Chapter 26: Volume 5 - CH 1

On a piece of reclaimed coastal land far from the center of Osaka stood a collection of unpopulated buildings. During a period of urban development some decades ago, this area was heavily built up, but the essential attraction of enterprises was unsuccessful and tenants did not move in. As a result, any new development was abandoned, with those that had been built left as relics of the failure.

Yet, that 'ghost town' where not a soul would dwell normally was brimming with life, filled with rows of stalls and the heavenward-reaching clamor of people gathered from all over the Japanese Isles.

Why were these people gathered there? There was only one reason. Two days from now―the annual student knight event, the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, would be held in this ghost town's Bay Dome.

In previous years, the Festival always garnered more of the public eye than the professional mage-knight combat league, the King of Knights. Of course, this meant that in those years the degree of competition for tickets and nearby accommodation was extremely high. But with the uproar surrounding Akatsuki Academy that had arisen from its attack on Hagun Academy, that level of scrutiny only increased this year. As a result, the aforementioned competition increased manifold. People from inside and outside the country of all walks of life scrambled to reach the site, surrounding it with an anomalously feverish atmosphere two days before the event even began. Those who arrived at the location early were not limited to audience members. Many of those participating in the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival had also gathered on-site well before the opening ceremony, and were resting at the competitors' provided living quarters.

The one carrying the flag of Hagun Academy as the captain of its representatives, the "Worst One" Kurogane Ikki, was one of them.

"Hmm… somehow this feels really weird."

In an chic and elegantly furnished room of a fine hotel, Ikki Kurogane stood in deep thought before an antique-style full-length mirror. His attire was not his usual uniform; instead, he was dressed up stylishly from top to toe in a navy blue tuxedo and a bow tie of the same color, and with a lustrous sheen on his leather shoes.

Of course, dressing up was not one of Ikki's interests. He was wearing attire like this for a reason. The League's Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival steering committee had arranged for a buffet-style party to be held today, two days before the opening ceremony, for those participants who had arrived early. It was for his attendance at this function that he was presently selecting a set of formal-wear. However, he was having a rough time.

I can't wear my normal clothes at an occasion like this, but….

Being in no way used to formal dress, he could not find one that suited him among the suits loaned to him by the management. In fact, Ikki thought, they were so ill-suited to him that it was laughable.

I wonder if the problem is my spiky hair.

Thinking thus, he grabbed a comb and parted his usually hairstyle to one side, then examined the changes in the mirror.

"Ah, that looks more fitting than before―"

But this would only last an instant. The hair he had just combed down sprang back into their original place with a *bing!*, as if yelling "Who would listen to what you have to say? I'll do what I like!"

"These stubborn things."

Didn't they resemble a certain someone, he wondered? While mumbling harshly, Ikki took off the tuxedo.

For now, we should consider this one unsatisfactory.

At first, he had thought that little could go wrong in choosing the most high-class suit, but the fit turned out to be so bad that even though wearing it would not embarrass him as far as etiquette was concerned, he could not accept it personally. So after some fretting―

"After all, I guess this one is the best…."

Ikki took up a light grey three-piece suit from among the sets he had borrowed. It was a safe choice, but that couldn't be helped―after all, he possessed neither the sense nor the ability to flaunt his character through fashion. And in any case, there was only a little time left before the party would start.

Thus, Ikki quickly put on the three-piece. Just at that moment―

"Onii-sama. Is it alright to come in?"

―there came a knock on his door, and with it the voice of his sister and fellow Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival representative, Shizuku Kurogane. He must have taken too long to dress, for her to have gotten worried and come over to see him.

Thinking this, and feeling ashamed at having taken longer to prepare than a girl like Shizuku, Ikki examined himself in the mirror again in response to her request. His white shirt was not completely buttoned up, exposing his chest and abdomen, though his trousers were at least on properly. If the other party was female, this would usually be a sight he was hesitant to show, but since it was his blood-related younger sister Shizuku, it should be fine. Having judged so―

"Ah, sorry. I'll be ready soon, so it's okay to come in."

"Excuse me."

The door opened even as the words were spoken, and the silver-haired girl, Shizuku, stepped inside the room―

"Onii-sama, I'm read…y―"

―and stopped dead mid-sentence, as well as in her tracks at the entrance to the room. Upon seeing Ikki's state of dress, her green eyes widened with shock. Wondering what might have surprised her so for a moment, Ikki's attention was quickly turned elsewhere―namely, to Shizuku's attire.

Wow, that's amazing.

Shizuku was wearing a dress she too had been loaned to attend the party as a representative, a classy black bustier adorned with intricate flower-petal frills that seemed to absorb the light. Her neckline and shoulders were highly exposed, creating a stark contrast between the dark dress and her snow-white skin. Such attire would normally be too adult for Shizuku's young looks, but a tasteful application of makeup, likely masterminded by none other than her friend and roommate Nagi Arisuin, had caused her to seem several times more mature than usual, thus eliminating any sense of incongruity. It was a beautiful visage that his sister donned at this moment, one befitting of a lady, and Ikki praised it straightforwardly.

"This might be trite… but you look really beautiful, Shizuku."

"…Hau."

At that instant, Shizuku turned a deep crimson and fell backwards, a spray of blood spurting forth from her nose.

"Shi-Shizuku!?"

"Eek! Oh dear!"

Rushing in from where he had probably been waiting outside, Arisuin supported the falling Shizuku with his right hand, while in his left he held a handkerchief to her nose to prevent the blood from dripping onto her dress.

"Wh-What happened, Shizuku? Are you alright?"

Shocked by his sister's odd state, Ikki tried to get closer, but―

"Ah, aa, ah―"

―even as he did so, Shizuku quivered, her face and the handkerchief pressing on nose becoming all the redder.

It could not be helped. Shizuku Kurogane loved her brother Ikki as a woman would. To see the man she could not help but love deeply tell her "you're beautiful" with his chest exposed in a disheveled manner was honestly too much for her. Erotic dress did not differentiate between genders. Ikki, not realizing any of this himself, drew even closer―

"Hey Ikki, please don't get any closer! Button up your shirt first!"

―only to be stopped by Arisuin, who unlike him had immediately understood Shizuku's feelings.

"Eh, eh!?"

"Hurry! Her dress is about to get bloodied!"

"Ah, um―okay, I got it!"

Ikki failed to understand what he might have done wrong, but quickly got dressed in response to Arisuin's fierce scolding. Thanks to that, Shizuku was able to calm down somehow.

"Haa… haa… I am truly sorry for letting you see something unsightly. But Onii-sama… you were a bit too sexy just now."

"Uh, I don't really understand, but sorry. I still haven't decided what I should wear…."

"I think you look great in this suit. Is it unsatisfactory?"

"O-Oh, really? I was worried that I look like a child masquerading as an adult, though."

"It's not like that at all. Ikki's shoulders are well-formed from training, so this suit fits you fine."

Arisuin also piped up in praise from behind Shizuku. With his excellent height and figure, Arisuin looked perfect in a suit, just like a cabaret host. Even though Ikki had never met a host, Arisuin seemed the very image of one, so Ikki could not truly be pleased even when receiving such praise from him. More precisely, could this friend who was much taller really be one year Ikki's junior? Considering that his background was fabricated, Arisuin might even be older. Pondering such things in his heart, Ikki pointed at Arisuin's attire and inquired―

"Are you attending the party too?"

"How could that be?"

Arisuin shook his head while answering in the negative.

