Bab 26: Chapter 026: An Unexpected Invitation
Seidoukan Academy, Underground Storage Facility.
The lighting remained dim, with only the green glow of multiple Manadytes faintly illuminating the space.
"Boom!"
Amid the sound of shattering, fragments of manadytes turned to dust. The mana contained within flowed out, forming a green stream of light. Guided by a crimson glow, the stream slowly moved toward a single direction, converging on Aizen.
Aizen had his eyes closed, gripping Ser-Veresta's activator. The activator's red Urm Manadyte glowed with a radiant crimson light, drawing in large quantities of mana.
Under the influence of this mana, Aizen's power as a Genestella steadily surged, and his aura grew stronger with each passing moment.
"Whew…"
After a while, Aizen exhaled deeply and opened his eyes.
"That's enough for now, Ser-Veresta."
At his command, Ser-Veresta dimmed its crimson light, causing the surrounding mana to cease converging and instead dissipate into the air.
Aizen stretched out his free hand, clenching and unclenching his fist twice before smiling.
"Not bad. Another flawless enhancement."
This marked Aizen's third session of absorbing Manadtyes' power with Ser-Veresta's assistance.
Though it was only the third session, Aizen could already sense significant improvements.
Both his physical abilities and prana reserves had grown considerably after absorbing the mana crystals.
Now, compared to when he first arrived in this world, Aizen felt immeasurably stronger.
"At this point, I could probably defeat Arkadi Fanken easily, even without Ser-Veresta."
Aizen felt a newfound confidence.
When he first challenged Arkadi, he had undergone only one manadyte absorption session. His physical abilities and prana reserves had been inferior to the former Page One.
Without considering Ser-Veresta's assistance, Aizen had barely managed to hold his own against Arkadi by relying on his battle instincts derived from his unique authority.
Now, however, after two additional sessions, Aizen's physical abilities and prana had grown significantly. Not only was he no longer inferior to Arkadi—he surpassed him.
With that, Aizen's physical strength, prana, battle techniques, and combat awareness had all risen above Arkadi's, leaving no room for doubt about his superiority.
Even without Ser-Veresta, Aizen could now defeat Arkadi in ten moves.
The implications were self-evident.
"Now I finally have the strength of a true Page One and the power of a high-ranking contender!"
Aizen's smile deepened.
"Even without Ser-Veresta, I can now aim for the Top Ten—or maybe even the Top Five!"
At least in Aizen's estimation, if he were to face Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld—who had gone all out in front of the girls' dormitory—he believed he wouldn't lose, even without Ser-Veresta.
Unless Julis had hidden reserves of strength, the fifth-ranked contender would likely fall before Aizen without Ser-Veresta.
And if he were to wield Ser-Veresta...
"I don't even have to wait for the next Monthly Ranking Battle. I could challenge that shy little girl right now," Aizen murmured, his thoughts drifting to Kirin Toudou.
The incident in front of the girls' dormitory, where Kirin saved Julis, had spread widely online.
Naturally, Aizen's involvement was also mentioned.
According to reports, after Kirin saved Julis, Aizen had stepped in to save Kirin from a sneak attack.
Because of this, Kirin hadn't been seen much recently. Aside from attending classes in her first-year middle school classroom, she was said to appear pale and withdrawn—as though she hadn't gained anything from saving someone.
"She must've been scolded by her uncle."
Ever since the incident, Aizen couldn't help but think of Kirin from time to time.
Unfortunately, he hadn't run into her since and didn't know how she was doing.
"Beep!"
While Aizen was adapting to his enhanced body and lost in thought, a holo-display suddenly appeared before him.
Someone had sent him a message, snapping him out of his reverie.
"Huh?"
Aizen blinked at the name displayed on the screen.
"Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld?"
Indeed, the message was from Julis.
The contents were simple:
To express her gratitude for saving her during the ambush, she invited Aizen and Kirin to dinner off-campus that weekend.
"Didn't expect a princess like her to offer to treat someone to a meal."
To be honest, Aizen was surprised.
If his memory served, while Julis had an extraordinary appearance, talent, and family background, her upright personality and often brusque attitude made her hard to get along with.
Julis had enrolled at Seidoukan Academy during her third year of middle school and had been studying there for about a year. Yet, during that time, aside from occasional interactions with Claudia, she had no close friends to speak of.
For someone like her to take the initiative to invite others to dinner…
"Is this just a courtesy?"
