CHAPTER 5

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

The Rotlicht made up only a small portion of the entire redevelopment area, one-fifth at most. But Main Street overflowed with people. Even accounting for the fact that a Festa event was underway, the hustle and bustle here rivaled that of the prime real estate in the commercial area.

The atmosphere and the visuals, however, could not be any more different.

Between the rows of shops, there were passageways on every floor, and the sky was obscured with layers upon layers of aerial corridors. Pillars supporting the corridors were haphazardly placed, without any sign of order—and this was the only place in Asterisk where such disorder went unchecked.

There was a diverse range of businesses, from ordinary liquor-serving establishments like clubs and bars to illegal ones such as underground casinos and brothels. The clientele also seemed to be on the older side. School-aged patrons were not completely scarce, but almost none wore their school crests. Since students were not allowed to remove their crests when leaving campus, if these patrons were in fact students, then that would be a violation of the Stella Carta, albeit a minor one.

The city guard patrolled the Rotlicht, but not to enforce minor infractions. The guard was perpetually shorthanded; they simply didn’t have the time. The same went for the illegal businesses. While there were periodic checks, all but the most unscrupulous of these establishments were allowed to continue operating. This was one of the darker sides of Asterisk, in part made possible by certain ties between the Rotlicht and the City Council.

“This isn’t gonna be easy…,” Ayato muttered to no one in particular as he mentally replayed the information Eishirou had given him on the Rot.

After discussing it with Julis and the others, they had concluded that there was a higher overall probability that the kidnappers were in one of the abandoned buildings. Still, there was something convincing about Irene’s hypothesis, and it was too risky to discard it.

So they’d decided that Ayato would investigate the Rot. But this was turning out to be much more of a struggle than he’d anticipated.

For one thing, he had no idea how many businesses there were, and just as Irene had said, he couldn’t simply barge into them. Each time he paused in his meandering, he was surrounded by shills trying to lure him inside, and more than once he was nearly dragged away. He couldn’t sneak in when every establishment was crammed with people, and there were simply too many.

He had tried asking some of the solicitors about Flora, but of course he didn’t receive a helpful response.

All the while, time marched on indifferently, and it was already late at night. Still, Main Street was filled with gaudy lights, and the crowds seemed to have grown.

According to Eishirou, the Rotlicht was deserted in the middle of the day. It would have been better to wait until then to investigate—unfortunately, they didn’t have that luxury.

“But…something feels off,” he mumbled to himself.

In this part of town, if you had a large enough pile of money, it wouldn’t be hard to find someone who would provide a room, no questions asked. But such a provider’s loyalty could be bought again. Would the kidnapper, an expert in clandestine activities, take that kind of risk?

Trying to organize his thoughts, Ayato strayed from the thoroughfare into a back alley.

Although surprisingly quiet, the back alleys were not as decrepit as the rest of the redevelopment area. Light spilled from scattered shop windows below dim streetlamps.

There were no solicitors here, nor even signs. But apparent patrons entered the establishments, so they had to be open for some kind of business. One such patron was dressed to show off wealth, so maybe there was a high-end place with a membership policy.

Strolling slowly down the back alley, Ayato’s mind raced. “If the kidnapper really is hiding out in the Rotlicht, then…”

“…Hey, you.” A voice called to him from behind.

He turned around to find three menacing men eyeing him up and down.

“Uh… Can I help you?” Ayato asked. They practically radiated violence. If they were going to ask him anything, they wouldn’t do it nicely.

“So you’re the punk that’s been sniffing around on our turf?”

“Yeah, you don’t look like a cop… Come with us. We gotta talk.”

They seemed to be with the mafia that ran the area. Although Ayato had been careful not to stand out, the nature of their business made this lot very cautious. They’d found him much sooner than he’d expected.

Like Saya and Kirin, he’d come in disguise—no more than fake eyeglasses and a hoodie, but it was something—so at least they had yet to realize who he was.

“Well, I’m just looking for someone, that’s all…” As he spoke, Ayato quickly gauged the men’s strength.

Judging from their unrefined prana and the way they carried themselves, they didn’t seem to be formidable foes. By now Ayato could release his seal with a degree of freedom, so he’d be able to drive them off without too much trouble.

