CHAPTER 14: HEIGHTENED FIGHTING SPIRIT

After the end of the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival’s second semifinal
round, Ikki fainted in the waiting room. By the time his cardiac arrest was
discovered, the shock and anxiety had spread beyond his inner circle, to the
tournament staff and spectators. Many of them seemed to expect the worst
outcome. In reality, the tournament staff had to at least consider that
possibility, so they revised the schedule for the next day.
Fortunately though, due to the power of Japan’s greatest doctor, there
was no need to worry. Ikki was saved from death.
However, Ikki had still not awoken by the time the final round was
scheduled to begin. But was that really a big deal? As long as Ikki was
alive, what was waiting a day?
Everyone’s hearts were united in this.
Kurogane Ikki and Stella Vermillion.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that this 62nd Seven Stars Sword-
Art Festival had been the highest level ever.
The two knights who had fought their way to the summit, the finals.
The tournament should not end without seeing the conclusion for
oneself.
An attack after the end of the match. Not to mention taking a stray hit
after protecting the umpire. With such an unfair end, there was no good
excuse to end the festival there.
Therefore, they waited for Ikki to come to the stage of battle.
To this end, everyone offered a hand. The staff ran about apologizing and
moving forward an exhibition that had been planned for the last day, the
media coordinated special coverage, and the spectators accepted these
changes without complaint. All for one young man’s sake, countless people
gave their all.
And then… He came.
 The sun had already gone down completely. His clothes were disheveled
and he still had a bed head.
Even so, he was there in the ring, ready to face his fight, showing his
strong will.
The hopes of the fighters, the desires of the staff, and the feelings of the
audience were all the same.
There were no longer any obstacles.
Thus, with many people’s support and good will and the great spirit of
the fighters, the final match was ready.
Dawn broke at last, coming from the eastern sky with a first light that
seemed to burn white-
And the morning of the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival’s final day,
which so many had been longing for.

◆◇◆◇◆
“Wow, What a huge crowd. Everyone is so fired up even though it’s still
morning, huh.”
It was 9 am. Tomaru Renren, from the Hagun Academy Student Council,
had taken the bullet train to the station nearest Wangan Dome, where the
Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival was taking place. The moment she got off,
she found herself both amazed and astonished by the massive congestion,
and murmured this complaint.
Everything, from the platform to the ticket gate to the road to the dome,
was filled with an uncountable number of people.
Naturally, they all had one goal. The Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival
finals.
“But with this many people, can they even get inside?”
“There’s no way they can all fit inside. They’ve even installed monitors
outside.”
 The one who answered Renren’s question was the one who had come
with her to Osaka, another member of the student council.
It was a large man with a physique like a rugged boulder, Saijou
Ikazuchi.
Just like he had pointed out, most of the people were there to watch the
fight from outside the venue.
Even though normally a lot of people gathered, the semifinals simply
couldn’t compare to the finals.
Considering that it was a confrontation between the A-Rank Knight
Crimson Princess, boasting magic power that could be said to be the
greatest of mankind, against the Blazer with the worst evaluation of F-
Rank, Worst One, who had advanced by continuously defeating one strong
opponent after another starting with Seven Stars Sword King, it’s even
more so.
Moreover, with such an unprecedented turnout, many merchants had
gathered to do business as well.
Some sat with their backs to the hedge, guitar in hand, singing songs.
Other performers juggled or did magic tricks.
And then there were the local stalls.
Even though it was but morning, the area around Wangan dome was
already festive.
There was another person currently with Renren, the Student Council
Vice President, Utakata Misogi, whose face was blue and trying to hold
something back from his mouth.
“Somehow this large crowd is making me feel rather sick…”
“Are you okay? Vice Pres-?”
“I’m not okay. I’m hot. Frazzled. Tired. I can’t take it.”
“Then it would have been better to leave you at school.”
“That’s no joking matter. Wouldn’t I look like an idiot if only I had
stayed behind to work while everyone was playing? Let’s just hurry and get
to the hotel. If we stay in this kind of place, I think my brains will melt out
through my ears.”
Utakata whined while pulling at the hems of Saijou’s shirt.
Well, even if one’s brain didn’t melt, staying much longer would
probably lead to heat stroke.
It would be no laughing matter to have spent the two and a half hours to
come from Tokyo only to watch the game from a hospital bed.
“Even if you say that, with a crowd like this, finding Kanata-senpai will
be such a pain-”
“Nah, that’s not true.”
As he said that, Saijou pointed at a spot in the crowd.
“Everyone, over here~”
Amongst the crowd, dressed in mainly short sleeved shirts and shorts,
with at most a thin cardigan, was the figure of Kanata Toutokubara,
completely clad in a white dress that did not reveal even her fingertips,
which could already be said to be a partially suspicious getup.
“That was a needless worry, huh.”
“Kanata-senpai, aren’t you hot?”
“I’ll be fine if I just endure it~”
“Endure… Why endure through that…”
Perhaps there was some spiritual reason? It perplexed Renren.
Utakata tilted his head questioningly at his junior, then asked Kanata a
question.
“Eh? Kanata, whatever happened to Touka?”
Though they had without a doubt been traveling with her, the figure of
Hagun Academy Student Council President, Touka Toudou, was nowhere to
be found.
“Since it’s Touka-chan, she probably slipped out for some urgent
business that just came up this morning.”
“Urgent business?”
 “Fufu. Yes. Urgent business.”
Though Kanata would not explain the matter further, her bemused
expression told them that it was not a serious matter.
Since it seemed that forceful questioning wouldn’t be necessary, Utakata
closed the matter with a “hmm.”
“Well, she did say that she would come back before the fight, and that
we should all watch the finals together.”
“I see.”
“But, finals, huh… Once, we were wondering what would happen, but it
would be good to have a meeting about it. Being surprise attacked after a
match, moreover losing by default due to an injury taken while protecting
someone else, Kurogane-kun is too pitiable.”
“That issue is something for the management committee to consider for
us. Such a special measure is an unprecedented exception. …According to
the information Toutokubara collected, to make this extension happen,
Prime Minister Tsukikage pulled a lot of strings.”
“The Prime Minister who put us through all that?”
“…Again, that’s a separate matter.”
“Nonetheless, there’s no way they would have delayed the schedule just
for one student. It just so happens that the rampage Stella went on that
shortened the festival by a day may have been a blessing in disguise… It
looks super unfortunate, but kouhai-kun is pretty lucky.”
Renren nodded in agreement at this as well.
Then she looked up at Saijou behind her and asked a question in her
friendliest classmate voice.
“Hey hey, who do you think will win? Saijou-”
At this, Saijou put his hand on his chin and contemplated for a moment.
“…Both are from our school and are developing their abilities quickly.
However, just looking at how they fought during the semifinals, Vermillion
has the edge in ability. I can’t imagine how to handle that dragon’s power
with just sword techniques. My assessment is that Vermillion will triumph.”
With that answer Renren came to an understanding.
Stella’s true power was what she pulled out in the semifinals, Noble Art
Dragon Spirit.
It was natural for Saijou to come to such a conclusion.
However- Renren’s thoughts differed.
“It’s true that Stella-chan’s true power, the embodiment of a dragon, was
amazing. I do think it’s already beyond what one person has the power to
handle; it’s just that abnormal a power… But, it’s by repeatedly overturning
such unreasonable odds that Kurogane-kun came to be standing in the finals
ring tonight.”
“…You think Kurogane will win?”
Renren nodded.
“I understand because I’ve fought him directly. Though Stella-chan’s
power surpasses human understanding, Kurogane-kun’s skill can also be
said to be superhuman, something in the realm of the abnormal. Do you
remember? What Kurogane-kun did when he defeated me at the Hagun
selection battles?”
 「
“If I’m not mistaken, he sidestepped your supersonic charge Black
」
Bird , then caught you by the nape of your neck and smashed you into the
ring.”
“That’s right. Normally, doing that would get your arm torn off. Despite
that, Kurogane-kun countered that power completely and instead diverted it
into the ground. That skill is definitely a match for Stella-chan’s violent
power.”
“…It’s not that I can’t understand your point of view, but your
understanding of Vermillion is a little naive. She effortlessly stopped my
Crescendo Axe’s heaviest strike. Because of Dragon Spirit, that brute
strength probably rose even more. That offensive power is beyond the
domain of things that can be stopped with techniques. I was crushed by it,
after all.”
“Kurogane-kun has the speed to completely dodge that. I saw it myself,
Kurogane’s speed throwing Stella’s figure off her feet!”
“That’s an illusion. Fights are won by by those who are strong.”
“What a thoughtless thing to say! Speed is the key to modern wars!”
“In the end, it seems you just want the opponent you lost to to win.”
“You’re the one who wants that!”
“Hnnnng!”
“Mmmmm-!”
“Ah okay okay, let’s stop it there you two.”
Within the heat that only gave rise to a haze, those two held an argument
so heated, it gave off sparks.
Unable to just watch, Utakata got between them and tore them apart.
“Have your sweltering conversation in a place with air conditioning. If
we stand around here any longer, we’ll end up with heat stroke.”
“That’s right. Then, everyone, let’s go to the hotel. There’s even food
prepared, so let’s continue there.”
It seemed Kanata agreed with Utakata.
 She immediately took the lead to guide them to the Toutokubara group’s
hotel and began walking.
“Eh? Food? Awesome~ There’s food, Food~”
“…Apologies. I, of all people, got unusually fired up.”
“Nah, the lightning god image was quite scorching, so it didn’t seem out
of place.”[1]
“!?!?”
With a shocked expression, Saijou hardened like a statue and got left
behind.

◆◇◆◇◆
“Fuhaha~ Look, the people are like trash!”
“What the hell are you doing?”
A long line of people stretched from the station to Wangan Dome.
Watching from the hotel terrace, Nene Saikyou let out a strange, feigned
voice, at which Kurono Shinguuji shot her an incredulous gaze.
“Now look here, when you look at a crowd of people from somewhere
high, don’t you just want to say that? Instinctively.”
“I do not.”
“Seriously? Kuu-chan, are you sure you’re Japanese?
“Is this really something you’d involve nationality in?”
While grumbling in a sighing voice, Kurono pulled out cigarettes from
her suit.
She put one to her lips and lit it before tossing words at Saikyou.
“It seems you didn’t agree to do commentary for the last day, even
though it should be a profitable job.”
“Well, yeah. It’s the finals of my favorite pupil. Wouldn’t I want to
watch from the front row?”
 “It was only for a week, I want to say, but… She did improve
considerably.”
“I was surprised too. I thought I’d just try more or less shoving her
around. Who would have thought that such a beast would be sleeping.
“When I think about it, that huge appetite of hers that doesn’t match her
constitution must be the influence of the dragon’s power as well.”
As she said that, Kurono glanced at the top of the table fleetingly.
There, stacked on the table, was a mountain comprised of the ruins of
what had once been a room service meal.
Farther in, on the bed, the red haired girl who had created the mess…
Crimson Princess Stella Vermillion was sleeping with her body curled up
like a baby.
“…Nene. About today’s finals, what do you think?”
“I think it’ll be a great fight. Since they’re both knights who obtained
great power in their own ways, neither should get done in easily. Though it
could also become an appropriately high level mudslinging contest.”
“A mudslinging contest eh.”
“You know, since they’re lovers and all. It’s kind of messy.”
“If such a pleasant quarrel were to occur, the viewers might just feel
relieved.”
After responding to Saikyou’s banter with a dry laugh, Kurono puffed
out a breath of smoke.
“I don’t think that’s likely to happen. Especially between these two.”
She muttered, though her tone betrayed a tinge of nervousness.
At this, Saikyou also returned a small nod.
“True. If something goes wrong, someone might die. Just like in the
match between you and me.”
Though Saikyou was joking, Kurono could see that her eyes carried the
same nervousness.
 What she was recalling was the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival of their
own generation.
What she clashed with back then were her own feelings.
─Back then, she believed she didn’t mind dying.
To beat that person, she would even throw away her life.
It was to that extent… The girl named Kurono Takizawa had pined.
Saikyou was sure that Kurono thought something similar might happen.
That, with the same feelings as they had held back then, these two
might-
“Still… It seems the one in danger here in the end is still Kuro-bou.”
“Does Yaksha Princess see Crimson Princess as better?”
“Yes, after all, I can’t picture it. The image of this princess losing, that
is.”
Saikyou momentarily looked over the sleeping Stella.
As she was deep asleep, all Stella did was make sleeping sounds.
She was saving her strength.
Not even using the energy to open her eyes, she accumulated strength
from head to toe.
All so that tonight, she could erupt at the finals.
“…”
While laying her on the bed, the two had visions of the dragon’s giant
body several times.
At that overwhelming pressure, Kurono couldn’t help but gulp.
And so she thought.
Tonight, the one to face this monster will be a single knight.
(Kurogane. What are you thinking now? How are you spending your
time?)
Was he, like this girl, accumulating strength?
Perhaps he was waiting eagerly for the finals, unable to sleep from the
exhilaration?
 Or possibly…
“…Either way, in this match, even if we interrupt it, things could get
deadly. We can’t leave this to some half-hearted knight. If it comes down to
it, you and I will stop it… Just like Nangou-sensei and Kurogane-sensei did
back then.”
“I know, I know.”
Saikyou agreed with Kurono’s sentiment without showing distaste on her
face.
From the start, in order to focus on the fight and not miss such an
important timing, she had turned down the commentary.
She didn’t have to be told such a thing.
Saikyou regarded Kurono with a serious expression. Right now, even
more important was-
“Hey, Kuu-chan.”
“Hm? What?”
“This place is a non-smoking room, you know.”
“…Next time, please warn me before I light up.”
“I’ll use my best discretion.”
With a mean grin on her face, Nene smirked at the blushing Kurono.

◆◇◆◇◆
Stella had stored as much strength as she could in her body.
Her opponent, Kurogane Ikki, was in a training facility owned by the
National League near the Wangan Dome.
For the duration of the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, this training
facility was free for use by contenders.
Ikki was carrying out a mock battle in one of that facility’s rings.
Acting as his opponent was a tall, thin, and handsome person.
It was his friend, Black Sonia Nagi Arisuin.
 “-Huu.”
With a fast attack that whistled through the air, Ikki charged at Arisuin.
In response, Arisuin shifted his weight backwards and took a retreating
stance.
“Shadow Beast-!”
Arisuin threw three copies of his dagger shaped device, Darkness
Hermit, at the ground, and left them standing there.
In an instant, they melted into puddle-like shadows on the ring.
From those shadows, a black spray splattered and two giant tigers and a
bear flew out of them attacking Ikki.
However, Ikki was not even perturbed by these wild beasts, simply
kicking off the floor and charging at the enemies that now stood in his way.
With one stroke he dealt with the shadow tiger snapping at his head,
lightly sidestepped the bear trying to claw his head, and cut it at the torso as
they passed. Then, with his fastest secret technique, Raikou, he used the
weakness in the second tiger’s offensive stance to overtake its movements
and bisect it.
The shadow beasts dispersed into a seemingly harmless black mist.
However, it had never been Arisuin’s intention to use Shadow Beast to
stop Ikki’s movement.
It was just a distraction.
The black mist that had dispersed from the crumbled shadow beasts
blocked Ikki’s field of vision for a moment-so he could to use his shadow
「 」
jumping technique, Shadow Walk , to jump to Ikki’s shadow!
After his machinations went through smoothly, Arisuin moved from his
own shadow to Ikki’s.
From Ikki’s shadow, stretching out behind him thanks to the lights in the
ring, he sprung out, thinking (I’ve got you…!).
From this position, facing Ikki’s back, he flourished Darkness Hermit to
strike at Ikki’s neck.
 However, in that instant-
“!!!”
Even sooner than Arisuin could strike at Ikki’s neck, the jet black tip of
Ikki’s device, Intetsu, appeared from under Ikki’s arm, stopping just at
Arisuin’s brow.
Without facing Arisuin, Ikki had completely read the plan to flank him,
and counterattacked instead.
“!!!”
Arisuin promptly used the knife he’d been striking down with to guard.
By doing so he narrowly avoided being skewered, in that one beat, his
action was stopped.
What Ikki Kurogane just took advantage of had been a fatal weakness.
“-Gah, ha!”
The thud of a heavy strike reverberated throughout the ring.
It was the sound of Ikki’s kick striking the pit of Arisuin’s stomach.
The impact of the kick to the stomach sent Arisuin flying three meters,
where he rolled out of the ring and started coughing painfully.
“Cough! Cough! H-harsh! To kick a maiden in the stomach is incredibly
unchivalrous.”
“Er, Sorry?”
“Why do you seem so unsure?”
“Because I am unsure”
Arisuin couldn’t help but smile at Ikki’s answer, even as he continued to
cough.
“Haha, well, jokes aside… Despite sleeping for an entire day, your body
doesn’t seem sleepy at all. Ikki. You’ve given me some peace of mind.”
“It’s all because you came with me for some warming up, Alice.”
While expressing thanks, Ikki lowered Intetsu.
After all, Arisuin was lying on his side on the floor and not in any
condition to fight.
 In the end, this mock battle had just been to warm up Ikki after he’d slept
for a day.
There was no need to deal a finishing blow.
Thus, a petite girl rushed over with small steps to the two who had
stopped fighting.
With neat, short, silver hair, the girl was Ikki Kurogane’s younger sister,
Shizuku Kurogane.
As soon as she arrived at Ikki’s side, she gave her honest opinion while
looking slightly astonished.
“Isn’t that enough? Tonight is the final and you’re still here holding a
mock battle. You’re being too unreasonable.”
“Haha, sorry. But I’ve been sleeping the whole time, so I’m checking the
condition of my body.”
“Well, I know how you feel, but if you don’t restrain yourself, your
condition will only worsen. Look at how much sweat you’ve worked up…
Eh?”
Shizuku unexpectedly used a towel to wipe the sweat that had collected
on Ikki’s face, but her expression hardened.
That was because the sweat that he’d shed was as cold as a winter
stream.
“Onii-sama, this is…”
“…I’ve been exposed, huh.”
With a bitter smile, Ikki received the towel from Shizuku.
“This sweat isn’t borne of exhaustion. It’s from fear… Of fighting with
Stella, that is.”
Ikki grumbled while continuing to mop up cold sweat.
Right, this wasn’t sweat from exercise.
Nervousness, anxiety, weakness… it was something that came from an
emotions, that could only be described as chills.
It was because he was scared.
 Scared of Crimson Princess Stella Vermillion.
But that was a matter of course.
The ease she had shown in her first irregular match against Icy Scorn
Mikoto Tsuruya and others had demonstrated a power up within Ikki’s
expectations, but the power she showed in the semifinals far exceeded his
imagination.
“She is already different from the girl I fought before. Up until now, she
had only been fighting with the dragon’s breath. But now, she has realized
what she really is. Moreover, she now possesses the ability to freely control
the power of the dragon that burned her as a child. She is not just a flame
user anymore. Skill, power, tactics… She is the incarnation of the prideful,
all-powerful monster with the strength to force any enemy to yield.”
And tonight, he would have to face that monster himself.
What’s more, this time, Stella now had even more information on the
man named Ikki Kurogane.
When he had beat her in the past, he had used her lack of knowledge to
launch a surprise attack. She would not let that happen again.
A veteran of losing battles. Stella knew about Ikki Kurogane’s struggles
better than anyone else.
In this final, there was definitely no room for slack in Stella’s heart.
With such a Stella as an opponent, in the ring where there was nowhere
to run or hide, the only option was to conquer her head on.
“Because of that, I cannot waste even a minute, no, a second.”
Sharper by the minute and stronger by the second.
He would sharpen himself up until the last moment before entering the
ring.
“That is my best condition.”
“Onii-sama…”
Shizuku responded to her brother’s unusually stiff expression with an
uneasy voice. At that moment-
 “Oi~ I did it!”
A call in a familiar kansai dialect hit everyone present.
Upon looking at the entrance to the room they were talking in-
“Ara, it’s you guys.”
“Moroboshi-san! And Toudou-san too! You came for us!”
In front of the open fire door stood the one Ikki had defeated in the first
round of the tournament, Seven Stars Sword King Yuudai Moroboshi, and
the one he had eliminated in Hagun’s selection tournament finals, Raikiri
Touka Toudou.
Shizuku let her bewilderment at these unexpected visitors seep onto her
face.
“Why are you guys here…?”
Touka answered while happily grinning towards somewhere else.
“This morning we got mail from Ikki saying he wanted our help with
training.”
“From Onii-sama?”
“Exactly. Well, I was free anyway. Incidentally… At the hotel, I called
over some of the other losers to come.”
As he said so, Moroboshi pointed at the fire door behind him with his
thumb.
“Who’s a loser? You’ve said a little too much, Boshi!”
“Well, in reality, that’s exactly what we are.”
“Gahaha. True, True. Even if you try to say it nicely now, there’s nothing
you can do”
“We didn’t even participate in the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, so we
didn’t lose!”
“…Even though you guys got beat up by two people at the training
camp?”
Behind the two, faces that anyone would recognize streamed in.
 Moroboshi’s fellow representatives from Bukyoku academy, Eye of
Heaven Byakuya Jougasaki and Demon Flame Momiji Asagi.
Making the entrance seem small just by stepping his huge build through
was Rokuzon Academy’s Panzer Grizzly Renji Kaga.
And finally, two original representatives from Hagun who had
withdrawn from the festival, Kikyou Hagure and Botan Hagure.
Ikki’s eyes opened wide in surprise at their entrance.
“Did, did all of you came for my sake? Hagure-senpai and everyone else
too?”
“Hehe. Well we arrived early and had nothing to do.”
“…During the training camp, you taught us, so we’d like to return the
favor.”
“Though we’re not sure how useful the ones who were KO’d the
quickest will be.”
“Actually, we were also called upon by Sensei. It was because that
procedure looked to have taken a lot of your strength, and it seems to be as
bad as she thought. …But the people here are of the same calibre as those
who entered the tournament. I think we’ll be just right as practice
opponents.”
Ikki shook his head at Moroboshi’s words.
“Don’t even mention things like being just right! Everyone, thank you so
much!”
“Good, good. All of us wanted to try going up against the rumored Worst
One once as well.”
“So, what do we do? Before we came here, we also had some mock
battles. Should we take a break?”
“No.”
Ikki refused Touka’s consideration with a single word and once again
took up Intetsu.
Then, he faced everyone with eyes burning with fighting spirit.
 “Immediately though… Please!”
His passion instantly spread to everyone.
““Yessir!!!””
As if responding to Ikki’s spirit, everyone else’s devices manifested.

◆◇◆◇◆
“Guhaa! Th- This is…! Poison? Assassination? My Twilight
Crusaders…! Such an underhanded method…!”
“Ojou-sama is saying ‘This is so bitter!’”
“If bitter is not acceptable, it would’ve been better not to request coffee.”
They were in a cafe slightly out of the way of the long line to the venue.
At the terrace seats, Sara Bloodlily shot an astonished look at Rinna
Kazamatsuri, who had coffee dripping from the corners of her mouth.
The one who wiped Rinna’s mouth with a handkerchief was her
attendant, Charlotte Cordé.
Together with the three girls at their table was one other person.
He was an elderly man, dressed stylishly in a suit.
It was Japan’s Prime Minister, Chairman of the school the girls attended,
Akatsuki Academy’s Bakuga Tsukikage.
“Even so, Sara-kun’s Color of Magic is truly convenient. Even with so
many people around, nobody can see us. I’ve always wanted such a
convenient power.
“Even without a special power, something similar can be done.”
“Is that so?”
“Ikki did it.”
“…That only makes it feel more impossible.”
Tsukikage’s wrinkled face twisted into a bitter grin.
“Sorry, Prime Minister. Could you pass the sugar pot?”
“Yeah, here.”
 Responding to Charlotte’s request, he slid the sugar pot near his hand
toward Rinna.
Rinna blushed shyly at this.
“Ah, thank you, Oji-sama…”
While expressing her thanks with a sincere tone, she drew the sugar pot
towards using her small hands.
However, Rinna’s movement stopped there.
Without even putting sugar in her coffee, leaving her gaze on the sugar
pot in her hands-
“…Sorry.”
In a single word, she remorsefully apologized to Tsukikage.
“What are you apologizing for?”
“Every one of us ended up losing…”
“Ah, that.”
Tsukikage understood Rinna’s reason for apologizing.
To begin with, Akatsuki Academy was a group of mercenaries gathered
via the connections of Tsukikage through one of Rebellion’s Numbers, his
old friend Kouzou Kazamatsuri, in order to sever the connection between
Japan and those who utilize the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, the League
of Knights.
However, they had been completely eliminated by Hagun Academy’s
Worst One and Crimson Princess.
Remorseful over being unable to carry out the duty they had been
entrusted with, Rinna had said that.
However, Tsukikage hadn’t placed any blame upon Rinna.
He put his hand on her apologetically drooping head.
“Don’t worry about it. You all did well. I understand that perfectly.”
“But…”
“Giving up easily does not befit a politician. If Akatsuki fails, then I will
think of a different direction to go in… At that time, if I need you, will you
lend me your power again?”
While stroking Rinna’s head gently, he asked her that.
Rinna finally raised her head at this, and with a smile like blooming
flowers nodded “Yes!”
-It was precisely ‘that time.’
“…She’s here.”
Sara mumbled curtly while focused on the line of people.
Everyone gathered at the table responded to her voice by following her
gaze.
There, in the dense crowd without a single gap in it, without pushing her
way through, calmly weaving through the crowd with steps as if walking
across an empty field, was a girl.
While her long, pure white hair swayed, she stepped directly to the four
people who should have been hidden by Color of Magic.
Nonetheless the four of them raised no suspicion toward that.
For her, it was only natural.
That she could see them even when they should’ve been invisible.
Someone who could pass through a crowd without any difficulty.
Additionally, while doing so, she didn’t alert a single person she crossed
paths with.
Today, the person they had come to wait for-
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it. Sara. Rinna. Char. And also… Tsukikage-
sensei too.”
The strongest swordsman in the world, Twin-Wings Edelweiss.