"I'm no longer a representative. But I'm going with Kagamin to the journalists' party after this."

"You've totally become Kusakabe-san's errand boy, huh?"

"It can't be helped, since I owe her a favor."

Arisuin shrugged at Shizuku's words. The "favor" he mentioned referred to the matter of Akatsuki Academy's attack on Hagun Academy only shortly before. Arisuin had originally been one of the enemies, a spy for Akatsuki, especially with regards to Kagami who had previously received an illusionary form strike directly from him. As atonement, he was now being put to hard labor at her right hand as part of the Hagun Academy newspaper club.

All the same, Ikki believed that this was nice of Kagami. Akatsuki had only utilized illusionary form during their attack on Hagun Academy, although this was because their sponsor and man behind the scene, Prime Minister Tsukikage, did not wish to harm his own citizens. But though the body was unharmed, the wound of the heart known as fear would not be easily healed. Currently, the Hagure sisters had lost the will to fight and had thus relinquished their positions as representatives, while Touka Toudou and Utakata Misogi had yet to awaken from the coma-like state they entered after having been struck by a single blow from the Sword Emperor of Wind. Arisuin understood that this unconsciousness had been brought about by extreme exhaustion, and was not life-threatening, but due to his involvement and his upbringing that had led him to have an overly low self-concept, he nonetheless held himself responsible.

It was for the sake of preventing him from wallowing in such thoughts that Kagami used the pretext of repayment to order him around. Moreover, Arisuin had a keen eye for the subtleties of the heart. He had probably noticed and understood Kagami's intentions. Despite that, he continued to 'repay' her while pretending not to know.

I guess Alice honestly wants Kagami-san to depend on him.

So Ikki thought. If they could little by little regain the relationship they had before, that would be great. At that moment, the room's wall-clock began to resound with a sonorous *dong*, *dong*, announcing the arrival of six o'clock in the evening―and thus the time of the party.

"Aah, so it's already this late? Let's go then, Shizuku."

"Yes, Onii-sama."

"Ah. Wait a moment, you two."

Ikki, having already lined up with Shizuku and gotten ready to leave for the party, was stopped by Arisuin. Even as he wondered what was going on, Arisuin snapped a shot of the two of them with the camera on his student datapad.

"A memento for this special occasion where both of you are so well-dressed."

As he said this, Arisuin quickly worked at his datapad, sending the photo to both of them. Shizuku's cheeks colored red with joy upon seeing the photo.

"Waa… thank you, Alice. I will treasure this all my life!"

…All her life, huh…?

Ikki on the other hand felt dispirited. In the end, he still looked out of place in such formal wear, and standing next to Shizuku who wore that look so well he appeared more ludicrous still. It might become a nice memento once he became an adult, though. While he was dwelling on such complicated feelings, however―

I don't think Akatsuki will attend the party, but be careful for the time being.

"Thanks. I'll take this."

Expressing his thanks for the photo as well as the message that had come with it, Ikki headed out to the party.

The party was to be held in a reception room on the highest floor of the hotel that housed the representatives. It was not a distance for which one would take the stairs, so Ikki and Shizuku took the elevator to get there. All the way, Shizuku seemed to be in a good mood as she stared at the picture from before.

"Hehe."

"Do you like it that much?"

"Yes. I've already set it as my screensaver."

"Already…."

While smiling wryly, Ikki vowed to himself. The next time he had a chance to be invited to this sort of party, he would attend in his uniform. He would not force himself into wearing this sort of attire a second time.

"When I think about bragging about this to Stella-san, I can't stop smiling."

And just as he had made his vow, he could see another future coming, one in which he would be made to dress up just like this.

"Please don't provoke Stella."

"I can't promise that. In the first place, it's that person's fault for. Not. Being. Here."

She was not present. Indeed, Stella had yet to reach Osaka, just as Shizuku had said. Originally, the Hagun Academy representatives had been scheduled to arrive today, but Stella had apparently contacted Board Chairman Kurono expressing her desire to continue her training with the Yaksha Princess, Nene Saikyou, for as long as possible. During the attack on Hagun Academy by Akatsuki Academy, Stella had been defeated by the Sword Emperor of Wind, Ouma Kurogane. Moreover, she had lost in power, something in which she had boasted absolute confidence. This fact had hurt that confidence badly. Right now, she was engaged in a desperate struggle to regain it. Perhaps she could grasp something through her training with the strongest person in Hagun Academy, the Yaksha Princess. Nonetheless—

"Onii-sama, do you think Stella-san will get stronger from this training?"

Shizuku suddenly asked. Her tone seemed laced with concern.

"The Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival is only two days from now. This should be a time for rest. Though I can understand her feelings, I cannot think that this sort of hasty preparation will have any meaning. Isn't she making this decision too lightly?"

Forget "seemed". Shizuku was genuinely anxious about Stella, about whether she might ruin her health due to the overly strenuous training, and thus not be able to enter this crucial event in her most optimal condition.

"That's kind of you, Shizuku."

"Wha—!"

At this, Shizuku whirled around, her face reddening as if aflame.

"I-It's not like I'm worried about that person or anything! I'm only worried because you're looking forward to fighting her, that's all!"

So Shizuku protested in annoyance, but her bluff was plain to see. Even though they were normally butting heads, Ikki knew that there was friendship between them, though Shizuku did not wish for that point to be mentioned. As such—

"So you're asking if she can get stronger with such last-minute training, huh?"

Ikki responded to her question directly.

"Yes. I think it's a stretch. There is too little time to do anything, and that buildup of undue stress will only worsen her condition during such a crucial event as the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival."

Indeed, Ikki had the same fears about Stella's judgement as Shizuku did. Of course, it was possible to grow stronger within a short period of time through intensive training, but—this, in his view, only worked when one's skill was still raw. He likened honing oneself in anything to climbing a mountain. The path from the foot to the first checkpoint would be gentle enough for one to run up. In the same way, an inexperienced person could make great strides in strength within a short time. But a seventh checkpoint, or an eighth checkpoint, that was different. Just as a mountain path got steeper and harsher as one approached the summit, so too did the path to the zenith of strength get steeper as one climbed towards it. The same step. The same one meter. Yet the effort required to advance would be higher. Such was the case when honing oneself, regardless of the subject.

"And Stella is far from inexperienced."

Thus, to be become stronger than she was at present, she would need to expend the appropriate amount of time and effort. That was Ikki's thought. Taking into account Stella's strength, about one week's worth of intensive training… was a little too short.

"That's true…."

Having heard Ikki's opinion, Shizuku's face fell a little. She herself felt that it was reckless, and to hear her brother whom she trusted back up her view only confirmed it.

"Really, what is that person doing…?"

Shizuku muttered, seeming at once sad and shocked.

"However, that is what I would say if it was a normal person."

"Eh!?"

Ikki's analysis continued. Stella was certainly reckless. If it was them, they wouldn't do it. Couldn't do it. Up to this point, he and Shizuku were in agreement.

"Given the potential of the Crimson Princess… Stella Vermillion's present strength has yet to even reach the base of that mountain."

Ikki knew better than anyone the unfairness of talent. There was a huge variance in terms of the potential each individual person possessed, and among these, Stella's was first-class. The size and grandeur of the mountain she could climb was not comparable with those he and others could. Its cloud-piercing height and steepness not something he could measure.

"Therefore, I believe it is possible for her to make an explosive leap in strength."

As the one who was closest to her and loved her above all others, Ikki believed that she would return, having gained strength incomparable to before.

