Act 1

Start of a Study Case

Chapter 3

First Conclusions

Julis was sure today was one of the most unusual days in her life.

Her morning was not off to a great start, what with almost losing her friend's last gift into a lake. She shuddered just thinking about it – it was a mistake she would never make again anytime soon.

But right after she was done with her morning routines in the dorm and ready to attend her class, that stubborn boy had followed her yet again to challenge her to a duel.

Lester McPhail, ranked 9th of the Page One. Just 4 ranks below her, really.

Julis wasn't one to turn down a challenge in front of her. She had her pride, and fighting against a fellow Page One would surely be productive. But even she didn't want to waste time with someone who didn't know that he was in way over his head.

Couldn't he understand? She had beaten him not once, not twice, but thrice already in the previous trimester. If Lester was improving with each duel, then she would reconsider, but the boy didn't seem to improve at all with every encounter – he just foolishly challenged her again and again.

And thus, she had to go everywhere with him tailing her like a spoiled kid who wanted her mother to buy him a toy they couldn't afford. That image was both embarrassing and conspicuous, and Julis burned that away from her mind. It was probably divine mercy that Lester wasn't in the same classroom as her.

Still, regardless of her mood, she couldn't contain her surprise when that transfer student was introduced in front of her class.

"...I'm Amagiri Kirika. Pleased to see all of you."

A beautiful girl whose form made her recall the image of her friend, Orphelia... even though she seemed to be a foreigner from the East. Regardless, Amagiri Kirika was definitely an interesting fellow.

Though Julis was initially wary of her – a not very well thought out and rushed presumption Julis was rather shameful about – it was fact the transfer student had retrieved Orphelia's handkerchief for her.

She didn't really think too much of that at first. After all, helping someone in need was just common courtesy. But it was after she gave it a second thought, she realized there were many peculiarities.

First of all, Claudia, the student council president herself, took her time to follow this transfer student. Julis didn't know whether that scheming woman had been doing this specifically to Kirika or that she actually stalked other students too, but it was certainly unusual.

And then, if what Claudia was saying was true, then Kirika should have been taking a stroll before the girl saw her handkerchief flew out of the window, before deciding to chase after it.

Who on earth would bother running after a handkerchief stolen by the wind?

Normally, no one. Even if Genestellars had superhuman physical prowess, most would probably not even consider it to be worth their time and effort, let alone actually pull it off. Julis would try, but that was mainly because of her personal feelings regarding the item.

However, Kirika went after it beyond all reason and managed to catch it, even crossing a lake in the process. Whatever was inside the transfer student's mind, Julis couldn't imagine, but the ability she had displayed intrigued her.

For the Genestellar, walking on bodies of water was not impossible, but it was almost unheard of and incredibly difficult.

In order to do so, one had to carefully control 'mana within the body' - officially referred as [Prana] - to generate a force which shrouded the entire body.

Normally, it was used defensively to repel away blows which normal humans couldn't endure, such as a gunshot. However, this force could also be used to stabilize water tension and thus allow walking on them.

Although... it was much, much easier said than done. Julis was tempted to try it a few times, but she had failed miserably and embarrassed herself each time.

Most likely, it was because she had never grasped the 'feeling' of it. Understanding a theory and actually putting it into practice were two different matters.

The fact that Kirika reached the center of the lake to catch Orphelia's handkerchief, and then comfortably strolled back to the dry land, spoke volumes about her ability to control her prana. That level of ability should earn her a place among the Page One.

With those thoughts in her mind, Julis became more than a bit curious about this transfer student. She was actually looking forward to meeting her again, more than just to repay a debt.

That sentiment bothered her somewhat, though. How long had it been since Julis was this curious about someone?

"About the seats, there are a lot of empty ones right there near the back, so pick whichever you like."

As the teacher said that, Julis watched as the white-haired, possibly albino girl moved smoothly to the near back of the classroom.

It might just be Julis' imagination, but... did Kirika's pale blue eyes seem focused on her?

Why are you staring like that?

Kirika then actually picked a seat to her left, and for a moment she appeared to glance at her...

...before she suddenly averted her gaze, and took her seat with a very unpleasant sounding 'hump'.

What...?

Was she… purposefully ignoring her?

At that moment, Julis wished glares could burn.

As Kirika had expected, the first class was unproductive.

It's not that the teacher – Yatsuzaki Kyouko – was incompetent. Far from it, in fact.

The teacher's intimidating presence commanded every single student to pay her full attention, and her own explanation about the nature of combat, mana and manadytes were detailed.

It was not the teacher's ability that made it useless to her. The class was unproductive because she had no need for a lesson she was already very familiar with.