◆◇◆◇◆
“Thank you for waiting. Here is your blend coffee.”
“It’s for her.”
“Thank you.”
While expressing her gratitude with a friendly smile, Edelweiss pulled
the sugar pot to herself.
Then she looked at Tsukikage.
“Thank you for today. For listening to my sudden selfish request.”
She lowered her head slightly.
The selfish reason she mentioned was the reason she was here today.
Last night, Edelweiss had contacted Tsukikage.
…Wanting to watch the final of the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival.
“Unexpected, that you would be interested in the battle of someone who
is just a student, Ede.”
“Perhaps there’s some relationship we don’t know about.”
“Fufu, if I remember correctly, when we carried out Operation Beowulf
on Hagun Academy, the one who faced Another One was Brynhildr.
“Be, Beo?”
Sara offered an advice to Edelweiss, who tilted her head and was making
a bewildered face.
“Don’t think about it too much. It’s just Rinna’s usual sickness.”
“Ojou-sama is saying ‘When we made the attack on Hagun Academy,
she fought Another One.’”
“A, Ah. So that’s what it was. Yes, it’s exactly as she’s saying.”
Edelweiss confirmed as she scooped up a spoonful of sugar from the
sugar pot.
“I saw the semifinals on TV. It surprised me to see Ouma lose in such a
one-sided fashion, but… even more than that, seeing Amane in such a
helpless state was beyond my expectations.
Amane’s childhood and the attachment he had to Ikki because of it.
Edelweiss had known about that.
 Because of that, Amane’s existence was an obstacle blocking Ikki’s
destiny.
That’s what she’d thought. -However,
“He took no notice of him.”
He’d faced the defeat Amane had thrust at him head on and crushed it
for all to see.
“…He’s an amazing young man. Truly.”
“That’s why you want to watch the finals in person?”
Edelweiss nodded at Tsukikage’s question while adding yet another
spoonful of sugar to her coffee.
“For Crimson Princess it is natural, but Another One as well… He is
climbing onto our stage. I decided that when I saw he had the willpower to
undergo extraordinary training and obtain the physical prowess needed to
defy fate that he showed at the semifinals. Thus… even I cannot ignore that.
Another exciting moment will happen soon. I might cross swords with him
again.
“…”
“More importantly… Another party with the same thoughts as mine
came here today in order to overcome the menace of the future, we are
willing to be audacious.”
“Eh?”
When he heard those disquieting words, Tsukikage lifted his gaze from
her hands, which were busy scooping a third spoonful of sugar.
Edelweiss was looking at the crowd instead of Tsukikage.
-Her eyes glinted sharply.
Following that dangerous gaze, Tsukikage also noticed.
In the crowd, there was a man looking at them astutely through a visor.
“That’s… America’s…!”
“It’s not just him. At this place… Agents from various factions have
already gathered.”
 Edelweiss’ words made Tsukikage recall a certain scene in his mind.
A red and black memory that he’d seen.
Tokyo, engulfed in flames.
The permeating stench of protein being scorched and human fat that
stuck to the skin…
With fists shaking from fear and anger, Tsukikage informed Edelweiss.
“Front row box seats have been prepared.”
“Thank you very much.”
Edelweiss returned a slight bow and put her coffee, which she had just
added a fourth spoon of sugar to, to her mouth.
“Yum.”
“If you can’t handle bitter, then it would be better to not order stuff like
coffee.”

◆◇◆◇◆
(Too, too strong…!)
Bukyoku Academy’s third year and finalist at last year’s Seven Stars
Sword-Art Festival, Momiji Asagi, was struck with admiration at the
physical prowess of the man she was crossing blades with.
As the disciple of God of War Torajirou Nangou, she had confidence in
her blade.
However, that was exactly why she couldn’t help but understand the
magnitude of the difference between herself and the warrior in front of her,
Another One Ikki Kurogane.
“Hah!”
“…!”
Countless clashes later, a particularly loud strike rang out and Momiji
was sent flying backwards.
 Her vision went blurry. There, at the edge of the ring, Momiji fell down
and exhaled roughly before looking at the trio.
The Hagure sisters and Jougasaki, who had already carried out mock
battles with Ikki.
Ikki had kicked the three around in front of Momiji.
He hadn’t even been scratched.
If this went on, she too would-
“Asagi! Show your determination!”
“Enmaku…!”
Responding to Moroboshi’s encouragement, Momiji deployed a wall of
fire in front of her.
Frustrating though it might be, she couldn’t compete with
swordsmanship.
She would just have to show her determination by fighting with magic.
Thus she switched over. However-
“Seya!!!”
Her determination was short lived as Ikki cut through her wall with a
single shout and a slash.
From an overhead stance, Ikki had swung Intetsu down, and by sheer
force, blasted away the approaching Enmaku.
And at the same time, -Momiji’s spirit as well.
(…)
Having cleared Enmaku away, Ikki’s eyes shone like a wet blade.
Momiji’s blood ran cold seeing this.
Head and chest, mind and body, would be cut apart.
Ikki wasn’t foolish enough to waste that moment.
He closed to space between them now that there was no obstacle-
Fast.
Though she’d frozen for only an instant, Momiji lost her chance to
respond.
 Clash was now inevitable. No, rather, if there was an ability that could
still allow her to evade, it would be the Trackless Step Master Nangou had
taught her.
(Even if I were to try to enter his blind spot… he doesn’t even have one!)
Standing against Ikki, Momiji came to a realization.
Ikki’s discernment was just like her friend Moroboshi’s Happou
Nirami[2], in that it could perceive the entirety of the arena, not overlooking
a single movement from the enemy. Her own Trackless Step would not be
precise enough to outmaneuver the owner of those eyes.
In that case… there was nothing to do but intercept him with her sword.
Despite the knot in her stomach, Momiji clad her device, Hibachi, in
flame.
One hit would be enough.
If she just grazed him, Hibachi’s flames would capture Ikki’s whole body
like a snake.
(Just one stroke…!?)
However, she was only eager for an instant.
She had lost sight of Ikki Kurogane.
“Crap.”
Momiji realized in an instant that it was due to Trackless Step.
“Aku-”
But by that point, it was already over.
Ikki had passed by Momiji’s side and cut her torso with his device in
illusionary form.
That attack had, without a doubt, been a fatal wound, cutting through her
stomach all the way to her spine, causing an appropriate amount of strength
to drain out of Momiji as a magical red light- Blood Light, which dispersed
into the air.
One moment later, Momiji’s body collapsed onto the ground.
“Ha, ah, …!”
 Sudden fatigue hit her as she was gouged of strength appropriately for an
illusionary fatal wound.
Despite also feeling a burning pain in her abdomen, Momiji somehow
managed to raise her head. Then-
“Thank you!”
Ikki bowed his head deeply and thanked Momiji.
Just as he had done earlier with the other three.
“Aha, you’re welcome… I don’t feel like I was very useful though.”
“That’s not-”
“Armor Piercing Bullet-!!!”
“Hu-???”
A deep voice like a cannon’s roar suddenly interrupted their
conversation.
While Ikki was facing Momiji, an attack came from directly behind him,
aiming for the back of his head- It was Panzer Grizzly Renji Kaga’s iron
palm strike.
It was a most unexpected, barbaric surprise attack for a mock battle.
Momiji was petrified at this. However-
Ikki’s expression didn’t even waver.
Momiji saw it during that moment.
“-True at all.”
After completing his statement towards Momiji, without even an ounce
of confusion, Ikki moved half his body, almost casually, and stopped Kaga’s
palm strike with his own palms.
His body was nearly twice Ikki’s size.
The palm strike from the man who boasted weight four times that of
Ikki’s, didn’t even move him a bit.
-Impossible.
There was a trick to this impossible feat.
That trick was in Ikki’s feet.
 As he received the blow, the ground below Ikki’s feet sank noticeably,
cracking and being crushed.
Witnessing that, Kaga understood in an instant.
-He had redistributed the force.
By moving his whole body and perfectly shifting his center of gravity,
Ikki had received the blow and released it into the ground through his legs
without having it reverberate in his body at all.
Just like a lightning rod.
After receiving the surprise attack, Ikki matched the movement of
Kaga’s attempt at retreating and pushed him back using the arm he’d
received the hit with.
(…!)
In that instant where he shifted his weight back, more force had been
added from the front.
With his own weight being so heavy, Kaga was bent backwards greatly-
In that instant, Intetsu cut open his robe.
“Gu, Nuu!”
Kaga’s great body collapsed at the knees and he hit the floor.
Towards that Kaga-
“Ah, you! What were you thinking, attacking so suddenly?!”
Shizuku shouted angrily.
After all, it was an unthinkable thing.
He had launched a surprise attack on a fighter who was set to fight that
same day, even if it was in Illusionary form.
Ikki himself was far calmer.
“It’s fine, Shizuku.”
“O, Onii-sama!?”
Then, of all things-
“Kaga-san. Thank you very much.”
He thanked Kaga as he had Momiji and the others.
 For a moment, Kaga stared in puzzlement at this expression, then broke
into a broad smile.
“Gah, hahahaha! On top of not having any weak points, you don’t even
have a single complaint about a surprise attack, eh. Even though you have a
girly mug if you look at it right… Being combat ready at all times. It looks
like you know that well.”
Knights were not sportsmen.
Therefore, they had to maintain high concentration outside of matches as
well.
Even when they are walking, sleeping, or eating, they must always keep
their senses sharp.
They can’t afford to be careless.
If one became used to slacking off, they would surely fail when it
matters.
Sometimes, the flow of battle goes to the one who can transition quickly.
Going about it in small steps is out of the question.
This was all the more true against an opponent who’d easily
overwhelmed Ouma, whom he had been so powerless against.
That was why Kaga decided to attack in the moment when Ikki was
preoccupied with Momiji.
However-
(I’ve been preaching to the choir, at most)
To this man, it was a pointless warning.
At the same time Kaga realized that, he came to believe it.
“You’ll win! You will!”
Kaga thumped Ikki’s chest with his fist as he insisted on this.
Stella was certainly a formidable enemy. Her attack power was nothing
normal.
However, Ikki knew how to use and stop force.
His special skills shouldn’t be outdone by her attack power.
 Kaga believed this based on what he’d witnessed.
Ikki smiled at the encouragement.
“Then, I shall be your next opponent.”
“…!”
Ikki’s expression stiffened as a wave of numbness ran through his neck.
When he turned his head, he saw a girl climbing slowly into the ring
with a katana in a black sheath in her hands, Raikiri Touka Toudou.
The opponent Ikki had defeated at the finals of Hagun’s selection
tournament.
Though their battle had consisted of a single stroke, her strength was
vivid in Ikki’s memory.
She had been in the top 4 last year, falling behind Byakuya and Momiji,
but the impression on Ikki’s skin was betraying that fact.
No doubt she was the best of the members that Moroboshi had
assembled.
She was a difficult opponent to face with no abilities.
“What will you do? Including Arisuin-kun, you’ve fought 5 consecutive
battles. Will you take a quick break?”
“No, don’t worry about that.”
His fighting spirit was overflowing.
Ikki wiped away the sweat from his hands and renewed his grip on
Intetsu.
“Please don’t hold back!”
He raised his sword to point at Touka.

◆◇◆◇◆
In the instant Ikki raised his sword, Raikiri began to move. From ten
meters away, she unsheathed Narukami and fired a crescent slash formed of
lightning towards Ikki.
 The golden lightning charged at Ikki like a bird with wings spread open.
It was the same long ranged attack she had used against Lorelei, the
Noble Art Raiou.
However, while it was a quick opening strike, it was made from a
considerable distance.
Far from distressing Ikki at all, he immediately took an evasive
maneuver.
Namely, he took a big sidestep to the right.
It was a style of moving that he’d learned from Twin-Wings using his
Blade Steal. That was how he managed to evade so easily at high speed as
soon as he raised his heel.
Truthfully, it didn’t pose a threat to him.
However, the moment Ikki dodged the first attack, Touka launched a
follow-up Raiou right at him.
The technique he had just dodged so easily was launched again.
Of course, that one didn’t reach Ikki either.
With a leap in the opposite direction, Ikki evaded that as well.
As expected, it didn’t even graze him.
Even so, Touka fired a third Raiou.
Was she just being stubborn?
Of course not.
Touka had a reason for her actions
(This is…!)
“As expected of Toudou. After watching his match with me, she has
recognized his weak point.”
Murmuring this with a spirit of admiration was Moroboshi, who was
watching their battle from the sidelines.
“Onii-sama’s weak point?”
“Well, more accurately, it’s a flaw in that technique. It’s a technique he’s
been using since his match with me, a technique he took from Twin-Wings
using Blade Steal where he uses all of the muscles in his body
simultaneously to accelerate rapidly to top speed. Most people cannot
follow such acceleration with their eyes. That being said, constantly moving
at full speed is…”
“Ah…”
Once said, Shizuku realized as well.
Since earlier, Touka had been unleashing Raiou left and right in order to
force Ikki to dodge in different directions constantly.
“I get it. When moving at full speed constantly, it’s difficult to make
sudden stops and turns. All that switching makes puts excessive strain on
his lower body. Dodging will slowly become more difficult, and eventually
he’ll get caught.
Moroboshi’s prediction was coming true up in the ring.
While Ikki had avoided the first two by a good margin, that margin
started shrinking, and the amount of near misses began to rise.
“Ikki should also understand Touka’s intention, though. If he stays on the
defensive, he’ll just remain pinned down from long range.”
Ikki started to change his movements, just as Moroboshi predicted.
He stopped his sideways evasion, faced the scattered Raiou strikes aimed
at him, and started running.
Just as he was about to take a direct hit, he dropped to the ground like a
crawling animal to get past the Raiou.
“Wow…!”
“He’s doing the unthinkable as usual. Passing through a gap like that!”
“It’s possible because it’s Onii-sama!”
Once he slipped through that, he was in range to cross swords.
It was close range.
Having closed the range so much, Ikki could now launch attacks as well.
Both of them moved so quickly that only the trails left by their swords
were visible.
 Touka fought back well, but no longer had any opportunity to resheathe
her blade.
And when Touka is unable to sheathe her blade, she cannot bring out the
strongest close range noble art she boasts, Raikiri.
(This is good…!)
Ikki thought this while carrying out an orthodox Raikiri countermeasure.
Ikki understood the power of Raikiri from personal experience.
Only by using Ittou Rasetsu to put his all into one daring strike was he
able to overcome Raikiri before.
Since he was preparing for a match with Stella, he would be unable to
use such abilities. In order to beat Touka, he had to first ensure that she
could not use Raikiri.
If it was used on him, he would lose right then and there.
Thus in that manner, he would pressure her with swordplay and suppress
Raikiri.
(I’ve got this! My swing speed is faster…!)
Though Touka’s attacks were sharp as well, they were a far cry from
Ikki’s, which mirrored those of Twin-Wings.
As long as it didn’t come to a sword lock, he shouldn’t have to worry
about being shocked either.
(At this rate, I can overwhelm her!)
Ikki made up his mind. He shifted forward again and put his power into
the sword.
Then, suddenly, he struck out like a flying swallow and forced Touka’s
Narukami to the side.
(Alright, she’s off balance!)
After exchanging blows with Touka, he had finished measuring the
speed of her swings.
With her sword pushed to such a position, she would not be able to block
his strike.
 Next, Ikki would-
(I’ve got her here! It’s decided!)
Believing so, Ikki struck forward again-
Rather, he tried to.
(!?!?)
Immediately after, a sharp numbness ran up his neck.
It was sixth sense he’d honed by toeing the line between life and death
so many times warning him.
At this warning, Ikki’s body ignored his previous assumption and
moved- Touka’s sword had moved faster than Ikki’s expectation and, just
barely, had managed to return to defend.
(That’s crazy…!)
Based on Touka’s swing speed, the speed of that counter was impossible.
Ikki gulped in astonishment.
What on earth was that?
Ikki thought about the unexpected counterattack.
However, Touka wasn’t about to wait around for Ikki to think.
Narukami and Intetsu clashed once again.
From the contact point, Touka channeled an electrical attack into Ikki.
“…Ah!”
Zap! Sparks crackled between Narukami and Intetsu as electricity ran
through Ikki.
Though his skin wasn’t burned thanks to Illusionary form, receiving a
shock made his muscles spasm intensely and cry out in pain.
In the end, his movements were stopped instantly.
Touka took aim at this opportunity-!
She raised Narukami overhead nimbly, and struck down at Ikki.
However, Ikki had baited that attack out.
(She’s flustered!)
Just as Touka began her strike, Ikki steeled his writhing body.
 Using the full body control he had cultivated, he took control of his heart
and forcibly restored function to his peripheral nervous system.
Recovering from the shock in that instant, Ikki avoided the strike
towards his head with the smallest possible sidestep.
Thinking that the shock had immobilized him, his opponent had gone for
a finishing blow.
It was a move made after seeing through Touka’s thoughts, outplaying
her thoroughly.
That was Ikki’s chance-or it should have been.
“Ku!?!?”
Once again, Ikki’s predictions were overturned by Touka’s blade.
This time, having sidestepped Narukami, Ikki did not need to lock
swords with Touka, which prevented her from using the same move again.
Their close range battle continued in this manner.
Ikki would have to rethink his close range tactics from square one.
Despite being able to clearly surpass her swing speed, he could not land
a decisive blow on Touka.
Moreover, Ikki was slowly starting to fall behind.
The cause must be…
(This switching around!)
Ikki saw it in her movements while being pressured.
Touka’s blade would strike out with the sharpness of the legendary
sword technique Swallow Counter, then return with unnatural speed,
leaving a trail like a flash of lightning.
Squeezed into the moments between blows, these strikes threw off Ikki’s
rhythm.
This was the technique Touka Toudou had polished in order to win at
this year’s tournament. By creating a special magnetic field around her, she
could use electromagnetic attraction and repulsion to move her sword at
speeds exceeding the limits of her body. It was her Noble Art, Inazuma,
devised as a counter to Yuudai Moroboshi’s superhuman technique,
Houkiboshi.
The burden on the wrist made it impossible to use it haphazardly, but by
occasionally mixing it in while trading blows, she could interrupt her
opponent’s rhythm. Once their rhythm was interrupted, forcing them back
was simple!
“Aha!”
“Ku!”
Touka lunged at Ikki’s chest.
In order to avoid the blow, Ikki threw himself backwards, ending up
outside of engagement range.
He escaped with his tail between his legs.
“Onii-sama…!”
Ikki had been forced out of his comfortable range.
Shizuku realized this and let her worry show, while on the side
Moroboshi’s expression hardened.
It was only natural. Ikki knew well the close range superiority of Twin-
Wings’ sword, which he had learned. That being said, someone had pushed
it back.
(This girl is… powerful. She can’t be compared to herself from last
year.)
Not intending to let Ikki get away, Touka stayed hot on his heels,
keeping up the pursuit.
(Kurogane-kun. Your sword sword skills are certainly amazing. When I saw
your match with Moroboshi-san on TV, I got goosebumps. Your techniques
don’t even seem human. However!)
That much was expected of Blazers.
It was incredible that Ikki had gotten this far on physical skill alone.
However, that was a product of Ikki’s circumstances, having not been
blessed in terms of Blazer power.
Touka and other Blazers hadn’t needed such single minded focus on
martial artistry in order to reach this point.
If they simply used their magic power along with their abilities, then
surpassing an ordinary person was no big deal.
His skill alone would not be enough.
With sword techniques that merely surpassed average people…
(Forget Stella-san, he can’t even handle me…!)
“Gah…!?”
In response to Touka’s fierce attack, Ikki stayed on the defensive.
Beyond avoiding clashing, Ikki was forced to constantly retreat.
In the end, that turned out badly for him.
“Ah!?!”
Suddenly, while jumping away, Ikki’s balance wavered.
What had happened?
The answer was under his feet.
Shizuku and the other spectators looked on with dismay.
(That’s what was left behind when he took Kaga-san’s attack!)
(No way! His foot got caught in the cracked part of the ring! An attack is
coming, Ikki!)
(…No, this is-)
“Haaaaaaaaaaah!!!”
As Arisuin expected, Touka took the opportunity and attacked with all
her spirit and might.
 Having caught his foot in the broken ring, Ikki’s balance was off and he
was not able to defend. However, with a dull ‘Gagi!’ the two returned to
having their swords locked.
Of course, Touka followed that with a lightning blast.
“Bzzt!”
With a soft bursting sound accompanied by sparks, Ikki’s right arm and
upper body snapped back from the shock. Touka saw a decisive opening.
(This is it!)
Touka decided to unleash her trump card.
Touka had already seen Ikki’s resilience towards electrocution earlier.
A mere slash would simply be dodged. However, even if he were to
dodge Raikiri, her supersonic blade would hit Ikki with a blast through the
air.
At close range, the damage from receiving that would be able to take
down any single human.
There was no reason to hesitate.
Believing this, Touka returned Narukami to its scabbard.
“Eh!?!?”
To be more accurate, she tried to.
However, she was unable to.
Why? Well, the reason was in Narukami’s scabbard.
Right at the opening of the scabbard and the tip of the sword, preventing
the sword from returning to the scabbard, was a small chip from the broken
ring!
(!!!)
In that moment, Touka realized that she had been trapped.
Ikki’s foot had not gotten caught on the broken part of the ring.
In order to kick up a shard from the ring, he had stuck his foot in a crack.
Then, while he was bending back due to the electric shock, he launched the
shard into the gap between Narukami and its scabbard.
 This prevented the resheathing of the sword, leaving Touka defenseless.
“Ka, Ha-”
In that instant, Ikki finished recovering from the shock and cut Touka at
the throat.

◆◇◆◇◆
After receiving such a fatal wound, Touka felt that she was about to lose
her consciousness and collapse.
However, with sheer force of will, she managed to stay on one knee and
addressed the victorious Ikki.
“To think that Raikiri would be defeated in such a manner…”
“It’s a surprise attack that will only ever work once, though.”
Touka smiled bitterly.
Using a shard from the ring to block her scabbard was definitely a
surprise. She wouldn’t let it happen again.
However, reading her intent to use Raikiri and then using the damage to
the ring was nothing short of creative.
Even during their fierce sword fight, he’d had the ability to nonchalantly
lead her to a predetermined location.
Most impressively, he had completely deceived her ability to directly
read intentions from biological signals in order to get his plan past her,
taking decisive action without letting her realize anything.
Without a doubt, that was the power of Ikki’s experience.
Ikki’s strength definitely consisted of more than just swordplay.
He had widened her view. He was constantly thinking about the best way
to win.
(I’ve been thinking only about sword techniques this whole time.)
“Amazing. Even though I came to help you train, I ended up learning
from you instead.”
 “Learning from me? I’m only fighting this way because I can’t afford to
reveal my hand… Toudou-san. Thank you for having this match with me.”
“Oh, don’t men-”
“Alright, alright. It’s very Japanese of you to be throwing thanks around,
but face me, Ikki.”
Something hard prodded Ikki in the back with an audible thunk.
It was Moroboshi’s device, Tora-ou.
“That was an interesting path to victory you took, though I’m not
surprised. After all, you turned the tables on me in similar fashion, didn’t
you?”
Ikki turned his attention from Touka to Moroboshi and nodded slightly.
“That I did. You and I have a similarly sneaky way of thinking.”
“Haha. Of course. I’m a merchant from Naniwa.”
Even while he laughed deeply at Ikki’s jesting, Moroboshi flipped Tora-
ou around, pointing its tip at Ikki.
“I will be the last. Since you have a match today, I will not use Tiger
Bite, hehe. I’ll tire you out in a good way. I’ll take this opportunity to pay
you back for the first round. Are you ready?”
Moroboshi wore a boorish grin on his face.
However, even as he played with his expression and words, the fire in
his eyes was honest.
Even while feeling thankful for the warm feelings Ikki saw flickering in
Moroboshi’s eyes, he raised his sword.
“Let’s do this.”

