Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:RailgunSS3 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 5===

“Nwo ho ho ho ho!! Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!!!!!!”

“…”

It was lunchtime in Tokiwadai Middle School’s courtyard.

The brown twintail girl had a blank expression while forming a small triangle with her mouth. The black twintail girl was leaning so far back it had to be hurting her back.

Sakibasu Yuri, whose black twintails were thick with curly tips, rubbed her cheek against the instrument case she held.

“You want to hear it? Yes, of course you want to hear it! I am so glad you worked up the courage to ask! There are some things in life you just cannot resist no matter how hard you try!! Everyone feels that way sometimes, so it is nothing to be ashamed of. Now – then! Out of respect for how you mustered the courage to be honest with your feelings, I will let you hear the lovely sound of this Stativarius Ainsel!!”

It apparently cost hundreds of millions at auction, but the case was not locked and it was light enough for the girl to easily carry around with her. There might be a GPS tracker or something hidden in the case’s lining, but that could easily be used for criminals to track down where the valuable item was stored. Sakibasu Yuri bent her black kneesocked legs to crouch down, placed the case on the neatly mown grass, and removed the violin and bow. It was possible she was a true high-class girl who held no suspicion of others. Or maybe she falsely assumed that no one in this prestigious school would be a thief.

To a Judgment member who protected Academy City’s law and order, her handling of the vintage item seemed horridly careless. Regardless, she held the violin up between her shoulder and chin and stood up straight. She looked right at home with the instrument, but that may have been because she was a Tokiwadai girl.

“Is there a tune you would like to hear?”

“How about the Sinfonia Intermedio?”

“That’s right! It just has to be Air on the G String, doesn’t it!?”

“Why did you even ask for a request!?”

She was not listening.

Apparently, Sakibasu Yuri did not need any sheet music. In fact, she moved the bow with her eyes shut. Instead of letting others hear the series of notes, she appeared to be enjoying how the vibrations shook the core of her body.

Sure enough.

Shirai could not say what exactly it was, but something about the sound drew her in.

During the lunch break at a school like this, it was not uncommon to hear the music of string and wind instruments coming from the rooftop or music room, but this was somehow different. The girls enjoying some after-lunch tea on picnic sheets in the courtyard started to gather around.

It was the same as the flavor of food.

If something used mayonnaise or artificial flavoring, it was obvious how to recreate that flavor yourself. You knew where the hurdle was located, so clearing it was easy. Just think about why it was the rice balls and potato chips at the supermarket were always advertising their “new and improved taste”. Real depth was found in flavors that were good but more difficult to explain. With a clear soup stock, it was unclear just how many dozens of steps went into making it. The Stativarius was on that level.

Shirai had to use this rare opportunity to understand what she could.

She focused her ears.

Sakibasu pressed down with the bow harder than one would expect with a delicate vintage instrument and there was more distortion in the sound than with a normal violin. It was a mischievous sound, like gently touching a half-healed scab. Press just a little too hard and you would start bleeding. The girl’s personal style balanced on the fine line between pleasure and displeasure. She may have naturally developed this style in order to enjoy the vibration that permeated her entire body. It was the same idea as those people who modified their vehicle’s engine. Judgment often had to deal with them.

And…

“This is surprisingly good.”

“Heh heh. Of course it is. This is the world’s finest violin, after all.”

Sakibasu Yuri could even chat during the performance. She kept her eyes shut and basked in the sense of superiority, but that was not what Shirai had meant. She was not using sheet music and she was not using a metronome to keep her rhythm. Even if this was a famous piece of music, it had to have taken a lot of work to reach the point that she could play it as easily as humming. She continued the relaxed yet powerful performance without any pauses like a skipping record needle. She even included some adlibs in the form of subtle distortions that tickled the eardrums.

It was obvious she had done considerable practice.

She did not show any sign of that great effort, but that may have been her aesthetic.

…Also her name was Sakibasu. Shirai Kuroko had honestly known very little about her before this. Surnames held great meaning to high-class girls like them. They all come from different sorts of families. For example, Kongou Mitsuko’s family owned an airline and Shirai Kuroko’s ran a major chain of convenience stores. There were even some descendants from the former Japanese aristocracy or the princess of a kingdom arriving as a transfer student.

This girl was Sakibasu.

That was a minor surname that Shirai had never even heard of before.

“The answer is cards.”

Shirai had said nothing and Sakibasu could not have seen her expression, but she must have sensed the change in the atmosphere. With her eyes still closed, the girl continued to play and gave the answer.

“A trading card game, in fact. Do you not play those often, Shirai-san?”

“Not really. While working for Judgment, I sometimes help children who have lost theirs.”

“I happened to create the game when I was five. I don’t know the details of how it all happened, but it is now translated for and sold in 49 different countries around the world.”

“You designed it…all on your own?”

“I have no real control over it anymore. It has traveled around the globe while going through several different companies. In a few more years, they say it might be more ubiquitous than traditional playing cards.”

That was a surprise.

There were some girls in Tokiwadai who had started a company or research team while attending the school, but that was all something extra after their parents had already provided for their tuition and other expenses. They were all the daughters of rich people, not the ruler or conglomerate president themselves. It was quite rare for a girl in Tokiwadai to be supported by their own efforts alone.

That explained why Shirai had never heard the name.

Not enough time had passed since her initial success for the name to have spread very far.

“Stativarius Ainsel.”

Sakibasu Yuri practically sang that name while becoming one with the vintage instrument by enjoying the vibrations of the notes she played.

She seemed to be seizing its historical weight and legendary depth for herself.

“This is what I wanted. A supplement. A shortcut to instantly acquire that accumulated time. And now that I have what I lacked, I will lose to no one. This exam is mine, Shirai-san.”