"I believe that in two days, she will surely show it to us in person."

"I hope so, then. I too… want to try fighting that person once. It would be disappointing if she were to just collapse and get eliminated."

As Shizuku replied thus in a brighter voice, the elevator reached the highest floor.

The metal doors opened to the pleasant smiles of two waiters as they greeted Ikki and Shizuku.

"Ikki Kurogane-sama and Shizuku Kurogane-sama from Hagun Academy? Please proceed inside. The party is just up ahead."

"Thank you very much."

With the exchange of formalities completed, Ikki and Shizuku trod the red-carpeted way towards another door in front, where from within the intermingled sounds of a great many people conversing could be heard. Clearly, the party had already begun.

The representatives of the various schools… are beyond this door.

Ikki swallowed, his heart pounding.

"You look happy, Onii-sama."

"This is the stage I could only yearn for last year after all…."

Indeed, as they had spoken of earlier, Ikki looked forward to his battle with Stella. But that was not all. The people beyond that door―the elite who had been chosen from throughout the nation, they were all above an F-Rank like Ikki. People he could test his abilities against without reserve. He could not help but get his blood up at this. Just thinking about being pitted against such people made him champ at the bit impatiently. Attendance at this party had been voluntary. He had gone through all that trouble to wear that suit here, just so he could see with his own eyes those he would be fighting a little sooner.

"Well, even though they probably wouldn't consider an F-Rank like me a threat, eh?"

It couldn't be helped―this was a Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival in which Stella and Ouma, A-Ranks, were participating after all. On the contrary, this was definitely a good opportunity. His opponents were the best of the best; there was a basic difference in strength between them and himself. As the Worst One, his fighting style revolved around manipulating that limited talent to its fullest extent in order to defeat a stronger foe. If he were to be underestimated by an opponent, that would only shorten the distance between them―a good thing. Considering this, Ikki gave a pleased chuckle as he pushed the door open―

―and found that he had been mistaken. All commotion ceased the moment he showed himself, with uncountable glances piercing his body. It was like receiving a heavy blow. The gazes and the ensuing silence lasted merely a moment, and then the noise re-asserted itself, but―

「That's the guy who defeated Raikiri, Hagun's Worst One?」

「That's some aura he has around him. Bright as a honed blade… so awesome!」

「He's definitely national-level, maybe even one of the better ones.」

「You can tell at first glance from that aura that he's strong. To have made this kind of knight repeat a year, what the hell was the chairman of Hagun Academy thinking, really?」

One could overhear in the conversations proof that the attention focused on Ikki previously had not been a coincidence.

"Heh. As expected of those who are also at the national level. They could recognize Onii-sama's strength immediately."

Shizuku broke into a pleased expression as she examined the room's atmosphere from beside her brother, who for his part―

It seems I was the one who underestimated them.

―smiled wryly, unbeknownst to her.

How naive he had been, to think that they would be careless around him. The ones present were not only those who had been chosen from all over the country, but also those who had persisted in competing, stalwart and unafraid despite the entry of a powerful force like Akatsuki Academy. There were none among them who would be fool enough to get careless because of something like rank. That they would be able to recognize another's ability at a glance here should have been taken for granted.

As he soaked in this atmosphere, so apparently different from the battles back in school, it gradually came to Ikki.

I've come here.

To the place where the student knights of Japan would compete to take the summit. This was surely a place where he could push the limits of what was possible for himself. But even as he trembled with excitement at that realization―

"Ah―! O-Onii-sama!"

―suddenly sounding flustered, Shizuku tugged at the hem of his pants.

"What happened?"

"Over there―!"

In the direction that Shizuku had pointed, standing in front of a table on which the party dishes had been arranged, was a young lady who seemed to be looking for someone.

That's―!

Ikki quickly realized the reason for Shizuku's surprise. The lady in question was blonde and unusually dressed. Various colored paints streaked her hair, and an apron served as the sole barrier between her and voluminous toplessness. There was no way he could forget her, one of the people who had attacked his school.

"Akatsuki Academy's 'Bloody Da Vinci', Sara Bloodlily-san…!"

"I didn't think that she would come to this party after doing such a thing."

It was as Shizuku said. The students of Akatsuki Academy were all elites of the underworld sent by the terrorist organization Rebellion, though only a minority knew of this due to information manipulation by Prime Minister Tsukikage and the Japanese government. Nonetheless, to come to the party after having violently attacked and half-destroyed Hagun Academy was something that the word "brave" did not adequately describe. This act had sent shock waves not just through Hagun but all the seven schools, leading many to forfeit, and as such there was significant hatred toward Akatsuki even by schools besides Hagun. And as though to prove that point, none of the participants seemed intent on approaching Sara. It was due to this that Ikki had not considered that they might make an appearance at this event.

Should we call them defiant, or just bold?

At that moment, Sara's hitherto meandering gaze locked onto Ikki's position, and in the next―

"Eh―"

―of all things, she began making a quick beeline for him, as if to say 'I've finally found you', stopping only when they were nose-to-nose.

Then she began to scrutinize him.

Wh-Wh-What!?

"Umm, what do you want with me?"

Her sudden approach confused him. Undoubtedly, she had looked solely at him and thus clearly had business with him. But having had no interaction with her, he could not imagine what that business was. On the other hand, Sara, who was staring at Ikki's face as he wavered―

"…Very good."

―muttered in a detached manner, while proceeding to run her hands over Ikki's shoulders and chest as though conducting a body-search.

"Uwa, B-Bloodlily-san!?"

"Hey, you! What are you trying to do!?"

"Be quiet. I'm concentrating right now."

Ignoring Ikki and Shizuku's panicked voices, Sara continued to trace the contours of Ikki's body through his clothes. She was a terrorist, and a foe whom they had clashed with once before. Defenselessly allowing her to touch his body should be dangerous. Ikki understood this, and yet―

I can feel that she is really focused….

Despite his attempts, he could not feel any negative emotions from her, whether it be enmity or the intent to harm. Rather, she exuded an seriousness that made him hesitate to stop her. Hence, he did not forcefully push her off of him, but was attempting to ask her the purpose for which she had been so intently inspecting him when―she forcefully ripped through his suit and the shirt he was wearing under it.

"Eeeeehhhh!?"

"O-Onii-samaaa!?"

At this, Ikki put some distance between them, shouting while shielding his exposed chest.

"What are you doing so suddenly―!?"

In response, Sara replied―

The Bloody Da Vinci, Sara Bloodlily

"...Okay, you pass."

"Wh-What do you mean by pass!?"

"...Okay, you pass."

Her cheeks heated up mildly as she spoke these incomprehensible words.

"Wh-What do you mean by pass!? I can't make heads or tails out of what you said!"

"On that day when we first met, I fell for you. There was beauty and kindness in your face, yet one could also clearly see strength within that straight-backed, clean-cut figure… and to add on to that, a robust musculature, honed and trained to unblemished perfection, it's just wonderful. You are, without a doubt, my ideal man."

"E-Eeeeehhh!?"

Her sudden outpouring of praise only confused Ikki more. What sort of situation was this? Did he really just receive a love confession?

This―what should I do!?

He wavered all the more under her heated gaze. It was too sudden; he didn't know how to reply.

No, he did know. He should answer with "I already have Stella". But though he had decided so, her face was almost terrifyingly serious. Even though she was a terrorist, a person of Ikki's character would hesitate to express his confusion in a straightforward manner.