◆◇◆◇◆
It was time for a mock battle with Moroboshi. The beginning proved
much calmer than his battle with Touka.
 It was natural, as Ikki and Moroboshi were knights with similar styles at
heart.
He wouldn’t engage in long range combat with magic the way Touka
had.
Basically, until he entered spear range, he wouldn’t attack.
(At least, that’s what I’d like to think, but he seems like he might throw
his spear.)
Even though Moroboshi hadn’t entered spear range, Ikki could not let his
guard down at all.
While paying meticulous attention, Ikki circled around Moroboshi.
All that time, Moroboshi’s gaze never left Ikki.
Tora-ou, which had been lowered, tracked Ikki’s heart with its tip.
(Facing him again, the pressure really is incredible.)
There was no point at which he could break into Moroboshi’s range.
(I don’t think I can use speed to disturb his zone like I did in the
tournament’s first round.)
Ikki reasoned this out.
He was referring to how close his victory against Moroboshi in the
Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival had been.
That victory had been less through true power and more about a surprise
attack. Moroboshi hadn’t known enough about Ikki, which let Ikki get a
major cut in on him before his eyes had gotten used to Ikki’s speed.
The bleeding from that cut had lowered his oxygen circulation. With his
eyesight weakened by that, Moroboshi had been unable to follow Ikki’s
sudden acceleration.
However, Moroboshi was different now.
He was in perfect condition, and moreover, he now knew about Ikki’s
use of Twin-Wings’ style.
Relying on speed to attack such an opponent was dangerous.
(However-)
 Right, even so, in the end, it was the same as in his match with Touka.
Dangerous or not, Ikki did not have many options to choose from.
He had his own fighting distance. Take the battle to the range of a sword,
and cut them down.
Besides that, he had no other way of fighting.
That said…
(He’s scary.)
Moroboshi’s pressure was certainly strong.
However, if he flinched from just this, he would never be able to
approach Stella.
If there was no hope of victory given by his opponent,
(I must go, without fear!)
Ikki steeled his heart and accelerated, running up to Moroboshi.
In response, Moroboshi took a deep breath.
“…!”
As Ikki stepped into his spear’s range, Moroboshi unleashed three lethal
thrusts towards him in the blink of an eye.
It was Moroboshi’s high speed strike, Sanrensei.
Ikki took them on with lightning-like slashes, which left only
afterimages in his vision.
The downpour of steel was like that of falling stars.
He pushed forward, trying to cut through, but…
(This is…!)
Try as he might, he could not advance.
Countless Sanrensei strikes rained down in a flurry.
The speed and density of the strikes were beyond comparing with those
in the previous match.
Even using Twin-Wings’ technique, he could just barely repel the strikes.
“Are you surprised? Kurogane.”
“…!”
 “During the tournament, I was using Sanrensei as bait for Tiger Bite.
You prepared to enter my range by depending on your speed. However, if I
don’t mix in Houkiboshi, don’t use Tiger Bite, and focus on speed, even I
am capable of this much. If you can get through, then show me!”
“Ku…”
His voice was full of confidence.
He was by no means overestimating his own ability.
Slipping through Moroboshi’s thrusts would be no easy matter.
(There are no gaps during which I could recover. This is not like
Sanrensei so much as it is a meteor shower.)
The downpour of steel like a falling star had no gaps.
Put simply, stepping into range would be impossible.
That being the case, Ikki used a technique.
It was his technique where he moved left and right at a high pace,
generating afterimages to deceive his foe.
Fourth Secret Sword- Shinkirou. It was the technique that had caused
Moroboshi grief during the tournament.
With this, Ikki would press Moroboshi to choose between-
“Don’t underestimate me!”
“!?”
Ikki’s shallow plan was crushed in an instant.
Ikki used Shinkirou to send an afterimage right while he moved to the
left, but in that instant, Tora-ou bent with deceptive agility, adjusting its
trajectory to follow the real Ikki.
Ikki managed to turn the attack with a hair’s breadth of space.
“Oraaa!!!”
“Ku, oof!”
Moroboshi used all his strength to strike at Intetsu when Ikki blocked,
sending Ikki’s body flying to the edge of the ring.
 Moroboshi then smiled daringly at Ikki, who just managed to break the
fall.
“If you try to create illusions, I’ll have my spear in you in an instant. I
already know the movements you use to set up that technique. Don’t think
you can get the same move past a first class fighter like me again. That’s
naive of you.”
“…Eh? Didn’t it work twice, Botan-chan?”
“Yeah, that’s why he lost in the first round.”
“So he’s second-rate.”
“Sh-shut up! Onlookers stay quiet!”
Moroboshi objected to their disruption.
Even then, he remained vigilant towards Ikki.
It seemed obvious that he would; Ikki was grasping his sword strongly as
if to say it wouldn’t be over after just that.
(I still have a way to get out of spear range!)
Ikki rushed at Moroboshi for the second time.
“You’re incorrigible! That said, even if you’re caught, this is your only
way, huh!”
Moroboshi prepared to combat this approach from spear distance again.
He wasted no energy while Ikki was out of range, but the moment Ikki
entered his zone, he swooped in like a raging fire.
Fundamentally, Moroboshi preferred this kind of patient spear technique.
That’s what Ikki decided to aim for.
The first blow Moroboshi would put out as he approached.
(I’ll hit his interception with Dokuga no Tachi!)
He raised his sword diagonally above his head. His sixth secret sword-
Dokuga no Tachi.
It sends shockwaves into the enemy through the Device, attacking them
from the inside.
It was an attack that passed through weapons.
 Unlike Shinkirou, he hadn’t shown this technique to Moroboshi.
Therefore, the first attack should definitely get by-
“What might this be?”
“…?”
Ikki was left astonished the instant his Dokuga no Tachi intercepted
Tora-ou.
Moroboshi had quickly withdrawn his spear.
Then, aiming at Ikki, who was full of openings after being faked out, he
struck out again.
“As if I’d take such a poisoned strike!”
“Ku, Uoooooo!!!”
Immediately after, that light of strength leaving someone, Blood Light,
danced in the air.
Moroboshi’s strike had caught Ikki.
However, it had not been a serious wound.
It had only slightly scratched his side.
To pull that off, Ikki had used the hilt of Intetsu to strike the blade of
Tora-ou and turn its trajectory.
He then promptly escaped out of spear range.
“Skillful as usual.”
“What makes you say it was poisoned? You should not have seen this
technique before.”
“It’s because you left your weight behind unnaturally. I just got a bad
feeling from that.”
“…I see.”
Ikki laughed bitterly at that.
Even though he’d intended to make an opening, somehow there’d been
another oversight.
He suddenly understood then.
(Tactics that expect mistakes from the enemy won’t work on this man.)
 Perhaps it was due to the lack of tension during a mock battle, but
Moroboshi’s concentration had too few holes.
He had been in a natural stance this whole time, leaving no openings to
attack.
In that case… There was only one thing left to do.
Having decided thus, Ikki brought Intetsu into Seigan no Kamae and
focused on Moroboshi with both eyes.
“---”
Moroboshi observed Ikki’s gaze and stance.
“What’s that? The nature of his pressure has changed.”
Moroboshi’s veteran 6th sense immediately sensed something.
(His back foot is well planted. He can’t dash effectively from that
stance.)
Just as Moroboshi had judged, Ikki’s third approach was different from
those until now; this time he approached slowly.
Without changing from Seigan no Kamae[3], Ikki shuffled forwards
slowly, feet never leaving the ground.
“What’s wrong? If you move at such a turtle-like pace, you’ll be filled
with holes the moment you get in range.”
“---”
Ikki showed no response to Moroboshi’s provocation.
Ignoring him-that wasn’t quite it.
(He’s simply not listening. He can’t even hear me.)
After looking at Ikki’s eyes, he understood.
He wouldn’t respond to sound.
With his eyes focused on Moroboshi, he would just slowly advance and
close the gap.
(When focus exceeds normal limits, you become unable to hear anything
around you, and also become unable to perceive color. I’ve experienced
being in that zone before…)
 Well, if it was the man before him, he could probably enter that state
intentionally.
The problem was, what was he thinking, using that focus?
With such slow movements, what was he trying to start?
Finally, Ikki’s toes encroached upon Moroboshi’s domain.
(Tch, I’m so confused! But what I have to do doesn’t change!)
Moroboshi made his move.
Focusing on speed, he unleashed a violent storm of steel.
Ikki blocked it in the same way as before, with Intetsu flying in to
deflect the spear.
The sound of weapons clashing. The rain of sparks. It was exactly the
same as earlier.
“!?!?”
Moroboshi felt it in the hand wielding Tora-ou first.
There was an abnormal weight coming from this opponent.
It felt like a massive tree rooted in the earth.
No matter how many times he struck, Ikki would not back off like he
had earlier.
He didn’t dodge horizontally either.
With his eyes fixed on Moroboshi, he advanced straight forwards, bit by
bit. Only forwards.
“…!”
Seeing his form, Moroboshi understood Ikki’s idea.
(This guy, he didn’t have a specific plan or anything…! He cut off
nonessential senses, lowered strength spent on things other than movement
as much as possible, and put all his focus into his sword…! I’ll put my all
into my blade and break through with all my strength!)
He wasn’t an opponent you could get past with a half hearted plan and a
cheap trick.
Knowing that, he would meet the blade that Ikki honed with his all.
 Ikki understood his own weakness, and made use of everything before
his eyes for victory.
Contrary to that, when it mattered, he had the courage to trust in his own
strength.
At a glance, these two seem contradictory.
The one who united them was Worst One Ikki Kurogane.
He is aware of his weakness.
Despite that, he believes that he can be stronger than anyone.
To achieve this, he does everything he can.
That everything resides in the black blade he grasped in both hands.
Therefore, Ikki Kurogane would no longer back down. He would no
longer run.
If it was himself, it was possible.
Believing that, he advanced slowly, but surely, towards Yuudai
Moroboshi.
This was no last stand. Nor was it a desperate attack.
Absolute Victory. He held such a conviction.
His pressure was fierce.
“Guh!?”
He overwhelmed Moroboshi soundly, driving him into a corner of the
rectangular arena.
“Awesome, Onii-sama! To drive that Moroboshi-san against a wall head
on!”
“Forwards, slowly, but surely. He did it through incredible pressure.”
“Yeah. That said… Kurogane-kun’s stance is also amazing.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Against Moroboshi-san, without being shifted laterally or front-to-back,
he maintained a straight trajectory. It makes it hard on the attacker. Anyway,
he guarded with his blade well centered in Seigan no Kamae and made it
difficult to attack, and his opponent did not change his stance at all,
continuously aiming for a fatal strike at the same place, from the same
angle. He inevitably ended up repeating the same motion. As a result-”
Right after that, red light fluttered in the ring.
It was Blood Light spilling from Ikki’s limbs.
It was just a graze, though.
And surely enough, Moroboshi also understood the ‘result’ that Touka
pointed out.
(I’ve shown too much motion! He’s optimizing his strength and
approach to repel me!)
Precisely. If one ends up repeating the same attack, then you’ll end up
exposing it.
The power, angle, and speed necessary to deflect the enemy was all
shown in detail.
And now Ikki had analyzed it and optimized.
While avoiding any fatal wounds, Ikki used the minimum defence
necessary, contracting his defensive movements as much as he could,
making his attack and defense stronger than before, and stepping into
Moroboshi’s zone.
Forwards. Powerfully. Quickly.
“Moroboshi-san lost his patience after being backed into a corner. He’s
attacking unreasonably out of impatience!”
That was Touka’s prediction.
“Come no closer!”
It came true in the next instant.
Moroboshi sent a single flashing strike flying towards Ikki.
Because of his impatience, he sent his elbow too far to return easily,
making it a sloppy thrust.
Without any spirit put into it, the strike lacked power and aim.
“!!!”
Ikki didn’t overlook that.
 “Shit-”
By the time Moroboshi realized his misplay, it was too late.
Ikki stepped forwards with the sloppy thrust, letting his own shoulder be
pierced.
Using his own body he trapped Tora-ou, denying Moroboshi any
counterattack.
“Haaaaaa!!!”
With Tora-ou stuck in his shoulder, he broke into Moroboshi’s space and
thrust his blade into his heart.

◆◇◆◇◆
“Damn… Lost again!”
Moroboshi cried as his heart was pierced, and with his strength drained
he collapsed on the floor spread eagled.
“Damnit… I thought I’d be able to win this time, too.”
“At the… real… match… this wouldn’t do…”
Ikki’s words, spoken while gasping for air, were not born of humility.
In reality, the fight just now Moroboshi had, worrying about Ikki who
had low magic power, held back Tiger Bite. He couldn’t go all out on the
contestant who was about to go into a big match. Even in that state, they
had devoted as much power as they could.
Ikki knew this after crossing swords with him.
So, with Moroboshi included, Ikki once again thanked all his friends
who had gathered today.
“Moroboshi-san. Everyone else as well. I am truly thankful. I have
gained valuable experience before my match with Stella.”
“I don’t need thanks. You can return this favor by returning as the
champion.”
“Isn’t that a little unreasonable?”
 “Are you not confident?”
Moroboshi asked Ikki while sitting up, and after a brief silence, Ikki
nodded slightly.
“Honestly, I think this fight is going to be the toughest thing I’ve done in
my life. I can’t say I’m confident… But I’ll give it everything I have.”
“That won’t do, you big idiot.”
Moroboshi prodded Ikki in the head with Tora-ou’s hilt.
Then he spoke in a chiding tone.
“This is the stage you’ve always aimed for. You can’t take it with such
half hearted feelings. No matter how strong your opponent was, you must
always enter the ring believing that you will win, 100%. Even if you don’t
have confidence, force it out. You can think about losing after you lose. If
you end up losing, that’s all you’ll be able to think about anyway.”
“Moroboshi-san…”
“If you still don’t feel confident, I’ll stick with you until you do. So, do
me a favor and don’t say such a pitiful thing.”
Everyone gathered there today for Ikki silently agreed with Moroboshi’s
sentiment.
They all had the same expectations as Moroboshi.
“If you’ll go that far for me, I’ll take you up on your offer. Will you
accompany me a little longer?”
“Hehe, then, how about we go again after a rest?”
“Yeah, sure-”
With a heavy scraping sound, the training area’s fire exit opened.
“!!!”
A cold, wintry wind blew in and brushed against everyone inside.
They all noticed immediately.
This was not cold air, but that crisp swordsmanship that made one get
the chills.
At least someone in there recognized that aura.
 Could it be?
Thinking that, they turned to the door.
“What is it? Every one of you looks dumbfounded.”
With eyes as sharp as those of a bird of prey, glaring at all present, was a
tall man with long hair.
Sword Emperor of Wind, Ouma Kurogane, stood there.
“O, Ouma!?”
“Why are you…!?”
Nobody was able to hide their surprise at the unexpected newcomer.
Ouma saw this and tossed the sack he’d been carrying on his shoulder
onto the floor.
“I’m here for the same reason most of you are. I got a text asking for a
training partner before the finals.”
“Eh, er, is that so? Onii-sama.”
Shizuku looked back at Ikki in surprise, who nodded.
What he said was true.
Besides Moroboshi and Touka, he had also contacted Ouma.
Of course, he had only done it because there was no harm in trying.
Ouma had never acted for Ikki’s sake before, after all.
“I didn’t think that you would actually come, so I can’t help but be
surprised.”
“It’s only because I’m free, since I had planned to fight in the finals.
Also… I thought that I’d see your power myself.”
“My… power?”
“After all, it’s F-rank vs A-rank. Your defeat is all but decided by the
fate. I have no interest in such a spectacle. It’s just… To have even survived
with such a meager power, until you were able to stand in front of that
dragon… It is my duty as your older brother to beat the dullness out of you
before you are killed.”
 Ouma’s whole body then welled up with wind magic, which he focused
into his right hand, manifesting his device, the nodachi Ryuuzume.
“…!”
When he manifested Ryuuzume, the aura he emitted became much
sharper.
Shizuku felt disquieted, and immediately moved in front of Ikki as if to
protect him.
No- More accurately, she tried to.
However, Ikki stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulder.
Even as Shizuku’s eyes shook with worry, Ikki told her “It’s alright,” and
stood in front of Ouma.
“Thank you for coming. Brother.”
“Cut the idle chatter and prepare already. I’m not here to chit-chat.”
(As usual, not even a hint of friendliness.)
Even as he smiled wryly, just by feeling the pressure he felt just from
standing in front of Ouma, he found himself in awe.
(Amazing…)
He had felt the intimidating aura the first time they had faced each other.
Ouma’s body seemed twice as big.
It was clear that he was a cut above fighters like Moroboshi and Touka.
Ikki’s palms began to sweat.
However, the thought of backing down didn’t even occur to him.
After all… there was some truth in what Ouma said. If he couldn’t fight
off Ouma, then he had no chance of prevailing against Stella.
Might as well start praying then.
For the purpose of forcing life back into Ikki when he was feebly
panicking in fear of Stella, there was no better opponent.
Ikki shook off the sweat from his palms once, and took up Intetsu in his
grasp once again.
“Let’s do this…!”
 ◆◇◆◇◆
Ouma made the first move as the start was announced.
With his kimono sleeves fluttering, he moved to close the distance to
Ikki directly.
Ikki was not idle, however.
He kicked off the floor to meet Ouma.
Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to simply attack Ouma straight on
like that.
He knew what kind of superhuman physical endurance and strength
Ouma’s mad training had granted him.
Therefore-
“That’s…!”
Moroboshi, watching from the sides, noticed.
The instant Ikki entered the nodachi’s range, he changed his step, adding
sudden changes to his speed.
Moroboshi knew that technique well.
Ikki used those movements to confuse his opponent’s vision and create
afterimages.
It was the Shinkirou he spread around him.
And, according to Ikki’s plan, Ouma snapped at the afterimages.
With one breath he swung Ryuuzume down from above as if cutting
bamboo, cutting Ikki in half.
However, he had cut an afterimage.
As a result, he exposed himself to a flank from the real Ikki.
“He got him!”
Moroboshi clenched his fist upon seeing Ikki take the initiative.
Next to him though, Raikiri was squinting while taking her glasses off.
“No, not quite.”
She pointed out a mistake in Moroboshi’s analysis.
 Ouma knew his next move from the signals his body gave him.
“!!!”
Without bringing his lowered blade back up, he took a low, diagonal
swing.
Using that force, Ouma rammed Ikki with his shoulder.
“Shoulder charge…! He even read through Shinkirou!”
Ikki used Intetsu, which he was going to attack with, to block instead.
However, Ouma was heavier than he looked.
The shock of a nearly five hundred kilogram man’s ramming attack was
easily lethal.
“…!”
With the low sound of two people colliding, Ikki’s body was pushed
back and he stumbled backwards with his balance destroyed.
Ouma swooped down on Ikki like a raging fire.
Without giving Ikki any time to recover his stance, he fired off several
slashes and stabs.
Fast.
It approached Moroboshi’s Sanrensei in speed.
Without taking a breath, he fired off 10, 20, an endless barrage of
attacks.
Such astounding rotation-Shizuku recognized it.
“Kyokujitsu Isshin-ryuu, Retsu no kiwami Amatsukaze…[4]!”
“What the heck is that?”
“It’s a secret technique within the Kyokujitsu Isshin-ryuu style passed
through the generations in the Kurogane family. It’s a continuous 108 strike
combination.”
From the first strike to the 108th, everything from the angle and power
of each strike was tuned for efficiency.
By repeating them over and over countless times and carving them to his
very core, he was able to abolish all thoughts and bring out the fastest speed
that his flesh and blood body could handle. It was meant to crush the
opponent with an overwhelming number of strikes.
“There’s no better technique than this to defeat someone whose stance
has been broken…!”
“But if I’m not mistaken, didn’t Ikki grow strong by stealing the
techniques of others? In which case he should definitely know of a
technique passed among the Kurogane, shouldn’t he?”
“…I don’t know. All of this talk is over my head. But… even if he does,
with just that he can’t do anything about this assault.”
Just as Shizuku said, in the face of Ouma’s overwhelming speed, Ikki
could not even bring Intetsu to face the attacks. He had to do everything he
could just to dodge Ouma’s fierce onslaught. He definitely wouldn’t be able
to turn the attack in this situation.
Bringing about such a situation was the point of Amatsukaze, after all.
With almost excessively optimized constant attacks, it held down the
enemy, preventing them from taking any actions.
Now, Ikki was completely stuck in that situation.
That’s how it seemed, looking from outside.
However-
(He’s waiting for something…)
Even as Ikki was being overwhelmed by Ouma’s strikes, Touka Toudou
saw a glint of cleverness in Ikki’s eyes.
He was being neither held down nor overwhelmed.
He was waiting for something.
That something was an opening in Amatsukaze.
No matter how much time had gone into developing such a technique, in
the end, it was created by humans.
Creating something perfect was impossible.
And if it was anything short of perfect, Ikki’s penetrating insight
wouldn’t miss it.
 It wasn’t a first sighting either, especially since it was the Kurogane
style, which he’d spent the most time watching.
“---”
Suddenly, a particularly sharp sound rang out, and the situation changed.
After that sound, the one who was thrown off balance was Ouma.
Ikki had pulled out his seventh secret sword, Raikou.
It was a technique with such speed that, before he had grasped what he’d
stolen from Twin-Wings, he hadn’t been able to discern its swing by sight.
Worst One’s fastest strike had been further refined by Twin-Wings’
swordsmanship, and in the instant between Sword Emperor of Wind’s
Amatsukaze’s fifty-seventh and fifty-eighth strike, Ikki cut in with a strike
to Ryuuzume’s side, ruining the combination.
After he disrupted the combination, Ikki launched a full body attack at
Ouma, whose stance had been broken.
It was a slash with all his weight thrown behind it.
Moroboshi noticed something in that motion.
(The way he’s using his weight is just like the time he fought me.)
It was his sixth secret sword-Dokuga no Tachi.
Whether it strikes sword or armor, the opponent would be destroyed
from within starting at the point of contact.
Using this technique, he could render Ouma’s steel body meaningless.
Not knowing that, Ouma took Ikki’s attack without blocking or dodging,
accepting it with his tempered body.
His body was attacked from within as if it were a bag of water.
The shock that entered Ouma had nowhere to escape, and so it ran over
his muscles, bones, and organs-
“Tenryuugusoku”
“…!”
The shock should have hit him, but Ouma looked like he didn’t even
care.
 Dokuga no Tachi had not failed.
The vibrations from his blade had definitely made it to Ouma.
However, Ouma had not been moved.
That was, in short, what made Ouma Kurogane a terror.
He had a force of will that transcended flesh.
He hadn’t spared any effort, realizing his resolution with steel-like sense
of purpose.
Half-hearted attacks would not even be noticed.
Far from crying out in pain, without swaying even a little, he’d clad his
body in the stormy armor Tenryuugusoku.
Then, Ouma reached past Intetsu, which had been touching his chest,
and sent Ikki flying back.
Ikki’s body tumbled in the air like he’d been hit by a car.
Aiming for his landing spot, Ouma swung Ryuuzume horizontally from
where he was.
With the sharp sound of cutting through air, he released a vacuum blade.
It flew towards Ikki’s landing spot, with just the right trajectory to strike
Ikki’s neck.
However, Ikki ended up deciding not to evade.
“Fu.”
Ikki took the impact of the landing by sinking into his knees, lowering
his body.
He bent as far as he could, then released the energy coiled in his lower
body.
With enough power to gouge the ring, he kicked the ground and thrust
Intetsu’s tip at the incoming vacuum blade.
First secret sword-Saigeki.
Within Another One’s original sword techniques, it boasted the fastest
charging speed and the strongest penetration. With that thrust, Ikki met the
vacuum blade head on and destroyed it with all his strength, sending the
force right back at Ouma like an arrow.
Ouma had tried to use Tenryuugusoku to form a gap and engage in long
range combat, but Ikki’s speed completely destroyed that plan. He would
unable to respond to Ikki charging back into range again with such timing-
supposedly. However…!
(It’s no use!)
Touka and the other spectators all shivered.
At the same time, Ikki noticed it too.
When he destroyed the vacuum blade, the distortion disappeared from
his field of vision.
Ouma brandished Ryuuzume, twisting as far as to face his back towards
Ikki.
Everyone knew what technique would be fired from that stance.
Kyokujitsu Isshin-ryuu, Jin no kiwami- Amaterasu[5].
It was a secret technique where he used his whole body’s strength to
twist his frame down to the bone, then slashed by releasing that wound up
power. Though it was but one stroke, unlike Ikki’s Blade Steal, this, Sword
Emperor of Wind’s fastest strike, was more truly within the territory of
Twin-Wings.
Moreover, Amaterasu was not long ranged, but a close ranged attack.
Ouma had understood.
After breaking through the vacuum blade, Ikki would immediately return
to sword distance.
Having read his opponent, he amassed his power and waited.
This was the worst development for Ikki.
Saigeki was an assault technique. He had put all of his power into the
starting kick, as it was a technique that shot oneself like an arrow towards
its target.
 Therefore, once in the middle of Saigeki, it would not be possible to
stop.
Ikki could now only move forwards.
As Ouma’s Amaterasu would win in reach and speed, Ryuuzume would
behead Ikki before Ikki’s blade reached him.
However-
Ikki was not such a naive man as to be unable to improvise in a pinch.
“Wha…!?”
In the next moment, the spectators all widened their eyes in surprise.
In the instant Ouma fired Amaterasu, Ikki pointed Intetsu down and
stabbed the tip into the ground.
As a result, Saigeki’s assault pitched forward, launching Ikki over
Ouma’s head like a pole vaulter. He then kicked off the ceiling hard enough
to break it, and once again charged at Ouma with Saigeki.
Amaterasu was a technique in which one devotes their all into one
move’s speed.
That meant it left one vulnerable until it ended, leaving Ouma unable to
avoid this Saigeki.
…Direct hit.
The close range Saigeki pierced Ouma’s wind armor, Tennryuugusoku,
and Ikki’s sword dug in right above his collarbone.
That was by no means a random target.
Ikki had seen through Ouma’s muscle shape and density based on his
movements, and attacked so as to slip through a gap.
He realized that without doing so, his offensive power would not be
enough to pierce Ouma’s body.
His judgement was correct.
Even something like Touka using her Takemikazuchi was unable to cut
Ouma. The only one who could damage him with a simple slash would
probably be someone as powerful as Stella.
 However, the plan hadn’t gone that well. Intetsu had not cut muscle. It
had seemed to pierce Ouma, but before it turned into a serious wound,
Ouma had flexed his muscles. His swelling muscles caught the blade as if it
had been tucked in there.
Ikki immediately tried to extract his sword.
However, the cost of not bringing Ouma down was too great.
Ouma grabbed Ikki by the lapels before Ikki even landed on the floor,
then threw him onto the ring with his full power.
“!!!”
Ikki’s body made a large, deep depression in the hard stone ring.
He just barely managed to use an ukemi, distributing the impact into the
ring, but his stance was left in a terrible state, with one knee propping him
up on the ground.
Ouma struck there, putting his full body weight into a downward swing.
Ikki also brought up Intetsu to bear.
Unfortunately, his stance was too poor.
With a position like that, there was no way he could take a blow with
Ouma’s weight.
“Onii-samaaa!”
Ouma crushed Ikki along with Intetsu with his weighted blow.
But in the moment it seemed that would happen, something nobody
could believe happened before their eyes.
Somehow, in the next moment, the one who was blown away was Ouma.
Ouma immediately gathered power in his toes, but couldn’t stop.
While scraping the surface of the ring, he moved backwards.
Even when he thrust Ryuuzume’s blade into the ground, he could not
fully contain the force-
Not until he finally reached the side of the ring.

◆◇◆◇◆
 Ikki had certainly been at a disadvantage.
However, the one retreating had been Ouma.
The spectators outside the ring were all baffled by this turn of events.
“Wha, what was that just now?”
“I, I don’t know…”
Moroboshi and Touka knew they hadn’t mistaken the statuses of the
combatants.
That only left them all the more confused.
The attack just now clearly far exceeded Ikki’s strength.
What had just happened before them?
Unable to understand even after pondering it, they could only stare
intently at Ouma, who had been forced to the edge of the ring.
However, there was one person who understood what had just happened.
It was none other than the one who had been pushed back, Ouma
himself.
He understood the trickery from the numbness in his arms, and glared
irritatedly at Ikki.
“…Such trickery is just like you.”
“But you fell back, brother.”
“…”
“My swordsmanship does not seek to become powerful. It seeks to win.
Therefore, I will do everything I can possible do to defeat my opponent.
Even if my opponent is more powerful than me, I will win. Even if that
seems like trickery to you, brother, it is the answer that I, the weakest one,
came up with. That is Ikki Kurogane’s swordsmanship. I do not intend to
apologize for it.
Ikki did not avert his gaze from Ouma’s scornful glare.
He boldly threw out his chest, having nothing he felt ashamed about.
Ikki’s pose made Ouma think.
 Even though he couldn’t understand, didn’t want to understand, that was
one of Ikki’s strengths, wasn’t it. Then…
“Are you satisfied with your swordsmanship, having pushed me to the
edge of the arena with stolen techniques?”
He had once again entered the ring, brandishing Ryuuzume.
The blade was clad in wind.
It was a dragon’s claw, clad in a wild tornado.
While his blade shaved parts off the ceiling and walls, Ouma called out
to Ikki.
“Take your stance, Ikki.
I will give you everything I have.
Use everything you have, and show me you can overturn fate.”
“…”
Hearing those words, Ikki showed surprise for a moment.
He never thought this brother of his would accompany him so far.
However, towards that fighting spirit which brought shivers to his skin,
“Yes!”
Ikki thanked him sincerely and took up a stance with Intetsu again.
At some point, his cold sweat had stopped.

