"Your memories show signs of being tampered with."
Anna was stroking Alistair's face when she suddenly dropped that bombshell.
"What? Tampered with? I knew I'd forgotten some things, but I don't have the means to defend against that," Alistair admitted. Since Anna wanted to "train" him, he might as well be honest. She was a veteran Transcendent and part of the Church; if she wanted to investigate him, she'd know his underwear color by the end of the day.
"Forgotten? It seems like more than just forgetting. I'm not an expert in memory manipulation, but it should clear up once you fully transcend. Your soul is being protected by something... the tampering only stays on the surface. When your soul grows strong enough, those spells will shatter on their own."
Anna withdrew her hand.
"You may leave now. The punishment is over. Work hard; don't waste such excellent potential. Oh, and stay away from suspicious individuals. Your 'light' is too bright."
With that, Anna turned and walked back into the cathedral. Alistair watched her go, feeling helpless. Thanks for the tip. I'd hide if I could, but you found me easily enough.
"Alistair, did President Kanonzaka and the others give you a hard time?" Yumiko Sakurasawa asked, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw he was unharmed.
"Not really. I ran into Sister Anna, and she helped me out. They didn't do much, just made me do some chores and let me go," Alistair lied casually.
"That's good. I'm surprised Sister Anna helped you; she usually doesn't get involved unless she sees the trouble happening right in front of her."
Alistair nodded, not wanting to elaborate. He desperately needed a way to hide his presence. According to Anna, anyone with a bit of skill could see right through him. He needed a new ability or an item, but he had no idea where to get one.
After the second period, it was club time. Alistair hadn't joined any clubs, so he was a free man.
"Alistair, the Kendo Club is having a demonstration match today to motivate new members and check the veterans. Want to go watch?" Yumiko invited him.
"A Kendo match? Sure, I've never seen one live."
Like St. Sakura, St. Lux had separate buildings for classrooms and clubs. Yumiko led Alistair to the third floor of the club building.
The Kendo hall was massive—the size of three or four classrooms combined. It took up almost the entire floor. Despite the school's small population, the club had about 150 members, though many were inactive seniors.
"Is the student body even that big? Why are these rooms so huge?" Alistair whispered in Yumiko's ear.
"Originally, the school was planned to be co-ed. They built these large halls for competitive sports. Later, for some reason, it became an all-girls school. Most of the girls aren't into this, so it usually looks empty," Yumiko explained.
Alistair felt her breath hitch slightly as he whispered, her cheeks reddening.
"A lot of girls join just to pad their resumes. Only a few actually like Kendo. My board game club has more active members than this," she joked.
"I thought you all only did 'elegant' things like piano, flower arrangement, or tea ceremonies," Alistair teased.
"We learn those too, but the girls here are smart or come from powerful families. Like those 'shameless' girls I mentioned—they're actually quite brilliant, they just have... 'open' views on chastity. When they want to, they can act like perfect ladies. We don't need to study those things every day."
"I see. Oh, look, it's starting."
Because it was a demonstration, the matches were one-point deciders starting from the top thirty-two. To Alistair, now that his powers were restored and boosted, the girls looked like they were moving in slow motion. It was like watching amateur hour—basic stabs and slashes with no variation.
He wasn't a swordsman, but he felt like he could beat them all easily. Yumiko was right; most were just there for show.
"Oh! Next is Sakura Miyajima. She's actually one of the best swordsmen in the club."
Yumiko perked up as a girl with long, violet-black hair stepped onto the floor.
"Sakura Miyajima? Yeah, I met her yesterday with Nina. Nina said she was very... tal... ent... ed..."
Alistair's voice trailed off. He had just spotted a "small pendant" around Sakura's neck. The familiar design made his pupils shrink. He started to stutter.
What the fuck?! Why is there another Ring? Is there more than one? And why is she wearing it today? I didn't see it yesterday!
Despite his shock, he kept his face neutral to avoid drawing attention.
"Is something wrong? Is there a problem with Sakura?" Yumiko asked, noticing his glitch.
"No, just... I don't remember seeing that pendant on her yesterday. Are those pendants popular here?" Alistair asked, pointing at her neck.
"That pendant? I haven't noticed it before, but it looks quite nice. I'll ask her where she got it later," Yumiko replied after a moment.
Nice? It looks like a thin, cheap iron ring. How do you see that as 'nice'?
Alistair looked at Yumiko, a cold dread pooling in his gut. He had absorbed the other ring and used it to siphon "Mystery" from Anna. Where did a second one come from? Was someone making them?
A cheer erupted as Sakura finished her opponent in seconds. Alistair didn't even see the move. She was clearly on another level compared to the others.
Alistair didn't care about the match anymore. He just wanted it to end so he could ask Sakura where that "pendant" came from.