"That's why, you pass. You are the only man fit to be my nude model. So with that understanding, I'd like you to come over to my room and undress."

"What 'understanding'!? No! I refuse! I don't remember auditioning for this!"

"No. I refuse your refusal."

"Now you're just trying to get your way!"

"Well, if you don't want to disrobe no matter what, I'll have to strip you."

With those words, magic power surged all about her as she materialized her twin Devices―a palette and a brush―into her hands.

This person… is serious.

Serious to the point where she was willing to use her Device in order to strip him down. Yet, they were at a party. They could not start a fight here, and so Ikki was dismayed and at a loss as to what to do when―

"Get away from Onii-sama, you pervert!!"

"Buh―!"

―Shizuku sent Sara flying with a drop kick.

"Onii-sama, are you alright?"

Having kicked the deviant who seemed about to attack her brother, she now moved to defend him. Amazingly, she hadn't just lashed out with her leg, but rather a full-bodied flying drop kick. What a reliable ally, Ikki thought as he replied to her worried query with a nod.

"Yes, I'm fine. She only broke the buttons on my shirt…?"

"…Tch!"

At his reply, all of Shizuku's hairs seemed to stand on end.

"…Unforgivable."

"Shi―Shizuku?"

"Even I haven't even done this kind of rip-Onii-sama's-shirt-and-push-him-down play yet…!"

She was his reliable sister. But she was not his ally. Even as he pondered these complicated thoughts, Shizuku's anger had already boiled over to the point where she had materialized her own Device while facing Sara.

"Die!"

"Whoa! Shizuku, please stop! Things will get ugly if you use your Device in this place!"

At this point, there was no place for hesitation. Rounding quickly on his sister, he pinned her arms to her sides. Being lighter and physically weaker than himself, she could not break out of his squeeze, so for now there was no chance of a tragedy occurring.

Urgh―these glances from around us are so painful….

It was only natural of course, since they had made such a scene. In any case, he needed a change of clothes, so a tactical retreat to his hotel room was the better option. But even as he thought this―

"Hahaha. I was wondering what this hullabaloo was all about. I do suppose that it is just you, hmm, Bloody Da Vinci?"

―a high voice rang out from their side, all theatrical intonation and affected dignity.

Following the sound, his gaze fell upon an eyepatch-sporting girl in a crimson dress, and the maid attending her from behind. He remembered them as well. They were none other than Sara's compatriots in the attack on Hagun Academy―

"If I'm not mistaken, you're Kazamatsuri-san, formerly of Rentei Academy. Am I right?"

The eyepatch-wearing girl nodded in reply.

"Hahaha. Indeed, you may call me that. But this name and this visage are but a ruse to deceive the Dimension Administration Bureau. My true name eludes even all the tongues of man."

"My lady says, 'Yes, that's right. Pleased to meet you too.' Also, I ought to have mentioned this first, but I am Charlotte Cordé, my lady's personal maid. I am glad to be favored with your acquaintance."

"Ah, you don't have to be so formal."

Continuing after her master, Charlotte curtsied elegantly to Ikki and Shizuku. From this greeting, Ikki understood why he did not recognize this girl from the attack on Hagun Academy. The rest had all gained the right to compete as representatives from other schools, and he had been shown their pictures courtesy of Kagami. Charlotte however was a servant, neither a representative nor even a Blazer.

"Please excuse the discourtesy my comrade showed you, Worst One. That one did not bear you any ill-will, but she is haunted by the Muses, and thus unable to stop herself once inspiration comes upon her. Sheathe your blade as well, Lorelei. Your victory has long been decided."

"What?"

At Kazamatsuri's words, Ikki and Shizuku's gazes shifted in Sara's direction. There she was, laid out spread-eagle on the carpet floor.

"Did she… faint?"

"Char. Move the Bloody Da Vinci to an iPS Capsule."

"Please leave it to me. …Sara-sama, are you alright? I shall bring you to a Capsule."

"Kyuuu~"

Sara's eyes spun as she was Charlotte picked her up. It seemed like she had really lost consciousness. An elite of the underworld, taken out in one drop kick by Shizuku―physically disinclined as she was and possibly the lightest participant in this year's Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival. The two siblings were unable to hide their surprise at Sara's unexpected frailty, and Kazamatsuri addressed this.

"An artist she is, but no warrior. It was unavoidable that she would be weak. Why, on her way here, she was accosted by clawing dead from the abyss, and had to be ferried here by angels in white."

"My lady says, 'After having arrived in Osaka, Sara-san broke a bone by tripping over a bump in a footpath and had to be taken here by an ambulance.'"

"Is she the protagonist of Sp●lunker[1]?!"

"That is why she is known as the 'Bloody Da Vinci'."

"You mean the blood's her own?! For such a cool nickname to hide such a horrible truth…."

"…Is Rebellion by any chance short on manpower?"

Shizuku muttered while still being held by Ikki, who expressed the same sentiments.

"Hahaha, if you think that way, you would have sorely missed the mark."

'Beastmaster' Rinna Kazamatsuri let out a mocking laugh.

"Of course, she is terrifyingly frail. But that does not mean she is in fact weak. For the truth is that she possesses power enough to mitigate these shortcomings, should she choose to fight. Pedestrian 'art', no matter how lifelike or intricate, is a mere counterfeit of 'reality', that spawn of an accursed god. But the art of the Bloody Da Vinci overturns reality. Before it, the works of gods and their ilk cannot even be considered third-rate. You would do well to heed this for your own sake."

At her words, Ikki and Shizuku remembered Sara's hand in the attack on Hagun. Those puppets of the Akatsuki members had seemed indistinguishable from humans, though it was also precisely because they were too lifelike that Ikki had been able to see through them.

Indeed, she is a formidable foe.

The way in which her ability would manifest itself on the battlefield was an unknown factor, which made it all the more ominous. They could not neglect to be wary of her.

Especially since I am in the same block as Bloodlily-san.

If the schedule was followed, he could meet her in the third round.

"Still, as expected of her, she has fine taste. You do look rather fetching up close, Worst One."

With a light leap, Kazamatsuri landed before him and like a small animal began to examine him from her lower vantage point.

"Uhh…."

"A mask that exudes not undue pressure, yet betrays not an immeasurable strength. That pleases me. Will you not become the butler of our house after you graduate? You will be treated well."

"Kuh! Are you also trying to target Onii-sama? I won't allow it!"

"Well, even if my sister were to allow it, I don't have any intention of allying myself to terrorists…."

"This does not mean that you will have to join Rebellion―you need only see to my daily needs. That in itself shall be fine."

"Don't be fooled by her, Onii-sama! It is just a pretext under which she will use the master-servant relationship to do lewd things to you! If it was me, I would do the same!"

What should I do? I'm starting to think that my sister might be more dangerous than these terrorists… well, nevermind. Leaving that aside for now―

"Thank you for the kind offer, but allow me to demur. I'm terrible with suits."

You are reading story Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan at novel35.com

Ikki declined Kazamatsuri's invitation. Of course, that she was a member of a terrorist group was one of his considerations, but over and above that―

"Hmm… but judging by your results, your prospects do not seem bright. In my camp you shall want for nothing, you know?"

"My lady, it is poor form to be so forceful. You are putting Ikki-sama on the spot."

Somehow, while it seemed as though Charlotte was imparting common-sense advice to Kazamatsuri, her hitherto stoic, quiet expression seemed to transform utterly whenever she looked―no, glared―glared at him enviously, as though he were her enemy.