Chuckling to himself, Aizen smiled faintly.
"Off-campus, huh?"
Aizen found himself intrigued.
Come to think of it, ever since arriving in this world, he hadn't ventured beyond Seidoukan Academy to explore.
Though Asterisk was known as the city of duels, it had normal residential, commercial, and entertainment districts outside the six academies and the Festa venues.
"This is a rare opportunity. I might as well go."
It was also a chance to see how Kirin was doing.
The only question was whether that uncle-controlled girl would agree to the invitation…
While pondering this, Aizen's fingers moved to type out a reply.
"I'll be there on time."
Weekend, outside Seidoukan Academy's main gate.
Having adapted to his recent power enhancements, Aizen skipped his usual morning routine and donned casual attire before heading to the meeting spot.
"Aizen-senpai! Over here!"
As soon as Aizen exited the gate, someone called out to him.
It wasn't Julis but rather someone unexpected.
With his casual black-violet hair and relaxed expression, wearing a simple shirt, lightweight jacket, and jeans, the boy looked utterly ordinary.
Upon seeing him, Aizen's expression shifted to one of faint amusement.
"It's you, Amagiri."
The boy was none other than Ayato Amagiri.
Standing beside him was Julis.
Unlike her usual righteous and formal demeanor, Julis wore a black and pink dress. Its short hem exposed her slender thighs, covered by lace-patterned over-the-knee socks. She also carried a parasol, her outfit radiating a distinctly girlish charm—completely unlike her usual image.
Anyone accustomed to her typical appearance would undoubtedly be shocked by this transformation.
Even Ayato seemed uneasy, standing beside her like an awkwardly humble companion.
"You're here," Julis noted as Aizen approached. After glancing at him briefly, she nodded approvingly. "Good. This looks proper. Unlike someone else who dressed so casually it's an eyesore."
Though Aizen wasn't dressed formally, his simple yet coordinated outfit—a white shirt with a black jacket, black trousers, and sneakers—gave him a subdued, stylish look.
"Just picked this out randomly," Aizen said honestly, cutting Julis off before she could retort further. Looking at the pair, he smirked.
"You didn't have to invite us. You two could've gone on a date alone."
The single comment elicited immediate reactions from both Ayato and Julis.
"Wh-who's going on a date with him?!"
Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld's face turned beet red as she pointed at Ayato Amagiri and practically shouted.
"I'm just repaying this guy for his help. Don't get the wrong idea!"
Hearing this, Aizen raised an eyebrow.
"Repaying a favor?"
He glanced at Ayato, waiting for an explanation.
"Actually…"
Ayato gave a wry smile and began to explain.
It turned out that after the duel in front of the girls' dormitory, Julis had been ambushed once again.
This time, Ayato had also happened to be present and had stepped in to help her.
Having been saved, Julis could no longer justify being cold toward Ayato. She reluctantly let go of her grudge from before and declared she would repay his kindness.
But Ayato didn't particularly care for such formalities.
Seeing Julis's insistence on repaying him, Ayato, feeling troubled, suddenly had an idea.
He suggested that if Julis was so intent on repaying him, she could show him around Asterisk.
Since he was new to the city and unfamiliar with its layout, he figured it would help him avoid getting lost again in the future.
This seemed reasonable enough, right?
Completely reasonable!
…Except, not really!
What kind of protagonist behavior is this?
She just wanted to repay a favor, and you turned it into a sightseeing trip?
And then claimed it wasn't a date?
In the real world, this would definitely be seen as an excuse a guy makes to invite a girl out. No one would believe otherwise.
But… this is a fantasy world.
Staying true to the typical male lead behavior of Japanese light novels, Ayato's actions were definitely not intentional but purely coincidental.
Unintentional charm is the deadliest of all—exactly what's needed to keep the plot moving.
Aizen inwardly ranted but kept his complaints to himself.
At the very least, one thing was now clear.
"So, inviting us was just incidental."
Since Julis was repaying a favor, she might as well include everyone who had helped.
Julis likely had this mindset when she sent invitations to Aizen and Kirin Toudou.
Ironically, this completely eliminated the perfect opportunity for a one-on-one outing. If this had been some opportunistic man, he'd likely be smiling on the outside but crying on the inside right now. However, the blissfully unaware male lead simply stood there, grinning.
"Kirin's not here?" Aizen changed the subject, ignoring the sheer absurdity of the situation. "Did she refuse your invitation?"
