The explosion that had suddenly erupted in School District 7 had, thanks to the magic side's deployed People-Clearing Field suggestion spell, basically no effect on the atmosphere of the Daihasei Festival.
For nearly an entire week, this was a grand sporting event belonging to espers. Academy City's noisy crowds, the thunderous racket from every direction, and the explosions caused by the participating athletes' supernatural abilities had never stopped in the first place.
Compared to all that, a few lightning strikes were hardly remarkable. They were simply a little larger in scale than usual. It wasn't as though they couldn't be explained away.
As for outside tourists claiming that they'd heard or seen something strange, that some district over there seemed to have been struck by a thunderstorm, that quite a few buildings had collapsed, and that groundwater had sprayed more than ten meters into the air...
Passing Academy City staff members and resident workers merely replied with complete indifference that it was standard procedure and nothing worth worrying about.
This was simply everyday life in Academy City.
Even if someone tried to investigate the truth, the final result would either be that they found nothing at all, or that they committed suicide by shooting themselves seven times in the back, vanished without a trace, or had the relevant memories erased. Then the incident would become yet another urban legend circulating through Academy City before eventually fading into obscurity.
Over all these years, within Academy City, the science side had fought the science side, the science side had fought the magic side, and Academy City had fought invaders countless times. With the upper levels of the Board of Directors suppressing information, public relations teams muddying the waters, and one Daihasei Festival after another passing by...
Academy City's residents had long since grown accustomed to strange incidents. Supernatural abilities flying everywhere, lightning flashing, explosions blasting back and forth—it was all perfectly normal by now.
Besides, this?
Whether it was the factories across several districts flattened during the battle between the first-ranked and third-ranked Level 5 espers, the artificial lake blasted into the ground during the clash between the first-ranked and second-ranked, or the demolition-like brawl between the second-ranked and third-ranked, all of those had been far more spectacular than this.
All that could be said was that the public's standards had been spoiled by the destructive power of the strongest Level 5 espers. That lightning was probably just another fight between espers who'd gotten too heated during a competition.
No need to panic.
See? The heavy riot-control powered armor and patrol robots standing by on the streets hadn't even moved. It couldn't be that serious. The news report would explain everything soon enough. Carry on, carry on.
The tourists collectively thought: Life in Academy City really is colorful.
Above the surging crowd, that single fleeting glimpse made it impossible for Acqua of the Back to ignore her any longer.
"Villian!"
Memories buried beneath ten years of dust surged before his eyes. During that battle on the French side of the Strait of Dover, where they had annihilated an attack by a Spanish magical faction, she had still been a young girl in the bloom of youth. Even though ten years had passed and that girl had already grown into an adult woman, Acqua of the Back was certain that he had not mistaken her!
It really was her!
Acqua of the Back's heart quietly sank.
Why has Villian come here?!
An exchange of friendship between the House of Windsor and the House of Habsburg...
But what profound friendship was there between the House of Windsor and the House of Habsburg? The two families had never even been directly connected through marriage. Why would they wade into Academy City's muddy waters?
The way rotten nobles change direction with the wind!
Previously, the House of Windsor had still possessed a throne while the House of Habsburg had already lost its imperial crown. To phrase their relationship generously, they had merely maintained superficial contact, a friendship as light as water. But now that one branch of the Habsburgs seemed poised to rise again, they had hurried to deepen relations.
Was this Queen Elizard's intention, or the intention of the British royal family and government...
That was the only plausible explanation.
Others might not know, but Acqua of the Back, who had once nearly been granted a knighthood by the British royal family, knew all too well about the undercurrents beneath its radiant facade and its steady decline.
Put simply, they lacked staying power. The British royal family relied far more on the legacy left by their predecessors. Monarchs, palaces, titles... all of those certainly looked grand and prestigious.
But in reality, the resources they could directly mobilize—meaning the extent of the governmental authority they could exercise without going through Parliament—might genuinely be inferior to the pharmaceutical, aerospace, and military-industrial interest bloc gradually taking shape behind Selene.
If they were simply seeking economic investment, military-industrial support, and technological assistance, then the House of Windsor strengthening its ties with the House of Habsburg right now made perfect sense.
Troublesome. I never expected an exchange of friendship between nobles to drag the person I care about most into the dangerous situation I'm about to create myself.
In less than a week, Academy City would become a battlefield!
"Hm? Acqua of the Back? What's wrong with you?"
Noticing Acqua of the Back's abnormal reaction, Vento of the Front also stopped. Crouching atop a skyscraper, she followed his gaze toward the giant screen built into the glass curtain wall of the building opposite, where the tall white-haired, red-eyed figure appeared.
"So that's her. Academy City's strongest, the one who makes those old fossils wary. She's also the target we need to be especially cautious of during this mission."