If I had accepted, I would certainly be killed at some point.

No matter how comfortable the conditions, he did not desire a job environment in which assassination was an occupational hazard.

Kazamatsuri herself seemed unwilling to give the matter up, pursing her lips in a reluctant manner.

"Mmm… I understand. Nevertheless, you are welcome to contact me should you change your mind. Talented people like you will always be welcome, Worst One."

So saying, she held her name-card out to Ikki. While he had no desire at all to become someone's butler, it would be far too impolite to suddenly return the card. So he thanked her, and took it instead.

With that final exchange ended, Kazamatsuri, Charlotte, and the unconscious Sara took their leave of the party together. After seeing them off, Ikki looked at the card he had been given, a wry smile creeping across his face as he did so. It had her name, mobile number, email address―even her address had been written there.

"I didn't think I would be getting a name card from a terrorist."

"Indeed, they're an eccentric lot. Coming to a party like it's normal, stripping people, handing out job offers… I wonder if everyone in Rebellion is weird like that."

"Come to think of it, Alice is somewhat odd too…."

The Akatsuki representatives were rather different from the normal image of underworld assassins. Even though Ikki and Shizuku understood that a person's strength could not be fully judged at a glance, as those who had come to harm at Akatsuki's hands they had imagined them to be more frightening, more violent. At this point, they could not deny that some of their rancor had all but dissipated.

But even as they thought thus―

"Don't lump me together with those idiots. It makes me sick."

―a retort came from behind them. As they turned to face the source of that angry voice, they were met by a girl with a head of long black hair, her face hidden behind a creepy mask.

"Really, these people are always doing something screwed up. You bastards aren't with us, can't they be more aware of that?"

The girl wearing a Phantom Of The Opera-esque mask complained bitterly while looking at the entrance of the reception room through which Kazamatsuri and the others had departed. Shizuku could not immediately piece together this girl's identity, but―

"Are you by any chance Akatsuki's Yui Tatara-san?"

―at her brother's words, she recalled her belatedly.

"Ah, you're that weirdo who was wearing winter-wear in summer like an idiot."

All wrapped up in winter clothing as she had been, they were unable to see her face at all, but now that Ikki had mentioned it her physical dimensions fit the girl at that time perfectly. Seeming displeased at the conclusions Shizuku drew, Tatara replied―

"I'm not weird! Do you even think showing your face in public to goddamn everybody is something a killer would do?"

This is the first time someone from Akatsuki said something that made sense…!

Shizuku suffered a mild shock. This person certainly seemed to fit the professional killer image better than the previous two. But―

"Is it really okay to acknowledge being a killer? Isn't the official story that you're a student?"

―Shizuku thought aloud. Tatara gave a throaty, contemptuous laugh.

"Heh heh heh. I'm sure you've already heard from the Black Assassin. The level of information control that Tsukikage possesses within Japan is flawless. No matter how much of a fuss you shits kick up, it would only be taken for idle talk by the public―so there's no problem."

Hearing this, Shizuku raised her eyebrows. Tatara's words were the undeniable truth. In fact, Kurono had already informed the relevant authorities that Akatsuki Academy's students were mercenaries from Rebellion, but this fact had not been made known to the public. And even if the government had not worked to conceal this information, something like "our Prime Minister is actually colluding with terrorists", though the truth, was just too far-fetched to be believed. Thus, only those who were involved actually knew and believed that Akatsuki's students were terrorists from Rebellion. To those like her who knew the truth, this situation chagrined them greatly. After all, the present situation was simply playing into the enemy's hands. It was only natural that she would chafe under such ill-meaning provocation.

In response to her change in expression―

"…Heh heh. Don't make that scary face, Kurogane lassie. I said that, my bad. I'm on leave today anyway, so what say we just enjoy this party, eh?"

So saying, Tatara took some food from the table and offered it to Shizuku. Her attitude seemed friendly enough, but a contempt she could not quite conceal hung at the edge of her tongue―an apology that could only make one feel disgusted. But to so easily bite at bait proffered would grate on her all the more, and so she decided that she would let this slide.

"Thanks―"

But even as she decided this―the food was sent whirling through the air, before falling with a crash onto the marble floor.

Why―?

Her brother, who had been standing beside her, had knocked the offered plate from Tatara's hands.

"O-Oniisama?"

Shizuku's eyes grew wide with shock at her brother's actions. Indeed, the eyes of the whole room had turned to them at this sudden development. Her brother looked like a different person from the one who had spoken to Sara and Kazamatsuri, his eyes glinting coldly as he glared wordlessly at Tatara. What could have happened? Her doubtful gaze moved to the fallen platter.

"This… this is…!"

She understood the reasons for her brother's actions. The plate Tatara had offered her had contained chicken thigh on-the-bone, but within the meat one could see the gleaming of many shaving razors, likely having burst through the flesh from the impact of the fall. These could not have been part of the cooking process, but could only have been concealed within by someone of malicious intent. That person could be none other than the terrorist standing before her. Her brother noticed this, and had thus struck the plate down.

"That's quite the exciting topping, wouldn't you say, Tatara-san?"

"Heh, so wasteful! That was a special brew of various alkaloids. There was enough in there to kill an elephant with a single taste, you know."

Tatara chuckled, her shoulders shaking in fearless mirth despite Ikki's withering stare.

"I even did my best to conceal it. Unlike your sister, your senses are pretty damn good!"

"It wasn't that praiseworthy. You're practically oozing malice."

Ikki did not say this out of humility. Whereas his sister had not realized it, he had known from the beginning that Yui Tatara was different from the three they had met previously. They were merely eccentrics, from whom no malice could be felt. But from Tatara, he could feel nothing except malice. While she was picking up food to pass to Shizuku, she had deliberately positioned herself in order to obscure their vision. There was no way she would have done nothing in that time. Firmly believing this, Ikki had knocked the plate to the floor. As it turned out, his hypothesis was right on target.

"Wasn't this your day off?"

"Heh heh. Aye, it is. That's why I wanted to kill someone to de-stress. Damn, I almost had it too, you know?"

Despite having her plot foiled, Tatara smacked her lips, showing not the slightest compunction for her deed.

"This is the first time I've had to do such slow-ass job. 'Go attack a school,' they said, 'but don't injure anyone'? I'm different from those idiots. I've been killin' since I was a brat. You want a pro to do a job where killing is forbidden, you don't come to me. I haven't had my fill, and that jus' pisses me off! …To hell with it, I'm not waiting two days, I'm gonna kill y'all right now!"

Showing a grin that was all teeth and menace, Tatara laughed as sinister energies gathered and took shape in her right hand. Her chainsaw Device, with its rows upon brutal rows of blades, brought to mind the maw of a shark.

「Hey hey, is this girl serious?」

「Is she just going to start right here?」

Tatara's violent, reckless disregard for decorum had the entire room in an uproar. For his part, Ikki did not respond to her, but instead moved in front of Shizuku as if to shield her. He understood that she was not the sort of person he could reason with. But beyond that, he thought while preparing to draw his own Device Intetsu, he wasn't the sort of saint who would forgive the person who had tried to poison his sister―

"Stand down, Crownless Sword King."

"Tch!"

The commotion was quieted―no, was silenced―by a voice that rang out from behind. It was not shouted, nor did it sound angry. In fact it was a quiet thing. Yet it was larger than life, exuding a pressure that compelled its listeners to follow.

Ikki knew this voice. Though he had never heard it in the flesh, He had heard it broadcasted on TV countless times. Its owner was―

"You didn't claw your way up here just to get into this sort of petty quarrel, did you?"

"…Moroboshi-san!"

―none other than Yuudai Moroboshi. Third-year of Bukyoku Academy. Japan's Seven Stars Sword King―and the Worst One's opponent in the first round of the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival.

A sharp gaze like that of a majestic predator, Standing, like Arisuin, around 1.8 meters in height with the muscles to match. Topped off with a bandanna that befitted his strapping stature―that was Yuudai Moroboshi, the man at the summit of Japan's student knights. With a word, he had frozen the fog of blood-thirst around them.

He was also not alone in approaching Ikki and the others. At his sides stood a male and a female student, who like him were dressed not in suits but in the modern-styled yet unique uniform of Bukyoku Academy. Of course, they too were known to Ikki. The bespectacled third-year student knight Byakuya Jougasaki was on one side, his uniform crisp and immaculate. On the other stood third-year Momiji Asagi, with a bandage on her cheek and a mischievous twinkle in her eye like that of a much younger girl. They were the first and second runner up, respectively. Indeed, the ones who now stood as a barrier between Ikki and Tatara were the three standing on the podium of last year's Festival.

No wonder my body froze up back there.

Standing in a line with one another, they were shrouded in an extraordinary aura, the pressure of which was such that being close to them would make the reception room suddenly seem smaller. Ignoring such a presence was impossible.

"What a dangerous girl, going around saying 'kill this, kill that'. Well, it's not that I can't understand the feeling of your blood boiling now that the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival is so close… but how about cooling down a little?"

They had in all likelihood been watching from the sidelines since earlier. Moroboshi didn't seem to be rebuking Ikki, but rather directed his somewhat monotonous lecture down at Tatara. Then, as though to follow up―

"Indeed. To unleash your Device in this place truly puts your character under suspicion…. Well, they do say that a vulgar Device reflects its wielder."

Jougasaki also attacked Tatara's behaviour.

"Character ain't any good in a fight, you poseur. Want me to teach that to ya using yer body?"

Revving up the engine on her chainsaw Device, she pointed its edge at Moroboshi, the one furthest in front among the three.

"Don't bare your fangs so impertinently. It makes you seem like a weak dog."

That insult, coming forth with a sigh, was more than enough to rile up the already wild-tempered Tatara, who seemed to convulse and spasm with laughter.

"Hee hee hee. You brats…. Fine. Then you'll find out right here if I'm weak or―"

She advanced towards Moroboshi, murder now supplanting malice in following her steps―and suddenly stopped, as though jolted by lightning, a full three meters way.

"Oh?"

Moroboshi spoke, impressed.

"So you aren't just for show. See, that's the extent of my reach. If you were to step inside carelessly… whoosh, I'd jab you with this guy here."

He had at some point summoned a sleek Chinese-style spear into his hands. Its point was ramrod straight, its tassel flowing like a tiger's fur―this was the Seven Stars Sword King's Device, Tora-Ou[2].

"Bastard, when did you―"

Tatara retreated several steps back in her surprise. But she was not the only one surprised. Ikki was, too.

That's amazing….

Even with eyes like his, he had not been able to catch the blade materializing. Beyond that―

―It's as if he has no openings.

Even though Moroboshi was merely holding his spear, there were no blind spots within his attack range; regardless of where the enemy came from, he would be able to meet them. Ikki could clearly see how this would make things difficult for him in the future.

This is the first time I'm seeing it… so this is the Seven Stars Sword King's rumored Happo Nirami[3], huh.

Happo Nirami―a control over attack range so absolute that even Raikiri had not been able to penetrate it; a discernment of the enemy regardless of their position or angle of attack, to a level of perfection that had earned it its moniker. Even Tatara would have to hesitate to enter this space, for the reach of Yuudai Moroboshi was nothing less than the reach of the number one student knight in Japan. Then―

"Gahahahaha! Man, the first years this year sure are spirited, eh? Not bad, not bad!"

Apparently those who had followed the commotion here were not limited to the students from Bukyoku, as a black shadow followed that almost megaphone-like voice and laughter, casting itself over Ikki and the others. Standing before them now was one who hardly looked like a student. Easily over two meters tall and nearly half as broad, the huge man also sported a beard. This was the previous festival's quarter-finalist, the Panzer Grizzly who hailed from the northern continent of Hokkaido―Rokuzon Academy's third-year Renji Kaga.

"Still, wasting food just ain't right. Our farmers worked hard to raise this delicious chicken so we might enjoy eating it. It would be wrong to not repay them by feasting."

So saying, Kaga, of whom urban legend held to have cleared 100 hectares―the equivalent of around twenty Tokyo Domes―worth of land for cultivation by himself in his elementary school days, picked up with one large hand the poisoned and blade-filled chicken that Ikki had knocked to the ground.

"Ah, that chicken is―!"

Ikki's warning came too late to stop him from tossing the chicken, bones and all, into his mouth. As he worked his mighty jaws, meat, bones and blades alike were crushed by his teeth and then swallowed.

"Gahaha! That could kill an elephant, but it couldn't kill me, eh, Akatsuki?"

"…Is this guy really human?"

Nothing in the slightest seemed wrong with Kaga despite having swallowed deadly poison―indeed, it was Tatara instead who looked a little green in the face. However, her day of surprises would not end here.

"Fu~♡"

A breath air blew from behind Tatara's ear, causing her to notice something she hadn't realized till just then―that she was being held in a woman's embrace.

"Alriiight, that's a good girl. Your body checkup is in progress, so please stay still for a bit~"

"Gaaaah!"

Tatara forcefully pushed the young woman away, escaping her bodily ministrations, but despite her quick reactions there was panic written all over her face. She was a hitman well-known among Rebellion's young blood. Her skill was the real deal and she knew it. As such, being grabbed by someone without her noticing would of course be cause for panic.

"Who the hell are you…!"

"Haha―♡ My, my, what a lively kranke[4]. It's good to be lively, you know~"

Tatara's voice trembled with panic, but her abruptly-arrived assailant on the other hand spoke with a composed smile on her pouty lips.

"How~ever. As I thought, an excited state, high blood pressure, and a high body temperature. And with that small body and that rough skin, you do look like you lack nutrition. Show me your hands~"

The instant she finished saying that―

"You bastard, what did you dooooooo!?"

Against her will, Tatara let go of her chainsaw and stretched her hands out to the young woman in white, palms up. Just as Tatara had been asked. And into those hands―

"Please take in more calcium, vitamin C and collagen. Also, here, this is an aroma oil I synthesized personally. Burning some before going to bed will help calm your high spirits."

―the young woman placed a cute ribbon-tied bag full of tablets, pills and capsules, smiling all the while. Of course, Tatara didn't need these things. In fact, she intended to immediately smash them onto the floor, but―

I-I can't move!

"Bastard, what did you do to me?!"

"Mmm~? Fufu―♡ Is it so surprising? It's normal that a doctor should be able to do whatever she wants to a patient~♪"

Tatara was absolutely sweating now as she roared angrily, but the young woman remained all smiles. Seeing that exchange, Ikki turned to Shizuku and asked―

"Shizuku… do you know about her?"

His sister nodded slightly.

"Yes, of course. I know her."

Shizuku was not the sort to do in-depth research into the nation's elite. Most of those here were unknown to her. But this young woman in white was different. Even as a student, she was Japan's top doctor, and also a national-level knight.