◆◇◆◇◆
“…”
When Stella opened her eyes, she found the room full of deep red light
flowing in from the evening sun.
She sat up in bed.
Her eyelids were light, and not so much as a yawn escaped her mouth.
Her mind was clear, and it even seemed like her vision was broader.
She threw off her bathrobe and stood in front of a full body mirror.
It reflected a white body with beautiful curves and proportions.
 Without any hesitation, she understood that her blood, cells, everything
was full of energy.
It seemed the excessive amount of food she’d eaten before sleeping had
been stored away without waste by her draconic body.
There was no mistake. She was in peak condition like she’d never been
before.
Stella felt confident in the heat her body emitted.
Tonight, she would learn things about herself that she didn’t know.
Well now, everything was ready.
Time to go.
To the ultimate stage, where the strongest opponent would be waiting.

Translation Notes

1. Renren is making a pun on Saijou’s given name, Ikazuchi (雷), which

can mean lightning god. ↩

2. Happou Nirami, 八方睨み: An all-directional observation technique. ↩

3. Seigan no Kamae, 正眼の構え: A basic defensive stance with blade

held low, pointing at enemy’s eyes. ↩

4. Kyokujitsu Isshin-ryuu, Retsu no kiwami Amatsukaze, 旭日一心流・烈

の極 天津風: Rising Sun One Mind Style · Highest of Sequence -
Amatsukaze. ↩

5. Kyokujitsu Isshin-ryuu, Jin no kiwami- Amaterasu, 旭日一心流・迅の

極 天照: Rising Sun One Mind Style · Highest of Swiftness -
Amaterasu. ↩
FINAL CHAPTER A: THE PROMISED MOMENT
As Iida yelled, the entire crowd gathered to watch over the fight cried out
with him. And so it began. The final battle of the Seven Stars Sword Art
Festival.
!!!
The moment that the match began, they all lost sight of Kurogane Ikki.
Ikki’s Twin Wings ability had allowed him to accelerate instantaneously,
moving too fast for anyone to track, as he headed straight for Stella.
“Oho!! Kurogane has taken off! He isn’t wasting any time! And he’s
fast!!”
“He is a knight with limited range. He has to bring the fight into his
domain if anything is to happen. This was the obvious choice to make,
but…”Kaieda kept a close watch. This speed was not normal. Ikki’s rush
this time was faster than anything they’d seen before.
But that was stating the obvious. Ikki’s warm-up had been grossly
overdone, such that when he stepped into the ring he was already in top
gear. (Feeling good!) His body was as light as a feather, but he hadn’t lost
any of his strength. He was in top condition. Feeling how powerful his own
body had become, Ikki felt gratitude to Moroboshi and the others. He
wouldn’t waste what they had given him.
(I need to be the first to strike! I’ll take control of the match!)
Stella was not an opponent that could be defeated in one strike. This
would be a long fight. Which was all the more reason to be the one leading
and controlling the flow of the battle. If he could land the first blow and
take control, he would surely be able to keep that lead!
As he stepped within reach of Laevateinn, Ikki began to shift to the left
and right at a rapid pace. His rapid movements created illusions before
Stella’s eyes, making it difficult to track him.
“This is Shinkirou…!!”
 “Not only has he closed the distance, but now he is using his own speed
to create illusions to conceal himself. The Princess is not even set in her
stance yet! He’s surely taken the lead in this match…!”
Moroboshi, who was watching the match beside Shizuku, clenched his
fist at the sight of Ikki’s perfectly executed rush. There was no doubt that he
would be the one taking control of the match, for this was no normal rush
attack.
He’d been tightening control of his own body all morning, making it
such that he could move at top speed from the very first step and create
illusions to counter even the slim chance of a return attack. He had been
preparing for this attack long before the match began. It was his very best
offense. There was not a single flaw in it. There could not be. It was the
ultimate attack. But… Even the best attack could lose to enough sheer
power!
“Dragon Stomp!!”
Stella raised her long, beautiful leg into the air and drove her heel down
into the ring. In that moment the ground pitched up with a blasting sound.
“……?!!?”
“W-Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!!?”
“KYAAAAA!!!”
“Th-There’s no way…!!?” The crowd was screaming. Of course they
were. Because…
“W-What is this?! The moment Stella stomped the floor of the ring, the
entire arena broke into a spiderweb of cracks with her at the center!”
Not even the Panzer Grizzly’s stomp had this kind of destructive power.
Who could possibly have expected such power to come from a beautiful
girl’s slender legs? And of course her goal here had not been to destroy the
ring. Her Dragon Stomp would stagger anyone, forcing them to stop
moving for at least a moment. And a non-moving target can’t create
illusions.
 “HAAAAA!!!!”
A flash. The Crimson Princess swung her sword, shining bright with its
intense heat, at the real Ikki. Of course Ikki had a response. Before she had
even begun her swing, he had read the course her blade would take. He met
it with Intetsu. But he could not hold back the enormous power she was
bringing against him.
When Laevateinn met Intetsu, the sheer power of her attack forced Ikki
off the ground and sent him flying through the air like a rag doll.
“!!”
Luckily he managed to remain inside of the ring, if only barely. Despite
having read the course of her blade completely, he had been thrown 50
meters by her attack, a fact that had a cold sweat running down his face.
(I guess I really can’t take even a single hit from her.)
“You really worked hard for this, didn’t you Ikki.” Stella called to him as
he recovered at the edge of the ring. “You tried to come at me right at the
start of the match to catch me before I was really into it. Too bad for you
that I’m always performing at my best. You missed your chance.”
Her voice was full of confidence. The Stella that Ikki knew had never
had that. The knowledge that she was more powerful than anyone else. It
wasn’t that she lacked self-confidence, and she always knew that she was
strong, but despite that, she had always seemed to find herself lacking.
She should be more prideful. She should be more arrogant. Ikki had
always felt that way. But if he had told Stella that, her serious nature would
only have made her an even more harsh judge of herself. So he had never
said it, but… it seemed Saikyo had managed to pull out that pride. And in
facing and holding him off, she had enforced it. However…
“I missed my chance? Don’t be ridiculous.”
That’s right. Thinking he had failed was a huge mistake. As he popped
his shoulder back into place he looked at Stella with joy clear on his face.
“It went just as I expected.”
 She was the Crimson Princess Stella Vermilion, after all.
“Kurogane has managed to hold off a direct attack, but it blew him
straight across the ring! What amazing power! Just what you’d expect of
the Crimson Princess’s unparalleled blade! Stella has given us a fine show
of what an A-rank knight is capable of with this one attack!”
That single crossing of blades had filled the crowd with energy. They
cheered wildly for Stella. Among that crowd Misogi Utakata let out a small
scream at the sight before his eyes.
“Uwaa, what amazing power. She didn’t just break the ring, she sent
cracks all the way out into the spectator seats.”
Beside him, Tomaru Renren nodded in agreement. “Guess calling her the
most powerful blade wasn’t just talk.”
“But Kurogane-kun is no disappointment himself.”
Hearing Totokubara Kanata’s words, Tohka simply nodded. Kanata and
Tohka were the only two in the student council with enough skill of their
own to have seen what it was that Ikki had done.
“At the moment of impact he purposefully dislocated his shoulder, which
allowed most of the power in her attack to flow behind him. He was able to
read that far ahead.”
“Ohh? He really did that?”
“Had he not, he would be buried in the stone of the wall right now I
think.”
If the power invested into Stella’s attack made her a monster, then the
ability that Ikki showed in deflecting that power made him a monster as
well. Neither of them was lacking. At the least there was no sign of this
battle going either way. —But Tohka narrowed her eyes as she watched.
(In that exchange you ended up giving Stella control of the center of the
ring. Is that really okay, Kurogane-kun?) Just then, in the center of the ring,
Tohka’s suspicions were confirmed.
 “Fufu, I see. I’m glad that I lived up to your expectations.” As Stella
laughed softly, the air around her began to change. Her fire blonde hair
began to grow a phosphorescent crimson. “Now let’s see if you can live up
to expectations.”
“………!!”
He could feel the building heat even at the edge of the ring. His
expression stiffened as he replied, “I’ve already decided. Against you I
can’t be picky about how I win!” In the next instant Stella released such
heat and killing intent that the light itself began to twist and warp.
(This pressure…! There’s no mistaking what’s coming!!)
“BAHAMUT HOWL!!”
In the same moment that Ikki understood what was coming, Stella
released her greatest area flame attack. Light and heat flooded from Stella
in all directions.
“Th-This is the Noble Art that we saw Stella use in the first round!!”
Upon seeing her activate the Noble Art, Kurono and the others tasked
with protecting the crowd rushed to contain the flames. Of course they
would. Stella’s Noble Art reached beyond the ring – beyond the crowd and
even the entirety of the dome. And unlike the first round, Stella was no
longer held back by her illusion form. If not for the magic knights
containing the heat the crowd would have been flash ignited. And those
magic knights had been chosen for this job specifically because of their
skill. They were put in place so that skills like Stella’s Bahamut Howl could
be used without fear of harming anyone else. The crowd was safe.
But in the ring there was nowhere to hide!
“Waves of heat are pouring out from Stella and roasting the entire ring!
Kurogane has nowhere to run! Is his life in danger already!?”
“No, look!” Kaieda yelled from the commentator’s seat. He had seen.
Among the waves of blinding light stood Ikki. Not running, but holding
his ground. His body was folding down towards the ground, and then…
 “Saigeki…!”
Ikki kicked up and away from the ground, charging straight into the
waves of heat.
“K-Kurogane is running straight into the center of Bahamut Howl! What
is he thinking?!” The commentator was clearly at a loss.
“No, this is the right call.”
“Kaieda-sensei?!”
“If he runs into the flames at high speed he will reduce the amount of
time that he is in contact with them. And look. The way that he is charging
into the Bahamut Howl is like running a blade through the flame – he is
reducing the amount of contact he has with the flame to the bare minimum.
He can break through with no problems!”
He pierced through. He was through the flame in an instant. The only
visible damage was a slight singe to his hair, but he did not stop. His body
had become arrow aimed straight at Stella as Intetsu pierced through her
chest!
“…………”
Stella stood with the blade through her chest for a moment longer before
she shimmered and disappeared like a mirage. She had been nothing more
than a bending of light from the Noble Art Flame Veil. Even after
unleashing such a massive skill like Bahamut Howl, Stella had not expected
Ikki to fall. His charge had been expected. She used Bahamut Howl to
obscure his vision for the second that she needed to use Flame Veil, and
then when he charged in to attack her illusion…
“YOU’RE MINE!!” She was directly behind him, having concealed
herself with Flame Veil as well. Now she could strike him, but…!
(…!!)
As she swung her blade down on Ikki, Stella felt a shiver of doubt run
through her. As Ikki looked over his shoulder at her, his expression was
calm like a pond without a single ripple.
 He knew.
There was little use doubting that. After all, this was the “Worst One .”
In the past Stella would have hesitated, but now was different.
(Fine by me!)
Even if he anticipated this and made a plan, that’s fine. Stella did not
falter and drove her blade down towards him! But…
“Third Secret Sword Art – MADOKA!”
The blow that struck Stella far exceeded anyone’s expectations.
“~~~~~~~~!!?!?!?!”
The sound could only be described as an explosion as Stella was thrown
across the ring. Despite planting both of her feet into the surface of the ring,
her body continued to slide backwards until she finally stopped just before
the edge.
“Would you look at this! It’s as if Kurogane wanted revenge for earlier!
He’s sent her flying to the edge of the ring just as she did to him! He’s
turned the fight around!”
The sudden reversal of positions and Ikki’s completely unexpected
attack had the crowd heating up even more. Amid the noise of the crowd,
Stella remained calm. Her hand clenched around the hilt of Laevateinn,
feeling the lingering numbness in her hand.
(This feeling… his power… that isn’t Ikki’s.) Stella well knew Ikki’s
ability. She knew that Ikki’s body could not produce this kind of attacking
power. Not even Ouma could do that. The only person that could unleash an
attack with this much power… would be herself. Which means…
“You stole my power, huh.” Her voice sounded somehow pleased, and in
response Ikki smiled.
“I did.”
That’s right. The power that had sent Stella flying just now was her own.
He had accepted and flowed her attack in a circle around him, sending her
own power straight back at her with his counter.
 “That’s the trick of my third secret sword art, Madoka.” It was one of the
more difficult of Ikki’s sword techniques. All it took was a slight
misreading of his opponent’s trajectory and timing and he would end up
accepting their blow head on. He had to have perfect timing to land the
counter. Even for someone with Ikki’s skill, it required absolute
concentration to perform. Which is why it had been too difficult for him to
use the ability well in his fight with Runner’s High.
“Thanks to copying Twin Wings’s sword I’ve become much better at
accepting attacks and flowing with them. I could never have done this when
I first came here, but now I can take an attack from your sword head on and
return its power right back to you.”
Fighting Stella now without using Madoka would be impossible. Which
is why for his warm up he had pushed himself so far and so hard, so that he
would be able to perform at this level in his fight. He was in top form. Even
as far separated as they were now, he could see every strand of Stella’s hair,
and his ears hummed with the flow of his own blood through his body. He
had a complete understanding of every single muscle within him. His skin
was so sensitive that he could feel every speck of dust that landed on him.
In this condition he had no concern of being hurt. In which case…
“I’m not afraid anymore!”
“Kurogane is charging at Stella once again! She’s at the edge of the ring!
He’s fast! The Crownless Sword King is going beyond what we’ve seen
before, he’s crossed the ring in an instant! He’s closing in on Stella!”
Stella’s brow furrowed as Ikki charged at her. “Devour him…! Satan
Fang!!” A great dragon of flame erupted from Laevateinn.
“It seems Stella doesn’t want him to close the gap! She’s unleashed the
long-range attack that we saw in the battle with the Sword Emperor of
Wind!”
The flaming red dragon lit up the dim night-time arena as it lunged
towards Ikki, determined to rip him apart with its molten fangs. Its seven
heads opened their jaws wide. But even with such a nightmarish beast
charging straight for him, Ikki did not slow in the least.
(That’s a pretty formidable attack, but it’s a bit too clumsy to stop me
now!)
In fact, rather than slowing down, as the seven heads descended on him
– he sped up. They struck down where he had been just a moment before as
he slipped past them, leaving them behind. He had seen her use this attack
against Ouma. He knew she would use it against him eventually, so he had
saved a burst of speed just for this purpose. The seven heads would not be
able to follow a target that suddenly speeds up, as evidenced by the seven
jaws that snapped shut behind him as the dragon disappeared. He increased
his speed again and charged at Stella.
“Kuh…! You…!!!!” Stella knew that she would have to fight Ikki at
close range now that he had dodged her Satan Fang. “Empress Dress!” Her
body was covered in a dress of flame as she stepped towards Ikki. The
waves of heat coming from her body would no doubt prove helpful in the
coming fight. But…
(If I can just use Twin Wings to move in and out of the fight constantly,
her Empress Dress won’t be a problem at all. In fact, it’s helpful if it makes
her come towards me!)
Having already read her intent, Ikki closed the gap without hesitation.
But no matter how fast Ikki may move, he could do nothing about the
reach of his Device. Stella would have the first strike. And she chose to…
(Make the shortest possible movement, a thrust straight at his throat…!!)
“…!!”
For a moment Stella’s expression stiffened. Who could blame her. After
all, her opponent had accepted the thrusting blade of her sword with his
own blade. Ikki then used Intetsu to draw a circle around his entire body as
he spun. As Intetsu carried the force of Stella’s blow around, the blade
shifted under Laevateinn and redirected the movement upwards – leaving
Stella temporarily defenseless. Ikki would not pass up this chance as he
struck in an attack that was indistinguishable from Moroboshi’s Sanrensei.
“Th-The Uncrowned Sword King’s blade has struck the Crimson
Princess!”
Her right shoulder, the left side of her chest, and her solar plexus were
struck. Each blow was beautifully accurate. But the stabs which should
have been fatal did no damage at all. The massive well of magic inside of
the Crimson Princess did not allow Intetsu to pierce her. The best that his
blade could do was to slice the topmost layer of skin. And if the blade could
not harm her, there was no reason for her to hesitate.
(I’ll counter by powering up Empress Dress and attacking the entire
area.)
“HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” Stella began her counterattack
immediately. She pumped heat into her Empress Dress, aiming to burn Ikki
away. However Ikki had already anticipated this and retreated from the
close-range battle. He then accelerated into the flames, striking at her as he
dashed through the heat. With the speeds he was moving at he could be in
and out before the flames touched him. Three times he lunged through to
strike at her. His focus was on speed, so each strike could hardly break the
skin as it struck her.
(But Stella’s pride will be wounded by each hit.)
Stella was not known for her patience. She wasn’t one to stick to a single
method for any length of time. And she would not simply stand by as he
attacked her.
(If she thinks this is making no progress, she’ll change her attack. She’ll
do it… now!)
As if she had been heard his thoughts, Stella released the Empress Dress.
Why? There was only one reason. Because while this ability was good for
area control, it did have a downside. As it burned everything around her, it
also limited her range of vision. In a close-range battle that was a heavy
handicap. Especially if her enemy was moving fast. The flames made it
impossible to follow him. So she had deemed Empress Dress as not useful
against Ikki and removed it. She refocused her power into Laevateinn. And
that was when Ikki struck!
“Kuh, ah!”
“Kurogane has leapt in as soon as Empress Dress went down! He’s
struck hard! I can see blood spraying from Stella’s head!”
He had not dashed by this time. He stepped in and planted his body for a
power attack. Thanks to his Twin Wings sword skill, his body strength
when he struck with all of his might was such that Stella’s magic could not
fully defend her, which allowed him to land the first real damage of the
match.
Stella frantically struck back, but her blade only swept through empty
air.
“Th-This is…!”
“Whoa whoa, are you serious??”
“No way…”
Holding the same distance, only Ikki’s blade made contact. The entire
crowd was forced to accept the unbelievable reality that was unfolding
before them. It was one-sided.
The F-rank “Worst One” was overwhelming the A-rank Crimson
Princess.
“W-What is this! Both of them should be fighting at their optimal range!
But only Kurogane is able to land a blow, Stella can only hit the air! She
can’t do anything! This is completely one-sided! Kurogane is driving her
back! I can’t believe what I am seeing! We knew that Kurogane was skilled
at close-range combat, but to think the difference in their ability was this
great!”
“I think she’s too close to Kurogane for her to fight like this. Kurogane’s
‘Perfect Vision’ is able to predict the actions of even an invisible opponent.
And if he uses that ability against a lover, not just an opponent that he has
only met at the start of the fight, then it will be even more powerful. The
more time spent with the target of his Perfect Vision, the more it will see.
Most likely Kurogane is able to read Stella’s next 100 moves in the blink of
an eye.”
“Th-That far ahead?”
“If you look, Kurogane is already dodging before Stella even begins her
swing. It’s fine to say that he is dodging her attacks, but he is doing so with
such precision that moving even a single millimeter closer would mean
being struck. But he isn’t being hit. He can’t be hit.” Kaieda explained. In
terms of their ability to read each other, there was no competition.
“But Stella has the trump card that she used against the Sword Emperor
of Wind, the Dragon’s Spirit.”
“Have you not noticed? Kurogane has been pressing her from the very
moment the match started. Even when she had her Empress Dress active, he
kept charging straight in to attack. He isn’t giving her the time to use
Dragon’s Spirit, because she doesn’t even have the space to stab her blade
into her own chest. He’s been fighting this entire time to prevent her doing
that.”
“Ah…”
“Even if she were to try and forcefully use Dragon’s Spirit here,
Kurogane is already right on top of her waiting to use Ittou Rasetsu, which
would be the strike to land first. And her foe is the Crownless Sword King,
so even if each of these hits does little to no damage, eventually he will find
a gap to use Ittou Rasetsu against her.”
Attack or defend, the result seemed to be the same. At this rate…
“At this rate, Stella really will be pushed back in a completely one-sided
fight.”
Not even the veteran Kaieda could have predicted that Stella would be so
overwhelmed in this match. His voice was strained. Meanwhile, the crowd
was losing its mind over the course the match had taken. Float like a
butterfly, sting like a bee. Seeing Ikki do just that, the cheers for him
increased.
“Th-This is amazing! He’s totally forcing her back!”
“He’s going to beat her!!”
And of course, among those cheers was Shizuku. “Onii-samaaaa!!! You
can do it!!!” She was leaning over the edge of the fence and screaming at
the top of her lungs.
“But that Stella really is something. Any other Blazer would have been
overwhelmed by now, but she’s only taken a few scratches. No matter how
long he keeps up like this, he can’t win the match.”
“But Onii-sama has a weapon to break through her defense!”
“Yes, you’re right, and he’s no doubt looking for the perfect moment to
use it.”
And whenever he did use it, that would be the deciding moment of the
match. Shizuku, Arisuin, and the rest of the crowd did not doubt that.
However –
(Something is off here…) Moroboshi’s brow furrowed. Something about
the exchange going on in the ring was unsettling. (The way he’s fighting,
it’s like me in the first round…)
“Something seems odd.” Moroboshi was not the only one to sense it.
Elsewhere, the Akatsuki chairman Tsukikage was thinking the same thing.
“Oji-sama?”
“Tsukikage-sama felt it too?” Rinna Kazamatsuri’s maid Charlotte
asked, to which Tsukikage nodded in reply.
“It seems that Kurogane is attacking and holding her back at first glance,
but it looks to me like the fight is getting out of his control.”
“I agree. From what I have been able to see, there were seven times at
which he could have used Ittou Shura to have decided the match. Yet… he
did not.”
 “Of course he didn’t.” Crossing her legs in the seat behind the two,
Edelweiss joined the conversation. “Right now, he is scared.”
“Scared…?”
Edelweiss nodded. “To be more precise, his instincts are shaken.” And in
an awful turn for Ikki… “Those instincts of his are right to be scared.”
The discomfort Arisuin and the others had felt, the unease, had not
escaped Ikki.
(What is this feeling…) His brow furrowed as he continued to attack.
The match was clearly in his favor. Everything had gone just as planned
from the very start. He’d kept up the attack on Stella to keep her from using
Dragon’s Spirit just as he’d wanted. If she tried to force it out anyways, he
could counter with Ittou Rasetsu and end the match. And if he just kept
attacking like this, within twelve moves she would present an opening for
Ittou Rasetsu anyways. If he used it, it would be the end. Yet…
(Yet how many times have I let that opening go already?)
He’d had multiple chances to use Ittou Rasetsu already. But he had not
used it. He could see it. In the moment that he moved forward, inside of his
mind he could see it –
The gaping mouth of a dragon waiting for its prey to leap in.
Ikki knew. This was a warning. Having scraped close to death so many
times, how could he not know. He had a sixth sense that was smelling
impending death. And that sixth sense… was right.
“Hehe.” Suddenly, amidst the constant rain of attacks from Ikki, Stella
began to giggle. And then…
“……!!!”
She stopped defending completely, instead spreading her arms wide
before Ikki. Completely defenseless. It was as if she was saying, “Go on,
stab me.” It was so unexpected that Ikki completely stopped. Seeing this,
Stella began to laugh harder.
 “What’s wrong, Ikki? Why won’t you attack me? Just look at how many
openings I’ve given you.” Her smile was so bewitching that it seemed more
suited to inviting him into her bedroom than inviting him to attack her. But
he did not move.
“…Openings? I don’t know that I’d call them that…” Ever since she had
stopped and spread her arms, he had seen it. If he took one more step
forward, the jaws of the dragon would snap shut on him. Seeing his caution,
Stella let out a regretful sigh.
“Too bad. This was my secret plan, but at the rate things are going you’ll
never do what I was hoping for…… so I guess there’s nothing else I can
do.” As soon as the words left her mouth, the world twisted.
“…………!!”
Stella’s body was suddenly producing so much heat that sparks and
embers flew from her hair. The heat warped the air around her. At the same
time, the world thundered.
DOKUN… DOKUN…
It was an unbelievable sound, a massive heartbeat that made the ground
shiver. And in time with the beat, Stella began to flash with light from deep
within as a brilliantly bright sword cut opened in her chest.
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■…!!!!”
Her mouth was spread wide to reveal great fangs as she howled to the
sky. Her voice was no longer that of a girl, but instead had become a mighty
roar like the crash of the ocean. There was no doubting it now.
“Th-This is…!! This light!! That wound!! There can be no doubt!!! This
is the Dragon’s Spirit that defeated the Sword Emperor of Wind!! Stella has
brought out her trump card!!”
“How?! Stella-san didn’t do the thing she did against Onii-sama!?”
And yet, she had activated Dragon’s Spirit. The unbelievable truth of it
had Shizuku at an utter loss. Behind her, Jougasaki Byakuya nodded his
head as if finally understanding.
 “It seems the Crimson Princess has exceeded all of our expectations in
her preparation for this match.”
“Shiro. What do you mean?”
“From the start she didn’t have to stab her sword into her chest at all.
The reason she did so in her match against the Sword Emperor of Wind was
all in preparation for this match. That is a huge and obvious motion to
perform in order to active Dragon’s Spirit, which means nobody would
expect it to have been just for show. She made it up just to make sure that
the Crownless Sword King would be forced to attack relentlessly to prevent
her using it. Then all she had to do was wait for her moment to strike.”
Surely the first time she did it, in the fight against the ‘Yaksha Princess’,
she had used her blade thrust to force the temperature of her blood up,
allowing her to draw out the power of the dragon. But once she knew what
was required, she had control of her body and her power. She didn’t need to
stab her blade into her chest, just raise her blood temperature and activate it.
Stabbing herself during the fight with Ouma was purely for show. Since that
point in the semifinal Stella had been preparing this trap for Ikki.
It was just as Jougasaki had said, she made it appear that the stabbing
motion was required to activate ‘Dragon Spirit’ so that the moment he tried
to use ‘Ittou Rasetsu’ she would be able to counter with an attack that not
even he could predict. But… Ikki’s intuition had seen through it.
“…I thought it was just a bit too easy.”
“So it wasn’t just luck that got you this far. I should have expected it.”
He couldn’t help but admire Stella, even though her plan had been to
deliver a ‘Dragon Spirit’ powered blow with the utmost precision and likely
with lethal timing. But having seen through her plan while on the brink of
falling into it, it was clear that her plan would not be her path to victory.
“Thinking about it now, waiting for you to make a mistake was probably
not the best idea.”
There were no more plans. In fighting a knight of Ikki’s level it was clear
that quality trumped quantity. That was why she had put all of her effort
into this one strategy. But now her plan had come to nothing. Then what to
do? The only path remaining was lined with thorns – it would have to be a
direct assault. It was against a man so skilled with the sword that he was
called the ‘Crownless Sword King’.
Even with ‘Dragon Spirit’ this would be a risky fight. Ikki’s fighting
experience has exceeded her own knowledge and thinking. She couldn’t
even imagine all of the ways in which he might counter her attacks. It was
dangerous. It became a very dangerous fight. That’s why if it was possible,
she wanted to decide victory using the trap just now, but now that it had
come to this there was no other option.
“…!!”
Stella swiped ‘Laevateinn’ through the empty air. The power behind her
