to her. "N-no, I'm fine—something like this will heal in no time." She smiled even as tears of pain welled in the corners of her eyes. "…It's a serious injury. Don't move around," added Saya, coming in after Yukio. "She's right. Your body needs rest," Claudia agreed.

"Oh, Saya, Miss President—thank you for coming." "Anyway, you'd better stay lying down," Ayato finished. "A-all right…" Kirin had to do as they all said. There was another bed in the room, but it was empty.

"Huh?" Yukio wondered. "I thought Julis was supposed to be here with you…"

"Yes, she's in another room right now. The city guard wanted to talk to her and Flora."

"Oh. Actually, I'm supposed to talk with them later, too." Which was to say, they needed a report. He should probably head over to speak with them after meeting Kirin.

"Uh, um—Yukio?" Kirin looked straight into his eyes. "Yeah?"

"My belated congratulations to you. I saw a video of your match. It really was amazing!"

"Ha-ha, thanks. But we couldn't have won without you guys, Kirin. You did a great job." He gently patted her head.

"N-no, I didn't, really…" Kirin's cheeks reddened, and she bashfully hid her face in the light blanket.

"…You should be proud," Saya added. "It was only because of you that we were able to beat that Dante. That sword-drawing technique at the end was awesome."

"A sword-drawing technique?" Yukio said, impressed.

"Wow… I didn't know the Toudou style had one." Kirin hid herself even deeper in the blankets. Now she was only visible from the eyes up.

"Um, it—it's a technique that was developed in one of the branch dojos, and it's not taught in the main school. It was the first time I was able to execute it in a real fight…"

"I see… We have branch dojos, too, but nothing like that." Yukio could only imagine the logistical troubles with a school the size of the Toudou style.

"Oh! Yukio! What was the last technique you used in the championship?!"

As soon as the topic turned to swordplay, Kirin popped her head up, eyes shining. She did seem like a different person when they talked about swords.

"You mean Hellmoon? I can't say too much, because it's a secret of the school, but— it's a move to cut through the enemy as you run past each other, without breaking stride."

It was a technique that required high dexterity, so the Ser Veresta's usual size would have been a problem.

"I see… It sounds like a technique from one of the old styles."

"Most of our master techniques were developed with multiple enemies in mind, but that one is a little different."

"By the way," Claudia said, abruptly cutting off their swordplay shop talk. "I have a question for you, Yukio. Do you mind?"

"Oh? Um, sure— What is it?"

"I noticed at the award ceremony… When did you become friends with Queenvale's student council president?"

"Wha—?!" Yukio was startled, but Saya and Kirin looked at him with even greater surprise.

"The president of Queenvale… Wait, whaaat?!" Kirin squeaked.

"…Sigrdrífa and Yukio?" Saya blurted.

"W-well, we're just friends—or acquaintances, really, we just met—"Yukio flailed. Claudia smiled her usual smile. "Oh, so you do know each other."

"Uh…" Man, I walked right into it.

"You trapped me, Claudia," he sulked. Her shoulders shook with an impish giggle. "Sorry. But I just had to know."

"I want to know, too!" Kirin exclaimed. "How do you know Miss Sylvia, Yukio?"

"…Seriously, Yukio, I don't even… Seriously!" Saya grumbled.

"Well, uh, the thing is…," Yukio started. But he'd promised Sylvia—he couldn't tell his friends what had really happened.

How do I talk my way out of this one…? Keenly aware of the three girls' eyes on him, he tried to think, and then—

"What in the world are you people doing…?" The door opened, and Julis and Flora joined them.

"Oh, hi, Julis. Are you done with the questions from the city guard?" Yukio asked her, desperate for a diversion.

"Mm-hmm. I told them in great detail what an evil, sadistic man Dirk Eberwein is," Julis said with a satisfied look.

"That's good, I guess—but I heard they were keeping you here, too. Is it okay for you to be walking around like this?"

"In my case, it was just prana depletion. I'll only be here for a day, and I've already recovered a good deal. Sure, I have some bruises and fractures, but nothing that—hmm? What's wrong, Flora?"

Flora stood still at the entrance, staring at the floor. Julis called to her again, and she raised her head with determination on her face.

"Everyone, I—I'm so sorry for causing you so much trouble—!" Flora bunched the hem of her skirt in her fists, on the verge of tears

. "Flora, it wasn't your fault at all—don't worry about it," Yukio said, rushing to comfort her.