It wouldn’t be wise to start trouble, but he couldn’t tell them the truth either—which he doubted would satisfy them, in any case.

Then there was only one thing to do. Ayato turned and dashed away.

“Hey! Hold on, you!” Angry voices rang from behind, but of course he had no intention of holding on.

The question was whether he should head toward Main Street or farther into the winding passageways.

He didn’t want to attract more attention, but during the time he’d rescued Priscilla in the redevelopment area, his unfamiliarity with the streets had gotten him cornered. Maybe hiding himself in a crowd would be a better idea.

The moment he made it back onto the street, he realized it had been a mistake.

He caught sight of several men radiating the same sort of malevolence among the crowd.

Ayato knew he was in trouble, and he could feel the first group of pursuers closing in from behind. He couldn’t turn back. But if he stayed on Main, it was only a matter of time until they found him. What do I do…?

After some hesitation, he was about to take a step forward when a murmur reached him.

“Hey, kid. Are you on the run?”

The voice was so quiet, it would have been easy to miss amid all the footsteps and hubbub. But it captured his attention like magic and led his eyes to its owner.

“If you’re in trouble, I could help.” A few paces in front of him, a girl stood against one of the pillars supporting the open-air corridors and revealed a thin smile.

She wore a bulky hat covering her head, and Ayato couldn’t make out the details of her face, but she seemed to be about his age. Her chestnut hair was tied carelessly, and she wore jeans with a loose blouse. Overall, she didn’t stand out much, and if she hadn’t spoken to him, he would have simply passed her by without noticing or remembering her.

“Um…have we met somewhere?” Ayato asked, thinking her voice seemed a bit familiar.

“Hmm? I don’t think so…but what do you want to do? If you just stand there, those guys behind you will catch up.”

At her reminder, he checked, and the men were already almost upon him.

He didn’t know who she was. It could be a trap.

But somehow, Ayato could tell she wasn’t deceiving him. It wasn’t logic, but gut instinct. “All right. Can you help me?”

“Sure. Follow me!” The girl grabbed his hand, then started at a run toward the opposite alley.

The men noticed and chased after them, shouting, but the girl paid them no mind as she led Ayato this way and that. She apparently knew these streets like a native.

“…”

As the girl rushed along the narrow corridors, she sang under her breath. Her voice was too soft for Ayato to discern the words clearly, but he could detect a melody.

At the same time, Ayato sensed the mana stirring around her. Is she a Strega…?

He could feel the men receding behind them, and their voices grew distant.

At the same time, the scenery underwent a sudden transformation. Suddenly, they were among several crumbling urban structures.

The girl ran swiftly, her hand surprisingly soft in his. Her prana was so quiet that he hadn’t noticed at first, but if she was a Strega, then obviously she was a Genestella like he was. Judging from her age, she had to be a student, too.

Her breath stayed even despite the long dash, evidence of regular athletic training. But even so, Ayato couldn’t guess the extent of her abilities; she was hiding it well.

“Whew. I think we should be okay now.” Arriving at a vacant lot surrounded by decrepit structures, the girl turned to Ayato with a small smile.

“Thanks. You really saved me back there.” There was no way he could have escaped on his own.

The girl laughed. “So? What’d you do to get guys like that after you? They try to shake you down or something?”

“No, nothing like that… It’s complicated.”

She didn’t seem to be an enemy, but he couldn’t explain the situation to just anyone.

Hearing his evasive answer, the girl only nodded in understanding. “Mm, I get it. You don’t have to explain.” She took a seat on some construction debris. “You should wait before you go back, though. They won’t chase you this far out of the Rotlicht, but things are a little tense right now, and they’re not the sort to give up so easy.”

“Tense?”

“You know, with the Festa. The city guard is way more strict than usual. So the mafia types running the Rot have more lookouts than usual.”

“Oh, I see…”

During the Festa, people flooded into Asterisk from all over the world. It was only natural that there would be more visitors to the Rotlicht, too. While it was the norm for most things to go unchecked most of the time in the Rot, the city guard had to put extra personnel on the ground for this.