blade was so great the air itself was blasted towards Ikki, forcing him
several meters away. A lazy slash of her blade had caused an explosive blast
of air to strike him. Despite having her plan to victory ruined, Stella spoke
with joy showing in her expression.
“I won’t be waiting for you to slip up any longer. It doesn’t matter how
well you know me. I’m going to beat you into submission until I’ve won the
Seven Stars!”
“This time it’s Stella that is closing the gap with the ‘Crownless Sword
King’!”
Her own skill. Her own power. She was trusting in herself as she rushed
towards Ikki. Meanwhile, Ikki…
(Calm down. Her using ‘Dragon Spirit’ without the motion was
unexpected, but I had anticipated of it being used.)
That’s right, Ikki is a veteran that had gone through an amount of
unfavorable battles. He didn’t stand on the ring with the assumption that
‘Dragon Spirit’ would be suppressed. Of course, he had already worked
through simulations of it being used. The current situation was within his
expectations. Therefore his mind and body immediately adapted to the
sudden change of the situation. He had seen ‘Dragon Spirit’ used in the
fight against Ouma. He had guessed the approximate amount of her body’s
strength increasing. And while she may be more powerful because of her
‘Dragon Spirit’, Stella’s identity had not changed. Which means her actions
would not change.
(Her first attack will be a thrust straight for my head, just like before!)
“HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”
 But in the moment that he set himself to accept her thrust into his
‘Madoka’ counter, a vision of him losing his head flashed through his mind.
“……!!!!”
Trusting in his intuition, Ikki shifted his neck to the right. In a moment,
the wind pressure that was like a bullet passing through struck his eardrum.
(She created a vacuum next to my head with her sword…! What a
thrust…!!)
She was faster and more powerful than he had expected. The air itself
fled before her blade. The degree to which ‘Dragon Spirit’ increased her
capabilities far exceeded Ikki’s expectations. If he had received it with
‘Madoka’, his head would have been blown off if the timing didn’t match.
The possibility was insane.
(But I expected that to happen…!)
After all it was information acquired during Ouma’s fight by viewing
from a distant spectator seat. From the beginning it was not that reliable.
That’s why Ikki was able to escape by avoiding it in a moment. Then he
immediately bowed his body, avoiding thrust coming at him and took a
backstep to retreat to a distance. Over there Ikki took a stance with his
sword. What was needed now was information, so he decided to stop
rushing to victory, protecting himself without being fixated on ‘Madoka’
while gathering data on Stella.
“Kurogane has stopped! But Stella isn’t letting him go! She’s dancing
and leaping after him with her blade! Sparks are literally flying from her as
she strikes! The ground beneath them is cracking from the pressure! But her
opponent is the ‘Crownless Sword King’! He can endure even this! He’s
holding on!”
Ikki accepted the mighty swings of her blade with his own thin sword.
He channeled the force of her blows through his body and into the ground.
He wasn’t making even a single offensive move. His defense was canceling
out Stella’s attack. He couldn’t allow even the slightest gap in his defenses.
After a while of this, he finally had a grasp on her power.
(I’ll have to pretend to mess up!)
He waited for Stella to slash at him, then feigned a stumble as he caught
the blow with his blade. He had to draw out a full-power swing. Of course,
Stella would see through his act, and she would likely realize that he was
trying to make her attack him with her full force, but…
(Knowing her, she’ll do it anyways!)
And just as Ikki expected, she swung at him with the weight of her entire
body behind her sword.
(I can counter this…!)
He had already determined what she was capable of and she was
attacking just as he had predicted. The speed and angle were perfect. He can
turn her own blade against her. And with this much power behind her
swing, it would surely be enough to create an opening – which he’d use for
‘Ittou Rasetsu’. Match over.
“!!!!!!!!!!!”
He tossed aside his plans as he flung himself out of the path of her blade.
‘Laevateinn’ slashed through empty air and struck the ground of the ring.
The ground split.
“H, how extreme!!! The moment Stella’s large sword hit the ring it
opened a crack in the ground all the way up into the seats!! What a power it
was!”
The entire crowd was staring at the crevasse that had opened in the
dome. Ikki too was staring, shocked horror plain on his face as he gulped a
breath. He calculated the force she must have used to cause such damage
and it far exceeded what he’d anticipated. Just like the first time.
But something was different this time. This time he had observed Stella
and knew the power of her swing, but the moment he moved to use Madoka
against her she had increased that force further to overpower him. She was
adapting. Even as they fought.
(Just as predicted…?)
Don’t lie, Kurogane Ikki. You didn’t expect this. Well, the sheer
offensive power was predictable, but…
(Stella’s, those eyes…)
Her crimson gaze was fixed on him. The flames of her fighting spirit lit
them from within. And inside burned… respect. He had not anticipated that.
It caught him completely off guard. Stella to this extent made the knight
Kurogane Ikki afraid.
He was certain he could handle any attack, no matter how strong. And if
she was just tossing her power around he would be able to handle it. The
arrogance that comes with being the strongest was Ikki’s path to victory.
But Stella was different. Her training with Saikyo Nene had certainly
awakened her to the extent of her own power. In that awakening she had
certainly come to realize that she had a right to be arrogant.
Yet even then, she had not looked at Kurogane Ikki as if he were below
her. It was because of this that she had gone so far as to set up a trap for
their match and would stop at nothing to win. A girl with her level of skill
and power, not showing even a moment of carelessness against a mere F-
Rank, fought to win like her life depended on it. Even now, she was
adapting and growing to overcome him.
-What could be more terrifying than that.
Within Stella right now was the knowledge that she was truly powerful,
along with the understanding that the man she was fighting was just as
capable as she. She believed in the two facts that should conflict, but
instead created a harmony within her. She was utterly confident in her own
ability, but wouldn’t let her guard down for even a moment.
For a knight, it was a completely flawless mentality that can be said ideal
to fighters. Ikki had never fought against anyone like this before. Which is
why he didn’t know what to do. Why there were no openings. He couldn’t
think of anything. He had no tactic to counter the respect that filled her
eyes.
(How am I supposed to fight someone like this…?!)
“…!!”
“Whoops, Kurogane has taken a huge backstep! He’s retreating from
close range! Is he feeling the pressure from that last attack!”
“Onii-sama backed off?!”
“He would have to after seeing that much power.”
“…………That’s not it.” Moroboshi said, his voice heavy.
“Huh?”
“That’s not why he backed off. It’s worse than that.”
Backing off from Stella’s power would be one thing. Of course Ikki
would be overpowered by Stella. This was different. It wasn’t as simple as
that. Moroboshi grit his teeth in anger as he glared down at Ikki’s retreating
figure.
(That idiot…! He’s lost to his emotions!)
Moroboshi was not the only one to notice that Ikki had lost to the
emotional pressure.
“I can’t believe it.” Up in the spectator seats, Tohka confirmed her
suspicions by studying the flow of energy through his body and spoke aloud
in surprise. “Kurogane-kun is… scared…”
Tohka was well aware of how much courage he had, which made it all
the more difficult to believe what she was seeing. After he had fought her in
a far direr situation and shown no fear, such weakness was flowing through
the body of the ‘Crownless Sword King’. He’d fallen prey to the
unbelievable aura of skill that Stella exuded.
(But…) His decision was wrong. Retreating here was regretfully a bad
move that Ikki showed. Because… (Stella-san is used to chasing after her
opponents…! That development is Stella-san’s specialty…!)
 Tohka’s fears were then soon confirmed. Ikki who could only fight at
close range backed off. Even though he couldn’t gain anything from it.
Stella knew that reaction well from her time in the Vermillion Kingdom.
Most of the knights she faced had done the same. The fearful reaction of a
loser.
(I don’t know what’s gotten into him, but he’s looking pathetic.) She
thought as she looked at Ikki breathing raggedly. He looked like he’d fall if
she just kept looking at him. Something was wrong, that much was obvious.
In which case… this was her chance. (I won’t give him time to recover…!)
Stella swung ‘Laevateinn’ in her hands so that the tip pointed to the ground.
“DRAGON’S NEST!!”
She plunged the blade into the ring. Light so bright that it could hardly
be seen poured from the cracks of the ring followed by a flood of bloody
crimson that split the ground.
“Kyaaaaaa!!”
“It… It’s hot…!!”
“No, no way, this is…?!”
The spectators’ screams filled the air. But they weren’t alone.
“Hey, hey…This is going too far…”
“…I didn’t expect this.”
Even mage-knights like Kurono and Saikyo were dumbfounded by
Stella’s display of power. How could they not be.
“I… I can’t believe it! Stella has melted the ring and the ground beneath
it!” It was just as they said. The ring and all of the earth around it had been
blasted with her ‘Dragon Breath’, melting it into a sea of magma.
The only place left to stand were the bits of stone that remained floating
throughout the sea of magma. But even those were slowly melting away
and sinking into the molten depths. Within ten minutes they would all be
gone. When that happens there wouldn’t be any foothold, and Ikki who had
no resistance to the flame would automatically lose. Stella had effectively
placed a time limit on their match with her ‘Dragon’s Nest’. This way Ikki
could no longer run all over the place. But adding to the fact was this
hellish scene that stood out most in Ikki’s mind.
(What power…!)
He could train for hundreds – no, thousands of years, but he would never
be capable of that kind of power. They were too different in what they had.
In what they had been given.
(Did I really think that I could defeat a monster like this…?)
He looked at Stella, his gaze quivering with fear. What he saw was no
longer a girl, but a dragon. A massive flame dragon that stood as tall as the
heavens. It was not his first time seeing such a vision. But now, facing her
head-on with his life on the line, he understood for the first time.
Extraordinary intimidation.
Compared to this dragon, his existence was very small.
And most terrifying of all, this massive flame dragon that stood as tall as
the heavens was seriously facing the very small human called Kurogane
Ikki. It wanted to win. It didn’t let its guard down for even a second. It
came into the ring prepared for every situation, baring its fangs and ready to
fight to the death. This thing…-would kill him.
Sure, he had experienced fear when facing Amane’s power, and his fight
with Edelweiss had been dire, but he’d never been so certain of his own
death before.
Terror. It was the only thing in his mind now. He was shaken to the
depths of his marrow. Stella didn’t miss the terror as it filled him. Stella’s
long leg struck one of the floating islands in the magma.
‘Dragon Stomp’
The stone crumbled away sending a wave that made Ikki’s footing even
more precarious. He was so unsteady that he lost his balance. The best he
could manage was to take a knee to stop from falling.
(Shit!!)
 He gave Stella an opening to approach. As she charged across the
magma as if it were solid ground heading straight for Ikki, ‘Laevateinn’
aimed straight for his throat.
“UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!”
Facing this, Ikki had little choice in the action he took during that
moment. With his center of gravity already low, he propelled himself
forward into a roll on his narrow island. His roll took him under Stella’s
blade and behind her. He was back on his feet in an instant and slashing at
Stella’s unprotected back. Response… was none.
(‘Flame Veil’…!!)
As his blade pierced her back, Stella burst into a cloud of sparks. At the
same time, the real Stella swung ‘Laevateinn’ down towards Ikki’s head.
She had known that he would be able to dodge easily after taking a knee.
She had known from the start that attacking him there had no chance of
success. Which is why after ‘Dragon Stomp’ she had used ‘Flame Veil’ to
draw out his dodge, and once he had wasted more time and energy on an
empty attack he wouldn’t be able to dodge again.
She had read him completely. She still had not let her guard down. And
now she finally had chased Ikki into a corner from which he could not
escape. Her sword would crack his skull this time.
(Calm down! I can use this attack to make some distance…!)
“ONII-SAMAAAAAAAAA!! DON’T DO IIITTT!!!!” By the time
Shizuku had screamed it was too late.
(Wha……)
‘Laevateinn’ descended towards him. Even though Ikki caught it with
‘Intetsu’ with the intention of fleeing behind, there was not even a slight
power put behind it.
Why?
When he finally understood…
His gut had already been pierced.
 “~~~~~~~~!?!?!?!?”
It was Stella’s molten iron left fist that had punctured his abdomen. The
downward attack with her right hand just now had was a decoy. The real
one was a blow to his body with her fist. It was the combination she had
used in the first fight against ‘The Unturning’ Tatara Yui. Her molten fist
had punched into his gut at such high speed that it ripped through his
muscles and shattered his ribs into dust. On top of that the heat burned and
charred his intestines. Her power far exceeded that of any normal human
and the damage she caused with that one blow was evidence of that fact.
With one punch – “Geh… ah……” – she took Kurogane Ikki’s
consciousness. Vomiting up boiled blood, Ikki’s body hung limp. He didn’t
fall, but the light was gone from his eyes. His awareness was gone. It was a
completely hopeless situation.
(You’re mine!)
Stella moved to deliver finishing blow. In order to bring her victory in
the Seven Stars, in order to for her to surpass the one she had chased for so
long, this attack with her entire body would…!!!!
The blade slipped through muscle and bone with ease. The fresh blood
that spurted into the air and splattered onto the white stone was a deeper
crimson than the magma. The blood boiled as though it was on the verge of
igniting.
“Eh………?”
It couldn’t have been anyone else. It was the ‘Crimson Princess’ Stella
Vermillion’s, dragon blood.
“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!!”
“H-He’s countered! Just when you thought the match was over!
Kurogane Ikki, who looked to be down for the count, has just counter-
attacked!! He’s sliced across Stella from bottom to top! What a reversal!!”
“It- It was ‘Madoka’! He took the force of her attack and turned it back
on her! I… I can’t believe it! How could he manage it!”
 “Gah! Haa…!!”
“Stella has knelt on the ground! Her boiling blood is flowing on the
white ring arena! The amount of bleeding is not ordinary!!”
(This damage is… bad…!)
Stella groaned as she pressed her abdomen like holding her entrails from
falling out. This was not a fatal wound to Stella who has the power of the
dragon inside of her. But it would take time to recover from her injury even
when having a dragon’s vitality. She wouldn’t be able to move for at least
tens of seconds. If he attacked her now, she’d be utterly defenseless.
Realizing this, Stella had no choice but to gather her strength and try to
escape.
“Stella is retreating while staggering! She’s putting some distance!”
“…!!! Aaah………!!”
But one island away Stella collapsed again. Her vision faded. She
couldn’t move her limbs. Her blood loss was severe. Her regenerative
abilities couldn’t keep up with the amount of blood flowing out. But rather
than the damage to her body, the unrest in her mind was more serious.
What’s filling her head was a question.
How?
She was certain that he had lost consciousness. No, not in the past. In
fact, even now Ikki didn’t regain consciousness. And yet… he could he use
‘Madoka’ to counter her. It made no sense. In front of Stella who was in an
inexplicable confusion, Ikki finally regained consciousness.
“…………………………………………” His first thought upon waking
was surprise to see that Stella was down and injured. (…Did I… do
that…?) Even though he had been unconscious, he could still feel the
sensation of his blade cutting through Stella. She had swung at him with
more power than ever before. He knew purely from feeling that he had used
‘Madoka’ against her. He knew how he had moved. He understood it all.
And that’s why he knew…
 The movement was nothing special at all.
It wasn’t a spectacularly well executed counter, nor was it a
spectacularly bad counter. It was absolutely normal. It was the routine
‘Madoka’ that he had performed thousands of times in simulations.
He had engraved those motions into his body repeatedly. It came out
while he was unconscious.
-I don’t want to lose.
His body, his flesh, casted away the fear in his mind.
-I believe it.
Even now strong heartbeat reached his earlobes.
“………”
While his body is screaming, Ikki slightly apologized. I’m sorry. He’d
set out as an F-rank with only the barest excuse of power. With that power
he had set off after the ‘Great Hero’ Kurogane Ryouma on the path to
knighthood. He’d pushed his body harshly and recklessly. In so doing he
had overwhelmed his body until it accepted his desires. He shouldn’t lose
easily. No, ‘he won’t lose easily’.
(That’s right…)
He had not been soft in his training. It was only his emotions that had
feared Stella’s overwhelming talent. Even though failing to believe in
himself was the easiest way to guarantee a loss. What a fool.
(I should have known this already.)
That he was inferior compared to anyone. While aware of it, he had set
out on this path. He had always believed that if he mustered everything he’s
got, he could defeat even the strongest. There was no basis of it from the
beginning. Even so, with just that one belief he had come all this way to
fight. Despite being warped journey, he made through it. Yet now, now of
all times, why wouldn’t he believe it?! His small self wouldn’t believe that
he could win against this colossal dragon that stood as tall as the heavens?!
After all the pain and suffering, despite all the people that had helped him,
and all the people whose dreams of winning he’d stepped on to make it
here, isn’t it now…?!
(It is now more than ever, you big idiot!!!)
“!!”
With a powerful kick, Ikki instantly leapt from the island. The place he
aimed was not the stone island where Stella knelt wounded, but the largest
remaining ring fragment in the center of the sea of magma. There he
stopped, took a deep breath, and…
“Th-This is…! This light!”
“H-hey, it can’t be!”
“Is this-”
The ‘Crownless Sword King’ was slowly emitting blue light from his
body. The crowd stirred. It’s obvious. They shouldn’t have mistaken it. His
rising magic power, the flashing light, it was the once-a-day trump card of
the ‘Crownless Sword King’.
If Ikki was using this ability, it meant that he was ending the match. But
Ikki’s action made a lot people wondering. Why now? The time that it took
for him to regain his senses had allowed Stella’s wounds to begin to
recover. Even if there was any chance, there was only few seconds
remaining for it. It was a very narrow time window for him to secure his
win. But, without minding all of those things, Ikki has decided. If there was
no opening he could use, then there was little timing. At this point there was
only one thing for him to do. The only thing that he could do.
For an F-ranked idiot who had carried on all this way professing that he
didn’t want to lose, right now in this moment the only thing for him to do
was trust in the body that he had developed throughout all of his struggles!
-It’s time to muster up strength!
Mental, physical, magical – all of it. Every experience and brush with
death-, as much as possible. This body, this mind, this moment, everything
that makes up Kurogane Ikki. Those everything would be used as fuel for
the next one minute. No need to think about what will happen after that.
Losing and such can be thought about it after losing. Right now, only move
forward. Until his strength was gone, forward. Win or loss-
Not even ash would remain at the end of this battle!!!!
“COMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE,
STELLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
As the blue light emitting around him, his roar filled the dome. The air
shivered and the magma sea rippled. His voice was filled with fighting
spirit. Ikki was calling her out. A face-to-face fight. Stella smiled looking
amazed.
-Ah, that’s right. He was not the kind of man who would end this match
in such a state. This was inevitable. So how should she respond? Run away
during ‘Ittou Shura’s’ one minute time limit? – That would be the worst
possible course of action. Stella was certain of it. A top-class knight like her
knew. There was no room left in this fight for that kind of tactic. If she
retreated, Ikki would be on her heels in an instant to tear her apart.
One step. That’s all it would take. Whoever took the first step back
would lose. The next minute that would start from here was a battle with
their souls.
-In that case, there was one response. No retreat! Force through at full
strength! That’s no problem. It was what she wanted. That was her intention
all along!
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!”
“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!”
Immediately after, the two knights collided. The crowd gathered within
the dome remembered it as they watched. It begun from now, -the one
minute that was like a precious stone.
“Flashes of blue and crimson! This is nothing like the fight we’ve seen
so far! They’re not looking for weakness now, it’s a non-stop whirlwind of
blades! Neither one is backing off! They’re giving it their all in the middle
of a sea of magma!”
“W, what huge noises!”
“My ears hurt…!”
“Beat him to a pulp while like that, princess!!”
“Don’t lose, Ikki-kun! You can win this–!!”
Ikki invoked his trump card ‘Ittou Shura’ to decide the match here. Stella
from the opposite was meeting him head-on. While both contestants’
feelings were crashing into each other, cheers were sent to the ground like a
rumble. But all of those didn’t reach their ears. Each of their attention was
towards the enemy in front of them, and only the enemy’s appearance was
reflected in their eyes
“It’s so loud!”
“My ears hurt…!”
“Beat him to a pulp!!”
“Don’t lose, Ikki-kun! You can win this!!”
With Ikki having activated Ittou Shura, the match would be decided here
and now. Stella was meeting him head-on. The crowd roared as they
clashed in the center of the ruined ring. Their attention was fixed entirely on
their opponent. Their eyes saw only each other.
Every cell quivered with the urge to strike.
“TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”
“…!!”
Ikki’s arms became numb after receiving Stella’s blade that was like a
struck of lightning.
(The attacks her blade is returning are rapidly getting faster!)
‘Madoka’ is a technique that receives the impact from a blade and
returning it back through circulation by rotating the body, but among the
exchange of countless sword attacks the speed of Stella’s strikes were
increasing and so the rotation’s initial motion wouldn’t make it in time.
She’s growing. In the midst of this raging battle, Stella’s body, her sword,
was evolving at tremendous speed to overcome him. At this rate, he would
be overtaken by her next attack. But…
(I’m also growing right now!)
“OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!”
“…!!”
In an instant, during the shrieking yell where there was a slash that was
like a black flash, Stella’s eyes widened. Why? It was because Ikki’s attack
had changed form.
(Just now, he didn’t spin his body…!)
Until now he would block her blade, then immediately spin his body like
a top to return her attack. That was his way of fighting against Stella’s
attacks. But this time, Ikki was releasing his attacks without blocking at all.
It was not attack and defense, but a clash of attack after attack. Normally
this would be a good thing for Stella because in a battle of sheer strength it
would be impossible for Stella to lose. But the unbelievable had just
happened. As their blades clashed, Stella’s blade was the one slightly driven
back. Why? There could only be one reason. She understood from the
numbness in her arms.‘Madoka’.
After realizing that he was falling behind with the body-rotating
‘Madoka’, Ikki had revised his own technique in the middle of this high-
speed match. Instead of using spinning, the shock of impact that entered
from his arm was not stopped there and was circulated by his upper body’s
muscle control through the crossing of latissimus dorsi (broadest back
muscle), and during that moment it was returned back to the opponent in
the form of his own slashing.
But it wouldn’t be possible to do so if his whole body stiffened even
slightly. If it stiffened, the shock of impact that entered would explode
there. All of his muscles would have to be relaxed without end like almost
liquid. Much softer than they would be even during sleep. -In the midst of
their raging battle, that is. At the man in front of her eyes who could do that,
Stella looked with horror.
What a guy. Unbelievable.
But at the same time, flames rose up within her chest. As if she would
just sit back and lose. If the other person was going to get stronger, then she
too-
(I’ll just smash the blow that can’t be parried!)
“HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”
The moment Ikki’s ‘Madoka’ evolved, the way they fought changed
severely. It was no longer a trade of attack and defense, but a clashing of
two head-on assaults. Neither one spared any defense, relying entirely on
their own attack to drive each other back.
 Ikki was trying to overcome her with speed. Stella was trying to
overcome him with power. They gave everything they had. Steels of souls
clashing. The sparks filled the air, shining more radiantly than the night
lights and the ring of their blades echoed all the way to the highest seats.
Every person watching could see it clearly.
Both were wielding their sword with the intent to kill. In the exchange of
slashes, there was no hesitation at all.
Whoever was falling behind even slightly would be killed. Even though
they were supposed to be a couple in love. But not a single person who saw
the scene doubted their love. It’s because…
“It’s beautiful…”
Those two who were fixed entirely on each other, improving each other
– looked like dancing hand in hand.
Seeing their appearance, Shizuku muttered, “I’m envious of Stella-
san…”
“Shizuku?”
“If the opponent was me, Onii-sama would never be so heated up. I’m
certain he would hold back to stop from hurting or breaking his opponent.
But… it’s different with Stella-san. He’s hitting everything he has against
Stella-san. Because he believes… if it’s her she can take everything that he
has to offer…”
What a truly awful woman, Shizuku thought. Getting upset and sulky
every time I dabble a little with my own brother. But what’s the problem.
“Even like this, in Onii-sama’s eyes there was no one else but you…”
“Shizuku…”
“How amazing. Vermillion and Kurogane both.” The one amazed was
Shinguuji Kurono who was watching over the fight in a place not far from
Shizuku and the others. “Every time they’re exchanging attacks, they are
improving at terrifying speed.” Skill, power, speed, everything was. The
scene was like two gems grind against each other. The shine was increasing
the beauty as their speed increased. But Saikyo Nene who was of course
nearby spoke.
“Well of course. Those two are rivals, after all.”
“…I see. That is true.”
Kurono agreed with Saikyo’s words. They could remember it again. At
just about the same age as Stella and Ikki. An opponent that it was worth
dying to win against was there. The Seven Stars Sword Art Festival final
match where they ruthlessly facing such opponent. Both Saikyo and Kurono
remembered every minute of it. It was a fulfilling time. The tens of minutes
where they didn’t want to lose to just the other person, showing all kinds of
deadly power. A fight that tested their ability more than any other fight ever
had or ever would. The passionate moment to the degree of the feeling of
wanting to embrace the opponent they hate enough to kill. Right now Ikki
and Stella were the same as them from that day, in the middle of a glorious
time. No, they had gone beyond that. Because they were not only strongest
rivals, but also beloved lovers. The feelings they felt towards their strongest
rival and the feelings they felt towards their most beloved lover. Whichever
irreplaceable passion it was, they’re filling it into the same person. It was–
“For knights like us, there’s nothing better…”
“Well, that’s obvious from their expressions.”
Saikyo said so while pointing her folding fan at where Ikki and Stella
were showing smiles as if bearing fangs.
There was no telling how many times their blades had crossed. How
many times the steels had crash into each other. How many times they
struck each other with all their might. But still the enemy before them
would not go down. The blade of their souls struck each other back faster
and harder without a step back. To defeat such an opponent would require
becoming even faster, even stronger – endlessly improving each other. They
are going to the top. It’s likely that if they had not met this person, it would
have taken years, decades for it to reach this level – their own potential. In
this moment they both definitely felt it.
That’s why they should go. Together. To the pinnacle of knighthood.
It was the promise they made that day being carried out here. …But, no
matter how wonderful the time was, the end was coming. And when
everything ended, only one person would be left as victor. The one at the
top would only be one person. Both who were living in the world of battle
knew that. Therefore, they accelerate much more, racing for the top.
“!!!!!!”
The crowd shivered with excitement as the huge sound of the weapons