Kirika was sure her previous teachers, such as Haruka, could teach better than anyone the Asterisk could offer, and even though Kyouko was very impressive by her standards, the teacher hadn't proven her thoughts wrong as of yet.

They have taught me about just about everything, too …

Would that mean she had no need to attend classes?

No, it was too soon to assume that she would learn nothing new from the classes. She had to attend every lesson at least once or twice before drawing conclusions.

Still, the fact that the first day's lesson was utterly and completely useless somewhat discouraged her. It was perhaps a good thing that it was the only class for today.

"Hey, you."

Well, she could think about the classes later-

"Don't pretend like you don't know me!"

Right now, there was a princess to take care of.

Next to her seat, a redhead stood upright with her fists clenched, her green-blue eyes filled with anger.

Judging from the scowl on her face, Julis was a few moments away from exploding if not diffused quickly.

Honestly, it was a shame – an opportunity to play with an angry princess didn't come often. However, if she allowed the redhead's anger to grow past this point, it might develop into a volatile situation.

Especially-

"Eh, the princess knows that transfer student?"

"For real? They know each other?!"

"Look, she is ignoring the princess!"

…Judging from the noises in the background, Kirika's analysis was spot on. Julis was very popular.

There was no doubt about it. The first princess of Lieseltania, a former German territory under the control of two companies of the Integrated Enterprise Foundation, would attract the attention of almost any student if she ever transferred into the Asterisk, regardless of the school she picked.

Not to mention, Julis was pleasant to the eyes and ears. If she was also a Genestellar powerful enough to occupy a rank among the Page One, then her popularity would only increase further. Heck, it was likely the princess even had a dedicated fan club.

Schools were filled to the brim by weirdos like that, after all.

In any case, it didn't seem wise to chat with Julis among them.

With that in mind, Kirika opened her mouth.

"Sie sind die Prinzessin Lieseltanias... allein mit ihnen zu sprechen würde für Aufmerksamkeit sorgen."

Following her soft words, was silence.

The students in the classroom suddenly fell silent, and Julis herself seemed to be startled, if her widened eyes were any indication.

It was understandable, though. Kirika just said 'you are the Princess of Lieseltania... just talking to you would attract attention' in German, after all.

Ever since the Integrated Enterprise Foundation took control of the majority of the world, they had established English as the sole formal language used in international affairs. It had led to the decline of other languages outside of their native land.

Especially within the Asterisk City, learning English was a necessity for anyone who wanted to stay here in some form or another.

Besides English, the only language commonly used within the Asterisk was her mother tongue, Japanese. Even then, that was only because the whole city was built on the Kanto region, the territory of Japan.

Therefore, students capable of understanding German were in the minority.

Luckily, Julis was a princess hailing from there, so she was among those minority.

"Du sprichst deutsch?"

As the princess muttered with a questioning tone, Kirika had to resist letting out a chuckle.

Just as expected, Julis seemed to have a hard time believing what Kirika just said. And to test it, she asked a question in German.

A question which meant 'you can speak German?' in English.

Humph. What do you think?

Among the many things Julis could ask, she chose one with an obvious answer.

Kirika glanced at her surroundings. It seemed that nobody else in the classroom was able to understand their exchange, as most of them were whispering to each other.

It was a tempting thought to take advantage of their slow response and leave before these weirdos would start questioning her, but that would leave Julis even angrier than before.

In that case-

Better drop a hint for her to pick up, I suppose.

After all, she also wanted to talk with her.

"Wenn sie reden wollen dann achten sie bitte auf ihre Umgebung."

"…Oh."

Standing upright from her chair, Kirika whispered softly to Julis, whose mouth turned into an O.

It meant, 'if you want to talk, consider our surroundings'. In other words, if Julis wanted to talk, it would be somewhere else.

Whether or not the princess would pick that up, it was up to herself.

Judging from that reaction, Julis seemed to understand, though. That was good.

Kirika said nothing more as she walked toward the exit.

It seemed that no matter how advanced humanity had progressed, all classrooms within a school would always look similar to each other.

That fact bemused Kirika a little.

Seidoukan Academy was a school that taught violence and combat as means to an end. That was an undeniable fact.

However, the Foundation was pretentious enough to try and disguise itself as a place of uniformity, as a place of education, despite teaching its students how to be obedient, ignorant puppets of the system.

Earlier, she didn't pay attention to it because she was focused to Claudia, but now that she was alone, each step in the hallways of a place perpetuating such irony made her fought back her urge to sigh.

…Calm down and stop being critical, Kirika.

Yes, she shouldn't be complaining. It was her choice to enroll here. It was her decision not to evaluate this place, but to taste what kind of experience she would have here.

