A figure walked by herself down the dimly lit passageway leading up to the stage.
The first time she had come this way, she had been with a partner.
The second time, with all her friends.
Several years had passed since then—and now, Kirin Toudou walked alone, her shoes clacking against the hard floor.
She would be lying if she said that she didn’t feel a little lonely. She felt helpless at times, too.
No matter how much she grew, no matter how strong she became, she was still the same old Kirin.
But that was fine. So long as she remained herself, so long as he could see her, wherever he was, that was enough.
Passing through the entrance gate, she came to a halt and caught her breath.
Then, breaking into a run and leaping down from the bridge onto the stage, she heard the audience cry out in excitement. Her long, untied silver hair fluttered down her back, sparkling in the light.
“Dashing through the east gate is Seidoukan Academy’s number one! She made it into the top four in the last season’s Phoenix and triumphed in the Gryps together with the Glühen Rose, Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld! The sixth-generation Sword Saint! The Keen-Edged Tempest herself! Often called the greatest swordsman in the history of Asterisk, Kirin Toudou!
She was overflowing with energy.
She had sustained several injuries so far, but none were so serious as to hinder her ability to move around the stage.
That said, she wasn’t confident that she could prevail over this next opponent.
“…”
Here she came.
On reflex, Kirin’s body tightened, and she gulped.
Her opponent had only just passed through the gate, and though she was still out of sight, the sense of overwhelming power emanating from her froze Kirin to the core.
Her foe today was the third-generation Ban’yuu Tenra, Xinglou Fan.
“And now! Appearing from the west gate, Jie Long Seventh Institute’s reigning number one! The girl who inherited the legendary title of Ban’yuu Tenra! She’s long been said to possess absolute power! Though due to age restrictions, this is her first time actively participating in a Festa! She was rarely seen on the stage until now! Dominating in all her matches, proving the rumors true, it’s Xinglou Fan!”
Xinglou descended from the bridge without making so much as a sound, breaking into a satisfied grin as she laid eyes on Kirin.
“Mm-hmm… Good, good. You’ve developed well, just as I had hoped.”
The last time Kirin had seen Xinglou in person had been at the reception after the last Lindvolus, three years ago. In that time, she had grown into a beautiful girl. Of course, Kirin had made sure to watch recordings of each of her matches, so she was familiar with her appearance. But seeing her up close like this made the differences obvious.
She was small and delicate, not particularly tall, her limbs slender and her body still developing, though obviously well toned. Her hair had the iridescence of a butterfly’s wings, and while it looked much the same as before, she now wore it cut considerably shorter.
“Your duel against Xiaohui Wu in the semifinals of the Gryps, and your rematch against him six months ago—both were superb.”
“…I wasn’t strong enough back then.”
As promised, Kirin had given Xiaohui a rematch six months ago, and she had lost by only a hair’s breadth.
“Ho-ho-ho! Xiaohui aims high indeed. But…if you had used the Orga Lux you wear at your waist, I expect the outcome would have been very different.”
“Well…”
It was true that she hadn’t used the Fudaraku. Or rather, that she hadn’t been able to use it.
After all, she had been saving it for today.
“Good, good. Xiaohui told me you gave it your all. He told me the reason, too, though he wasn’t at all pleased about it.” Having said that much, Xinglou’s shoulders began to tremble in quiet laughter. “He’s left Jie Long again, embarking on a journey of training and discovery. Thanks to that, Hufeng and Cecily are stirring up all kinds of trouble. Now that the twins have moved up to headquarters, we’re lacking in good leadership.”
“Huh?! Xiaohui’s taken another leave of absence…?”
This was the first Kirin had heard of that. She would hardly be able to live with herself if she was to blame.
“Don’t fret. It’s a good thing. You know what they say: ‘If you love your children, send them out into the world.’”
“I guess so… So where has he gone on this training trip?”
“I do not know. But perhaps he will bump into the Murakumo somewhere.”
That was within the realm of possibility.
Kirin broke into a soft smile as she imagined that encounter.
“Well…you’ve kept that Orga Lux of yours sheathed ever since I announced my intention to participate in this year’s Lindvolus, yes?”
“That’s right.”
Kirin had decided to use her final opportunity to participate in the Festa to enter this year’s Lindvolus. She had known from the beginning that should the Ban’yuu Tenra choose to enter, she would inevitably run into her sooner or later. For that reason, Claudia had forbidden her from using the Fudaraku.
“Oh-ho, I’m pleased to hear that. But I never thought the sixth-generation Sword Saint would be so wary of me.”
“…There’s no need to be self-effacing. I’ve heard just how strong you are. And someone else at Seidoukan once faced the Ban’yuu Tenra at full power.”
“Oh, I see, I see. Julis, you mean? Yes, she has a meticulous sense of duty, that one. She even went out of her way to send me an invitation the other day.”
Before Xinglou could say any more, a mechanical voice sounded out to announce the pending start of the match.
“Dear me, we’ve let ourselves get carried away with idle chatter. This is a place where fists and blades do the talking. Isn’t that right, Keen-Edged Tempest?”
“…Yes,” Kirin answered with a nod.
Xinglou flashed her a wry grin as she made for her starting position.
Kirin felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Perhaps this conversation was Xinglou’s way of helping her alleviate her anxieties.
But even if it was, she doubted it was for her sake.
She probably wants to enjoy this fight to the fullest…
In that case, she would give her opponent everything she wanted.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Lindvolus, Championship Match—battle start.”