He vaguely recalled that Kirin's overbearing uncle had instructed her to keep her distance from the Page Ones to avoid revealing her true abilities and becoming a target.
So, even if Kirin had declined Julis's invitation, Aizen wouldn't have been surprised.
However…
"At first, she did seem hesitant and declined," Julis admitted, taking a deep breath to suppress her earlier emotions. "I wasn't planning to push her, but after hearing that she hasn't been doing well since the incident at the dorm, I insisted."
Julis was unaware of the controlling and ambitious uncle in Kirin's life.
However, it was obvious to her that Kirin had faced trouble because of her intervention in the ambush, and Julis couldn't ignore that.
Understanding Julis' reasoning, Aizen came to a realization.
"Maybe this invitation is mainly about her."
The reports online had made it clear that Kirin hadn't been in good shape after saving Julis.
If Aizen had seen those reports, it was only natural that Julis had as well.
Perhaps that was why the usually solitary princess decided to extend an invitation—to express her gratitude and ensure Kirin was doing okay.
Despite claiming it was to repay a favor, Julis likely knew one meal wouldn't settle the debt.
At its core, this outing was primarily for Kirin's sake.
In other words, Aizen and Ayato were merely incidental additions to the invitation…
"Looks like she's here."
As Aizen's expression turned thoughtful, Julis suddenly glanced toward the school gate and spoke.
"I-I'm sorry! I'm late!"
A clear voice called out just in time, drawing everyone's attention toward the gate.
The next moment, they saw a flustered girl hurrying toward them.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting!" Kirin Toudou reached the group, bowing repeatedly in apology.
However, neither Aizen nor Ayato, nor even Julis, paid much attention to her apologies.
What drew their focus was Kirin's outfit.
Today, Kirin wasn't wearing her usual academy uniform but rather casual clothes.
She wore a white, long-sleeved blouse with lace-trimmed edges, the type that buttoned at the front. The hem of the blouse was tucked into a blue pleated skirt that cinched at the waist and ended well above the knee, leaving her thighs bare. She paired the outfit with mid-calf boots.
The ensemble wasn't flashy but radiated a youthful charm, perfectly suiting Kirin's age.
Yet…
"Stare… (￢_￢)"
The group's gazes, as if magnetized, couldn't help but linger on her blouse, which looked like it might burst open at any moment.
"D-Did I do something wrong?"
Feeling the awkward stares and expressions directed at her, Kirin grew even more anxious.
Was there something wrong with her outfit?
B-but this was the only thing I brought that still fits!
It had only been two months since she enrolled, but none of the clothes she'd brought with her seemed to fit anymore… o(╥﹏╥)o
"I'm so sorry!"
Kirin's eyes grew teary as she bowed repeatedly in apology.
Unbeknownst to her, the exaggerated motion only emphasized her figure further, leaving Ayato—an innocent warrior of love—blushing as he hastily looked away.
"It's f-fine! You didn't do anything wrong!" Julis finally snapped out of her daze and reassured Kirin, though her tone was stiff, her smile forced, and her eyes glistened faintly, as if she'd been dealt some unknown blow.
"Yes, Kirin," Aizen chimed in, coughing lightly as he silently prayed for forgiveness. "You're right on time. There are still a few minutes until our agreed meeting. No need to apologize."
"R-really?" Kirin glanced nervously at her upperclassmen. Though she still found their expressions odd, she sighed in relief, patting her chest. "That's good…"
Aizen resisted the urge to look at her motion and turned to Julis instead.
"Now that we're all here, where do you plan to take us, Princess?"
If he recalled correctly, Julis rarely ventured outside the academy herself.
Did she really know a good place to eat?
Aizen harbored serious doubts.
"What's with that look?" Julis frowned, clearly picking up on Aizen's skepticism. "Of course I know where to take you!"
Though it was a restaurant she found online and had confirmed with Claudia's recommendation…
"Let's go." Julis opened her parasol and began leading the way. "I'll take you to the Commercial District."
With that, Julis strode forward confidently.
Ayato and Kirin quickly followed, leaving Aizen to mutter expressionlessly:
"According to the map, the Commercial District is in the opposite direction."
"..."
The group of students, who had barely stepped foot outside the academy or explored Asterisk, froze on the spot.
"Sigh…"
Aizen let out a resigned sigh, summoning his holo-display.
"Forget it. I'll lead the way."
After all, compared to this unreliable group, navigation tools were far more trustworthy.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone