His body was still sore and ached all over, but the normal activities of daily life weren't a problem. Since he and Julis were currently taking a break from training, he had some free time.
"Everything related to the student council's on the top floor, so there shouldn't be a problem just heading straight there..."
Outside the window lay a vibrant blue sky.
Within the room, the air conditioning had kept the room cool and comfortable, but as he stepped outside, he was assaulted by the heat of the burning sun. It was best to stay out of the heat as much as possible.
Thinking thusly, Ayato glanced around, looking for the aforementioned lounge.
The student council office was surrounded by a mass of rooms which looked very spacious.
Pressing the intercom, Ayato was greeted by Claudia's voice.
Hehe. Surprised, aren't you?
"Welcome, Ayato. Come on in."
He entered as prompted.
And doubted his very eyes.
He seemed to have stepped out into the depths of the jungle.
In the center of the room sat an ice-cold pool of water, while the room itself was covered with tropical plants. The walls were now glass, and sunlight filled the room.
Beside the pool of water was a long deck chair, upon which Claudia was stretched out. Numerous windows hovered around her, deeply engrossed in her work.
"...Um, thisー"
Sponsored Content
"Hehe. Surprised, aren't you?"
As he turned to look at her, he froze.
Claudia wore a swimsuit which was simultaneously both flattering and daring. The bikini she wore suited her greatly but was far too provocative, and he didn't know where to look.
Way too much skin had been exposed.
"This was left behind by my predecessor, who'd forcibly had it put in place. Although the costs were immense, but the cost to return things to their original state was similarly high, so there's nothing to be done but to take full advantage."
"I-is that how it is..."
Claudia glanced at Ayato and began to giggle.
"In any case, we're in the middle of a lake, aren't we? There's no need for such a pool, right?"
"Oh, you don't know, Ayato? Swimming in the lake is forbidden."
"Eh? Really?"
"This entire region boasts an extremely high concentration of Mana. It's led to some mutations."
The influx of Mana after the Ember Tears had led to mutations in the flora and fauna. Its effect on humanity had been the inception of the Starpulse Generation, and naturally, other forms of life had not been left untouched.
Nonetheless, mutants with the ability to pose a serious threat to the Starpulse Generation ーand their abnormal abilities, physical or otherwiseー had yet to be discovered.
"There haven't yet been any recorded incidents, but rumored ones only. That said, there've been reports of an enormous shadow moving about in the water, as well as monsters in the subterranean levels. It's quite terrifying."
Claudia sat up and waved her hands as if to say "how frightening".
He couldn't feel the least bit of fear from her.
More importantly, the way she waved her arms only served to emphasize her chest even further, which made it awkward to look.
"Th-They were just imagining things, I'm sure."
"Hmm... you're more of a realist than you seem."
Claudia seemed delighted. Her shoulders trembled slightly when suddenly she clasped a fist to her palm.
"Right, right, you were here for this."
She handed Ayato a new school badge.
"Yeah. Thanks, Claudia. But um, might I ask where exactly you were keeping this?"
Just a moment ago her hands had been empty.
"...That's a secret."
"A secret... I see."
He was terrified of what the answer might be, and so he let the matter rest.
"I have to say I'm quite surprised, though. I never would have guessed you'd be dueling Toudou Kirin."
"Well, the circumstances didn't allow for much else."
He assumed Claudia already knew the rough details of the matter, so he kept his reply simple.
"Toudou-san's uncle... Right?"
Ayato lifted his gaze.
"Claudia, you know him?"
"Of course I do. He's a most troublesome individual."
Having spoken, Claudia rose, and slowly walked toward the water's edge.
Impatiently, Ayato followed after her. She dipped her feet in the water.
"It's pretty comfortable, you know? Do you want to try?"
"No thanks. I'm in my uniform, after all."
"Then just remove it."
"I don't have any swimwear."
"I don't mind. Actually, I rather welcome it."
"I mind! Anyway, Claudia, youー"
As Ayato frantically rebutted her words, she raised a hand to her mouth and giggled.
"Fine, fine, I understand. You want to know about Toudou-san's uncle, correct?"
As she spoke, Claudia's usual smiling face took on a severe expression.
"Toudou Kirin-san's uncleー Toudou Kouichirou-dono, is the operative responsible for the running of Seidoukan Academy. He is a member of the Integrated Enterprise Foundation's "Galaxy" and the Head of the Integrated Entertainment Enterprise's 7th Instructional Assessment Office. He is the individual in charge of the scouting-related departments for all of the Far East. The Instructional Assessment Office is also responsible for oversight of our school's students as well as all matters pertinent to our performance in the Festa; their authority is very wide-ranging."
"So he's someone very important, then?"
"Yesー if subtly so. He's a candidate for the elite."
"It goes without saying that this is something he desires greatly. For that reason, he's taken his own niece as a pawn to be exploited. All of her duels and even her daily life are meticulously plotted out by Kouichirou-dono."
"Exploited... So then, Kirin-san's only fighting because of him..."
