The Asterisk War, Vol. 9: Whispers of a Long Farewell Read online

  Copyright

  THE ASTERISK WAR, Vol. 9

  YUU MIYAZAKI

  Translation by Haydn Trowell

  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 2015

  First published in Japan in 2015 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 © 2019 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. |

  Trowell, Haydn, 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. 6–8 translation by Haydn Trowell | 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) | ISBN 9780316398671 (v. 6 : paperback) | ISBN 9780316398695 (v. 7 : paperback) | ISBN 9780316398718 (v. 8 : paperback) | ISBN 9781975302801 (v. 9 : 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: 978-1-9753-0280-1 (paperback)

  978-1-9753-0428-7 (ebook)

  E3-20190220-JV-NF-ORI

  Contents

  Cover

  Insert

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Chapter 1: Memories I: The Night Before

  Chapter 2: Memories II: Daybreak

  Chapter 3: Memories III: Morning

  Chapter 4: Midday

  Chapter 5: Afternoon

  Chapter 6: Dusk

  Chapter 7: Evening

  Chapter 8: Night

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Yen Newsletter

  CHAPTER 1

  MEMORIES I: THE NIGHT BEFORE

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

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

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

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

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

  But that time had yet to come.

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

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

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

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

  That was the kind of person Claudia Enfield was.

  “Hiiyah!”

  A razor-sharp sword swept before her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  However—

  “What?!”

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

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

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

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

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

  “Rrgh… Th-that’s…”

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

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

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

  “—!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  “Are you thinking of Asterisk, then?”

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

  “Yes, that’s right… I suppose.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  “Do you perhaps mean the Fairclough siblings?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  For her, it made little difference.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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