"Rentei Academy third-year―the 'White-Robed Knight' Kiriko Yakushi."

This was the only water user in the country whom Shizuku considered superior to herself.

"Given that she hadn't participated in her first or second years, I didn't think she would participate this year either, but…."

"That aside, that technique she used when she was restraining Tatara-san, was that by any chance―"

"Yes, it is as you thought, Onii-sama. Without a doubt, that is something similar to my Aoiro Rinne… however, I am unable to vaporize my clothing along with myself."

Also, Shizuku could not perceive the technique by dint of which Tatara's freedom of movement had been taken away from her. It might have been some sort of interference conducted with the target's blood―as things stood, she could only speculate this far on techniques that she could not yet use.

To be in D-Block with this person makes me a little depressed.

They were both of the water element, and both leaned towards the use of techniques. Thus, even a small difference in the refinement of said techniques could spell the difference between victory and defeat. They might meet in the third round of the Festival, but Shizuku hoped that Yakushi would be defeated before then.

There was also a familiar face among the national-level knights attracted to the commotion, someone Ikki remembered with not a little nostalgia.

"Hey, runt. Who gave you permission to go after the Worst One. Huh?"

Cutting through the crowd, a golden-haired young man grabbed Tatara by the collar roughly. This was Donrou Academy's ace, 'Sword Eater' Kuraudo Kurashiki. He and Ikki had once crossed swords during the incident involving Hagun's third-year Ayase Ayatsuji, during which his natural-born gift 'Marginal Counter' had given Ikki a hard time.

"Kurashiki-kun… it's been a while."

"Hmph. Thought you'd come here. I'm gonna return the favor from that time."

Having said that, Kuraudo turned back to Tatara, whom he had lifted up into the air and warned her sharply.

"It's not just me. Everyone here's looking forward to go a round or two with this guy. You try anything funny before then, and I'll crush you."

As though to affirm his words, all present glared daggers at her. At this, even someone as violent-tempered as Tatara could not persist. All those gathered here were at least at the level of a quarter-finalist of the national level. Taking them on all at once was a gamble with no prospects of victory.

"…Tch! Let go!"

Unable to use her arms freely, she escaped Kuraudo's grip by kicking him backwards before leaving the scene, her face a writhing mix of loathing and shame. She could not do anything else.

After Tatara made her exit from the reception room, Ikki turned to thank those that had gathered.

"Thank you very much, everyone. A little longer, and I would have succumbed to her provocations."

At the sight of his bowed head, the tremendously sharp expression that Moroboshi had earlier when facing Tatara shifted into a sunny smile.

"It's all good! It's only normal to get mad if someone goes after your little sister. And you never drew your sword―if it was me, I would have drawn before she did."

Then he laughed, as if to say 'don't worry about it'. At this, Jougasaki sighed.

"That's not something you should be proud of, Yuu… as the number one student knight in Japan, the Seven Stars Sword King, you need to be an example to the rest. Could you please be a bit more level-headed?"

"Ahaha. Well, Hosshi is a siscon."

"Who's a siscon!? Anyone would do that as an older brother! And this is the second time those guys have come to Hagun looking for trouble, you know? Even a Buddha would get pissed the third time, so why not mere humans like us on the second? Don't you think so too, Kurogane?"

"Haha… certainly, they've only given us a hard time so far."

Ikki nodded, agreeing with Moroboshi's views on the various attacks.

"However, I don't only feel anger and resentment towards them."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"It's true that they've given us a horrible time of it, and I don't bear them any goodwill. But thanks to their participation, we are able to cross swords with Blazers that we wouldn't be able to in normal battles. With respect to that alone, well, I would thank them."

He meant what he said. A Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival in which they would be able to go up against people from a world that would not normally be open to them was exactly what he wanted. This way, the level of competition to decide the strongest knight at this year's Festival would be higher. So, if only for this one point, Ikki held some goodwill towards Akatsuki. Upon hearing this, Moroboshi began to laugh loudly.

"…Heh heh, hahahaha! You look like you wouldn't hurt a fly, but you say some interesting stuff! What a coincidence―I feel the same way!"

Indeed, he and Ikki felt exactly the same way. That this Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival was worth competing in. He had wished for a death-match with the Sword Emperor of Wind for a long time now. As such he had Akatsuki to thank, if only for pulling Ouma out into the fray.

"Still, I hadn't thought that there would be someone else here who was as hot-blooded as me."

And to think that it would be a student from Hagun Academy, who had actually come to harm by Akatsuki's hands. A normal person wouldn't have been able to say such things, but he had been able to―

…That means that he also understands―

"People with whom crossing swords normally would be unthinkable, you say…? So it seems the rumor that Akatsuki are underworld mercenaries is true, huh."

"That shorty from earlier wasn't ordinary either. Just doing whatever she wanted… really!"

"Eh, is that even important?"

Having heard this, Jougasaki and Asagi expressed their dissatisfaction. Moroboshi however dismissed the news with indifference.

"No matter who they are, how we do things isn't gonna change, eh, Kurogane?"

Ikki nodded and replied with a friendly, gentle smile.

"Indeed. As knights, we shouldn't expect any sort of justice or fairness from our enemies."

That was the answer that Moroboshi had hoped for. As he had suspected, Ikki understood the essence of being a student knight. They were not merely sportsmen. They would eventually be warriors responsible for the country's defense. To take offense simply because the illegality of an opponent was barking up the wrong tree, and those who could not understand this―regardless of how strong they were―were in the end only sportspeople. They stood no chance against true knights.

"In the first place, there is nothing just about an enemy, nor anything fair about combat. As student knight, that is par for the course in our battles. No matter who they are or what means they used to participate in this Festival, that has nothing to do with us. The discussion of their illegality can be left to the adults organizing this event. We only need to defeat the enemy in front of us."

Ikki was very aware of this. That was why he had not exposed Ayase Ayatsuji's rule-breaking in order to win by forfeit, or criticize her for cowardice when they had fought, even though as a friend he lamented her actions. He disdained foul play, but neither did he reject it per se, and thus would not ask for fairness from an opponent. He was not a sportsman. He was a warrior.

The Seven Stars Sword King Moroboshi Yuudai was able to get Ikki's measure from what little conversation they had had, and having ascertained that, he gave him his acknowledgement.

"Haha… to be honest, I was disappointed when I heard that Raikiri had been defeated by some repeater―I was planning to completely shut out her trump card this year. But the fellow who came up to replace her is pretty interesting."

This man was a worthy opponent.

"I look forward to meeting you in the ring two days from now."

"I'll give it everything I've got."

Moroboshi's fighting spirit surged as he said this, and Ikki met his challenging gaze firmly as he replied. Of course, Moroboshi was not the only one measuring his opponent. Ikki had done the same, using the conversation to get the measure of the present Seven Stars Sword King. The answer he had received was also the same. This first battle was likely to be a life-or-death crisis for him, he sensed. This filled him with an uneasiness, but also with much greater anticipation. So there they stood, gazes locked, two men who shared the same beliefs, neither giving an inch―

"Ah, right. That."

Moroboshi spoke offhandedly, reminding Ikki with the tension gone from his voice.

"Isn't it about time you went back and got changed? Your chest is visible."

"Buh!?"

Ikki finally remembered. All this time, he had been standing here with the front of his suit totally open, like some kind of creepy deviant.

"Or did you want to show off the body that you're proud of? You into that kind of thing?"

"Th-That's not it at all!"