Focus. Her next objective is to discuss her next meeting with the student council, after all. And Claudia Enfield was not as easy person to discern, even if her friendliness seemed sincere.

Hmm … I was just right on time.

The classroom Claudia entered a few hours ago was done, if the crowds of students coming out of the door was any indication.

Kirika couldn't see the blonde manes of hair Claudia had among the crowd, though.

Where are you?

All she could see were a bunch of students who seemed to have noticed her watching them from a distance.

"…Who is that beauty?"

"I don't think I have seen her before…"

"Maybe it's that transfer student! I heard there is one in the other class."

Kirika was pleased at that. That was perfect.

Normally, she would scoff at people for blatantly displaying their scrutiny. But if these students were chattering about a 'transfer student' that would certainly alert Claudia inside the classroom that she was here.

Sure enough, soon after the students became noisy, a blonde with tranquil purple eyes walked out of the door, glancing around, before meeting her gaze.

"Oh, Kirika! I didn't expect you to come over my class."

She could almost feel the cheerful tone of voice from Claudia was physically trying to tingle her own lips to smile.

That being said, Kirika didn't feel like smiling now.

"Rather than through a message, I feel it would be more pleasant to talk face-to-face about our next appointment."

"I see. Then, would you like to have lunch with me? I am sure you would appreciate some food after our discussion."

Kirika widened her eyes. She knew Claudia was trying to be friendly, but she doubted the president was going to eat in that traditional-looking cafeteria. It didn't fit the proper lady image Claudia was projecting at all.

No, most likely, Claudia probably had special service. If the student council could have an entire room the size of a conference room for themselves, surely the school could provide things like personal service for each of the members.

Better to just ask about it.

"Is that fine? I doubt we will be eating in the cafeteria."

Claudia's smile widened just a little.

"Of course not. We will be heading to the student council lounge at the rooftop."

Kirika was - for a third time today, she realized - mesmerized.

The 'student council lounge' definitely surpassed her expectations. Not only it was placed at the very highest spot in the Seidoukan Academy, its size had occupied the entirety of the rooftop.

The lounge was more of a park than a room, but it was nonetheless a nice resting room – it was filled here and there with tropical plants, there was a huge pool at the center, and the walls and the ceilings were all made of glass, which presented full view of the gray skies of winter and the rest of Seidoukan.

There were a lot of patio tables with umbrellas and stretched deck chairs surrounding the pool, though they were understandably empty. In the midst of winter, there was little point in using the lounge.

Though for Kirika, this was practically the ideal lounge.

"Fufu. Like what you see?"

Coming from her left, Claudia's teasing voice once again snapped Kirika back to her senses.

"…I do."

Kirika had been embarrassed in front of Claudia again, but this time she barely even cared. It seemed that this school had a healthy appreciation of nature, at least.

"This was left behind by my predecessor, who forcibly had it put in place. Although the costs were immense, the cost to return things to their original state was similarly high, so there's nothing to be done but to take full advantage."

As if knowing she was about to ask, Claudia suddenly explained in a matter of fact tone. That didn't quite satisfy her curiosity, though.

"Although I understand the appeals of an indoor pool, there is a lake near the school. Why not make use of that?"

"The lake near the female dorms, you mean? Unfortunately, swimming there is forbidden."

"Why is that?"

"The lake is actually part of the Science Club's stage of experiment. Thus, the water is infused with high concentrations of mana."

Kirika raised an eyebrow to that.

"Experiment? Are they experimenting the effects of mana-induced mutations on aquatic flora and fauna?"

She couldn't exactly say it didn't pique her interest. The Genestellar as a whole was a species born from the mutation of humanity due to mana, and mana had also affected many other living beings on the planet the same way, down to the cellular level.

"Exactly."

Apparently pleased at her knowledge of the subject, Claudia smiled and clapped.

"It was fortunate for you to catch Julis' handkerchief before it fell to that lake. The sudden infusion of high amount of mana into an ordinary object could tear it apart."

"That certainly explains why she is so grateful for it…"

"That is true. Anyway, I have already ordered our lunch in advance, so let's take a seat and begin our discussion right… there."

Claudia then gestured her hand to one of the smaller patio table without an umbrella, which only had two intricately designed chairs. All three objects of furniture were dyed in pure white, and it didn't have a single scratch or imperfection.

Kirika had to praise the people who were maintaining this floor. Unnecessarily expensive as the furnitures might be, the cleaning service still held their responsibility splendidly.

The two of them then made themselves comfortable on their respective seats, with Kirika taking the seat that was facing the pool.

