The Asterisk War, Vol. 5: Battle for the Crown Read online

  Copyright

  THE ASTERISK WAR, Vol. 5

  YUU MIYAZAKI

  Translation by Melissa Tanaka

  Cover art by okiura

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  © Yuu Miyazaki 2014

  First published in Japan in 2014 by KADOKAWA CORPORATION. English translation rights reserved by Yen Press, LLC under the license from KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo, through TUTTLE-MORI AGENCY, INC. Tokyo.

  English translation © 2017 by Yen Press, LLC

  Yen Press, LLC supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact the publisher. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Miyazaki, Yuu, author. | Tanaka, Melissa, translator.

  Title: The asterisk war / Yuu Miyazaki ; translation by Melissa Tanaka.

  Other titles: Gakusen toshi asterisk. English

  Description: First Yen On edition. | New York, NY : Yen On, 2016– | v. 1. Encounter with a fiery princess—v. 2. Awakening of silver beauty—v. 3. The phoenix war dance—v. 4. Quest for days lost—v. 5. Battle for the crown | Audience: Ages 13 & up.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2016023755 | ISBN 9780316315272 (v. 1 : paperback) | ISBN 9780316398589 (v. 2 : paperback) | ISBN 9780316398602 (v. 3 : paperback) | ISBN 9780316398626 (v. 4 : paperback) | ISBN 9780316398657 (v. 5 : paperback)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Science fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Science Fiction / Adventure.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.1.M635 As 2016 | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016023755

  ISBNs: 978-0-316-39865-7 (paperback)

  978-0-316-39866-4 (ebook)

  E3-20171116-JV-PC

  Contents

  Cover

  Insert

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Map

  Chapter 1: The Semifinals: Match One

  Chapter 2: Threads of Villainy

  Chapter 3: The Semifinals: Match Two

  Chapter 4: Racing the Clock

  Chapter 5: A Chance Encounter

  Chapter 6: To Each Their Own Fight

  Chapter 7: Ceremonies

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Yen Newsletter

  CHAPTER 1

  THE SEMIFINALS: MATCH ONE

  “…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.

  “I have to admire your skill, controlling a highly unstable Lux with such precision. And you not only read my attack perfectly, but you countered with impeccable timing. Very impressive,” she droned indifferently with an equally detached expression.

  “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 stated 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 fo
rcing 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 the 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 Ruinsharif 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 Waldenholt and Rimcy’s Ruinsharif.

  “Ruinsharif—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…

  “Haaaah!”

  “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 Ayato 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 a 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!”

  “Wha—?!”

  Far from attempting to dodge her blow, Ardy stuck out his head to receive it. The sensation of her blade cutting metal vibrated through the sword and into her hands. She’d landed a solid blow, and yet Ardy failed to even flinch. Instead, he shook her off with his massive trunk of an arm.

  Kirin had no choice but to withdraw to a safe distance and assume her fighting stance again.

  Needless to say, for a human being, the head was a vital point that one would instinctively protect. But he’d used his as a shield…

  “You are quite reckless,” she remarked.


  Before, Ayato had taken a hit from Kirin to escape the Linked Cranes. What Ardy had just done was superficially similar, yet not the same at all—a maneuver he could pull off because he was fundamentally different from a mortal.

  “Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Indeed, if I had a human body, our match would be over!” Ardy crowed. “But my body is a machine! My head is just an expendable part! You seem to have forgotten that!”

  “…”

  Kirin had no retort. It was just as he said.

  She had been the one to point out his weakness as a machine, but at a critical moment, she had acted according to the common expectation that her opponent would be human. “I have much to learn as well…”

  Admonishing herself, she regained her focus. The fight had only just begun.

  “Well, I suppose I should thank you for giving me such valuable data,” Ardy said, gently giving the wound on his head a test rub.

  A neat slice from a katana was etched deep into his right eye—or where his right eye would have been, were he the type.

  “Thank me…?” Kirin said dubiously.

  Ardy thrust out his chest proudly. “Heh-heh…! Rimcy, now is the time to let them see it!”

  “No.”

  Rimcy, fighting Saya from above, bluntly shut down Ardy’s shout without so much as looking at him.

  “And why not, pray tell?” He sounded dejected.

  “I should be asking you why, you imbecile. Why would we do such a thing in the present situation? First of all, that decision is mine to make, not yours.”

  As she spoke to her brother in creation, Rimcy kept her gaze fixed on her opponent.

  Saya steadied her ragged breath and replied with a thin smile. “You’re still holding back?”

  “This is our strategy. I am already fighting you with my full strength. Are you dissatisfied?”

  “…Not at all,” Saya replied as Rimcy’s left hand—the Ruinsharif—filled with condensed energy.

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  With a blast akin to a monster’s roar, a maelstrom of light large enough to swallow Saya whole rushed at her. The Waldenholt was in its cool-down phase; she wouldn’t be able to use it to counter.

  As Saya rolled to dodge the shot, the ground where she’d just been standing was vaporized in an explosion.