Tooka Nürburg.
Estimated age: Ten.
Profession: Division Maneuver Developer/Mechanic/etc.
Division 5.
Parents: Unknown.
Actual Age: Unknown.
Birthplace: Unknown.
Memories Prior to the Age of Five: Lost.
She was a mystery.
Five years ago, a girl had been found lying under the Gate at Germany’s Nürburg Castle by the international alliance and German military. Situational evidence suggested she was a civilian who’d gotten caught up in the battle to recover Nürburg…except that was impossible, because that territory was controlled by Jave until the armed forces arrived. The best explanation anyone could come up with was that she was a civilian who came back through the Gate—the first person ever to do so.
When she woke up, she was found to have no memories of her first five years of life. All she remembered was the name “Tooka”, and that she was the heir to the Shichisei Kenbu arts. Kaede was summoned to Germany but had no memories of Tooka. And yet the child was so clearly fond of her that she ended up accepting her as a student. Based on how Kaede had accepted strange orphans like Hachishiki, Kuon, and Tooka as students, children were clearly her weakness.
Tooka was sent to school in Germany, where her talents blossomed. She discovered one new DM theory after another, developed them, and earned her doctorate. All the researchers in her field said the same thing: she discovered things like she knew them all along.
Where was she from?
Who was she?
She remained a mystery, but one thing was perfectly clear: this genius ten-year-old Maneuver developer loved sweets. Her favorite involved mixing flour, water, sugar, butter, and eggs, and dipping the dough in hot oil and then sprinkling more sugar on top.
“You like it?”
“Yes.”
“We have more. Eat all you like.”
“Thank you.” She was currently seated next to Fuji, inhaling a donut. A round sugar donut. Sweet, fluffy, and dangerous. On the video desk were three Mistel Donut boxes and as many coffee cups as there were people. The sweet scent filled the meeting room.
On the other side of the desk, Rin was gnawing on an Old Fashioned, giving Hanabi her honest opinion. “All that talk about past lives… Is she all right in the head?”
Hanabi took a bite out of a Pon de Ring. She was saving a Double Chocolate and a Chocolate Old Fashioned for Kuon. “Manners, Rin. She’s the headmaster’s student and the chief mechanic for the Kiryu.”
“So why’s she calling Kyuu-kun ‘onii-chan?’”
“Students of the same martial arts school are all siblings.”
“In such an emotional way? Gimme that chocolate one.”
“They’d never met before, it was a touching moment. And no! Those are for Kuon-kun.”
“Tch. Tell me, Hanabi, when you first met Kyuu-kun, did you react like that?”
“Not quite. My mind went totally blank, and there was a pain in my chest that—I mean, none of your business!”
“You were weirdly in sync during that mock battle. Reimei’s a ranged frame, and yet you went in for a close-range fight.”
“L-L-L-Leave me out of this!”
Rin finished her donut and took a sip of her iced café au lait. Reaching for a French Cruller, she said, “She calls herself a student, but it doesn’t sound like she’s learned any Machine Fencing.”
“Well, she’s a Division 5, like me. The headmaster has no intention of teaching her anything. But she insisted she had to be a student.”
“Maybe she looks up to the Hero like you do.”
“Mm.”
“Like you, she survived a war zone when she was very little.”
“Mm.”
“So you’re the same! Go talk to her. Don’t be scared!”
“I-I’m not, but…eep!”
Rin gave her a shove, and Hanabi was forced to either stand or fall off her chair. The box with the chocolate donuts survived intact.
“Hm? What is it, Suzuka-kun?” Fuji said, confused.
“E-er…well…”
Tooka was just staring at her. It was impossible for Hanabi to tell what she was thinking. The hand holding the box started sweating. She scratched it and took a deep breath. I can do this. “N-Nürburg-ku—”
Before she could even finish the name, the girl looked up at her and said, “Tooka is fine.”
Already feeling like the rug had been pulled out from under her, Hanabi managed to retain her footing. “T-Tooka-kun.”
“Yes, Hanabi-oneesama?”
“…Onee-sama?”
“Mother…Master informed me that Kiryu’s official rider is also onii-chan’s lover. Which would make you my sister.”
“I-It does…?”
“It does,” Tooka intoned flatly, her voice betraying no emotion at all.
Hanabi felt like she was talking to an alarm clock. En was an AI, and even she was way more human than Tooka.
The alarm clock bowed her head. “Thank you for taking such good care of my brother. Whatever his flaws, I hope you will continue to help him out.”
“Er, uh…sure…”
She had a sister-in-law? Why did that feel like defeat?
The alarm clock bowed her head again. “There’s a flaw when turning.”
“Huh?”
“The Kiryu.”
“O-oh, right. When I roll left, there’s just a sliiight sluggishness…like interference in the relays or Servant connectivity.” It was pure happenstance that she’d managed to catch and follow this sudden change of subject.
“Understood. I will look into it and should have adjustments made in the morning.”
“That soon? Our engineers have been looking for a week without finding the root cause.”
“Kiryu is my child.” Tooka did not smile.
“I-I see…well, you certainly are on the ball for your age…like…” Hanabi looked over at Kuon, who was deep in a serious-looking discussion with Kaede at the back of the room.
Hanabi thought Kuon and Tooka definitely had something in common. They were similar in some ways.
“What is it?” Tooka asked, head to one side.
Hanabi waved her hands to say it was nothing and then held one out. “Nice to meet you, anyway. I’m Suzuka Hanabi. Thanks for taking care of Kiryu for me.”
Her new chief mechanic, and Kuon’s sister student, shook her hand, expressionless. “Tooka Nürburg. Nice to meet you, too.”
That was how the strange relationship between the two girls closest to Kuon began.
When Kuon finished talking to Kaede, Hanabi said, “I saved the chocolate ones for you,” and he looked really happy. Her feelings of defeat lessened.
But only a little.