Tipping the Scales

Merdiana Hugh Ikel.

What made her famous wasn't her rank of 4th overall or her status as representative of the Cursing Department — it was the simple fact that she was the younger sister of Phantasus Hugh Ikel.

It was relatively recent news that she had awakened the same power as her older brother in earnest.

"She awakened an ability almost identical to Senior Phantasus's. A bit later than he did, but still."

Merdiana said.

"In a straight one-on-one, she'd probably be stronger than Simon Polentia."

"...Really?"

When Aseraz asked back with an expression of open disbelief, Merdiana merely shrugged and strode forward at a leisurely pace.

Then she turned her gaze to the girl settled atop a bed floating in midair.

"Pardon the intrusion. Sorry if I woke you from a sound sleep."

Merida was already awake, of course — the arrival of uninvited guests had seen to that.

Rustling, she pushed herself upright and rubbed her eyes with the sleeve of her pajamas. Then the sleeve slipped down, and a pair of cool, mint-green eyes lifted to meet them.

"What is it?"

There was no mistaking the irritation and resentment simmering beneath those words at having her sleep disturbed.

A chill ran down Aseraz's spine, and she shuddered before she could stop herself.

Had— had she really changed this much in such a short time?

They said the second semester of second year was when students grew the most, but even among them, Merida had been in a league of her own.

She'd already been Top 10 — and she'd gotten stronger on top of that. Just how powerful was she now?

Merdiana calmly murmured, "There it is," and took another step forward.

"I'll get straight to the point. I'd like to propose a partnership for the upcoming Group Exam. And I don't think it's a bad deal for you, either."

Merdiana laid out her pitch in one smooth, unbroken stream. The mint-haired girl blinked her dazed eyes a few times, then simply lay back down into her blankets.

"Not interested."

With that, she yanked the blanket over her head.

That was Merida for you — aside from sleep, she never showed interest in anything. Sleep came first above all, and every other desire in existence ranked somewhere beneath it.

Talk of crushing Simon Polentia or aiming for 1st overall couldn't have been further from her concerns.

But.

"Did you know? Regardless of how his duel with Senior Ballak turns out, Simon Polentia has already been confirmed as Student Council President for his third year."

Merdiana had decided to poke the soft spot.

"Are you really planning to let the presidency slip through your fingers like this? You're a Hugh Ikel. You're Senior Phantasus's sister."

The moment Phantasus's name left her lips, the blanket Merida had pulled over herself trembled, ever so slightly.

Of course she'd react.

Merdiana knew the stories well — everyone did. Merida was famously obsessed with her older brother, Phantasus.

And her one and only sore spot was this: that the brother she so revered had passed the presidency not to her, but to Simon Polentia.

"Simon—"

Then a small voice slipped out from beneath the blanket.

"—deserves it."

Merdiana's brow furrowed instantly.

Was she saying he'd already proven himself worthy? I hadn't heard a word about her acknowledging Simon. When had his reach extended even to this girl?

Now what?

While Merdiana was busy hunting for a new angle, Aseraz stepped forward.

"He must have thought you deserved it — that's exactly why Senior Phantasus 'passed over' you and handed the presidency to Simon instead."

Behind the blanket, the girl's eyes shifted.

Merdiana moved to stop her — pushing Merida too hard was dangerous — but Aseraz pressed on without a flicker of hesitation.

"But Senior Phantasus has no idea how much you've grown, does ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he? If he could see the power you hold right now, I think he'd change his mind."

"..."

"If you beat Simon and take the presidency, maybe he'd finally look your way again. No — honestly, I think the real reason he passed the presidency to Simon in the first place was to give you a trial to overcome."

She kept tossing out hooks one after another, and Merida — latching onto one of them — pushed herself upright.

"...You think so?"

Merdiana gave Aseraz a light nudge that said well done, and put on her most amiable smile.

"Of course. If you set your sights on the Student Council presidency, we can help you get there."

Having finished their conversation with Merida, the two slipped out of the Cursing Department dormitory and walked side by side.

It was too much to claim they'd fully persuaded her, but they'd gotten results nonetheless.

"You got a feel for how it's done, right? From here on, we move separately."

Merdiana said. Their goal was to set the Top 10 in motion during the Group Exam and checkmate Simon, the student ranked 1st overall.

Kizen students, as a rule, thrived on cutthroat competition and an insatiable hunger to win. The heavyweights who'd clawed their way into the Top 10 had that streak in spades — more of it, never less.

Stroke their egos the right way, and pitting them against Simon would be no great feat.