But if that was the case, the kidnapper had more reason not to hide out here. Not just because of the increased police presence, but because there would be fewer businesses willing to harbor trouble.

Then what if they’re not in the Rotlicht after all…?

He thought he should begin looking somewhere else right away. He had no time to waste.

And yet there was something nagging at the back of his mind…

“Thanks for everything,” he told the girl. “I’d like to thank you somehow, but I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it—Ayato Amagiri.”

“!”

He immediately jumped back.

She clapped her hands as if impressed. “Wow, nice reflexes. You didn’t make it to the finals on dumb luck. But it hurts a little that you’re so suspicious of me.”

“…How did you know my name?” he asked cautiously.

The girl gave him an exaggerated shrug. “I’m sure you’re trying to be incognito, but that’s a pretty flimsy disguise. If you want to give people the slip, you need to change your aura, too. You’re a celebrity now—you’ve got to step up your game a little, you know.”

“Huh…?” It was true that Ayato hadn’t spent a lot of effort on his disguise, but he was surprised to learn it was so obvious.

“Just so you don’t get the wrong idea, I didn’t help you because you’re Seidoukan Academy’s top-ranked.”

“Then why…?”

“It’s only natural to help someone in need, isn’t it?” She answered his question as if it were glaringly obvious. “Well, as much as I can, anyway. Besides, you don’t look like a bad guy.”

She was terribly straightforward. Again, he couldn’t imagine that she was lying. He had to apologize. “…Sorry to doubt you after you helped me.”

“You are a nice guy,” she laughed. “It’s not that I—”

She broke off, pursing her lips, and turned in the direction they had come from.

Ayato noticed an instant after she did.

Someone was heading toward them.

“Man, you had to run all the way out here… Spare a thought for the guy who has to come after you, would ya?” he drawled, stepping out into the moonlight.

He had a darkish complexion and stubble, and he looked around thirty—definitely not a student. He was dressed casually in cargo pants and a T-shirt, but with a bundle of Lux activators tied to his belt.

“So, you’re that dumbass who’s been snooping around? I hear you’re looking for someone, but you got our guys all worked up. I’m gonna have to bring you in.”

Although there was no energy in his murky eyes, the way he carried himself was characteristic of a well-trained fighter. Ayato could tell he had expertise.

“Aw, geez… I didn’t think they’d chase us all the way out here.” The girl looked skyward and clutched her hat to her head.

“I’m broke, y’know. I gotta work hard to make ends meet. So thanks for making some work for me, I guess… Huh?” The man stopped sauntering forward and opened his droopy eyes wide. A cold viciousness gleamed in their murky depths. “Well…they told me I was after a guy, but there’s a chick here, too. Ain’t that a lucky mistake. Now I’ve got some motivation.”

With a leering smile, the man activated a pair of Luxes, large knives with curved blades. He licked his lips in anticipation as he held one in each hand.

“My orders are just to bring you in—you can put up as much of a fight as you want. It wouldn’t be any fun if you didn’t.”

“Hold on. She has nothing to do with me.”

The man’s eyes were clearly on the girl. Ayato had to speak up about the misunderstanding.

“Um, I think you’re wasting your time,” she remarked. “He looks like the type to put his own interests above his job, so I don’t think he’ll let me go that easy. Isn’t that right, Nguyen? Alias Double Snake, Doi Ran, former rank seven of Jie Long Seventh Institute?”

“Oh, so you know about me, little lady? Isn’t that flattering.”

“I never dreamed a Lindvolus semifinalist would stoop to being a gofer for the mafia.” The girl sighed and slowly rose to her feet.

“Hey, it was a long time ago,” Nguyen said, tension filling the air.

This is bad, Ayato thought. If he had to fight this guy, he couldn’t let the girl get involved.

Just as he stepped forward to get between them, Nguyen hurled a knife at him in warning.

Ayato twisted to dodge it, but the timing was frighteningly accurate. It knocked him completely off balance.

“Stay outta the way, brat.” By the time Ayato had recovered, the man was already within reach of Ayato’s accomplice.

“Look out!” he cried as Nguyen’s other knife gleamed and slashed at the girl.

“Huh. That’s all you’ve got?”