"B-but it was a really important match for Master Amagiri and Her Highness —and Miss Toudou got hurt so badly…"

"I—I don't mind, either!" Kirin protested, but fat tears welled up in Flora's eyes. "Oh, sweetie…" Julis spoke to Flora as if to calm a baby.

"Stop trying so hard, Flora. You're mature for your age, but you're only ten. You can cry when you want to cry." She tapped Flora affectionately on the head.

"But, but—" "It's all right." "Y-Your Highness—" Finally, the tears overflowed. She scrunched up her face and wailed. "Princess Juliiiis! I was so scaaared!" Flora clung to Julis and burst into sobs.

"Yes, I know. You were really brave, Flora. You're all right now."

Flora screwed up her face with tears and snot, and she looked just like a girl her age. Julis continued gently stroking her back until her sobs subsided.

"So—Yukio, do you have a minute?" After Flora had cried herself to sleep, Julis laid her down on the empty bed and pointed to the door.

"Sure, I've got time," Yukio said, "but where are we going?"

"Oh, just right over here." Julis led him a short distance outside the hospital room. There was a waiting area with a vending machine and a sofa.

There were spaces like these scattered throughout the facility, but perhaps because of the late hour, no one else was there.

"My treat. Anything you want," she said. "All right. An iced coffee, then."

"Then I'll have some tea." Ayato caught the can of iced coffee Julis tossed him. The cold felt pleasant against his hand.

"So?" he prompted her, thinking she must want to talk about something. "Er…" Julis self-consciously fidgeted with her can of tea.

After a while, she finally spoke.

"Well, I did bring you here to talk to you. But now I don't know what to say…" She fell silent again. Neither sat on the sofa, but instead they leaned back against the wall side by side as minutes passed quietly. Words tumbled out of her at last.

"…I don't think I would have made it this far if not for you." She did not turn toward Ayato, but gazed straight ahead.

"…Me too," he replied, facing the same way. "I don't think I would have even tried to come this far if not for you, Julis."

"But this is only one of the checkpoints," she warned. "We have a long road ahead."

"I'll be with you the whole way. For you, and for myself, too." He had found the thing he had to do. And now, they had to forge ahead to the next step.

"Yeah?"

"…Yeah." Silence fell again. But this time, it was interrupted quickly. "Then let's have a toast." Julis turned to Ayato and smiled softly.

"To our victory today." She raised her can. "And to our next victory." Ayato touched his can to hers. A low tunk echoed in the quiet hallway.

In the center of Asterisk's administrative area stood the Festa Executive Headquarters. It was one of the tallest skyscrapers in Asterisk, and the office of Executive Committee Chairman Madiath Mesa was on its top floor. The layout was similar to that of the student council room at Seidoukan Academy.

The glass walls provided a complete view of Asterisk. All the furniture, including the sofas and desk, were of the finest quality, and overall, the room had a tranquil air. Ayato and Julis faced Madiath in his office to hear his report on the earlier incident. "Ah, thank you for coming," he welcomed them.

"There was a lot going on with the Phoenix tournament, so it took us some time to sort through it all. Oh— please, have a seat." They sat on the sofa across the table from him. It had been a month since the Phoenix had ended. Their summer vacation of dawdling was already over, and the season had shifted into autumn.

"So, let me get straight to the point. Regarding the kidnapping of Miss Flora Klemm—I imagine you've already heard, but the leaders of the mafia group thought to be behind the crime were recently apprehended." Madiath exhaled quietly. Frowning, Ayato and Julis waited for him to continue.

"They were running the casino where Miss Klemm was being held and were involved in many other illegal activities, including a betting house for the Phoenix. They had fixed the odds a little too high, so they really couldn't afford to have you two win. On the other hand, they would have had to refund the bets placed if you had forfeited. That was how they arrived at the idea to stop you from using the Ser Veresta. Most are denying the charges, but we were able to collect solid evidence from their headquarters." Madiath slumped a little, smiling awkwardly. "You don't look very convinced."