The two drew up a plan for who would approach whom.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Anyone you think is a lost cause?"

At Merdiana's question, Aseraz opened her notebook.

After a moment's contemplation over its pages, she spoke.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Meilin Villenne, 8th overall — she's hopeless."

"Ah. Right."

Meilin of the Ivory Tower had served as Vice President all the way through Simon's student council.

A core member of Simon's inner circle, and one of his most important allies.

She was destined to be an enemy, no matter what.

"Mmm. Honestly, I didn't want to make an enemy of an Ivory Tower necromancer — they're tricky customers. But there's nothing to be done."

Merdiana nodded with a satisfied expression, and Aseraz marked an X beside Meilin's name in her notebook.

"Then let's get moving and track down the rest. You organized everything in that notebook?"

"Mm-hm."

Leafing through the notebook, Merdiana spoke.

"The Summoning Department representative — the young lord of the Moore family. You can handle him, can't you?"

Aseraz sighed.

"We're not exactly close, but I'll try."

"I'll take the Hemomancy and Battle Arts representatives. I know them from before, so they'll hear me out."

"Then I'll take Elisa..."

The two put their heads together, sorted out the assignments, and split up at once.

Time was of the essence.

Merdiana walked on and on until she reached her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠destination.

So this is where I end up.

The Abandoned Old Castle on Roke Island.

It had once served as the dormitory for royalty, but these days it had been reduced to a venue for bravery trials and examinations.

And the fact that someone actually lived here — that was first-rate intelligence.

Raising her lantern, she came to a stop before one of the old castle's rooms.

"Mind if I come in?"

She asked abruptly, then entered without waiting for an answer.

Night hadn't fully fallen yet, but the curtains shrouded the window, leaving the room dark. She set the lantern down on a dust-caked shelf.

Fwoosh—

Suddenly the lantern's flame snuffed out, and darkness swallowed the room once more.

"..."

She turned around. No one was there.

The darkness of the old castle pressed in from every side, and a dismal silence settled over the room. Slowly, moving only her eyes, she stared at the window.

[.........]

Reflected in the glass: a strange figure in a black robe, standing right behind her.

She whipped around. Nothing.

A hollow laugh escaped her.

"Honestly, why must you always insist on frightening a lady like that?"

With those words, she drew the curtains open.

Light poured in, and for the first time the room's interior became discernible.

In the corner of the room sat a boy draped in a pitch-black robe. Beneath the robe, a school uniform was visible, his skin patchy and withered as though necrotized. In one hand, he gripped a longsword sealed layer upon layer with talismans and wards — a blade as tall as he was — still sheathed within its scabbard.

"So the rumors were true."

She said, with a note of pity.

"That you sold both of your eyes to the demonic sword."

10th overall. Representative of the Battle Arts Department.

The Magic Sword User, Juhl Vincere.

He had once worn an eyepatch over a single pupil — now, both eyes were bound shut beneath bandages.

He had become completely blind.

"I have no difficulty making out my surroundings."

The boy's voice flowed out.

"What brings you all the way to a place like this? Come looking for a fight?"

"An unofficial duel between students inside Roke Island earns a major disciplinary penalty. You're the Battle Arts Department representative — surely you're not going to claim ignorance of that."

Merdiana shrugged and smiled.

"I didn't come to fight. I came to propose a partnership for the Group Exam."

She laid out her elaborate plan for Juhl in exhaustive detail.

Juhl, longsword in hand, listened in silence — offering no reaction of any kind.

"Doesn't it strike you as unfair?"

She said, pacing slowly sideways.

"They say a magic sword user grows stronger by what he gives up. You gave up both your eyes. You gave up your sense of taste. You gave up restful sleep. You had to abandon every other path the dark arts might have offered you. Well — I'm no magic sword user myself, so I can't truly know, but I imagine you sacrificed far more than the things I've listed."

She yanked the dust-laden curtain at the window fully aside, baring the sunlight.

"And meanwhile, what about Simon Polentia? He surpassed you head-on without giving up a single thing. He can see. He enjoys his food. He takes his afternoon naps, I'm sure. Unlike you, he was loved by the people around him — loved all the way to the Student Council presidency. Even the one thing you take such pride in, your pure combat ability — he stands above you there, too."

The corners of her mouth split into a long, venomous grin.

"One side surrenders everything for the sake of strength, and the other gives up nothing — yet leads in every single respect. If that isn't 'unfair,' what would you call it?"

Merdiana's tongue flickered like a serpent's.