As Nguyen attacked relentlessly from left and right, the girl deflected his blows with one hand.

“What?!” the man’s face contorted with disbelief.

Ayato was just as surprised.

Nguyen’s attacks were keen and swift. He was the type who preferred speed and frequency rather than power. Not even Ayato could have easily deflected every strike, especially not inside his attack range.

“Not bad, girly!” Nguyen laughed nervously. “Guess I’ll stop holding back!”

“No, I’ve seen enough.” The girl ducked under his arm and spun behind him.

She made it look like nothing, but taking advantage of such a slight opening was like threading a needle.

“Dammit!” Just as their assailant whirled around, the girl’s kick landed in his solar plexus.

“!”

Nguyen hurtled into one of the nearby building’s walls, unable to scream as he passed out from the pain. The impact was strong enough that Ayato thought the building might crumble, and new cracks were spreading along the wall.

“…If you were in your prime, it wouldn’t have been this easy,” the girl said ruefully to Nguyen, who lay motionless, and quickly turned toward Ayato. “So…you’re looking for someone?”

“Huh…?” Ayato blurted, still stunned.

“He mentioned it.” The girl glanced at Nguyen.

“Oh—um, yeah.”

“I might be able to help, if you want any help.”

“Help? You?”

“Sure.” The girl returned Ayato’s question with a teasing smile. “But first…let’s go somewhere else.”

She pointed one slender finger upward.

The girl climbed lightly up the emergency staircase of a relatively intact abandoned building. Ayato followed, mentally replaying what he’d just witnessed.

Nguyen was a strong fighter. He might be past his prime, but if he’d advanced to the semifinals of the Lindvolus, he was the real deal. There were only so many people who could handle fighters like him with literally a single blow.

“Here we are!” When they had arrived on the roof, the girl turned to face him.

This seemed to be the tallest building in the vicinity. They had a decent view of the redevelopment area.

Above them, the sky was full of stars. But the eastern horizon was already turning cobalt. Dawn was approaching.

“Sorry to take your time when you’re in a hurry,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it. Anyway, it’s nice of you to help, but I can’t get you involved. I’ve caused you enough trouble as it is.”

“Hmm…” The girl nodded as if in approval. “I see. I think I’m starting to understand what kind of guy you are.”

“Me?”

“Yup. Basically…you’re kind enough to think of other people even when you’ve got big problems of your own. At the same time, you try to shoulder everything on your own, and you won’t lean on other people.”

“Guh…” Her analysis was almost identical to Julis’s. It left him tongue-tied.

“Your quarterfinal match was pretty good, though. The way you fought with Miss Riessfeld, you looked like an actual team.”

“…You notice a lot.”

True, the quarterfinal match had been a turning point of sorts for Ayato and Julis. But that wasn’t something a casual spectator would catch.

“’Course I do. And I was watching today’s match closely, too—well, yesterday’s. The one where you didn’t use the Ser Veresta. Or maybe you couldn’t?”

“…”

She also had some impressive intuition.

“Oh, sorry,” the girl said with a laugh. “I don’t mean to pry. Well, anyway—can you tell me anything about the person you’re looking for?”

“But I—”

“Don’t worry, I won’t follow you or anything. You just need to know where they are, right?”

As she spoke, the mana around them stirred, slowly gathering around her in a spiral.

“Are you…a Strega with an investigation ability?” He had suspected that she had some kind of powers, but if those powers favored detection, it might be possible for her to discover Flora’s location.

“Not seeking, exactly, but…well, sort of related. I need some information to make an image, though.”

“Right. I’m looking for a ten-year-old girl. Her name is Flora.”

“Just to make sure, she’s not lost, is she?”

“No. She’s being held by someone. I have some guesses about who the kidnapper is, but nothing certain.”

“Okay, I don’t think I need anything there. Can you tell me about the girl—her appearance, her personality? And if you have a picture, I could use it.”

Ayato told the girl everything he knew about Flora. But he’d only met Julis’s young friend a few days ago. He didn’t have a wealth of information to give. “I can ask someone who knows her better, if you need more,” he offered.

“No, it’s fine. I think I have enough. Hold on.” His companion looked down and began mumbling to herself.