echoed. It was as if the passion of the two was spreading, stimulating the
crowd’s mind, with passion in their eyes. In this vessel filled with
enthusiasm – there was just one person, as if bearing pain, a woman staring
at the ring with sorrowful expression. It was ‘Twin-Wings’ Edelweiss.
(So it ended up like this after all.)
She looked down at their battle sadly. It was certainly a beautiful battle.
They were forcing each other to improve, driving each other to greater
heights. It was… truly a spectacular sight. It was the ultimate battle, just
what they had each wanted. But Edelweiss knew. Once they had reached
this point, there was only one outcome. And that outcome would be cruel
beyond belief. The result would soon appear to be obvious to everyone
watching. The struggle for supremacy ended as the ‘Crownless Sword
King’ retreated far behind.
“They’ve finally separated! Kurogane has staggered back from the
fight!”
It was a battle where even one step back meant losing. That condition
had just become clear. Having been pushed back, Ikki’s eyes were shaken
with shock. Being forced back in this battle with spirits – was not the cause
of his surprise.
(…This is…)
 Ikki could see it. For just a moment it had suddenly appeared, black iron
rings – steel chains wrapped around his limbs like snakes, binding his
movements. Stella charged at the retreated Ikki, clearly aiming for the win.
Her blade sliced through the air towards him. Ikki needed to use back
Madoka to counter it, but…
CLANG!
The chains around his body were tight, the weight desperately
preventing his movements as if being connected to a mountain.
“K-Kurogane can’t attack back! Can’t reach back! He’s entirely on the
defensive!”
“O-Onii-sama?!” Shizuku screamed at the sight of her brother being
suddenly forced back. Next to her, Arisuin was similarly perplexed.
“Why?! It looks like Ikki’s movements suddenly became dull…”
“Could it be, ‘Ittou Shura’s’ limit–”
But,
“That’s not it.” Moroboshi refuted their thoughts. Being one of the
strongest people in the country, he could see far more than the other two.
“Ittou Shura is still active. His movements hadn’t dulled. It just relatively
looked that way.”
“Relatively, you mean…”
“Kurogane suddenly can’t keep up with the Princess’s movements any
more…!”
And at this development, “Finally, it came,” Edelweiss let out her voice
as if sighing. That’s right, this was definitely the result that she had
foreseen. “Do you know, the reason the rivalry stopped?” As Sara’s hand
stopped sketching those two fighting, Edelweiss replied. “You could call it
fate.”
“F-Fate…?”
“The magical power that a Blazer possesses is decided upon birth. For
those carrying great destinies in this world, that power is big. After all,
magical power grants the ability to change the world by defying reasons.
But that also means that upon birth what you are capable of doing in this
world is already decided. Just now the two of them have been improving
themselves at a rapid pace. The journey that would have taken decades to
reach from now, they had gone through it in an instant. And then, as a result
the ‘Crownless Sword King’ has just reached it. The furthest he himself
could possible go.”
“……!”
That’s right. That was definitely the reason the rivalry stopped. In this
one minute, Kurogane Ikki had completely exhausted all the possibilities
that he was allowed to have in this world. There was nowhere left for
Kurogane Ikki to go. The fate that decided his life in this world would not
allow him to progress any further. But it’s different for Stella Vermillion.
Since birth she was an existence that was allowed to greater heights than
any other. Therefore, she had further yet to go. She was still growing. She
was different from Ikki who was chained to the bottom of the earth. Stella
had been born with wings that would carry her as high as the heavens. So it
became clear which of the two was superior.
“It’s a pity, but… he can’t keep up with the ‘Crimson Princess’
anymore.”
It was no longer a matter of skill or effort, but a despairing limit to their
existence. Just as Edelweiss said, this limit parameter decided their match.
As Stella continued to grow at a rapid pace, Ikki could no longer follow. He
was extremely already at the pinnacle of his possibilities. Thus he couldn’t
do anything against Stella’s continued attack.
“YAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”
“!!!”
Her blade struck ‘Intetsu’, which shuddered from the blow. His posture
crumbled. Stella stepped into the gap and launched an upper body blow. It
was the same sword and fist combination as before. But this time it was not
a direct attack. Ikki had managed to move ‘Intetsu’ back to block her fist.
Since the blade wouldn’t make it in time, he blocked with the hilt. Even if
he was clearly fated to be outmatched, he wouldn’t allow good blows to
reach him. His high clever defense spoke volumes about his skill. But it was
useless. The moment he received her fist, Ikki’s feet left the ground. Before
the power of a dragon, Ikki’s body was in the air like a scrap of paper. In
that instant –
“Pierce through the heavens, flames of purgatory.”
The ‘Crimson Princess’ would decide the match with her finishing blow.
Burning flame gushed from Laevateinn as she swung it up. The rampaging
flame in an instant caused the temperature and light intensity to go up. Her
sword was soon wreathed not in flame, but in light that burned shadows
into oblivion. It shaped itself into a sword of light and heat large enough to
strike the heavens. Stella took that blade and…
“Burn to ash! ‘Katharterio Salamandra’!!!!”
Ikki looked down from his position in midair. Ikki couldn’t dodge. He
couldn’t. It was obvious because his legs were nowhere near anything to
push off from. The only thing he could do was place his device in front of
his body to block the sword was coming towards him while splitting the
heavens in two and. But, obviously he couldn’t even do that. His ability to
think had been swallowed by the sword of light that burned everything. A
moment later his world turned from pure white to pitch black.
“Stella’s greatest move ‘Katharterio Salamandra’ hit directly! Her blade
has sliced through Kurogane who couldn’t move in the air and the giant
LCD monitor as well! Beyond the sea of magma, the batter’s eye seats are
left in black rubble! I can’t see Kurogane anywhere in that rubble! I think
he’s likely buried underneath it!”
“Th-This is bad… Kurogane has been hit with the worst possible
ability.”
“Ikki-kun…”
 “Anyone would expect this to be the end…”
The crowd stirred as they looked at the caved in section of seats. It had
clearly been a fatal blow to anyone watching. Among the commotion, the
referee’s out-of-bounds countdown began.
“The referee’s out-of-bounds countdown has begun! Stella will be
named the winner if Kurogane is unable to get back into the ring within the
count of ten! But I’m not sure. It seems to me that they should be rushing
into rescue him instead of doing a countdown. After all, he just got hit with
the ‘Crimson Princess’’ finishing move…” But Kaieda did not agree with
Iida’s comment.
“…No, he wasn’t hit directly.”
“Is that so?!”
“Well, he wasn’t fully hit directly, is what I mean. …Stella used a fairly
quick motion this time so that she could hit him in midair with ‘Katharterio
Salamandra’. That attack works by focusing the power of flame into one
place, which means that it requires a build-up period. However, the build-up
period this time was unusually short. That’s why it didn’t have the same
power that we saw in her fight with the ‘Sword Emperor of Wind’. With
‘Ittou Shura’s’ magic increasing his defense against magic attack, I
wouldn’t say he won’t regain consciousness within the ten second count.”
“So he still has a chance?”
But toward the question, Kaieda shook his head . “…No. Unfortunately,
even if he regains consciousness, a minute has passed since he activated
‘Ittou Shura’. He’s already used up everything. …I can’t think of anything
he could do if he did wake up.” Thus, Kaieda thought so. That this
countdown was the referee’s way of showing sincerity to the two fighters.
“O-Ohhh!! Stella has just turned her gaze away from the rubble where
Kurogane is buried! She’s certain of it! Her victory! That the ‘Crownless
Sword King’ won’t get up!”
 Stella was sure from the condition. There was nothing more to this fight.
What’s left was just the countdown completing. Once the referee counted to
ten, she would finally have overcome Ikki. –When that happened, she’d
raise her blade to the heavens. She’d show them all that she was at the top.
“Three! Four! Five!”
And, Stella wasn’t the only one certain of the outcome of this fight.
(…It’s fine already, Onii-sama…)
Even Shizuku, a relative of Ikki, understood that there was nothing more
to this fight. Ikki had lost to Stella. It was an unshakable truth. But it wasn’t
sad, she thought. She didn’t think it was frustrating either. –In fact, she was
proud. Of course. Her brother that she was proud of had fought bravely
until the end. Normally, it would have likely taken him decades to become
this skilled. By watching this fight, nobody would think that her brother
was weak.
(Onii-sama, you’re already a fine hero…)
Nobody would be ashamed to give him the title of Great Hero that had
belonged to Kurogane Ryouma. The rest of the crowd shared Shizuku’s
emotions as they looked at the pile of rubble. Their gaze was not pitying,
but admiring. The spectators, friends, teachers, fellow Seven Stars rivals, all
of them. Not one of them could say, “Don’t give up,” or “Keep trying.”
Having seen the fight first-hand, they all knew – Ikki had given the fight
everything he had. That’s why they could not speak.
Clank… Clink…
The sound of metal on metal could be heard in everyone’s ears.
“………”
When Ikki came too he was surrounded by darkness. He was laying on
his stomach above what felt like wet cold rocks in a limestone cavern. His
limbs were bound by black chains that extended into the darkness around
him as expected. –From that time. The black chains that had suddenly
appeared during his fight against Stella. Ikki understood what they were.
 These chains were his fate.
It was obvious, since it was about none other than him. He knew all too
well. This was as far as he could go in this cave-like place where light could
not reach. It was the bottom of the earth which was certainly a fitting place
for an F-rank like himself. He had no right to go beyond this point. The
chains of fate would not allow it. Well it didn’t matter, he had no strength
left in his body to even take a step. He was well and truly used up. His
emotional, physical and magical energy – every last one of it. They had all
been thrown into that one minute gamble. And so he was empty. So empty
that a breeze could carry him away. But that was okay. It was already
enough. He’d truly given his very best. He’d put his life into it, exploited all
of his potential – even so he couldn’t win.
So there was no helping it now. He’d probably gone too far already.
After all, he had fought the ‘Crimson Princess’ head-on even if it was a
minute. The memory would remain in the hearts of many people. It would
be written in history. Sure, he hadn’t managed to win, but nobody could
fault him for that. Who would blame him if he couldn’t obtain victory? It
was a loss no need to be ashamed to show anyone and had satisfactory end.
It was a satisfactory loss.
That satisfaction…, that cheap satisfaction was nowhere to be found in
Ikki’s heart even a little.
“…………!”
In the darkness, the chains ground against each other, making clanking
sounds. Ikki who was lying on his stomach, the man without the strength to
take even a single step, reached out with his right hand. Then, his nails were
clawing the damp stone.
“…………”
He strongly put strength into his fingers and tried to crawl himself
forward. But obviously he could not move forward. His body was bound by
the chains of fate. Those clinking chains bound his body that was like
dragging mountain. His hand slipped. His fingernails ripped off. Pain.
Blood. He was only hurting himself, which was futile. But…
“……ooh……”
Ikki continued to claw at the stone, even without fingernails to grip with.
Using more strength than before, he gripped and pulled, dragging his
empty, weak body slightly forward.
Why? Why would he do this?
Why? Why could he do this?
Why would he still drive his battered and used up body forward?
Was it his pride as a knight? No. That had long turned to ash.
Was it admiration for Kurogane Ryouma? No. That had been burned
away.
There was only one reason for Ikki to keep going. The feeling that would
not be exhausted even when kept burning. The one that could not be used
up in about one minute.
The limitless passion that he felt towards just one girl.
“Oooohh…!”
Ikki thought so. Had he not met Stella, had she just been a stranger to
him, he would have been satisfied to be where he was. He would have been
satisfied to reach the end of his ability. But they had met.
They had met, experienced each other – fell in love.
The time they had spent together, slowly growing closer, even fighting
sometimes, their feelings deepened every time of it. Every minute – every
second – spent with her was more precious than any jewel to Ikki.
I love Stella. I love her more than anything or anyone else in the world.
Which is why… I can’t stay here!
“OOOOOOOHHHH…!!!”
He rose to his knees, raising his upper body, dragging the chains with
him. The chains were tight against him, squeezing his entire body. Splitting
his skin, bursting his muscles, cracking his bones. The pain and the weight
like dragging a mountain behind him – seemed to speak to him.
Stop doing the impossible. There is nothing left ahead for a man like you.
This is the end of the road for you.
In reply to all of this Ikki gave a ‘so what’.
Fate would not allow him to go any further. Who cared about that? It
was not his concern. Something like that was no reason for him to stop. It
was obvious, since Stella was getting further ahead of him while he
remained like that. She was using the wings she had been born with to fly
anywhere ahead and above. And someday, she would come across them.
Someone with the same wings, her new rival.
That… he didn’t want that.
He wouldn’t allow that. Stella’s heart, body, greatest love – her strongest,
everything that she had…
I will not let anyone else have them, not even one!!
So let it burn! The one burning was the limitless feeling in his chest.
With the power of that feeling, he took one more step forward.
It shouldn’t be impossible. Ikki, who had been fighting against fate his
more than anyone, understood. It’s true that fate is probably defined by
talent, but he wouldn’t be able move forward without his feelings.
–His feelings that wouldn’t be crushed even if his body is burned and
charred.
–His feelings that wouldn’t give up even if he’s beyond recovery.
–His feelings that would not falter even if the bitterness of defeat made
his entire body shake.
These feelings are what made people move forward. These feelings are
what made them stronger than they were before. In that case, those should
be the power could cut through fate!
Now go.
 Take hold of the power that endlessly fills your heart. Even if this is the
bottom of the earth, cut free of the chains and go forward. Even if this body
has no wings, go up to the sky, to the one beside you. For always and
forever, before the one you love most in this world,
“You better always be your coolest self for me, YOU DUMMYYYY!!”
It’s because you want to be the coolest you could be…!
“OOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”
In an instant, as his right leg made one step forward, the chains snapped
apart, –Light filled the world of darkness.
It happened when the countdown had reached nine. Every spectator in
the dome had their sight fixed on the pile of rubble at the batter’s eye seats.
A sharp blade seemed to slice the rubble into pieces as it exploded upward.
“WHA—-”
Then, a flash of light from among the charred black rubble shot towards
the large island where Stella stood and stabbed into the surface. But of
course it wasn’t an arrow. The one bathed in blue light that looked like
flame was none other than the Worst One, Kurogane Ikki.
The match that everyone thought was decided, had been overturned. At
this situation, the dome was filled with surprise and shock.
“WHAT IS THIS?!? I… I can’t believe it! From that state, at the count of
nine Kurogane came back into the ring! A-And this is…! Magic is
overflowing from his whole body! Magic that is clearly more powerful than
before! He should have used up all of his magic from using ‘Ittou Shura’!
Just what could this possibly mean?!”
Iida was looking to Kaieda for some explanation. However, like the other
audience and Iida, he could only become stunned towards the unbelievable
reality unfolding before them.
“I… I don’t know…! I’ve never seen this situation before!” But, it was a
reasonable reaction. It was not possible for magic to just increase. Magic is
a power that changes the world beyond reason. It is the power of fate itself
guided by the wielder’s own will. Which is why the amount given to each
person was determined upon birth. The fate of each person was decided
long before they came into the world. That is humanity’s common belief
regarding magic. It is common sense for a knight. And yet…
“But, this is…! Other than magic is increasing, I can’t explain it!”
The reality unfolding before their eyes right now was in clear violation
of that belief. Inexplicable, confusion, bewilderment. Anyone in that place
was showing the same reactions as Kaieda. Even that Edelweiss had stood
from her seat staring in shock. It was natural. His magic’s maximum limit
was increasing. The phenomenon that was said to be impossible, Kurogane
Ikki trampling over fate by turning his feelings into power, and the theory
that had been said to be common sense all had been flipped over its basis.
But the one most troubled by what was happening was of course – the
Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion.
“H…… How……?!”
It was just as Kaieda had said – Katharterio Salamandra had not been
charged properly. It was not impossible that Ikki would get back up. But the
one minute of ‘Ittou Shura’ had already ended. Ikki should have used up
every ounce of his power in his body already. Since the human body has a
system that could consume itself to produce energy, it was possible to
muster up physical strength. But how was it possible to the extent of
recovering his magic? As Stella is puzzled over this…
“Stella.” Ikki began to move. His blade swayed as he lifted it. “I won’t
lose.” He seemed to be smiling while saying it.
 “……!!” From those words, Stella felt shiver ran through her body into
her bones. Was it fear? No. It was delight.
–Ah, that’s right. This man is always like this. He would not lose no
matter how absurd it is, He would not yield no matter how impossible it is.
He would never give up on himself, continue to move forward, always
ripping common sense into shreds. In that case it is just him kicking away
common sense once again. If it’s him he would succeed in something of this
degree. He would kick away common sense, overcome even fate, and then
stand in front of me as the strongest opponent. It is natural. After all, he is,
Kurogane Ikki is–
The man I love…!
As I thought there is nothing wrong in front of me. Right now I will make
sure of it from my heart. If it’s with him I can do it. No matter how high, no
matter where, we will go together.
“……”
But that is why… I don’t want to lose. No–, I definitely won’t lose.
Because I want to be worthy to stand alongside this amazing man!
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■…!!!!”
The moment the referee gave the signal for the match to renew, a
dragon’s roar drowned it out. At the same time, a change had occurred in
Stella’s body which was visible to the eyes.
The shine produced from her flickering and beating body grew more
intense. The outline of the existence named Stella began to blur into the
light itself. The shine and waves of heat released from it was not the same
amount as before. Her shine filled the surrounding area like midday to the
extent of the stadium lighting having no purpose now, and the sea of
magma boiled even more.
But more than the changing heat and light, the people in the venue felt
it–
 The feeling of being drawn to Stella. It was not their imagination. Any
small scrap of trash or rubble was being pulled towards Stella who had
become light. A gravity-user like Saikyo Nene quickly understood what
was happening. It was magnetism.
(She’s created huge concentration of heat energy that she’s throwing the
magnetic fields out of order, generating a gravitational force…!)
The moment any of the debris and rubbish that were being pulled came
near Stella, light was flashing like lightning, leaving none of the trashes
behind. The powerful heat made all objects touching it go through liquid
and gas phases, turning them into plasma. At this point it was like a star. It
was a crimson star shooting out light and creating magnetism on its own.
(What a woman…)
Towards Stella’s power, Kurono was also speechless. That’s right. Ikki
had certainly overcome his limit. Overcoming limit, triumphing over the
common sense, …it was the moment she felt that the match would come to
an end. Yet Stella had sent such light expectations flying. In order to surpass
Ikki who had overcome his limit, she had to evolve herself further. She
realized it. This girl was born outside of common sense. In fact, she was a
‘demon’.
(This is… Stella Vermillion…!)
Facing the ‘Crownless Sword King’, who had overcome his own limits,
the ‘Crimson Princess’ readied all of her strength as she raised her blade.
She put her body into a stance like her opponent, raising her sword of light
next to her face. Her arms were tucked in close against her body, the tip of
her blade aiming directly at her opponent’s life, in a stance that did not hide
that the next attack would be a thrust. During that stance,
“Ikki. The next one will probably going to be our last duel. So I’ll swear
it now.” Stella was staring straight at Ikki. “Even if your life ends from this,
I will continue to love you and only you for the rest of my life.”
 Her most beloved feelings in her would never waver. Ikki smiled at those
words.
“–In that case, I really can’t lose now.”
Of course. What man would leave his most beloved girl in such
unhappiness? He could not let her be widowed. Then what should he do?
The answer had been decided.
“With my strongest, I will destroy your strongest!”
And so the final match of the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival that had
continued long, the last fight had begun.
The ‘Crownless Sword King’ and the ‘Crimson Princess’. The final
crossing of their blades. The one that started to charge, –it was Stella. She
had already abandoned long-ranged battle using ‘Katharterio Salamandra’.
The reason was simple. If ‘Ittou Rasetsu’ is activated, he would be inside
her swing and striking her down before ‘Katharterio Salamandra’ could
even land the strike. Even if she tried to distance herself from him, the
result would be the same. With the speed of Ikki using ‘Itto Rasetsu’, he
could charge across the sea of magma before the bottoms of his shoes
would burn down.
There is no victory at backing away. Then forward it is.
Having decided it in her mind, Stella increased the heat on her body with
almost no limit, creating an armor of light. The heat would cause anything
attempting to strike her to simply cease to exist the moment it touched.
Ikki’s blade could no longer reach her. The moment the blade of ‘Intetsu’
touched Stella’s radiance, its existence would vanish. Her defense was
impenetrable. All that remained to be done was to impale him with the tip
of her blade. Then,–
It would be victory.
“……!!” She firmed her resolve and charged. She became a red shooting
star like her name.
(Amazing…)
 It was the thought that went through Ikki’s mind as he stared at her
approaching brilliance with his eyes wide open. They were certainly
different. Even after overcoming his limits once or twice, he could not
possibly shake her off. There was no end to her talent. And right now Stella
was fully devoted to her talent.
(She’s planning to use the heat that was throwing the magnetic field out
of order to blow away ‘Intetsu’ once it touches.)
With the power that only she could produce, Stella covered her entire
body with it. Something like ‘Intetsu’ wouldn’t be a problem to her if it
came in contact with that light. So what could he do?
–He had decided. He would just have to get his blade in fast enough
before it could be destroyed. There was nothing else. After all, his body had
already used up all of its energy once. By breaking down some of the
proteins inside his own body to gain energy, it would only be enough for
one swing. But Ikki determined that it was enough. Just one thing left. To
strike. His entire life had brought him to just this. There was nothing he
could do now but trust in that one thing. That’s why Ikki would show in
front of everyone what the man named Kurogane Ikki was capable of.
(Well… let’s do it then.)
In an instant, Ikki activated ‘Ittou Rasetsu’ using the magical energy he
summoned with his burning feelings. His body’s strength was amplified a
hundred times and his entire soul was invested into this next one strike. His
body was aware of how to release that one strike. How his own body should
move, how he should swing his sword, how to reach the fastest. Thus, his
body naturally settled into a stance without thinking. His body was at an
angle as he twisted his back and hips around. The blade was held with his
right hand. He moved it across to his left side behind and his left hand
grabbed onto the base of his blade. Though he did not have a scabbard,–
It was the stance of an Iai sword-drawing. One glance at that stance,–
Stella understood Ikki’s intention.
 Ikki would strike her down with his fastest attack before her heat could
destroy his blade. His stance, though without a scabbard, revealed it as Iai
sword-draw. His left hand held the blade part of the sword. His right hand
on the handle pushing while his left hand on the blade pulling. By pressing
down on the arc-shaped blade as if there was a sheath, a powerful force
would be produced from the conflicting force vectors. The speed produced
from releasing that force in that moment would be of a different level from
when holding the sword normally. The sword slash of the ‘Crownless
Sword King’ was already difficult to see even when he held his sword
normally. The speed achieved from the Iai sword-draw would be something
Stella could not even imagine. Which means it was possible that his blade
would strike down Stella before it got destroyed. But,–
Stella had already decided that was not an issue. Even if his sword
should breach through the shield of light, even if Ikki had chosen more than
just a sword slash, it wouldn’t be a threat. It was obvious. No matter how
fast he swung his sword, there was still a difference in their reaches.
Regardless of his method, she would be the one to strike first. In that
case…,
(I’m going to win…!!!!)
Being convinced of it, Stella stepped boldly forward and swung her
blade of light towards Ikki. It was time to end this. But in that instant
Stella’s focus reached its limit. The view of the surrounding began to
disappear from her mind and what reflected in her eyes was only a white
world and certainly a figure of Ikki striking her with his sword swing. In
that world of white with only Ikki’s figure in it…
………………………………?
Stella remembered something was off. Something,–
There was absolutely something strange. It was as if she had woken up
in the morning to find the sky was pink. It was a horrible discomfort that
can be said to be ridiculous. But what? What was strange? Where was the
source of this discomfort? When she focused her mind further tens of times
in that moment stretching towards infinity, Stella finally realized it. The
source of her discomfort. It was Ikki who swung down his sword – the
shadow under his feet.
The shadow did not move.
Ikki had swung his sword and yet his shadow remained still. No. It did
move but it was as if it was trying to pursue his movements badly. Stella
had guessed what that meant. His shadow could not keep up with his
movements. Was that even possible? It couldn’t be. It shouldn’t’ be possible
for that to happen.
But after this, this impossible occurrence became known to many people.
Many people had witnessed the scene. Lived by the sword, trusted in it, and
broke through all limits–
A godly attack that even his shadow could not keep up. This was the
ultimate form of ‘sword cutting’ completed by one person. A height that
one day countless individuals would seek to achieve. Based on the
significance of both the occurence and respect it earned, that attack was
named to many people.
The Final Secret Sword – Oikage (Seeking Shadow).
“Kah…… Ha…!”
It was only a moment after their shadows crossed. The one that spilled
blood was Stella.
“Th-The ‘Crimson Princess’ body is spilling blood!! It was a moment of
crimson and blue lights clashing! The one who won from it was the
‘Crownless Sword King’, Kurogane Ikki!!!”
“I… I absolutely don’t know what happened…”
“Kyaaaa! Ikki-kun, you’re amazing!!”
“No way! He really turned the match around from that?!”
It was immediately after everyone had given up on him when ‘Ittou
Shura’ was defeated. The betrayal of expectations of everyone in this place
had the entire crowd boiling with energy.
But most of them could not understand what had actually taken place
during the clash. A member of the student council, Saijou Ikazuchi, who
was watching the battle with Touka was no different.
“H, hey, Tomaru, what just happened?”
But Renren also shook her head on this.
“No, even if you ask me… it was too fast for me to see it.”
Even to the eyes of two strong people from Hagun, the fight between the
‘Crimson Princess’ and the ‘Crownless Sword King’ had reached a different
level. Tohka answered those two.
“It was a sword-drawing art.” She had just barely been able to see what
took place within that moment of clashing.
“You mean like your ‘Raikiri’, Touka?”
Touka rebutted at Utakata’s query.
“No, while my ‘Raikiri’ is also a sword-drawing art, the method of
movement is different. ‘Raikiri’ works by depending on electromagnetic
force to draw the blade from the sheath at high speed, but what Kurogane
just did is the opposite. By gripping the sword tightly with both hands he
