Rebirth: The Universe's Hidden Heiress-Chapter 28: Back To The Restricted Area

As soon as Yuka stepped out of the underground arena, she felt a noticeable improvement in the air quality around her.

Standing at the curb waiting for her ride, she noticed two guys exiting a nearby mall. One of them, spotting Yuka, was about to whistle at her when his buddy punched him on the shoulder, immediately put out his enthusiasm.

Overhearing the boys behind her, Yuka caught one saying, "Shawn, chill out, man. Don’t get all worked up for nothing."

Shawn grumbled back, "I’m not angry!"

His friend stumbled over his words a bit before pressing on, "Okay, okay, you’re not angry. But dude, seriously, have you thought about joining us for the team battles? With you on board, we’d be unstoppable, totally crushing it!"

Shawn paused before responding, "Fine."

"If you don’t want to, it’s cool... Wait, what? You agreed?"

He glanced skyward, "What happened to you today?"

Shawn took a moment before adding, "Just so we’re clear, I’ll join you guys for a few rounds to see how it goes. If our teamwork clicks, we’ll continue; if not, I’m out. Plus, I’ll still be competing in solo matches."

The other guy was ecstatic, slinging an arm around Shawn’s shoulder. "Awesome! With you, we, the Gaia Institute’s Three Musketeers, are definitely going to snag first place!"

Shawn didn’t respond, his eyes downcast. He agreed to join the team, mostly because he didn’t want to encounter that pink mecha or its pilot for a while.

The butler perked up at the mention of "the Gaia Institute," chattering excitedly to Yuka, "Master, they’re from another academy! The Gaia Institute, named after Gaia from ancient Greek mythology, excels in terrain-based combat strategies. They’re especially good at predicting opponents’ positions. Oh, and eight years ago, they even used some sort of formation tactic to win the intercollegiate championship!"

Yuka glanced at the two boys with a hint of surprise.

Her ride, a Lev, arrived. She tuned out the butler’s endless chatter and headed back to the academy.

It was Sunday evening, and after making a detour to the cafeteria for a large curry rice, Yuka found a quiet corner to sit in.

As she ate and browsed forums, she noticed someone sitting opposite her. Looking up, she saw a girl with a ponytail smiling at her.

"Hi, I’m Tanaka Kimiko, a freshman in the History department," the girl introduced herself cheerfully.

Yuka recognized her immediately.

Kimiko was the same girl who actively asked questions in history class and had picked up the same book as Yuka in the restricted section of the library.

Sensing the significance of this encounter, Yuka offered Kimiko a gentle smile, introducing herself, "Hi, I’m Taira Yuka."

A brief silence ensued between them as Yuka quietly continued her meal, casting a glance at Kimiko. Kimiko’s expression shifted, betraying her inner struggle, but she eventually steeled herself and get to the subject, "Yuka, do you remember the book we saw in the restricted section of the library?"

Pausing mid-bite, Yuka nodded and inquired, "Yes, what about it?"

"I think..." Kimiko hesitated, biting her lip, "that book might be part of a series. There are probably more in the restricted section."

Yuka’s eyes narrowed slightly, setting down her spoon with childlike curiosity, "So, Kimiko, why are you telling me this?"

Kimiko met Yuka’s clear, beautiful eyes, which seemed to see right through her, making her feel transparent and exposed. With visible discomfort, she lowered her head and mustered all her courage, "I... I was hoping you could help me get into the restricted section again..."

Yuka idly stroked the smooth edge of her spoon, responding, "Oh, I see. But the restricted section only opens once every three months, right? We could just go in December."

"No, that’s not what I mean," Kimiko blurted out, her face flushing. Taking a deep breath, she looked directly at Yuka, "Last time in the restricted section, I found another book on insectoid history with a white cover, but two of its pages were completely blank."

Tilting her head, Yuka asked, "Is there a problem with blank pages?"

Kimiko decided to divulge everything, "Yes, there is. My grandfather and uncle worked at the Alliance Science Academy, and I know when I was young that work records or notes aren’t allowed to have blank spaces. If the last page is filled, it’s followed by the cover—there should be no entirely blank pages."

"But there’s one exception to this," Kimiko whispered, "and that is if the author recorded top-secret information, meant to be seen by no one except the dean and vice-dean."

Understanding dawned on Yuka, "So, you want to find out what was written on those pages."

"Yes," Kimiko confirmed, "but to reveal the original content on those blank pages, a special solution is required. As I mentioned, my grandfather and uncle worked at the Alliance Science Academy. My grandfather was even a dean there, and he had some of this solution. I’ve seen it locked away in his study."

She continued, "I know the restricted section opens in December, but the library staff won’t allow us to bring anything inside. That’s why I was hoping you could help..."

"Why me?" Yuka asked, tapping her spoon, which clinked against the edge of her plate.

Biting her lip, Kimiko explained, "Because I think you might be interested in this too. I saw you and your friends searching for records about insectoids. I didn’t mean to spy, but you were quite noticeable, so..."

Yuka lowered her gaze, asking, "And why are you so determined to find out about this?"

Kimiko replied more quickly this time, "Because I’m fascinated by history. It may sound silly, but since I was young, I’ve been obsessed with historical events, from the pre-universe era to the present. Every significant historical change is clear to me."