"Of course not," Julis said. "It was obviously—"

"Please, just a moment. Needless to say, the city guard takes your testimony very seriously, and we're continuing to investigate along those lines. But we haven't been able to find this Dante whom Miss Sasamiya and Miss Toudou allegedly fought. And, I hope you'll forgive me for hesitating to name names, but nor can we find any evidence linking the crime to a specific school or to their intelligence apparatus." Yukio could almost hear Julis grinding her teeth. "Of course, many members of this mafia group are current Le Wolfe students. So on that point, the school bears some accountability.

We're of course considering punishment, and depending on the outcome, severe penalties, such as deductions of Festa points, may be levied." Deducting Festa points was a harsh punishment, but Le Wolfe had been subjected to it more than a few times in the past. Hardly anyone would blink if it happened again. "I'm also told that the head of the city guard has taken a strong personal interest in this case. The investigation is expected to continue, so I must ask for your patience."

"…We understand." Julis nodded grudgingly. She was tired of being angry about this entire thing. Ayato could sympathize, but if he was the target, then Julis and Flora were collateral damage. If Dirk got away with what he'd done, he wouldn't be able to let that slide.

"Speaking for the Executive Committee, this is an absolutely deplorable act. We're considering strengthening security for the contestants, and their families and friends." With that, Madiath stood.

"If anything else comes up, please don't hesitate to contact me. If it's something in my power, I promise my utmost cooperation." Yukio shook his extended hand, and Madiath's expression suddenly softened. "By the way, Mr. Amagiri, I hear that you used your victor's wish to request a search for your sister."

"Huh…? Um, yes." The change of subject caught Yukio by surprise, but then he nodded. Winners of a Festa tournament were granted any wish they desired. That was the selling point for competing, anyway. In actuality, of course, there were limits. It was impossible to bring the dead back to life, for instance; and even in this day and age most wishes that significantly violated another's human rights would not be granted.

(Although it was said that there were plenty of loopholes around this latter stipulation.) Julis had wished for money, as she had said she would, and the integrated enterprise foundation offered an incredible sum.

She used it to pay off the debts of several orphanages in Lieseltania and then bought the institutions. She was saving the rest for future administrative costs.

Yukio, for his part, had asked for his sister to be found. Unlike Julis's wish, there was no guarantee of results, but if the IEFs could not find her, there was nothing else he could do.

"If she went missing here in Asterisk, there must be a clue somewhere," Madiath said. "I'm praying for her safe return."

"Thank you." There was something affectionate in Madiath's words. Even though it puzzled him, he left the room with a polite bow.

"Phew…" With a sigh, Madiath sat back down in his chair after seeing Ayato and Julis off. At the same time, one of his many mobile devices signaled an incoming call, and he opened an air-window.

"…You've certainly managed to make a lot of work for me."

"Peh! I was trying to do you a favor." The rusty-haired young man on the screen scoffed irritably.

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

"You should know the power of the Ser Veresta better than anyone. And he's her brother. Sooner or later, he's gonna mess up the plan."

"Even so, your methods were too rough this time. I'd appreciate it if you exercised a little more restraint. Although I can see how you may have wanted to kill two birds with one stone by getting rid of unruly factions in the Rotlicht…" As Madiath gave him a mild talking to, the young man only scowled deeper.

"I let them run around on purpose just for times like this. They have to be useful once in a while. Still, I lost one of my Cats, so I'd say I barely broke even."

"Hmm… Well, no matter. I'll let this one slide. What happened to her?"

"I convinced her to hear us out…but are you sure about bringing her into this? She's better than that crazy bitch with Tenorio, but seriously, she's got a few screws loose."

"You saw what her Puppets can do. We need all the help we can get. Besides, I have no intention of telling her about the plan."

"…That would be smart."

"Well, I'm counting on you to carry out the negotiations. You know I can't get involved directly. We'll talk again." But just as Madiath was about to end the call, the young man interrupted.

"By the way, you feel like explaining your relationship with that girl yet?"

"Really, this again?" Madiath made an exaggerated sigh and a forced smile.

"Sorry, but I'm not going to tell you. It's a personal matter." This time, he did end the call.

"He's more persistent than I thought…," he grumbled, then touched his mobile device again. The dark air-window displayed a new image. But this time, it was not a call. It was a feed from a monitoring camera. The screen displayed a lone girl, asleep on a large bed.

"Now, what's to be done about this…?" Madiath let out another sigh as he gazed at the image of the sleeping girl— Haruka Amagiri.