was able to build up power into the blade so that when he released the strike
it could move at much greater speeds than normal. To put it simply, it’s the
same as snapping your fingers.”
“Oh, I get it.” Utakata understood from the explanation.
No matter how fast you tried to move your fingers on their own, they
wouldn’t produce any sound in the air. But by building power against the
resistance of your thumb you can create the sharp sound in the air. Ikki had
just used that same idea on slashing.
“But President, even though he could swing his blade faster, Stella-san’s
sword should have hit him first if there’s still a difference in reach between
their devices. How did he manage to bridge the gap between their reaches?”
 “Kana-chan. You would know the answer if you look at the grip on
‘Intetsu’.”
As told, Kanata looked at Ikki who is in the ring. Then she realized it.
The black sword he held in his hand. The grip was unusually short, which
part of the handle up to where his right ring finger held was missing.
“Could it be… it melted?!”
“That’s right. Before Stella’s sword could reach him, Kurogane-kun
drew ‘Intetsu’. But with the difference in the reach, he would have received
a blow from her first. So Kurogane-kun swung the handle of his sword
instead of the blade, and the butt of ‘Intetsu’s’ handle struck Laevateinn’ on
the side.
“So he altered the trajectory of the thrust…!!”
“He pulled off such strategy during that moment where our eyes couldn’t
even follow…what an amazing man?!”
“He really is an outrageous person…”
In the blink of an eye, he was able to combine attack and defense into a
single concept and skill during that instant. His sword skill, the way he used
it was on a different level.
(You really made me learn something new)…Then, beside the amazed
Touka,
“But, can’t Stella just recover from such injury?” As a reasonable
question came out of Utakata’s mouth after watching the match so far, there
was a movement in the ring.
“Geho…! Goho…!”
Stella coughed up blood and at the same time her body was shaky.
“The blood coming out from Stella’s abdomen won’t stop! Her wound
isn’t healing! Though she is refusing to collapse and keeping up by using
her sword as support, as you can see the damage is deep! The healing from
the dragon’s life force is not working!!”
 Looking closely, Stella’s spilled blood was not burning. That’s right,
Stella’s ‘Dragon Spirit’ at this point had faded away. What was the reason
for that? Kurono who was in the audience seat had guessed it.
“I see… so Kurogane wasn’t the only one at his limit in that fight.”
“What do you mean, Kuu-chan?”
“It means ‘Dragon Spirit’ has a major weakness. It’s obvious if you think
about it. Just saying things like ‘a dragon’s physical strength’ or ‘a dragon’s
life force’ is a bit too convenient as an explanation. Her power is the
embodiment of a dragon. Vermillion was aware of it as well and so last
night, –she had that much meal.”
Saikyo understood as well from those words. “Oh I see, so the weak
point is the calorie consumption.”
That was exactly the case. Every time that Stella uses her abilities like
‘dragon’s physical strength’ or ‘dragon’s life force’, magical energy and
calories at the same time were being consumed. Right now she was using
her ‘dragon’s life-force’ to forcibly heal her nearly fatal wound. At the time
her ‘dragon metabolism’ had already consumed large amounts of calories.
Stella was completely out of fuel now. As remaining conscious was already
difficult at this point let alone healing her wounds,–
A moment later there was a large sound and the ‘Laevateinn’ she leaned
on cracked and shattered.
“Aaaahhh!!! The ‘Laevateinn’ she used to support herself had
shattered!!”
Stella’s body who had lost its support was about to collapse on the ring.
Or it should have.
“……!!”
Stella would not accept it.
(My legs… can’t give out…), Stella told herself as her body tried to
maintain its support.
 Her energy or core was exhausted, her device had shattered, but as long
as she had even a scrap of consciousness remaining,
(Keep… my head… up…)
No matter what others thought of her, or how pitiful she was, or how
badly they laughed at her for not giving up…
(Don’t… lose sight… of the goal…)
That was…the least she should do as the challenger.
As Stella stumbled she faced Ikki and thrust her fist towards him. Ikki,
who was watching her quietly, did not dodge her fist that was approaching
his chest slowly. He knew that she didn’t have the strength to defeat him.
Also, he knew the importance of what was clenched in her fist. So Ikki took
it with his chest. He accepted it.
“I will… definitely… not lose… next time…!”
While her face became strained from frustration, the words she said had
some pride in them. A moment later when her willpower had been
exhausted, Stella’s body collapsed. But her body didn’t hit the hard surface
of the ring. It was because Ikki took one step forward and embraced Stella’s
body. Then, he said it. Strongly, while hugging Stella’s body with all of his
strength.
“No… I will win again for sure.”
Soon after the referee crossed his arms. The buzzer to signal the end of
the match sounded, –the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival had ended.
“THE MATCH IS OVERRRR…!!!! Just as Stella finally lost her
strength, the referee called out the name of the winner! It was filled with
reversals! It was a fight to the death with them gave their all! The one left
standing at the end of this deadly match is… Hagun Academy 1st year! F-
ranked! KUROGANE IKKI—!!!!”
“OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”
At the result below them, the hands of anyone in the audience made
thundering applause with as much strength as possible. Those who had
cheered for Ikki, those who had cheered for Stella, with no difference
between them were congratulating the victor. Among them, the figures of
those who lost to Ikki and whose dreams had been destroyed were also
present.
“A… Amazing! He really did it! He really defeated that A-rank
monster!”
“It was so brilliant… I… I can’t even describe it.”
Moroboshi was delighted while jumping up like a kid. Even the calm
Jougasaki’s white skin was flushed with excitement all the way to his ears.
Beside them, Ikki’s friend Arisuin was wiping tears from the corner of his
eyes. Arisuin knew how much sacrificies he made to reach the top of this
place. He even knew about the screams he couldn’t hear himself, the
impossible things he went through repeatedly. That is why he was glad of
his victory like it was his own. But as expected she was probably the one
who would be even far more overjoyed, Arisuin then turned his sight at her.
“You must be so happy, Shizuku.”
But,
“……!!”
Shizuku did not even reply to Arisuin, and with her expression changed
she leapt over the fence and towards the magma sea. Instantly, the body of
Ikki who was embracing Stella was shaking violently, toppling towards the
ground from his back.
“Toudo Heigen!!”
“W-What?! The sea of magma has… frozen…!”
“Isn’t that the Worst One and the Sword Emperor of Wind’s little
sister’s…?”
“It’s Lorelei!”
The audience was shocked at the sudden intrusion. But Shizuku ignored
all of them, dashed across the frozen field towards the pair, and yelled with
her expression changed.
 “Hurry and get a stretcher! Please get Onii-sama and Stella-san to the
infirmary!”
At those words, men dashed out from each gate carrying stretchers. They
then loaded the two ragged knights into the stretchers. Had they completely
lost consciousness? Both didn’t even twitch.
“Did they both pass out?”
“…They gave it their all.”
“Yeah. …They were amazing. They were so strong…”
“Right now, thunderous applause with no sign of stopping is pouring
down on the two who are leaving the ring! Both the winner and loser are
unable to stand on their own! That’s how far these two knights competed
with each other with everything they had! Anyone in attendance today will
probably never forget the jewel-like shine of these two! Even if the era has
changed, even if showing their pride with their power ends up being called
foolish, even if the tradition of the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival becomes
buried deep in history, we will…definitely never forget it…! True strength
definitely exists in them!!!”
Thunderous applauses were pouring down on the two unconscious
knights that were being carried off. The former opponents they faced,
Akatsuki Academy’s Sara and Kazamatsuri, were also present in the middle
of it.
“Ikki… congratulations…”
“Ku ku ku! I knew that my Demon Eye of Twilight could not be wrong!
That man is suitable to be my butler when I have conquered the world
evetually…! He backs down from nothing…! Right, Charlotte!”
“Grrrrrrr!” Charlotte growled while her face was still expressionless.
Behind her, in the middle of all the applause ringing to the ears,
Edelweiss was watching Ikki being carried out of the ring.
“…He is truly an amazing boy. He always manages to surpass my
expectations.” She made a voice filled with admiration. “Who would have
thought…he could have achieved ‘Brute Soul (Awakening)’ at such a
young age.”
It wasn’t clear if that was a good thing or not. Existing within fate meant
that you were a prisoner of that fate and at the same time being protected by
fate. There was always some measure of happiness to be found there. It was
an area where anyone seeking a peaceful life would not step outside of.
Consequently, she knew knights who had reached that point and stepped
back on their own will. But, –Ikki did not stop. He had stepped towards it.
He ignored god’s warning. Outside of fate, towards the ‘domain of demonic
beings’.
(With that one step the ‘Crownless Sword King’ became an existence
outside of this world’s karma.)
Rather than following fate, he would become an existence that writes the
future of this world. In other words–
“Those two may just have the power needed to avoid that ‘future of
despair’ that you saw – Your devotion was not in vain.” Edelweiss said as
she smiled at Tsukikage.
Tsukikage slightly smiled wryly at those words. “…You think so? Ede”
“Yes. Of course I do. And so do the ‘Desperados (Majin)’ other than
myself.”
As she replied, Edelweiss’ eyes swept over the venue. Right now in the
crowd, those who possessed great powers to lead have gathered from
around the world.
Others like Edelweiss wouldn’t be spoken of publicly even by one
person, but they were imposing. Those who had surpassed being human,
and would fight against each other one day to decide the future of the
world.
Then,“Every single one of them should be certain of it. A new possible
future has just been born.”
Tsukikage closed his eyes at Edelweiss’ words. He remembered… the
sight he saw when he visited the Kurogane household back when he had
been running for the House of Representatives. The figure of a boy who
while sweating kept swinging his sword in solitary despite not asked to be
anyone’s opponent and was ignored by everyone, and did not waste away or
give up.
“…It is reassuring then.”
It was because it would probably be a world with full of hope and
kindness far more than the one he had ‘seen’ before.
 FINAL CHAPTER B: STANDING SIDE BY SIDE
After the final match, Ikki and Stella who had collapsed were carried to
regeneration tanks in the infirmary. They were given treatment there.
“……………”
When Ikki finally regained consciousness, it was around midnight.
“This is……”
He opened his eyes to reveal a ceiling of patterned tiles. Ikki
immediately realized it was the infirmary where he had slept the night
before. He also noticed the presence of the silver-haired girl sitting beside
his bed.
“Good evening, Onii-sama.”
“Shizuku… Ah, I see… that time I passed out in the ring…”
“How do you feel? Is there any place that hurts?”
During that, Ikki turned his mind towards his body. Certainly, a heavy
feeling of fatigue still remained. But…at the same time there was also a
sense of fulfillment.
“That’s right… I won against Stella…”
That terrifyingly powerful knight. As he was convinced it was not a
dream, Ikki clenched his fist.
“By the way, where is Stella?”
She’s here.”
The voice came from the opposite side of where Shizuku was sitting.
When Ikki turned his head, there were figures of Arisuin sitting on a folding
chair and Stella lying in a bed like him.
“It looks like even someone like Stella would be sleeping soundly at this
time.”
“Stella…”
Ikki looked closely at Stella who was lying down. Her breathing when
asleep was normal and her complexion was good. It seemed she had
suffered no lasting damage.
“Thank goodness.”
“Says the guy that cut her down.”
“D-Don’t phrase it in an unpleasant way…”
“Ufufu, I’m sorry.” As he apologized, Arisuin stood up from his chair.
Then, he started to speak to Shizuku. “Well then, Ikki has woken up so
should we return to the hotel about now? It’s already quite late.”
Shizuku nodded in reply. She was also thinking of leaving after waiting
for Ikki to wake up after all. “Yes. …Onii-sama. A change of clothes has
been placed next to the bed. Tomorrow morning, I’ll come wake you up
before the award ceremony, so today please rest your body at ease.”
“Will do.”
“And…” Shizuku held Ikki’s bony hand between both of her small hands
and smiled broadly, “Congratulations. Onii-sama. Up until now, Onii-sama
today was the coolest.” She congratulated him on his victory.
“Yeah… Thanks.”
“The celebration is still for tomorrow, let’s do it after we get back to
Tokyo. I’ll introduce you to a good place.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“Just leave it to me. Later.”
“Today, please just rest your body at ease.” After saying that, the two left
the infirmary.
In the infirmary there was a faint moonlight shining inside. Only Ikki
and Stella remained. The only sound during the silent night was the ticking
of a clock and Stella’s soft breathing when asleep. Ikki’s eyes were
naturally drawn to Stella who was sleeping on the bed next to his.
“………I……kki……”
“……!”
Suddenly, Stella was calling out Ikki’s name. Was she awake? Thinking
that, Ikki left his bed and came close to her but Stella who was lying on the
bed was still apparently in comfortable sleep while breathing softly. She
was just talking in her sleep. Ikki who was a bit disappointed sat down on
the folding chair Arisuin was on before. Just what kind of dream she was
seeing? While thinking that, he could never understand even when he was
staring at her sleeping face. But…
“……………”
There was a feeling in his chest that kept coming and going. The
fulfillment of this day. The expression of the girl he competed with
desperately together while he was overcoming the peak his limits. Her
burning eyes. Her ferocious smile. Her presence that was nothing but
magnificent, Ikki had remembered it.
Thump, thump.
When he remembered any of it, his heart was beating fast. It was
because this girl was here that he was able to become this strong. Because
this girl had faced him and fought against him so seriously.
“Stella…”
Whenever he remembered her, he became drowned in his love for her
that was overflowing from within him. As that emotion stirred him up, Ikki
slightly rose from his chair. He was leaning over Stella on her bed. Then, he
gently touched her cheek. That was, something he should not have done.
“Ah… I…kki… funyuu~”
Even in her sleep she could tell that it was Ikki’s hand. She smiled in her
sleep and nuzzled against his hand like a cat rubbing her smell on him.
“~~~~~~~~~~~!”
At Stella’s action, Ikki felt something rumbling around in his brain. –––
What a cute living thing. His heart was pounding so loudly already and his
blood was boiling. His body temperature was rising and his throat was dry.
Then, his eyes were naturally drawn to Stella’s moist…wet and shining lips
that was in front of him and bathed in moonlight. He wanted to hug her
tight immediately. He wanted to kiss her. …He couldn’t wait for her to
wake up. Wanting to kiss the person you love was natural. After all, Stella
had allowed it every time they did. With such convenient excuse and after
KO-ing the feelings of guilt of stealing the lips of a sleeping girl, Ikki was
drawn into Stella’s lips like a bug attracted by a flower…
“Itadakimasu…”
“Huh? A meal?”
Her eyes popped open wide and their gazes met. It was at such a short
distance that they could feel each other breaths and were very close coming
into contact.
“……………?!!?!?!?!??!”
Ikki’s face was right in front of her the moment she woke up. The
situation was enough to cause Stella’s brain to boil––
“M-Morning, Stella.”
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”
“GUH!!”
Her knee struck his solar plexus in a flash.
“I… I’m sorry! Ikki! I… I really hit you hard… are you okay?!” Stella
asked while patting Ikki’s back as he was prostrating on the floor trembling
from the pain. Ikki then replied,“Y-Yeah… fine… I’m really fine…”, but
his face was dripping with a cold sweat as if not looking fine. Seeing Ikki’s
expression like that, Stella began to feel guilty with her eyebrows drooped.
“Auh… I’m really sorry, okay? B-But it’s because Ikki was at such
position…”
“Yeah, just now was about 200% my fault. So don’t worry about it.”
After Ikki reminded her like that, Stella finally stopped apologizing. And
then she realized she was in a room she didn’t recognize at all.
“Come to think of it… where is this?”
“The Bay Dome’s infirmary. It seems we were carried here after the
match,.”
 “Oh, it’s because it’s my first time being sent to the infirmary during this
tournament that I didn’t recognize it.” She muttered, then made a deep sigh.
“…That’s right. I lost, huh.”
Ikki could feel the discomfort in Stella’s words. Just as he had felt the
fulfillment of winning against Stella after waking up, there seemed to be
feeling of regret recurring in her chest. After thinking about it, he had a
feeling that there was no way he should be here.
“Uh, um… should I step outside for a bit?”
“Hm? Why?”
“Well… as expected we just finished the match today, so I thought me
being here might be unpleasant.”
“Not at all.” Stella replied to Ikki’s suggestion without hesitating
nonetheless. “Ikki, could it be that you thought I would cry? I wouldn’t do
something so wasteful.”
“Wasteful?”
“That’s right. Sure… there is feeling of regret burning inside me, but I’m
not going to do something wasteful by crying it out. It’s because this feeling
of regret is a power that will make me stronger. I have to store it, burn it as
fuel, then build it up so that I can come back and beat you next year.”
As Stella declared it, she smiled which her white teeth could be seen. It
was a powerful smile. It seemed that she was serious. Her feelings had
already changed towards revenge for next year. That optimism of hers made
him think again – what a strong girl she really is.
“…As expected of Stella.”
“Also, it’s not just regret by the way.”
“Eh?”
“My prediction, it’s because it wasn’t wrong so I knew for sure.”
Her prediction was she felt that if it was with Ikki she could go anywhere
no matter how high. Considering the gap in their talents, the expectations
were too heavy for Ikki. However, Ikki responded to her expectations in
such simple form. That they would go anywhere together. For the man she
loved the most to be the strongest man was the greatest happiness possible.
That was why as she reached down to him on the floor for a handshake,
“Ikki. From now on always, always be my number one, okay?” she said
while showing signs of embarrassment.
That was, –––not good. Extremely, not good. From those words, Ikki’s
heart, which had settled down once from the trouble just now, had fired up.
To the point of no return already.
“………!!!”
“Eh?! Kya!!”
In the next moment, Ikki ignored Stella’s outreached hand and gripped
her shoulder, and like that he pushed Stella’s body down onto the bed
behind her.
“……………”
“I… Ikki…?” Stella who was taken aback by what was happening,
looked up with a surprised face at Ikki who was hanging on top of her. Ikki
was reflected in Stella’s eyes… his face was brighter red than her eyes.
–––Embarrassment.
As he was thinking of what he should say, it looked like his face was
about to catch fire. But… even so, it seemed that this feeling bubbling up in
his chest could not be concealed again. So Ikki forced his stiff throat to
move and said the words out.
“Um… S-Stella. That time when we went to Okutama with the student
council, what I said in the mountain cabin… do you remember? About …
doing lewd things with you, is something I can’t do without having even
met your parents.”
“Y-Yeah… I remember. …It made me really happy.”
Really happy. He groaned softly at those words. It was really something
unthinkable that he had said. No, at that time it was exactly what he truly
felt, and he felt confident in it… but now… it was already impossible. So,
 “After trying to look cool like that before, it really is difficult to say
though…” Ikki said to Stella in an apologetic tone. “That… please forget
that I ever said that!”
“–––Huh?”
She didn’t understand immediately the meaning of those words. But,
from the way that Ikki was holding her down and from his face flushing
bright red even to his ears, the words just now had connected with her
brain’s response and eventually, ––she understood what he was trying to
say. In an instant, Ikki’s ‘fever’ had spread to Stella as well. Her cheeks
were hot, spreading even to her ears, and her voice became half an octave
higher.
“That, t-th-that, C-C-C-COULD IT BE~~~~!?”
“W-Well… that’s… what it means…”
“~~~~~~~~~!!! J-Just… Just wait! Wait! W-What are you saying all of a
sudden, Ikki?! Are you serious!? I mean are you for real!? The strong Ikki
who didn’t lose to temptation even after seeing my immodest appearance,
where did he go!?”
“He died.”
“Died!?”
It was a very harsh way of phrasing it, but Ikki couldn’t say it in any
other way. After all, right now he was not sure anymore how he should
show some restraint in front of his charming lover, since he couldn’t
understand his feelings completely at the time. So––
“Today, when I fought against Stella, when I reached my limit, I thought
about it. If I were to stop here, you would go on ahead alone. Then… you
would find and compete with someone stronger than me. But… when I
imagined it, I really didn’t want that. My head was going crazy with hate
for whoever that ‘someone’ was. I don’t want anyone else to have any part
of you. I want all of you to myself only. It was that one feeling that drove
me forward. That feeling… lit a fire in my empty heart. And then, that fire
even now is still not gone…!”
Ikki wouldn’t stop. The next words out of his mouth, even though he
understood they would decisively progress their relationship, he had to say
those few words. He didn’t care about appearing cool. Almost pestering,
pleading. Directly from his heart, ––he said it.
“Right now, I want to make love to you, Stella…!”
“…………………” At those words her scarlet eyes, which Ikki was
reflected in them, were largely shaking. The emotions in them were shock,
bewilderment, turmoil, and––
“Is that a no…?”
“Stupid Ikki…”
Overflowing delight. As Stella smiled a little, she reached up her hand
against his cheek, and pinched him gently.
“…Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for those words?”
That’s right. She had waited the whole time. She was truly happy when
he said that they could not do such things without greeting her parents first
and that he wanted to treasure their relationship. But, that happiness did not
change the feelings of what a woman would want their most beloved man to
seek from her. If Ikki wanted to, at any time––she had always thought of it.
So,
“So… right now… I’m really happy…!” Warm tears overflowed from
her scarlet eyes. That sparkle, which acknowledged her whole self, had
become like courage for Ikki and pushed his back forward.
“Stella…!”
“Ah, but wait!” She pushed back the impatient Ikki forcefully.
“Stella?” Ikki was confused since he’d not expected her to ask him to
wait at this timing, during this flow. Stella looked at Ikki with inquisitive
eyes and asked.
 “Ikki, although you said those things, have you carefully prepared
‘that’?”
“’That’…?”
In response, while muttering “I… I’m saying…”, Stella let out the words
with difficulty.
“I-it’s true that I had waited for you to say something like that after all,
right? But, we’re still students, we haven’t gone to properly meet each of
our parents, …and I plan to fight against you again next year, so… uhm… it
would be troubling if I get pregnant, wouldn’t it?”
“……………ah.”
Even someone as dense as Ikki would realize it after being told that
much. And of course he had not come prepared. Realizing this, he became
embarrassed by his carelessness.
“S-Sorry! To think that I… just got so caught up in it…!”
“……That’s what I thought. Ikki, you love making rather sudden moves,
huh.”
“Uuuuu…” As he was strongly being stared by Stella with criticizing
eyes, Ikki groaned in an apologetic manner. It was natural for Stella to be
angry. As a man, this was something he should have paid attention to. Yet
he had completely forgotten about something so important and let his
desires go wild. If there was a hole nearby he’d like to crawl into it. Even if
there was none, he would like to dig a hole and then crawl into it. It looked
like he would cry at his pathetic self. At any rate, as long as he wasn’t
prepared he could not force to do it.
“Th… Then I will hurry and go buy it now…!” Though it was not a cool
thing to say, there was no other way so Ikki got up. But,
“W-Wait!” Stella grabbed Ikki’s arm. “L-leaving a girl alone after
causing her to feel like this is a loss of points you know, a huge loss of
points! You don’t really have to go buy it right now!”
“No, but…something like that is-”
 “It’s fine! Just wait a little!” As she said that with a face that seemed
embarrassed for some reason, Stella opened her expensive make-up pouch
inside the basket that had change of clothes stored on the side of the bed.
Then, she grabbed what she wanted after searching for a short while…and
after her feelings were somewhat decided, with a quiet voice,
“…Use this.” She said as she took out a square, plastic-sealed object
from the pouch and handed it to Ikki.
“…!?”
He had never used one, but Ikki had knowledge about it. It was
definitely ‘that’, which he knew information about it. But for such a thing to
turn up now…
“S-Stella, could it be, you had prepared it all this time?”
“~~~~~~~!” During that, Stella’s face became red as if it would catch on
fire.
“It-It-It’s not like I was expecting for it to happen all this time, it’s not
like that, okay!? It’s not!! It’s just… that… only because I could be well-
prepared whenever my lover asked for it! Y-Yeah! This is normal etiquette
for a princess!”
(I-It’s normal, huh. Princesses are really amazing.)
“C… could it be that you think I’m a disgraceful woman…?”
“I don’t think of such things.” Ikki immediately denied back at Stella
who had an uneasy look. He would not think of such rude things. In fact, he
had learned from Stella’s concern what he had missed, and so he was
grateful.
“Thank you. I’ll properly be more careful from now on.”
“You should. …because it was really embarrassing to buy those.”
As he promised and nodded, Ikki took it from Stella’s hand. (Huh? It’s
thicker than I would have thought…) Then it began to unravel down to ten
times longer. (What the heck is this?!) It seemed that there were ten
packaged together.
 W-well, just because they were packaged like that probably doesn’t mean
they all have to be used at once. It is obvious. It can’t be like that.
As he warned his agitated heart, Ikki detached one piece away by ripping
the lines along the top with his fingers and the ripping sound of plastic was
heard. That was…the signal that preparation was complete.
“…………We’re really…… going to do it… right now…?”
“Y… Yeah…”
Now that preparation was complete, their hearts once again were filled
with embarrassment. He couldn’t look straight at Stella’s face. Stella was
also the same, even though she was checking at Ikki by sneaking quick
glances with her moist eyes, they both would look away immediately if
their gazes met. They continued like that for three minutes in silence.
(What are we doing…)
They couldn’t just keep avoiding each other. Not after all the courage
they had already worked up. (At a time like this, the man needs to pull
himself together…!) And so Ikki took a deep breath and faced Stella on the
bed.
“Stella!”
“Y-Yes!”
“I’m not much… but I’ll be in your care!”
“L-Likewise, please take care of me.”
And so as they were feeling many things that seemed pointless, their first
night together had begun.
Stella’s upper body was laid on the curled sheets of the pure white bed as
if being cared for, with the blue moonlight faintly illuminating her. While
wearing the simple white one piece dress which must have been put on her
when she was admitted into the infirmary, that faint light casted shadows
from every curve of her body. That alone was enough to set someone’s
mind ablaze. It was weird. He should have already seen her in a more
immodest appearance but now looking at her like this, he couldn’t stop it.
He wanted to run his fingertips, palms, lips over every inch of her. Just
thinking about it made him nervous and his heart unable to stop racing out
of control. It was understandable. Ever since he had come to like this girl,
he had longed for this day to come.
“This is embarrassing…” It was probably the same for Stella. Regardless
of whether or not her bust was too large for her stature, her chest was
heaving up and down from being nervous, but her eyes were looking up at
Ikki with a glint of anticipation. She felt anxious and excited from not
knowing what would happen to her. The light in her eyes reflected the
combination of those two emotions. And so Ikki responded to that. He hid
his hesitation and embarrassment, leaned over Stella and extended his hand
to her clothes.
“W-Wait…” Just as Ikki’s fingers were almost at the top button, her
small voice stopped him.
“H-hey… right now, I’m… not wearing a bra…, so it’s embarrassing so
suddenly…, from the bottom…please …”
“S-Sorry…” He automatically apologized in response to Stella’s request.
Though it wasn’t really the time for him to apologize. Nothing made much
sense to him anymore. But if Stella didn’t like it, then from the top was no
good. Starting at the top or the bottom, it was all the same. In that case, it
was probably better to make it easier for Stella. After deciding it, Ikki
reached out his hand to the button around Stella’s knee, and started
unbuttoning one by one. It was like unwrapping a precious present without
damaging it.
With each button undone, Stella’s body was revealed from the bottom.