"But there’s one thing I’ve never understood," she said, her expression turning serious. "The emergence of the insectoids. They seem to have appeared out of nowhere. History should progress in an orderly fashion, but the insectoids are like a blot of ink suddenly spilling into a flowing river. I have to find out the truth."

"I also know the locations of other records. If you and your friends can get me in, we’ll just grab the books and leave," Kimiko reasoned, trying to gauge Yuka’s thoughts. "Since we can’t bring anything in, why not just take the books out? I’ll share everything I know with you. It’ll be a fair exchange."

After pondering for a while, Yuka finally asked, "How can you be so sure we can get you in?"

"Because you’re from the Combat Department, which means you’re much more capable than I am," Kimiko said somewhat sheepishly, touching her face. "Besides, we have a common goal. It’ll be smoother to work together." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Although she said this, Kimiko was visibly nervous. Sneaking into the restricted section was against library rules. Even though she hadn’t found any specific regulations in the school handbook, if they were caught, they could face serious consequences, even expulsion.

"Alright," Yuka nodded, agreeing to Kimiko’s proposition. "I’ll discuss it with my friends. Once you get the solution you mentioned, we’ll get in touch."

Kimiko was overjoyed, quickly exchanging communication details on her opticomputer with Yuka. After watching Kimiko leave, Yuka finished her curry rice swiftly and returned to her dormitory.

Ayoi had just gotten back too and cheerfully asked Yuka, "Did you have fun at the underground arena this weekend? Anything interesting happen?"

Yuka pondered silently. Meeting a space pirate and slaying a soldier insectoid – does that count as interesting? She chose not to delve into details, simply replying, "It was alright."

An understatement, considering she had unexpectedly made it into the top hundred.

"That’s great," said Ayoi.

Climbing into bed, Yuka suddenly asked Ayoi, who was busy organizing her things, "Ayoi, if, and I mean if, I were to do something that might break the rules and get us expelled, would you join me?"

Ayoi froze, her mouth agape. She rushed to Yuka’s bed, whispering anxiously, "Yuka, what’s wrong? Did someone bully you? We can’t fight on campus," she noted, "it’s a new rule... but we could take the person off-campus and give them a good beating. That way, it wouldn’t break any rules."

Yuka chuckled, touched by Ayoi’s concern. She reached out and gently touched Ayoi’s round face, reassuring her, "It’s okay, I’m not being bullied. Just a random thought."

Ayoi let out a relieved "Oh," still worriedly glancing at Yuka. Seeing her smiling pleasantly and not appearing upset, Ayoi felt a bit more at ease and climbed into her own bed.

"Goodnight," Ayoi whispered. "We have physical training tomorrow."

"Mhm."

...

"Our dear students," Instructor Yonda adjusted his cap, "is it really that bad? I’m not asking you to climb a mountain or swim across an ocean. It’s just a 10-kilometer cross-country run followed by a capture-the-flag game. Is it really that tough? Why the long faces? Cheer up, ladies, go change!"

In the changing room, Yuka slipped into her camouflage uniform and long pants, overhearing Ayoi muttering, "Last week it was just running around the track, and now suddenly it’s cross-country? That’s quite a leap."

"It’s so unfair for us in the mecha specialization," Ayoi puffed her cheeks. "The infantry specialization students will have an advantage. If we fail, they’ll tease us again..."

Yuka patted her shoulder consolingly, donned her cap, and they both headed out together.

Despite it being September, it was still fiercely blazing outside.

Yuka and Ayoi took their place in the line-up as Instructor Yonda counted the heads to ensure everyone was present. Then he laid out the rules, "Just in case some of you aren’t clear, I’ll explain the rules once. Listen carefully; I’m only saying this once."

"The 10-kilometer cross-country is straightforward. You’ll need to carry a bottle of water, a nutrient fluid, and a five-pound sandbag for the entire distance. The water and nutrient fluid are for your sustenance—you can discard them if you wish, but the sandbag must be kept. The weight is light enough, right?"

Yonda said, feigning generosity, "I’m being lenient here. Finish the 10 kilometers in one and a half hours—easy, isn’t it?"

The members of the mecha specialization responded wearily, "Not easy."

Ignoring their response, Yonda continued, "The flag capture is simple too. There will be red flags placed along the cross-country route, each worth twenty points. There are a hundred flags in total. Grabbing one flag within the time limit is a pass, and three or more will get you full marks."

"Everyone clear on the rules for the 10-kilometer run and flag capture?" Yonda shouted.

The group shouted back in unison, "Clear!"

"Any questions?" Yonda asked.

Someone called out, "Sir, can we team up with our friends?"

"Of course," Yonda replied.

Ayoi immediately squeezed Yuka’s hand, which Yuka squeezed back firmly. Alex, standing in front, turned slightly and met Yuka’s gaze, nodding in agreement. A trio team was promptly formed.

"But!" Yonda suddenly added, "Teams cannot exceed five members, and each team must include at least one person from a different specialization!"

The confident smiles on the faces of the infantry specialization students stiffened.

"Any more questions? If not," Yonda gestured grandly, "follow me to the wilderness for the training!"

As the group followed Yonda towards the wilderness, Ayoi turned to Yuka, "What do we do now? Do we know anyone from the infantry specialization?"

Before they could ponder further, a voice came from behind Yuka, "I’d like to join your team."

It was Donny, from behind Yuka, speaking in a calm tone, "Is that alright?"