Phoenix Academy Revolutionary Diary: The Prince Stays in the School Uniform - The School Uniform Prince Meets the Rose of Dueling

The cherry blossoms fall. Pale pink petals drifted down onto the stone path of the shrine approach, scattering and dancing in the wind. Along the four-hundred-meter avenue of cherry trees, a single student walked with her chest held high. A black school uniform jacket and red leggings. Her long, straight pink hair blended with the cherry blossom petals every time the wind caught it. Her large, light-blue eyes stared straight ahead. "…All right." She let out a small breath and looked at the ring finger of her left hand. A silver ring, engraved with a rose. The one treasure the prince had given her when she was small. (I'm going to become a prince.) Every time she thought that, something deep in her chest grew warm. The loneliness of losing her parents, the fear of having to live on her own—with this ring, she felt it would all be all right. A prince on a white horse. On a rainy day, he had lifted her up in his arms while she cried. The scent of that moment had been roses. Phoenix Academy. A vast comprehensive school where nine thousand students studied, from kindergarten to graduate school. Its grounds, the size of eight Tokyo Domes, held everything—dormitories, a shopping district, a hospital, a greenhouse, a kendo hall. It was a small world unto itself. And she, Tenjou Utena, was a second-year in the academy's middle school. "Utena-saaan!" A voice called out. Before she could turn around, something slammed into her back. "Whoa—" "Good morning, Utena-san!" Clinging to her back was Shinohara Wakaba, her short black hair bouncing as she beamed. Her childhood friend and closest companion. " Morning, Wakaba. You're full of energy today." "Of course I am! I got to walk to school with you, Utena-san!" Wakaba squeezed her arm tight. Her soft hair brushed against Utena's shoulder. (This girl is always like this.) But she didn't mind. If anything, it made her want to protect her. "Hey, Utena-san. There's something I want you to hear." Just before they reached the classroom, Wakaba's voice suddenly dropped. "Hm?" "…Actually." Wakaba hung her head, fidgeting with her fingers. "I wrote a love letter." "Oh? To who?" "…Saionji-senpai." Saionji. A second-year in the high school and captain of the kendo club. She was fairly sure he was also the student council vice president. "That kendo idiot?" "Don't call him an idiot! He's cool!" "So, did he answer?" Wakaba's eyes welled up, fast. "…Not yet. I've been waiting a whole week." A week. "I gave it to him in person. He must have read it properly." Wakaba's voice was trembling. Tears were about to spill over. (Making a girl cry—that's the lowest.) Something blazed up inside her. " Wakaba. Leave it to me." "Huh?" "That Saionji guy—I'll go have a word with him." "Wait, but…" "It's fine. A prince's job is to help a girl in trouble." She patted Wakaba on the head and turned on her heel. "W-wait, Utena-san! Where are you going!?" "The high school kendo hall!" She broke into a run. The hem of her uniform jacket cut through the wind. Her red leggings kicked the cherry blossom petals aside. The high school building was a ten-minute walk from the middle school. Along the way, the roof of the kendo hall came into view. It was an old wooden building, and spirited shouts echoed from inside. "Excuse me!" She threw the sliding door open with force. The smell of sweat and bamboo swords hit her in a rush. The hall was full of male students in white training uniforms. Every one of them turned to look at her at once. "…A middle school girl?" "What's with that outfit?" Murmurs rippled through the room. She didn't care. She fixed her aim on the man swinging a bamboo sword in the center of the hall. His long green hair was tied back in a single bundle. Pale purple eyes. Tall, with broad shoulders. Every time he moved, she could see the muscles shifting lithely beneath his uniform. Saionji Kyouichi. "Saionji-senpai!" The air in the hall pulled taut. Saionji slowly lowered his bamboo sword and turned toward her. "…What do you want, you." "Tenjou Utena. Middle school, second year." "What business does a middle school brat have here?" His voice was low. Intimidating. But she didn't back down an inch. " You read Shinohara Wakaba's love letter, didn't you?" Saionji's brow twitched. "…Ah, that." "Not answering, making a girl cry—that's the lowest!" The hall went dead silent. "That's none of your business." "It is my business. Wakaba is my best friend." Saionji snorted. "Hmph. A letter like that isn't even worth reading." Blood rushed to her head. "Say that again." "I'll say it as many times as you like. A letter like—" That was when it happened. "Saionji-sama." A voice like a rolling bell came from the corner of the hall. She turned. A girl stood there. Her long purple hair was braided and draped over one shoulder. Deep green eyes wavered nervously behind round glasses. Brown skin, a red mark on her forehead. The skirt of her white uniform swayed softly, though there was no wind. "…Anthy-sama." Saionji's voice went suddenly soft. Himemiya Anthy. The Rose Bride. (So this is her…) She'd heard the rumors. The girl owned by the winner of the duels. The one at the center of the academy's secret rites. Anthy walked timidly to Saionji's side and stood there, small. She glanced at Utena, then immediately lowered her eyes. " How do you do, how do you do." She bowed her head in a small voice. "…Why do you have Anthy-sama with you?" Saionji smiled, triumphant. "Because Anthy-sama is mine." "Yours?" "That's right. The Rose Bride belongs to the winner of the duel. That is this academy's law." Saionji raised his left hand. On his ring finger, a silver ring gleamed. A rose engraving. "You have one too, don't you? That ring." She instinctively hid her left hand. "…So what if I do?" "A duel. Whoever wins takes Anthy-sama." Saionji grinned. "Huh? Why would I duel you?" "Are you scared? Because you're a