Prologue: Confinement
A small girl stared at the ceiling while lying on a Queen bed. She recalled the conversation she overheard between her father and brother.
"Her enrollment is already underway. That kid is still behind her peers. After the doctor gives the final okay, she will be sent to the academy."
"The one that's deep in the mountains?"
"Yes, she will be taken care of from junior high through high school. After that, she won't be our problem."
Aoba Girl's Private Academy was a school for daughters from high-status families. Parents sent off troublesome daughters to become perfect wives and mothers. She was going to be the newest student as soon as she finished outpatient rehab. Her doctor told her she could re-enroll at school in time for her final year of junior high. It was the middle of September, a few days after that fated encounter that sent her life to hell. She didn't dare to entertain lesbian fantasies about such as place, common in yuri works. They were going to shut her away from the world like the problem she was.
Then, then that. More than anything she had imagined, that thought shook her to the core.
The girl jumped into action with a loud cry. "I can't. I won't let them! Why am I working so hard if that's going to be my future? I would rather die!" She wiped her tears and hugged her legs. "What am I doing here?" She mourned, then grabbed the black, leather-bound journal at her nightstand.
Snapping open the closure, she skimmed through the contents. The journal was a record of a series of events. The keeper was methodical and analytical with a deep sense of human connection. They understood their role in the larger scheme of things.
Most of the contents were incomprehensible. The little she could fathom convinced her that her family was involved in the series of attacks on middle schools across the country.
"A purple light out of this world," she repeated the words from the journal. "My beloved chose to name it 'Aliea'. With this, we will change the world."
She tuned the TV in the corner of the room into a local news channel. She had been following the events daily. "The aliens have identified themselves. They call themselves Aliea Gakuen," said the reporter. It couldn't be a coincidence. Even if she wasn't the family heir, she had a responsibility. Her family was somehow involved in this.
"What is the Sumire Foundation thinking? Kids are getting hurt hospital every other hour, and the country is in chaos," she hissed. She had enough sense not to confront her father. If they took the journal from her, she would have no leverage. She needed allies.
"We have received news from the President of the Soccer Youth Association. The winners of the Football Frontier, Raimon, have decided to face the Aliea threat! They have departed from the school! Follow us at Inazuma TV news for the latest news."
The screen then replayed the footage of the team's championship victory. Japanese child protection laws prohibited showing minors on TV about controversial events. The names of the injured members, as well as those who were to face the threat were secret. She watched the screen like a hawk observing her prey, trying to etch their faces into memory. Two faces stood out. As she tried to recall some buried memories, her head began to throb. Burying her head between her arms, she groaned.
A dim room, a boy's angry voice, and bright light followed by a deafening sound flashed one after the other without rhyme or reason. When the pain subsided, the girl glanced back at the screen. Those goggles and that spiky hair were unmistakable. It didn't make any sense for them to be on the same team. But more importantly, if a friend was putting himself in danger, then she couldn't sit and wait.
As a member of the Sumire Foundation, she had to protect the family's reputation. She had to learn about the extent of her family's involvement, and she couldn't let that kid risk himself.
That night, Sumire Yuu did what she had been considering for five years. She packed her bags, snuck out of her room, and ran away from home.