Biting the small metal cross attached to the chain through her tongue piercing, Vento of the Front narrowed her eyes and revealed a wild smile.
"Changed your mind?" she asked.
"..." There was no answer. The imposing man, standing like a carved statue, remained expressionlessly silent.
On the screen, the white-haired, red-eyed beauty was about to accept the bottled water Villian offered her when she seemed to notice something. Suddenly, she turned toward the camera and smiled brilliantly. Her lips parted and moved slightly. The instant Acqua of the Back's gaze met those scarlet diamond-shaped pupils, the broadcast switched away, and the host appeared once more.
The next instant, crackle!
Boom, boom, boom!
A series of cannon salutes like muffled thunder rang out. Over at the main venue in School District 7, the crowd was cheering the crowning of another team's first-, second-, and third-place finishers.
"Sir Acqua of the Back."
Watching the host speaking animatedly on the screen, Lidvia, held in Acqua of the Back's arms like a princess, weakly asked, "Selene... is she the target you came to Academy City for?" Due to excessive blood loss, her face was pale and her lips had turned purple.
"Are we fighting or not?! She's already noticed us!"
At that moment, Vento of the Front landed beside Acqua of the Back and asked gravely. Not a trace remained of the arrogance she'd displayed only seconds ago. As she spoke, she slowly exhaled, as though trying to empty every last bit of air from her lungs. "You heard that greeting just now, didn't you?"
It had clearly only been an image on a television broadcast, yet when Selene turned and smiled, Vento of the Front felt as though it had been directed at her alone! The discomfort of being watched by some terrifying beast, as though her entire body were being compressed, made every hair on her body stand on end!
"Withdraw first."
Acqua of the Back's voice came slowly. "We... aren't her match. If we force it, we'll die." Nothing on his face betrayed what he was thinking. His expression was as calm as though he were talking about eating or drinking.
Before his words had even finished, bang!
Acqua of the Back bent his knees and leaped. A shockwave burst outward as he shot toward Academy City's outer wall at several times the speed he'd used on the way in.
The fierce wind howled beside his ears. With his back to the sun and his head lowered, Acqua of the Back's entire face looked somewhat dark.
Because he had understood the message Selene had conveyed to him!
'Do you still want her?'
He very much wanted to say, This is our war. Don't drag innocent people into it. If you want to fight, then attack us openly from the front. But he knew he had no right to say such a thing. Terra of the Left had already involved their families, and the orders handed down to them from above were hardly any more honorable.
Villian, wait for me!
...
The main venue of the Daihasei Festival in School District 7.
God's Right Seat has lost one of its four members. The ones currently appearing in Academy City are Acqua of the Back and Vento of the Front. As expected of the Roman Catholic Church's highest combat forces. Once someone reaches this level, even against the "weakest" Terra of the Left, piling on greater numbers of Academy City's standard-issue armed tactical weapons is completely meaningless.
Selene brushed back the strands of hair disturbed by the breeze, withdrew her gaze, and calmly evaluated the situation in her heart.
Those armed robots had always been cannon fodder. As individual units, both they and their weapons were highly effective against low- and mid-level espers such as Level 0s, Level 1s, Level 2s, and Level 3s, as well as ordinary humans. But their effectiveness dropped drastically against high-level espers above Level 4.
Although she wasn't sure how magicians classified their own levels, God's Right Seat of the Roman Catholic Church unquestionably stood at the very summit of the magic side. No number of armed robots would matter, not even Academy City's most advanced current models. Perhaps one of the Empire's Titan war machines might be worth trying instead.
Take the "weakest" Terra of the Left as an example. Against most weapons manufactured by humans, he only needed to chant a single line with his Execution of Light spell—"Priority: steel below, human body above"—and it was basically equivalent to activating an invincibility cheat.
"Miss Habsburg, here. You worked hard."
"Ah, thank you, Villian."
Finishing the miscellaneous thoughts running through her mind, Selene accepted the bottled water and hot towel offered to her and nodded toward the gentle, refined blonde woman.
She was already twenty-four, yet her temperament still resembled that of a sixteen-year-old girl. Selene couldn't help but feel speechless. Villian actually looked even younger than she did... seriously...
"Hm?"
Villian stared blankly at Selene, who wasn't even flushed or out of breath as she shook her head and returned to the rest area, then looked toward Kongou Mitsuko, Awatsuki Maaya, and Wannai Kinuho behind her, all three panting heavily. She immediately picked up more bottled water and hot towels from nearby and handed them over.
"Ah, thank you, Miss Villian."