girl?" The boys in the hall snickered. Because you're a girl. Those words irritated her more than anything. "…Fine. I'll do it." "Utena-san!" A voice came from behind her. She turned to see Wakaba standing there, out of breath. "You can't, not a duel! It's dangerous!" "It's fine. I'm going to become a prince. I won't let anyone say I can't protect someone just because I'm a girl." Wakaba's eyes welled up again. "But…" "Wakaba. This is for you too. Trust me." She clapped Wakaba on the shoulder and turned back to Saionji. "Where?" "The rooftop garden. The Rose Garden. Tonight at seven." Saionji hoisted his bamboo sword onto his shoulder and left the hall. Anthy hurried after him at a trot. As she passed, Anthy looked at Utena for just an instant. Green eyes. It seemed, for a moment, that a deep shadow passed through them. But she quickly faced forward and followed after Saionji. (What was that just now?) Something deep in her chest ached, sharp and small. The Rose Garden. The dueling garden on the rooftop of the high school building. Seven o'clock at night. The sky was stained indigo, and the stars were beginning to blink on, one by one. When she stepped onto the roof, it was another world. Arches of roses stretched on and on like a maze. Red, white, yellow, pink. Roses of every color drifted their sweet scent through the night air. Small lamps glowed beneath the arches, forming a path of fantastical light. "Amazing…" The words slipped out. "This is the dueling garden. The Rose Garden." Saionji walked out from the center of the maze. He wore the academy uniform now, not his training gear. A single pale green rose was tucked at his chest. Beside him stood Anthy. Her face was blank, her eyes fixed on the ground. "Weapons are your choice. You lose if you surrender, or if the rose at your chest is scattered." "If the rose is scattered?" "That's right. Those are the rules of the duel." Saionji drew the Japanese sword at his hip, smooth and easy. The blade caught the moonlight and shone pale blue. "I'm the kendo club captain. There's no way I lose to you with a single wooden sword." She raised the wooden sword she'd brought—an old, well-worn one borrowed from the hall. "You won't know unless we try." "Brave words. From a girl, no less." That word again. But she wasn't trembling with anger anymore. (He made Wakaba cry. He looked down on me because I'm a girl. I can't lose to someone like that.) She drew a deep breath and raised the wooden sword overhead. "Begin!" The moment Saionji shouted, his body vanished. No—it only seemed to vanish. The next instant, the Japanese sword came slashing down from above. "—gh!" She caught it with the wooden sword. The impact numbed her arms. (Fast!) But she could see it. Saionji's strikes were certainly sharp. In a kendo match, she might have lost. But this was a duel. Two strikes, three. She deflected the flurry of slashes with her wooden sword, twisting her body to dodge. "Only dodging!" Saionji stepped in, frustrated. (Now!) She dove into his guard. Saionji's eyes flew wide with surprise. She brought the wooden sword down on his wrist. "Guh!" The Japanese sword flew from his hand. It clattered and bounced across the stone paving. She drove the wooden sword straight into Saionji's chest. The pale green rose scattered with a soft rustle. Petals whirled up into the night wind. "…Impossible. That's…" Saionji dropped to his knees. "I'm going to become a prince. I won't let anyone say I can't protect someone just because I'm a girl." She lowered the wooden sword and gazed at the scattered rose petals. "I won. So I'll let the matter of you ignoring Wakaba's love letter slide." "…Do as you like." Saionji stayed bowed, motionless. Anthy walked slowly to stand before her. " How do you do, how do you do. Utena-sama." She bowed deeply. "Huh? Why do you know my name…" "The Rose Bride belongs to the winner of the duel. From today, my owner is Utena-sama." "Owner…" Anthy lifted her face. Behind the round glasses, her green eyes wavered. "I look forward to being with you, Utena-sama." Her voice was somehow mechanical. And yet, just a little, it also sounded warm. The next day. The top floor of the high school building. The student council room. "Excuse me." She opened the heavy wooden door to find an antique-styled room laid with red carpet. A large fireplace stood against the wall. A chandelier hung from the ceiling. "You've come, Tenjou Utena-kun." The man standing by the window turned around. Long red hair. A single streak of vermilion in his bangs. Blue-violet eyes fixed straight on her. Tall, with the build of a model. Kiryu Touga. Student council president. The academy's number one playboy. "…So you're Kiryu-senpai?" "That's right. Kiryu Touga. A pleasure." Touga smiled and took her left hand. "A splendid ring. A rose engraving." "H-hey, what are you doing!" She tried to pull her hand back. But Touga's grip was stronger than she'd expected, and it wouldn't come free. "Ever since I first saw you, I've felt like I've been searching for you all along." Touga pressed his lips to the back of her hand. "Wha—!" A soft sensation on her hand. " What are you doing, you pervert!" She wrenched her hand away with all her strength. Touga chuckled. "You don't have to be shy." "I'm not shy! I'm going to become a prince—I don't have time for romance!" Her heart was pounding. Her face burned. (What is with this guy!) "You became an official duelist in yesterday's duel. This is the proof." Touga took a small box from his pocket. Inside was a silver ring. A rose engraving, carved in the shape of a white rose. "The white rose ring. Your color." "My color?" "Every duelist has a color. Saionji is pale green. I am red. And you are white." Touga took her hand and slipped the ring onto her ring finger. "A perfect fit."

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Episode 1

Name: Phoenix Academy Revolutionary Diary: The Prince Stays in the School Uniform
Author: Novelia

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