Ayato couldn’t tell what she was doing. But people often had their own rituals to activate their abilities, so it was probably something of that nature.

“There, that should do it.” She clapped her hands and looked up. “But first, I need you to promise me one thing. Okay?”

“What kind of promise?”

“Promise me that you won’t tell anyone what you’re about to see.”

“…Okay. I promise.”

That seemed easy enough.

“Good. I’ll get started. Let me see a map. The larger, the better.”

Ayato took out his mobile device. He adjusted the air-window to the maximum size and displayed a map of the redevelopment area.

“Okay, this is—,” Ayato began, then fell silent as the girl removed her hat and unbound her hair.

She touched her headphone-shaped accessory, and the color of her hair gradually changed.

It turned from chestnut to bright purple—the color of the sunrise unfolding at that very moment. Her subdued, quiet aura transformed into something dazzling and powerful.

It was then that Ayato recognized her breathtakingly sculpted face. To be fair, there probably wasn’t anyone in Asterisk, or even the entire world, who would fail to recognize her now.

The supreme songstress. The greatest pop idol in the world.

The student council president and top-ranked fighter of Queenvale Girls’ Academy, alias the Witch of Fearsome Melody, Sigrdrífa, semi-finalist of the last Lindvolus.

“Sylvia Lyyneheym…” Ayato whispered her name in awe.

Sylvia smiled at him, then stretched out her arms as if spreading a pair of wings. From behind, the newly risen sun bathed her in brilliance.

“Thought and memory, thou winged twins, fly, oh swiftly fly, and bring me the voice of a sweet child imprisoned.”

A clear, strong voice, completely unlike before, intoned a mournful melody like a folk song.

Of course Ayato would recognize this voice. He had little interest in the trends of the day, but even he knew her name, her face, and her singing voice.

“Beyond the clouds of dawn, upon the winds of twilight, from the edge of nightfall, lead us onward…”

As a storm of mana raged around her, Sylvia’s song deftly manipulated and rearranged it.

She was the most famous singer in the world, and thus the most famous Strega. Even the Witch of Solitary Venom, Erenshkigal, two-time champion of the Lindvolus, couldn’t surpass her in terms of fame.

And Sylvia’s abilities were versatile.

Usually, Dantes or Stregas would employ their own core images to activate their powers. Not even someone with multi-faceted abilities like Julis could escape the limits of her mental imagery of fire and flowers.

But Sylvia Lyyneheym, it was said, could change her image freely by using song as a medium. Which meant that right now, she could use her powers for seeking.

In a way, her abilities were reminiscent of Seisenjutsu, which was a result of the pursuit of versatility. But her power was the complete opposite in nature. Whereas Seisenjutsu was a set of codified techniques, Sylvia achieved versatility by making her images fluid. In singing songs specific to an image, she could manipulate mana to give shape to all kinds of phenomena—although there were some limitations, such as prana consumption and her aptitude for different abilities.

The only type of skill she could not use was healing. But not even Seisenjutsu had successfully codified healing. Perhaps it was fundamentally different from other powers.

“Black emissaries of thought and memory, fly down to me and reveal now the truth…”

When Sylvia finished singing, two black feathers floated above the map, slowly revolving. They spun for several moments, but their circled grew tighter and tighter.

“Mm-hmm… It looks like she’s outside the Rotlicht, in one of the northern corners,” she announced nonchalantly.

Ayato still couldn’t believe his eyes, but he quickly recovered. The girl in front of him might be the greatest superstar in the world, but if her powers were genuine, he had no time to waste marveling at them. “That’s where Flora is?”

“Yeah. Pretty sure, unless they’ve taken some really strong measures against detection. I could narrow it down a little better if I had more time…”

“No, this is more than enough. Thank you—thank you so much.” Ayato bowed his head in gratitude.

They had been searching blindly until now, so narrowing down Flora’s location was a tremendous step forward. They didn’t have much time left, but now there was hope.

Sylvia gave him a small, delighted laugh. “I’m glad I was able to help. Well, I’ll get out of your hair. Actually, I’d better, or I’ll get an earful from my manager.” Looking satisfied, she placed her hat back on her head.