"What makes you say that? Of course she has her own goals as well."
Claudia rejected him flatly.
"This type of showy method is just Kouichirou-dono's style. To be sure, raising a student out of nowhere to become number one is advantageous to his position. That said, the burden on said student is immense, and were she to fail, his reputation would go with her. Nevertheless, this is the path he's chosen."
"...He sure is confident. Confident in Kirin-san's strength."
Claudia nodded her satisfaction at his words.
"Very good. As always Ayato, you're quite perceptive."
"I did fight her, after all."
"Speaking of which, now wasn't that something?"
Ayato could only laugh bitterly in response.
Sponsored Content
"In any case, the position Kouichirou-dono seeks to attain is a difficult one to obtainー whether or not Kirin-san fails."
"Why do you say that?"
Kirin's performance was directly beneficial to him; Claudia had just said as much.
"Because Toudou Kouichirou-dono's desires are far too strong."
"Huh?"
"The Integrated Enterprise Foundation will never allow those whose personal desires are too powerful to ever reach the top. This isn't limited to just Galaxy, World Dragon and Frauenlob either, but to all other Integrated Enterprise Foundation entities as well."
Saying this, Claudia scooped up water from the pool with her hands before letting it gently trickle out from between her fingers. The sunlight reflected through the water, glistening brilliantly, and Ayato had to squint his eyes.
"When it comes to the cadre of the Integrated Enterprise Foundation elite, unless one has first undergone many instances of mental adjustment programs, and having thus eliminated all personal desires, only then one is able to attain such a position. For that reason, the upper ranks of the Integrated Enterprise Foundation have almost no desires remaining. The immense power they wield is for but one purpose and one purpose onlyー the continued existence and prosperity of the Integrated Enterprise Foundation itself."
"...You seem to be pretty familiar with their inner-workings."
Information on the Integrated Enterprise Foundation ーto say nothing of its eliteー was all classified.
"That's right. My mother, after all, is one such individual."
"Your mother?"
Ayato was shocked.
He'd guessed that she was the daughter of a distinguished family, but he never could have imagined that she was the daughter of an Integrated Enterprise Foundation elite.
Even in comparison with Julis, who was a princess, Claudia was of an entirely different social class.
"Heh. Meetings of the elite sure are interesting. Everyone looks the same; even I am unable to distinguish which is my mother," Claudia laughed.
...No, that couldn't be described as a laugh.
"By the way, Toudou Kirin-san is the daughter of the main family of the Toudou-style. Were you aware?"
Claudia clapped her hands and changed the subject.
"Ah... Well, no, I didn't, but fighting her, I could tell she was a practitioner of some style or another."
The Toudou-style was a currently thriving school of swordsmanship.
Emphasizing spirituality, in order to ensure guidance of the correct path, they stressed the necessity of those of the Starpulse Generation undergoing mental training from an early age. For this reason, they had many students who were of the Starpulse Generation, as well as many dojos abroad. They existed on a scale utterly unlike the Amagiri Bright Dragon-style that Ayato belonged to.
If she was a daughter of the main family, then her swordsmanship made sense.
Claudia sighed and slipped beneath the water's surface.
As smoothly and silently as a fish, she disappeared and reappeared in the center of the pool.
"So Ayato, what is it you plan to do next?"
Ayato wasn't sure where the voice had sounded from.
Nor was an answer expected.
Knowing this, Ayato didn't speak and simply shrugged.
- ψ -
"Toudou Kirin...is it?"
He didn't quite understand why, but he was quite worried about her nonetheless.
Of course, that was due at least in part to the existence of Kouichirou, but he'd be lying if he said that was all it was. He felt a certain kinship with her... but on exactly what, he wasn't sure.
Deep in thought, he was on his way back to the dorms, when he felt something awry. There seemed to be a commotion of sorts, an aura of nervous energy.
"What's going on...?"
Thinking to ask someone nearby, he stepped forward when suddenly the crowd, noticing Ayato, erupted.
"He's here..."
"It's Amagiri..."
"It's him..."
"What on earth...?"
He wasn't able to hear too clearly as sentiments of curiosity, jealousy, pity, and every other kind of emotion ran together.
"...Huh? What's going on?"
Ayato stared at the crowd as Eishirou stepped forward.
His expression revealed his utmost delight.
"Hey, Amagiri. You're late. You've got a guest waiting."
"Waiting? For me?"
"Yep. They're in the guestroom. Hurry up."
"O-OK."
At Eishirou's urging, he sped up, and made his way to the guestroom.
From the impish smile on Eishirou's face, Ayato suddenly remembered having had a similar feeling in the past.
It was like the first time he'd fought with Julis, the moment when he'd entered her room.
Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in his brain.
This could only beー
"Ah... Please, come in."
Knocking on the door, a cute voice came through.
It was as he'd expected. Ayato opened the door.
Greeting him from within the guestroom, sitting on the sofa, was a nervous visage; or in other words, the number one rank of Seidoukan Academyー Toudou Kirin.