"So? Care to balance the scales?"

"I understand what you're driving at."

Juhl said, his voice sinking low.

"You mean to provoke me into fighting Simon Polentia one way or another."

"Lose your eyes, gain mind-reading, I suppose."

Merdiana didn't bother denying it.

Juhl rose from his seat.

"You needn't trouble yourself so. I intend to challenge Simon Polentia again in this exam regardless."

Shing!

The moment he cracked the demonic sword open a sliver, an unspeakably ominous Jet-Black poured from the tip of the blade.

He tilted the sliver of exposed steel, catching his own reflection in its surface.

"I want to test how much of my abyss can reach him."

Merdiana's eyes gleamed with wicked delight.

"In that case, we can help you."

The Rochest New Underground Waterway.

Only a handful of people knew that this place — seemingly nothing more than an ordinary sewer — had been renovated and put to use by someone.

Water trickled steadily in, pooling into a small reservoir where transparent ships drifted serenely upon the surface.

And there, seated bluntly atop a ghost ship, was a girl.

With lively twintails and an admiral's coat draped flairfully over her uniform, she was the Spirit Studies Department representative and 7th overall — Elisa Celine.

"How on earth did you find this place?"

She eyed her uninvited guest with maximal wariness. Aseraz answered with her eyes closed.

"Secret."

"Damn it. And here I thought you were just your typical bookworm model student obsessed with written exams."

Elisa clutched her throbbing head, apparently convinced her weakness had already been seized. Whatever the case, converting a sewer into a ghost ship manufacturing facility counted as illegal renovation.

Aseraz spoke.

"On that note — there's a little job I'd like you to do with us."

"A job? With you?"

Elisa was still asking back when she whirled toward the rear of the ship and shrieked.

"Hey! You old fogies back there, keep it DOWN!"

Above the ghost ship, the spectral forms of transparent dead captains and sailors were hovering about, holding a raucous rum party. Yahahaha! The air was thick with uproarious laughter.

[TINY little thing with a temper, ain't she!]

[Captain, you had friends?]

"Shut it! Before I lay every last one of you to rest!"

The ghosts' laughter rang out again, even louder.

Being underground, the sound echoed through the waterway like a canyon. Elisa shot the ghosts a fierce glare, then cleared her throat with a dignified ahem.

"Sorry. Go on."

"For this Group Exam, you're going to help us take down Simon Polentia."

"Huh?"

Elisa made a face of pure incredulity.

"Why on earth should I?"

"Aren't you interested in the Student Council presidency, Elisa? I hear you're absolutely brimming with ambition for social climbing."

"Not anymore."

Elisa shook her head firmly.

"Have you seen how the first- and second-years feel right now? Touch Simon Polentia — Ballak's rival — and you could end up paying for it in blood. I don't like drawing fire for nothing."

"Spoken like a true chancellor's daughter — so careful about your reputation. Then how about this instead?"

Aseraz pressed on.

"I hear your father's business is closely tied to Kizen."

"Hey."

Elisa's expression turned to ice.

"How do you know that—?!"

"They say yours is a family of vicious politicians. I'd appreciate it if you read the room."

Elisa Celine's father's new business venture was tied not to Kizen Headquarters itself, but to student welfare within the academy.

That territory fell under the Student Council's control — which meant Elisa, of all people, could never afford to be on the wrong side of that power. It was precisely why she'd fawned so shamelessly back when Simon held the presidency.

"I'd rather you didn't become the useless daughter who drags her father's legs out from under him."

With Elisa — the eldest daughter — enrolled at Kizen, any damage to the chancellor's business carried enormous implications.

A diplomatic failure.

Which is to say: his daughter's incompetence.

The head of the Celine family — a household of ruthless politicians — would never forgive such a failing.

"Ngh...!"

Elisa, flushed crimson and trembling, soon hung her head low.

Checkmate.

If Aseraz's scheme was connected to the third-years — to the new Student Council itself — there was no way out.

"F-fine! I'll do it, all right?!"

"Thank you for cooperating. Naturally, all of this stays strictly confidential. I'll fill you in on the details when we meet again."

Aseraz brushed off her skirt and rose to her feet.

Elisa looked up at her with a sulky scowl.

"Are you making this offer to the other Top 10 too?"

"Of course."

"Who's next on your list?"

"I'm thinking of paying Hector Moore a visit."

Aseraz smiled.

"The relationship between Simon and Hector is famous enough — this time, I expect he'll hear me out."

Elisa allowed herself a small, sly smile.

She has no idea. Not a single clue.