Gloomy as the sky was, the dim reflection from the surface of the pool was pleasing to her eyes, after all.

As she was focusing on the pool behind Claudia though, the student council president opened her mouth.

"You are probably aware of this already, but the Seidoukan Academy only expects one thing from its students."

Kirika nodded. Of course, she already knew about it.

"It's victory in the [Festa – the Star Warrior Festival], right?"

[Seidoukan Academy], [Saint Garrardsworth Academy], [Allekant Academy], [Jie Long World Dragon 7th Institute], [Le Wolfe Black Institute], [Queen Veil Girl's Academy]; the six combat schools of the artificial island [War Academy City Asterisk], built by the [Integrated Enterprise Foundation].

Each school was supported by a company which made up the Foundation. Their power, superior to the now fallen nations of times past, was sufficient even to warp and alter the law. Whether it be wealth, position, or prestige - nothing was beyond reach.

The students gathered to this Asterisk City, it was likely that almost half of them were here for the express purpose of realizing such dreams, attained only by winning in the Festa.

Even if they were not interested in the prize, many Genestellars – children of the Starpulse Generation – were eager to test the very limits of their ability. There was but one place in this world where they could legally do that, which was the Festa.

"Exactly. However, our school's performance in the Festa these past years has been anything but stellar."

Claudia's smile faded. Kirika could tell – it was a hint of frustration.

"Last season, we placed fifth in the overall rankings. With that said, the sixth-ranked Queen Veil are ranked by design only, the official rankings notwithstanding."

The Queen Veil Girl's Academy – the only academy which exclusively accepted girls in Asterisk. Kirika heard it was the smallest school in Asterisk, and required 'attractive charm' in addition to academic achievement and combat capacity in order to register.

That school didn't emphasize much on Festa victory. The IEF company governing it seemed to ignore the overall ranking, instead it saw Festas as a place to draw out the charm of each individual students. It was only a given that they would rank last in every Festa seasons.

That being said, their students also tend to be very famous idols known across the world. The current student council president of Queen Veil, Sylvia Lyyneheym, was probably the single most popular female idol in history since the Invertia hit the Earth in the 20th century.

Of course, this meant that-

"The reality of things is that Seidoukan is currently last. This is not a situation we can allow to continue. For this purpose, we need every talented individual we can get our hands on. And as you already know, students only have the opportunity to participate in the Festa three times. Our current numbers are inadequate."

Although the Festa was described like a single competition, it was actually divided into three separate parts.

In the second trimester of the first year was the partner battle, [Phoenix Festa – Phoenician Star Warrior Festival].

In the third trimester of the second year was the team battle, [Gryps Festa – Griffon Star Warrior Festival].

And finally, in the fourth trimester of the third year was the individually fought [Lindwurm Festa – Dragon King Star Warrior Festival].

Those who performed well would be able to substitute their Festa scores in place of their traditional school grades, with their final point accumulation at the end of the Lindwurm as their grade.

Students might register for the Festa between the ages of 13 and 22, a period of 10 years between middle school to university. During this time, they might, of their own free will, choose to participate in any Festa, even if only a part thereof.

For example, there were students who would participate in all three Festa segments in one cycle, departing at the end of the three-year cycle, as well as those who, in their nine allotted years, would opt to take part in the Gryps or Lindwurm only.

The more excellent students, the better. Taking this attitude, each of the six schools spared no effort in seeking out the very best and brightest, leading students from all around the world to gather here.

Free tuition, living stipends, sponsored equipment; each of the six schools had its own methods for attracting students. From the point of view of these schools, these special invitees were to be had no matter what.

Honestly, Kirika thought it was a clever system.

Using combat schools to settle competitions between major multinational companies … whoever built the system within IEF deserved a credit.

If only they were a little less greedy or corrupt, Kirika would praise them from the bottom of her heart.

"That explains why you bothered to look for information regarding my sister."

Kirika didn't say that out of arrogance or overconfidence. It was undeniable fact that she was one of those talented individuals the schools would seek.

To say otherwise would be offensive to the ones who had scouted her out. In this case, the student council president of Seidoukan, Claudia herself.

As if aware of the stealth appreciation, Claudia's smile returned to her lips.

"Indeed. Special invitee students such as yourself have several privileges. Aside from waived fees and the like, they also have priority access to the school's [Ogre Lux]."

"Ah… those wonders from outside of this world…?"

Kirika was pleasantly surprised.

Among the types of manadytes, there was one of exceedingly high purity, and equally rare, composing the cores of some meteors of Invertia. These were the so-called [Ulm Manadytes].