"Mhm, you're welcome. In that Balloon Hunter match just now, Miss Awatsuki, your ability actually lets you float and walk across the surface of water. That's amazing. And Miss Kongou, with just a light touch of your palm, you can make objects shoot away like missiles..."
"Eh? Me? Ohohoho... There's absolutely no need to praise me, Miss Villian. You simply have excellent judgment. It's really nothing... ohohoho." With a graceful flourish, Kongou Mitsuko snapped open her folding fan and half-covered her face. She was still a textbook tsundere.
"Uh..." Wannai Kinuho gave an awkward little bow.
Leaning back against her seat in the rest area, Selene silently drank her bottled water.
It was obvious that Villian was very happy. Having stepped out of the cage called Buckingham Palace, she—a canary and political bargaining chip—rarely had opportunities to experience the outside world. Meanwhile, the "Anti-Newton Trio" led by Kongou Mitsuko all came from excellent families and were gentle, refined young ladies. Talking with them wouldn't make Villian uncomfortable in the slightest.
Aside from Kongou Mitsuko being just a little too tsundere, but that wasn't much of a problem.
They probably had plenty of things to talk about. Their values aligned, and their interests weren't too different. As for Selene, hadn't Villian looked pitifully nervous in front of her, like some frightened little animal?
If Selene and Villian tried to chat, it would probably devolve into painfully awkward small talk. Flower arranging, balls, ladylike cultivation... spare her. The only respectable subject she could claim any familiarity with was "benevolent rule."
You want to discuss benevolence with Selene?
Uh... When I reviewed today's execution list, I changed someone sentenced to death by a thousand cuts into a simple beheading. Does that count as benevolence?
"Sel, even after spending only a short time with her, you've probably noticed it too. Villian is simply too gentle and lacks assertiveness. She's almost like the stereotypical princess from a fairy tale."
A faint fragrance drifted into Selene's nose and instantly refreshed her spirits. "Mom?" Just as she was about to speak, a delicate hand settled on Selene's forehead. Mother Katy stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Selene, gently massaging her temples while looking toward Villian, who was happily chatting with Kongou Mitsuko and the others with an unbroken smile.
"I've attended quite a few banquets at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. Villian... is a girl who makes your heart ache. That reputation for 'benevolence'... I don't agree with it, but in the eyes of practical people like you and Karl, that's probably only the final step, and the least important one at that."
Mother Katy spoke with a complicated expression.
We're barely connected to her at all. She has food, clothing, and everything she needs. She was born into royalty, so that's simply the price she has to pay. Those are her family's affairs. We're outsiders... You really are an overly sentimental softhearted woman.
Not daring to contradict her openly, Selene grumbled inwardly.
Among the three princesses, Villian was famous for her "benevolence" and beloved by the people. Civilian magazines had even called her "the princess people most want to marry." On the surface, she seemed adored by everyone.
But viewed from another angle, that meant she had nothing except the people's affection. In comparison, her second sister was famous for her military ability, while her eldest sister was intelligent and skilled in domestic politics.
She had no base of power of her own, while her personality and abilities both had shortcomings. She couldn't convert the people's affection into concrete political support. That admiration, born from the public's beautiful fantasy of a princess, was nothing more than a castle in the air that would collapse at the slightest touch.
Still, you're not completely useless, Acqua of the Back... She had a new idea.
Since the Roman Catholic Church had already made its move, it was time for her to make hers. The Vatican had plenty of valuable things. They might be useless to her, but as long as Aleister found them useful, that was enough.
"Seriously, if you could give her even a little of your personality, or if Villian could give you a little of hers, that would be perfect."
Mother Katy shook Selene by the shoulders, sounding somewhat exasperated. Her own daughter was the exact opposite extreme, far too forceful. Wouldn't it be nice if the two could balance each other out?
"Forget it, Mom. Impossible. Would I still be me if I were like that?"
Selene sprang to her feet in one motion, turned around, and immediately wrapped Mother Katy in a bear hug. "Look at the time. All my events for today are over. Ferdinand and Arisa will be back soon. Also, look forward to tonight's fireworks show, Mom. I still have something to do, so I'm going to make preparations first!"
"You little rascal!" Watching Selene vanish into the air after several instantaneous movements, Mother Katy only belatedly realized what had happened.
...
With Selene's spatial ability, once she fixed the location in mind, she reached the interior of the Windowless Building almost instantaneously.
Bzzzz—!
The interior of the building remained exactly as ever. Countless points of light and pipes connected to the enormous cylindrical structure at the center, and within the pale-red liquid filling that cylinder, Aleister's figure hung silently upside down.
"Selene?"
Seeing the faint, half-bewildered change in Aleister's expression as he opened his eyes, Selene chuckled softly, stepped forward with practiced ease, and held out her hand.
"The 'Holy Right.' Want it?"