“Miss Lyyneheym, wait!” Ayato had so much to ask her, and so much gratitude to repay. But he didn’t have the time now. “Can you tell me how to reach you?”

“Wha…?” Her face went blank with surprise at his request.

At first, he couldn’t understand her reaction, but soon he did. “…Oh.”

He had asked her without thinking—her, the world-famous songstress. She can’t just go around giving out her phone number, he scolded himself.

But Sylvia studied Ayato’s face for a bit, then finally burst into laughter. “…Pfft! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! I like it! It’s been a while since anyone’s made such a direct move on me.”

“N-no, I wasn’t trying to make any moves…!”

“Call me Sylvie. That’s what people I actually like call me.”

With that, she took out her mobile device and turned it toward his. Ayato’s phone chimed as it received the contact.

“My personal contact,” she explained. “Get in touch anytime. Although I’ve been busy lately, so I might not be able to answer.”

“Uh, okay…” Ayato stood bewildered by the simplicity of the exchange.

“Actually, you’ve fascinated me for a while. And after seeing you in person, I think I’m even more intrigued,” she said brightly, pulling her hat deeper over her eyes, and tapped him lightly on the chest as she passed by him. “Good luck, Ayato. I’ll be praying for Flora’s safety, too.”

After parting from Sylvia, Ayato immediately sent the data on Flora’s supposed location to the others.

Their response didn’t take long. Multiple air-windows opened, first from Julis and Saya, then Eishirou.

“It’s fantastic that we have a place to look,” Julis said, “but how did you narrow it down to this location?”

“Um, well—sorry, I can’t tell you.”

Her question was only natural, but Ayato couldn’t break his promise to Sylvia.

“Hmph, all right. I am curious, but we’re short on time.”

“…Anyway,” Saya added, “now that we’ve narrowed things down, we’re almost there.”

“Right,” Eishirou chimed in. “I know that part of town, so I should be able to help.”

Julis nodded. “It’s settled, then. Let’s all meet at—”

“But, Ayato and Julis,” Saya interrupted. “You two shouldn’t come along.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

Both responded simultaneously in surprise.

“What are you talking about?!” Julis cried. “Why should we have to stay back?!”

“…You two have to fight in the championship,” Saya explained. “You’ll never make it if you meet us over there.”

“That’s true, but…”

The demands of the kidnapper precluded them from forfeiting the Phoenix. And although they had a clue now, there was no guarantee they would be able to rescue Flora. They knew they still had to follow the kidnapper’s instructions.

And yet…

“The championship isn’t until noon,” Julis insisted. “We still have time!”

“No, Sasamiya is right,” Eishirou said, surprising Ayato. “If the kidnapper is at this location, too, then we should keep the group small. Besides, if you get spotted before we rescue her, you’d have a hard time explaining yourselves.”

“And it’s reckless to fight in the championship like that,” Saya added. “You should get all the rest you can.”

“Grr…!”

“But…!”

They both saw the logic of their friends’ words, but it was unbearable to come so close and ultimately be unable to help.

“Ayato, Miss Julis—it’s all right! We will definitely rescue Flora!” This time, it was Kirin who spoke.

“…” Julis had no reply. After a long pause, she let out an equally long sigh of defeat. “Fine. Then we’ll focus our energy on the championship.”

“Right,” Ayato agreed.

Saya and the others were in the right, so Ayato and Julis would be selfish to push the issue. They had to yield.

“…Good. We save Flora, and you two avenge our loss. Then everyone’s happy.” Satisfied, Saya nodded.

“Oh, that’s right,” Julis said. “You two are counting on us.”

“To be honest, it’s a pretty tall order,” Ayato said with an awkward smile.

He meant to lighten the mood, but the truth was, it would be no easy task to defeat the Puppets without the Ser Veresta. Without a solid plan, they might not even be able to put up much of a fight.

“Nothing to worry about,” Saya said. “As soon as we save Flora, you’ll be able to use the Ser Veresta.”

“If we make it in time,” Eishirou added playfully, inviting a glare from Saya.

Seeing them both, Ayato felt the tension leave his body.

They were all giving everything they had to their respective tasks.

And what Ayato had to do now was…