Normal manadytes would be destroyed if it channeled mana beyond its durability. In comparison, Ulm Manadytes were nigh-indestructible, and capable of withstanding enormous amounts of mana compared to manadytes of the same mass. It was like comparing the energy stored in an ordinary power plant with the energy of a nuclear reactor.

The only problem with using them was, they were sentient. Each Ulm Manadyte possessed its own unique personality. They were capable of harnessing mana and interact with their surroundings on their own.

Not helping matters was their ability to twist the laws of physics, causing supernatural phenomena which normally wouldn't even exist in this world. When combined with their innate power, it was really fitting to compare Ulm Manadytes with cursed or demonic stones.

Because of their personalities, the Ulm Manadytes really couldn't be used as anything else other than as weapons – assuming they were willing to allow themselves to be used to begin with, as cases of Ulm Manadytes attacking humans as a response of wishing to be left alone was not unheard of.

The type of armaments using the Ulm Manadytes as their core were officially known as [Pure Star Type Armaments – Ogre Lux]. However unlike the Lux, the designs of the Ogre Lux had minimal mana control devices – this was because the Ulm Manadytes chose their own weapon forms.

The vast majority of Ogre Lux weaponry originally belonged to the Integrated Enterprise Foundation for research purposes, although many of them were eventually given to the schools to be used by the students. This was because Ulm Manadytes were difficult to research to begin with.

That was what Haruka had said about them, and throughout her experience with them in recent years, Kirika found them to be true for the most part.

Raising a brow, Claudia seemed to sense the excitement in her voice.

"That is quite an eloquent way to put it. Are you familiar with them?"

"You can say that. I've heard you need to verify the compatibility with them first?"

All Ogre Luxes were self-aware. Thus, they chose their own owners.

Moreover, it was said those who used the Ogre Lux experienced 'change'.

"You could say it's the most important factor. Here at Seidoukan Academy, the minimum requirement is an eighty percent compatibility rating. Any lower than that, and we can't accommodate the wishes of the student in loaning out the item."

It was Kirika's turn to raise a brow.

"Eighty percent? How do you calculate compatibilities with an Ogre Lux?"

"By measuring the flow of mana around it. Don't worry, all schools have the technology to do so accurately."

That was a little unexpected. Among the many things she had learnt about the Ogre Lux, this was not one of them.

Still, this means it will be easier for me to get my hands on one.

"Claudia, do you have any recommendations about which available Ogre Lux should I try first?"

"Oh, about that, I think you should check this one first."

Claudia put an electronic tablet into the table, and it produced a hologram displaying a sword, or at least, something resembling one.

The hilt of the blade was rather large for a Lux sword, and it had a large handguard as well. The blade, however, was nothing more than a body of light in the shape of a unnaturally large blade.

On the description, it was named [Ser-Veresta], Demonic Sword of Black Furnace in contrast to its pure white blade.

"Black Furnace? Could it be color blindness is a common disorder in Asterisk?"

Kirika didn't hide her sarcasm for once to mock everyone who came up with that nickname. Claudia giggled lightly in response.

"It was named such since it will turn black when properly wielded by someone compatible."

"Is that so… then, may I ask why would you recommend this one?"

Claudia's expression turned serious.

"Anyone who wants to borrow an Ogre Lux would have to go through several procedures of registration, including special invitee students. However, the records of this Ogre Lux had been altered by an unknown party."

Kirika narrowed her eyes. She didn't need to be told what that meant.

"Are you telling me… this weapon was used by my sister?"

"That's a likely possibility. The school has investigated other weapons in our possession, but Ser-Veresta is the only one whose record has been tampered. Incidentally, when retracing the lost data, we found the picture I showed you this morning."

"…"

That meant, 5 years ago, as a Seidoukan student, sometime along the six months she was here, Haruka registered to use this weapon.

It was food for her thoughts, at least. Why would Haruka need an Ogre Lux? Why the Ser-Veresta in particular?

"In that case, I will take a look at it myself."

"I understand. I'll look into this more thoroughly and then notify you of my findings. But for now…"

The blonde turned her head to the entrance of the lounge, which prompted Kirika to do the same.

There was a rather tall, dark-haired woman dressed in a black-and-white French maid outfit walking toward them while pushing a food trolley. On it, there were several plates of food, still covered in food covers made of metal.

Claudia put her hands together and smiled.

"Let's have our lunch, shall we?"

Alright, Chapter 3 is done. How is it? Leave your thoughts in the reviews!

Sorry it took me this long. Part of the reason it took this long was because a few weeks ago this chapter was almost finished, but then my computer decided to screw me over and deleted the file. I was sulking for a few days before I decided to type it again from scratch.

But anyway, thank you for dropping by and following the development of "Asterisk Winter"!