Her round knees. Her very white voluptuous plump thighs. Her crotch
hidden by her inner thighs pressed together, and protected by simple
hospital underwear. Then, above her pure white stomach there was
something jiggling and contracting when she respired.
(Wow… this is… not good…)
 While he was excited to the point that he thought he would be sweating
blood as well, Ikki had realized it. He was walking through an unthinkable
landmine. Truthfully…he had imagined of unbuttoning them little by little
from the top. He expected how it would happen. He had previous
experience during the time at the mountain cabin so he was ready. But, he
hadn’t anticipated things to go this way. Even though it was the same thing,
it felt different just from changing the order. As a result he wasn’t prepared,
and his reasoning was lost little by little as what he saw became more
exposed. He wanted to force open her shivering thighs that were closed in
shyness. He wanted to rub his hands across that pure white stomach and
grabbed the completely clean bottom part with his fingernails. His wild
desires were burning him up from inside his whole body. Then…when he
undid the button above her bellybutton, fireworks burst in his head. As
Stella breathed and her chest rose, her dress opened from the button on top
of her breasts to either side. The bottoms of her breasts were exposed with
the dress clinging on them.
“……!!” His eyes were fixated on the flattened round white flesh. …Just
how soft are they? His boiled desire and curiosity tempted his fingertips.
“!!”
When the tip of his middle finger touched the skin of her breast, Stella’s
body shivered. She clenched her eyes closed and clamped her lips tightly
together as if to stop from crying out. But she did not resist. So he took it as
a good thing. He slightly put more strength to the pulp of his finger. Then,
his finger sunk into the soft flesh without resistance. The sensation of the
opposite sex that his body never felt before caused a shiver ran up his spine.
Next, Ikki’s index finger accompanied his middle finger on her breast. He
ran his fingers against the line of the bottom of her flattened breast and they
slipped into the gap.
“Hyu!”
 The underside of her breast was touched. The sensation she felt for the
first time made Stella’s ruby eyes opened with bewilderment. But she did
not make any objection. So Ikki did not stop. He gently slid his fingers in
further. Her skin was utterly smooth. Her breast that his fingers were on was
so soft as if melting and had a considerable weight. They were warm. His
fingers felt like they would melt.
“~~~~~~!!! aah…!”
Stella’s body showed a small reaction from having her breast stroked
from underneath. An adorable voice leaked out of her moist lips. He wanted
to hear more of them. So he turned his finger under her breast and curled it
to gently lift it up. In an instant,
“…k, kuu!!”
Stella’s entire body heaved, and at the same time the final button of her
dress popped off. Then, her breasts that were pushed down bounced off like
jelly and her dress opened wide from the impact. But not everything was
revealed. The dress that was split to both sides had stopped at the peaks of
her breasts. Yes, it got stuck. Barely though. Therefore, although he could
not see the peaks, the surrounding parts which were half of her white
breasts had been exposed, and their color became more different closer to
the peaks.
–––It’s okay to bite.
Ikki then suddenly remembered the words Stella said a while ago in a
similar situation. Yes. That’s right. She definitely said something like that
before. ––In other words, he had her promise. It was already allowed. So
there was no need to hold back. Let’s bite.
“W-Wait…!”
He wouldn’t wait… because Stella said this was okay. He definitely
wouldn’t wait. As Ikki was about to strip off the clothing stuck on the peaks
of her breasts,
 “…This is so embarrassing that… it feels like my chest… is going to
break…!”
“……………”
He stopped his movements at her nice voice which was almost a scream
she was holding off. He turned his gaze from Stella’s breasts to her face,
and tears welled up in her wet scarlet eyes as she was breathing shallowly.
The amount was not as much as overflowing tears, but her bottom eyelashes
were wet, and the feelings included…was fear. Although she said it was
okay, as expected scary things were scary. Thinking about it, Stella must
have always worked hard before today as well. She gathered her courage
and showed him that she was a woman. To be stronger, to be closer, so that
they can make love with one another.
Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to say that?
She really had been waiting for him this whole time. Thinking of that
devotion, the forceful emotion known as lust that warmed his entire body
had faded away. What boiled up instead was love that could even make
them feel uneasy. He wanted to treat this girl gently. He didn’t want her to
have a scary memory of this day that she had always been waiting for. So,
“Stella…”
“…!?”
Ikki took his hand away from her dress and leaned forward, joining his
lips together with Stella’s lips. It was not a sexual kiss like biting, but a kiss
that exchanged each other’s moisture like the ones he always did with
Stella.
“………”
He repeated it several times, and stiffness from Stella’s body faded away.
The sensation from the usual kiss seemed to reassure her. But–– that was
not good. Because today they were not leaving things at the same place. So
Ikki…made the kiss deeper.
“………!”
 He slipped his tongue between Stella’s lips and invaded her mouth.
Stella’s body bounced at the sudden sensual stimulation. But this kind of
deep kiss wasn’t their first. Stella also didn’t show any fear. She
immediately moved her tongue as well, as if welcoming Ikki’s tongue. Just
as usual. But… this was the end of the usual.
“………”
Stella eventually realized. While the action itself was the usual, the
amount of time was different. If it was the usual they would have let go of
their lips by now, but Ikki wouldn’t stop. He wouldn’t let go of her lips. He
wouldn’t let her escape. His tongue crawled into her reasoning, melting it
away as if it was candy. He was persistently melting her down.
“~~~~~~~~~!”
The wet sounds of their kissing can be heard in the infirmary at night.
Their salivas were bubbling from being mixed together, and overflowing
from their lips. But, Ikki would not allow them to spill like that. He lift
Stella’s chin up and poured all of them down into her throat. Stella
swallowed the melted fluids of their passion. The burning passion warmed
the tissues inside Stella’s throat.
Then at the same time, Ikki slid and crawled his fingers from Stella’s
knee into between her thighs. However, he never touched her crotch. He
was uncertain of whether or not he should touch it, but he was stimulated
into tracing along the lines between her thighs. His fingers moved slowly
starting from near the knees and towards the crotch, back and forth
repeatedly. And when his fingers finally reached near the edge of her
underwear, Ikki could feel from his fingertips that her thighs starting to
twitch. Looking into her eyes he could see that the fear had already begun
to melt into passion which made even her vision to become unclear. Her
body was hot from the inner and outer stimulations, and flushed cherry
blossom pink. Sweats along with sweet scent indicating Stella was strongly
aroused were released. It was proof that her heart and body were ready.
 “Are you okay now?”
“……Yeah…”
“If you’re scared then just tell me. I will do this as many times until your
feelings have calmed.”
“……I’m… okay.”
It seemed she had no strength. Stella made a smile that looked like she
was melting. Her gaze was soft from dizziness, but even so it held Ikki in
place and would not let him go. Her braveness was so lovely that Ikki
gently kissed Stella three more times. ––Then, when their lips separated, he
placed a hand on her shoulder,
And took her clothes off.
Under the moonlight, her naked body, flushed in faintly cherry blossom
pink, was revealed. The delicate line of her neck. Her slender, feminine
arms. And, the part of her that seemed the most contrasting – her breasts
that largely jiggled but remained attached to her body, and the cherry
blossom pink nipples that became exposed and slightly jiggled from the
stimulation of her clothes being removed. At such beauty, Ikki forgot to
breathe.
“You’re so beautiful…”
His mind was so overwhelmed that only such common words could
come out. Even right now he wanted to hold on to her. Half of his body,
inside his pants had already become painfully excited. But even so, Ikki had
to restrain himself. Even if he forgot to breathe, he would not forget to care
for Stella. He held his ground, and proceeded to make final confirmation.
He scooped up some of the saliva on her collar bone that had dripped
down from her mouth with his finger and smeared it on her right nipple. He
rubbed it with the pulp of his finger. Then,
“Aahh…nnn…” For the first time, a clear flirtatious voice came out of
Stella’s mouth.
 When he moved his fingers away, he could see that the shape of her
nipple was clearly different from the one on her left breast. Her left breast
had no hand on it, and her right breast was swollen and wet with saliva.
That sensational difference hit Ikki’s reasoning hard.
––It was agonizing. His breathing was out of order. His forehead hurt.
Honestly, it was too painful to endure any longer.
––But, was it okay now? Was it really okay to go further now? He had
no experience after all. He had no idea because he had no experience.
Though Stella said that it was okay, he wondered if would hurt her if he
began now. As Ikki was worrying about it,
––Stella reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Then, she
spoked as she smiled.
“Thank you… for being so gentle with me. It really is okay now.”
Thus, he didn’t have to endure anymore. “Ikki, you can do what you
want to me, all of them…”
“……!”
Those words were the trigger. He didn’t hesitate anymore. He wouldn’t
turn back. Under the moonlight, two shadows melted together, overlapping
with passion. How much was his, and how much was hers? They embraced
each other strongly and deeply that it was not clear anymore. Their voices
no longer carried any meaning and their lips were desperately seeking their
beloved partner. In the midst of it, Ikki Kurogane… vowed to himself.
I won’t let this girl be unhappy.
He would never let her regret choosing the man named Ikki Kurogane.
He strongly vowed on his own soul.
The sounds of birds chirping from somewhere could be heard. As if being
invited by them, Ikki woke up from his slumber. The morning light shined
on his opened eyes. The sky on that day was displayed on the window, and
it was perfectly clear that it would make anyone feel good. It was a
wonderful morning.
…And yet his body felt completely heavy. He felt like he was sunken
into the bed so firmly that it seemed impossible to move. At the same time
his consciousness was the same, which his eyes received the morning sun
but he was far from having completely woken up. That was not good, and
so in order to lead his mind and body to awakening, Ikki took a single
breath. Then… a sweet, floral scent tickled his nostrils. Ikki knew that
smell. He turned his head to the side, and as if it was natural she was there.
Stella’s appearance was that her white body was covered in sheets up to her
shoulders, and she showed a gentle smile. When their eyes met, Stella’s
scarlet eyes became squinted from shyness.
“Good morning, dear.”
“……!”
“Ehehe, I had wanted to try saying that once.”
That one word made his heart jump and his face flush. The expression of
special love that Stella spoke of. The moment he heard that, any sleepiness
was blown away and Ikki remembered it. Everything that happened here
last night.
(I-I see, of course my body would feel heavy…). He understood
everything now, and looked over at the plastic debris. (I can’t believe we
actually used them all…!)
He wondered what had happened to their fear and nervousness from
before. It all happened after the first one was over – Stella was strangely
turned on. Once she was in a mount position, it went out of control. Well,
one way or the other he also felt ecstatic so it seemed Stella wasn’t the only
one turned on. …Even so, there should have been a limit. He never thought
of cursing his self-control that had kept going since the school opening
ceremony. Since it was this excessive, he wouldn’t be able to move
normally the next day.
(We’ll need to be more careful next time…)
It was a mistake for him not to consider about Stella’s trained body. As
Ikki was cautioning himself, he asked Stella, who seemed to have sustained
actual damage more than himself.
“Is your body okay?”
“It still quite hurts. It might be hard to walk without feeling the pain.
Ikki, you’re surprisingly a brute. Doing those things to a girl during her first
time.
“But I shouldn’t be the only one to be blamed for that, right? I’m sure of
it”
“W-Well… that’s true.”
She probably thought she overdid it too. She averted her eyes that looked
embarrassed.
“Couldn’t you heal it with your dragon regeneration?”
“I could, but… I want to stay like this for a while.”
Her reply made him tilted his head. If she could heal it, then she really
should. Ikki would feel guilty about her always feeling pain, but––
“After all, this is proof of being loved by Ikki.”
“~~~~~!!!”
Being told such things with such face filled with happiness made him
speechless. Even though they made love to each other so much last night,
she was so lovely that it hurt him.
––What a cruel woman.
He had to control himself. He shouldn’t get drowned in it. Even as he
decided this, he knew that he needed to do the same thing she strongly did
to him. By any means, he needed to express this love or else he wouldn’t
feel good. He wouldn’t feel good if he didn’t let her know how much he
loved her. With that in his mind, Ikki’s hand naturally reached Stella’s
cheek. Stella didn’t resist. She could feel Ikki’s feelings being transmitted to
her from the heat on the palm of his hand, closed her eyes, and moved her
lips slightly forward. As if being drawn in by those lips, Ikki moved his
face closer and his lips…,
It was when their lips were about to meet.
“Onii-sama. Stella-san. Are you awake already?” During the knock,
Shizuku’s voice from outside the door was heard.
“HYU!?!?”
In that very sudden situation, they both let out a weird scream. And
unfortunately it was heard by Shizuku and Arisuin outside.
“It seems that you are awake.”
(I-Ikki! Hurry and go to the other bed!)
(Ah, Stella’s robe is…)
(There’s no time to put it on! Pick it up and hide it! I’m hiding the
trashes on the bed after all!)
(Okay, I get it…!)
Ikki grabbed the fallen robe from under the bed, jumped into the other
bed, and hid it under the sheets. In that same moment the door to the
infirmary opened, and Shizuku and Arisuin entered.
“Good morning, Onii-sama, Stella-san.”
“Did you two sleep well? …Oh?” Arisuin stopped as soon as he came
into the room though. “Hmmm. Aaah. I see…”
His mouth made a somewhat meaningful smile. At his expression that
looked like he had guessed everything, Stella began to sweat rapidly.
“W-W-W-W-What are you grinning for, Alice?!”
“Hmmm? No reason. I was just thinking you two had so much fun last
night.”
“W-W-W-W-W-We didn’t do anything!!”
 Shizuku managed to slip in the words “What do you mean?” during
Stella’s objection.
“Even though it seemed you two had fun fighting each other.”
“Oh, …y-you meant that.”
“That?”
“N-Nothing!”
“…?”
(Stella… your behavior is too suspicious.)
It was not good at this rate. Thinking that, Ikki addressed Shizuku to
draw her attention away from Stella.
“Shizuku, thank you for going to the trouble of coming to wake us.”
“No, there is no need to thank me for something this much. …Actually I
would like Onii-sama who did his best to rest at ease more, but considering
the time of the award ceremony I thought it was probably better to have
breakfast soon.”
“Y-Yeah. Well then, I need to be ready by getting dressed, so could you
wait outside?” He somehow managed to maintain his expression even
though he felt pain and guilt while his little sister was being concerned for
his entire body. Ikki suggested Shizuku to leave and she did not have any
problem with it.
“I understand. I will wait outside then. Let’s go, Alice.” She said that as
she turned back. ––With this, now they could…
“By the way, Stella-san. It’s been bugging me for a while, but what is
‘that rubber ballon-like thing’ that fell under your bed?
“EH!?!? No way! I should have picked up all of them––––ah!”
Stella peeked under her bed and there was nothing. But the careless
words that came out of her mouth had provided enough detail for
confirmation.
“Stella…”
“Uh-oh~”
 While the males gave despairing sighs, the girls’ faces grew pale. One
was going pale from panic, while the other went into a rage that made her
pale.
“I see. I see… As I expected, it was that, huh. I thought something was
weird about you two …”
Shizuku made a smile that only reached her mouth but her eyes glowed
with green demonic fire, even as the temperature in the room all around her
fell below freezing temperature. With cracking sounds, frost spread across
the glass windows of the room, despite it being midsummer.
“Sh-Shizuku… Uh-uhm… this is……well–”. During it, Stella tried to
somehow reason with her much though,
“Oh, no no. It’s fine if you don’t finish, really. Basically it’s that, right?
Last night, after having faced Onii-sama in an earnest contest, when Stella-
san seriously thought about how she intended to express her intent to
reward him, the two of you must have been ‘Dragon Fang-ing the Ittou
Shura of the Night’–”
“H, hey?! I think we can find a better time to tell you about this
properly…”
“Any last request?”
“No-”
“I see. So last requests are not needed.”
From the start, there was nothing they could say to persuade Shizuku
once she was on fire. In the next moment, the green magic light coming out
of Shizuku blown away all the windows.
“Well then, right now, DIEEEEEEEE!!!!”
“KYAAAAA!”
“Wai–, Shizuku, Calm dow–”
“SHAAAA– – – – –”
“Yikes, sorry it was nothing!”
“IKKI– –! Why did you move back there– – – –!
 “It’s, not, my problem”
“MUSHAAAA– – – – – – – – –”
And so a bloody blizzard devastated the infirmary.
At long last the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival came to an end.
“From among the 32 people selected from the eight schools of Japan,
only one has made it to the top. All of those matches ended with yesterday’s
final match. The 26 matches were carried out intensely. They were
magnificent and I remember every detail of them.”
The head of the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival’s steering committee
Kaieda Yuuzou made a speech at the venue where the excitement from
yesterday had not yet cooled down. Everyone’s eyes were not at Kaieda, but
were at the curve-shaped podium in front of him. To be precise, at the place
where the competitors would go up to. They were eagerly waiting, for the
appearance of the ones who would be crowned as the victors, the leading
actors of this tournament. Shinomiya Amane who was one of the two who
were at third place had committed a bad foul play by continuing to attack
even after the match ended, and Kurogane Ouma who automatically won
third place had left yesterday for Osaka. They were not at this place, but the
remaining two, Kurogane Ikki and Stella Vermillion, were in the waiting
room.
“G-Good grief, haa, haa! Stupid Shizuku, she went too serious! Anyone
else other than me would have died, really…!”
“A-Are you okay, Stella?” Ikki stroked the back of Stella who was
slumping in her folding chair and gasping for breath. Stella had kept being
chased around by Shizuku until just now.
“Honestly, I managed to get away from her just now but I’m really
scared of later.”
“Next time I’ll explain to her too.” But at these words, Stella adjusted
her breathing after taking a deep breath and,
“No, it’s fine”, she refuted back.
 “Why?”
“Making Shizuku understand is my responsibility.”
“That’s not true, this is our-” But at Ikki’s words, Stella shook her head
sideways.
“Sorry. I know that. I know, but I want to do this alone.” Stella had made
up her mind long ago. It was natural. Because she was the girl who loved
Ikki that much, she was taking him away. This was something she had to
finish on her own.
“If it’s not like that, I won’t be able to face Shizuku with pride. I can’t let
you help this time.”
Ikki showed his understanding at Stella’s words. It was very much like a
girl’s responsibility. Ikki just couldn’t help but loving this part of her. And
so, Ikki encouraged Stella who was being like this. “…Okay. Good luck.”
“Why are you saying like it doesn’t involve you?”
“Eh?” Ikki obviously felt confused at her reply because a moment ago
she said she would do it alone. But Stella had a good reason for saying that
it involved him too.
“Don’t you remember? You were told after the match with Touka-san,
right? What my father said.”
“………ah”.
After being told that, Ikki remembered too now. The scandal that had
erupted around Stella and the ethics committee’s rampage. At the end of
that incident, the King of Vermillion, Stella’s father, had sent a message to
him through Stella, “After the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival is over, come
and meet me at the Vermillion Empire.”
“R-right, that happened…” It certainly involved him. It would be right to
say it was a do-or-die situation for him.
“Speaking of which, I already booked a flight for a week from now.”
“Eeeeeh?!?!”
“It was already decided from the start, right?”
 “W-Well yeah, but… my…my heart isn’t ready! Can’t we at least
postpone for a week?”
“If the country’s army can hold out another week, then it’s fine.”
Did that mean that a war would break out if we don’t go within a week?!
“Don’t tell me, I may be the second princess, but you’re not going to run
away after you deflowered a nation’s princess, are you~?”
“Uu…”
“My father is just as scary as Shizuku, you know~. Good luck, d~e~a~r
♥.”
There was no getting out of this completely. There was no other way but
to accept this.
“I… I’ll do my best…” Ikki nodded as he felt cold sweat breaking out all
across his body,
“And now we will carry out the 62nd Seven Stars Sword Festival’s
awards ceremony. Everyone here, please give a round of applause to the
winners!”
Just as their talk had reached a resting-place, Kaieda was calling them
out. During this Stella rose from her chair as if leaping out of it and turned
to face Ikki,
“Well then, let’s go, Ikki”, she said and reached out a hand to him. The
winner and the runner-up would be awarded separately. So, at least she
wanted to be welcomed together when entering.
“…Okay.” Understanding Stella’s feelings, he took her hand. Then, they
made their entry from the same gate while holding hands. Instantly ––
“WAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!”
After they had just waited, round of applauses and cheers rained on the
two.
“Ikki-kun! Congratulations!!”
“Ahh! Look! They’re holding hands!”
“Woohoo! You two look great together!”
 “Your highness Stella! You will get your revenge next year for sure– – –
–!”
“You two were really amazing– – – –!”
As they were being welcomed, the two were walking down the aisle
towards the stage while holding hands. Eventually, the two stood on the
stage with Kaeida, and the voices of the tens of thousands of people soon
became smaller and quiet, creating formal silence in the end. After waiting
for the silence, Kaieda announced the name of this tournament’s runner-up.
“Hagun Academy, first year, Stella Vermillion.”
“Yes”. Stella, whose name was called, let go of Ikki’s hand and walked
towards Kaieda.
“In the 62nd Seven Stars Sword Festival, you left behind brilliant
achievements and reached second place. For that, I hereby award you this.
…Congratulations.”
“…………”
Stella took the certificate Kaieda presented in both of her hands and
bowed. She then turned back and bowed to the audience. The audience
returned the favor with huge applause without any words. During the
applause, Stella faced the winners’ podium and stood on the second highest
place. –––While very dignified, it was done masterfully. As expected, she
was used to being on stage. Then as silence descended upon the ceremony
once again,
“Hagun Academy, first year, Kurogane Ikki.” It was finally Ikki’s turn.
“Yes!” During the silence, he replied with a clear good voice and walked
forward. Though he was not used to being on stage like Stella, he had good
posture. His appearance was dignified and powerful, which was as good
and didn’t lose to Stella’s. Once Ikki stood before him, Kaieda awarded
him.
“In the 62nd Seven Stars Sword Festival, you stood on the top after
winning through fierce battles. For such accomplishments, I hereby award
you this certificate and the title of ‘Seven Star Sword King’. …
Congratulations.”
Along with the certificate was the title of the strongest student knight in
this country. …It was what Ikki had always continuously aimed for. In a
moment, various thoughts were recurring in Ikki’s mind. Meeting Kurogane
Ryouma. The days of training since then. The memories of entering dojos
and the taste of blood from being almost killed many times. Being
continuously held back for a year at Hagun Academy. Then, his chance
meeting with his most beloved girl – Right now, a resolution to those days
had been formed. The path of carnage he walked through was never wrong.
“Thank you.” With many thoughts filling him, he accepted the
certificate. But there was no applause. Everyone in attendance knew after
all, that the winner still had something left to do.
“Kurogane.”
Shinguuji Kurono, the chairman of Hagun Academy, was waiting beside
Kaieda and she handed something over to Ikki in order for him to fulfill his
duty. It was what Todou Touka entrusted him with as the representative
leader of his school – Hagun Academy’s school flag. What should he do
with Kurono’s alma mater’s flag? Ikki of course understood even without
being told. It was what he had promised. He entrusted his certificate to
Kurono and received the school flag in exchange. He then stood next to
Stella, on the top of the winners’ podium… the summit of the Seven Stars,
and raised the flag high towards the sky. —–Immediately after,
“———————————!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“………!”
It was as if the applause was pouring down on him like waterfall and the
cheers splashing over his whole body.
“Kurogane-kun, you’re the best– –!”
“All hail the new Seven Stars Sword King!”
“Next year, I will be cheering you again– – – –!
 “You looked cool! Ikki-kun!”
It wasn’t just from the audience seats. The cheers were also coming from
outside the venue. They were also blessings that came from tens of
thousands of people he didn’t even know. And of course, they weren’t just
from people he didn’t know. Those who Ikki knew also gave their blessings
to him who was standing on the top.
“You’re looking good now–!”
“Hmph.”
Arisuin waving his hand, and Shizuku applauding mildly beside him
with her cheeks puffed out like a hamster that had too much to eat.
“Kurogane-kun, congratulations!”
“……Hmph.”
Kurashiki Kuraudo who diligently came to this place and standing with
his arms crossed as if bored, and also Ayatsuji Ayase who wanted to attend
the awards ceremony for the person she was indebted to by forcing herself
as someone associated with Kuraudo.
“Thank you! Kurogane-kun!”
“As expected of the man who defeated me, Runner’s High!”
The student council members who had done their best to protect
everyone during the Akatsuki attack. And–
“Yo, Kurogane! I won’t lose next year so be prepared–!”
“Are you planning to fail a year, Yuu…?”
“Ah… you’re right. I won’t be here next year. What should I do…”
“Even if you were here what were you planning to do?”
The rivals he competed with for the top, on the stage of this Seven Stars
Sword Art Festival.
Accepting their blessings, Ikki had made a decision. ––Become strong.
So that he would not be ashamed of the blessings and the ‘Seven Stars
Sword King’ title he received. More than now, always from now on.
Then––
 With these celebrations, the final program of the Seven Stars Sword Art
Festival came to an end. Kaieda then began to speak towards everyone
present.
“Well then…I now announce the 62nd Seven Stars Sword Art Festival to
be o-”. However, it happened during that time.
“““HOLD IT RIGHT THEREEEEEEE!!!!”””
In an instant, dozens of voices belonging to the same girl, overlapping
each other, had echoed throughout the venue, and dozens of people’s forms
jumped over the fence and rushed towards the ring. Everyone in the venue
was shocked at the sight. It was because it was so sudden, but more than
that it was because the dozens of intruders were girls that had the same face.
“W-What?!”
“The same person, that many!?”
Of course, the adults immediately responded to this situation. In order to
calm the situation down, they were trying to catch them. But just as the girls
were captured by the adults, they disappeared like smoke one by one. It was
a Noble Art that created clones of herself. The girls split herself up and
broke through the adults’ line of defense. She slipped into the front of the
podium where Ikki and Stella were standing. The two became
dumbfounded at the face of the intruder. But that was expected. After all,
the one who intruded was,
“You…!”
“Kusakabe-san?!”
She was their classmate and friend. Kusakabe Kagami of the Hagun
Academy’s Newspaper Club. Just what is her intention? They were going
to ask, but before they could Kagami had already brought out a camera in
her hand.
“Stella-chan! Get beside Senpai! It’s no good if you stay in that place!”
“……!!” Stella and Ikki understood what those words meant in no time.
“Stella!”
 “Okay…!”
As Kagami aimed the camera lens towards them, Stella’s face that was
dignified until now had turned into a smiling face like a blooming flower.
She jumped onto the top of the podium where Ikki was standing. Ikki
caught Stella without staggering and supported her body.
Kurogane Ikki’s chivalry would continue from now on. He would walk
beside his irreplaceable and most beloved rival. At the appearance of the
two standing as equals, everyone in the venue gained an understanding as if
the final piece of a puzzle got into place, thinking ‘Ah, I see’.
It was the conclusion of the battle. Even if the outcome was difficult to
shake and remained as a record, these two should be together like this.
From now on, always. ––Forever.
“Okay! Cheese!”