Ikki denied, going beet red as he attempted frantically to cover his exposed chest, much to the laughter and amusement of those around him. At that moment, the atmosphere that had crackled with tension due to Tatara's appearance utterly dissipated, and the peaceful time of recreation that was the dinner party resumed.

In a smoking room next to the reception area, a dark red-suited man watched the commotion Tatara and the others were creating from a window, his eyes seeming to narrow behind his tinted glasses. Who was he?

"I see you have some awfully ill-mannered students, Tsukikage-sensei."

Indeed. This man was Tsukikage Bakuga, at once both Japan's current prime minister and Akatsuki's sponsor. Hearing his name being called, he turned, and recognizing the voice's owner replied in a voice that seemed pleased.

"Oh, if it isn't Takizawa-kun. It's been a while."

'Takizawa-kun'. At being called by that name, Hagun Academy's Board Chairman Shinguuji Kurono stiffened a little. The sound of his voice as he said her maiden name reminded her of her school days, of the Tsukikage-sensei she had admired. It was almost like he'd never changed. Lighting a cigarette shakily, she took a puff to calm herself. Only then did she correct him.

"It's Shinguuji now, Sensei."

"Ah, that's right. We haven't seen each other since your wedding. So, how has it been? Have you been well?"

"The delivery went without a hitch. Thank you for your concern."

"That's good, that's good. Nothing is better than to be well, yes."

A smile crept over Tsukikage face, deepening more lines than she remembered had been there. He seemed genuinely happy for her good health, this much she had little reason to doubt. But it was precisely this that led to her troubled expression.

Sensei… really hasn't changed.

His gentle voice, his warm smile, were all now as they were then. As they were in the days when she had looked up to him. If only he had changed. If only he would display enmity, show malice, how good that would be. If only he did this―

Why would that Tsukikage-sensei do these things?

―she would not need to be tormented by such doubts. But she suppressed these feelings, and spoke up.

"Personally, it was not at all my intention that we should meet again under such circumstances."

Her enmity filled the countenance that she directed towards Tsukikage. Right now, she was no longer his pupil. She was the head of Hagun Academy―and he was the head of Akatsuki Academy, the ones who had hurt her students. An unforgivable enemy. A hated foe. This was the unshakable truth, and thus there was no need for farce or frivolity. She only needed to seek confirmation. Confirmation as to why he would do such things, and the true meaning behind those actions. She knew her role perfectly well. So as opposed to Tsukikage, whose stance in all this was unknown, she made her position clear.

Tsukikage responded, acknowledging her enmity as well-founded.

"Haha. Well, of course. Of course you would be angry. I did use your school as a stepping stone, after all."

In doing so, he was admitting that not only did he know that his actions would cause harm, but that it was precisely because he knew it would cause harm to her and Hagun that he had acted. Having obtained this testimony, she pressed on in her questioning.

"Why did you have to do something like that?"

"It is as I said at the press conference. Blazers are the keystone of our national security, and yet we have left the bulk of their training to a foreign institution. This is to say nothing of our having given over the right to issue licenses to our knights, we don't even have the freedom to revoke those licenses. Under these circumstances, it is hard to call our country healthy, don't you think so? As the one who bears the nation on his shoulders, I am merely acting to right these wrongs."

There was nothing new in his reply, only what he had told the media at the press conference before.

"I don't think this is truly all there is to it. You're hiding something, Sensei."

"Oh no, of course not. As someone who took up Bukyoku Academy's path and instituted ground-breaking reforms in your own school, I had thought you would understand what I am trying to do here, Shinguuji-kun."

"I'm sorry, but that your actions exceed my field of comprehension. It's true that Bukyoku Academy managed to reap significant results under Makunouchi's directorship from the adoption of its own school culture, rules and methods of teaching that strayed from the League's guidelines. It is also true that he became regarded as a thorn in the League's side because of this. However, everything he did was still within the confines of common sense. What you've done is decisively different, Sensei. You've hired terrorists! That's something against the law!"

"What, terrorists? I'm afraid that given my position, I'd have to say I don't know what you're talking about."

In the face of her strong retort, Tsukikage merely gave her a wry grin, feigning ignorance to the end. Realizing that further direct questioning was fruitless, a seed of despair began to spring up within her.

"But you know, lawlessness is good."

Tsukikage spoke with his voice eerily cold.

"Lawlessness is needed in order to destroy these misbegotten laws."

That was all she needed. Kurono had not come here utterly unprepared. She had done her homework, researching and hypothesizing. Mulling over the various possibilities and motives that lay behind Tsukikage's present actions. As such, she could put it all together.

"Sensei, you… that's it, isn't it?"

His previous words. His stance on using extralegal methods. Those were missing pieces of the puzzle she needed to discover his true motives… and they pointed toward the worst scenario she had come up with.

"What do you mean by 'that's it'?"

"'Taking back the right to train our Blazers'… I always found this phrase strange. Setting up a national academy, choosing terrorists from Rebellion as its students, using them to make a splash at the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, and thus making the national academy's position unassailable―all to do that? It's just too extreme."

Given Japan's position within the League, the goal of taking back the right to train Blazers by itself was not a difficult thing to ask. Japan was the third-richest country in the world, an economic powerhouse. It was also tolerant of different religions and value-systems, and as such had come to play a key role in bringing nations of different faiths together by serving as a go-between. In short, it was an indispensable nation, one the League Mage-Knight Nations could no longer do without. Thus if they negotiated for something on the level of taking back the right to train Blazers in earnest, they would almost certainly get it. If this request was rejected and Japan thus left the League, the latter stood to lose more than they would gain.

"Regaining the right to train our Blazers is not beyond our diplomatic options. As such, it is simply abnormal for the leader of a nation to have to hire terrorists and stir up civil unrest in order to do so. These means are too extreme for the end, and that always disturbed me. But what you said has led me to believe that the order of the argument should be reversed. In other words, you don't need to use extralegal methods to obtain this goal. You only need to use this goal as an excuse to use extralegal methods."

"And why would I do this? What reason would I have?"

"I wouldn't claim to understand your personal motives, Sensei, but that is irrelevant to my hypothesis. But at this point, you could only have one reason for doing this. You don't want to negotiate with the League, because that would mean that in exchange for regaining our sovereignty over Blazer training, Japan would continue to remain a part of the League. If that were to happen, your real goal, Sensei―to drive an irreparable wedge between Japan and the League of Mage-Knight Nations―would all come to naught!"

Kurono was sure that this was Tsukikage's true objective. Her report to the League branch office on the relation between Rebellion and Akatsuki had no doubt reached headquarters by now. And as for the League, they would not now acquiesce to come to the table of negotiation with Japan. After all, that would be giving in to terrorists. Tsukikage had used the means he had knowing this would happen. Indeed, he had used them in hopes that this would happen, all so he might achieve his true objective―a decisive split between Japan and the League of Mage-Knight Nations.

"Hahaha. As I would have expected of you, Takizawa-kun. You were always very smart."

He confirmed her beliefs with surprising levity.

"Now that you've gotten this far, it would be embarrassing to continue hiding it. The gist of it, well, is as you have said. My endgame is that we would cut all ties between ourselves and the League of Mage-Knight Nations."

"But why? …Has some country out there managed to buy even one such as you over?"

"Of course not. I have not sold out or anything of the sort. What I have done, I did it all for the nation…. Japan does not need to remain under a collective of weaklings like the League of Mage-Knight Nations. This country has the power to maintain its sovereignty. And even if we were to remain, it would be of no benefit to ourselves―all we would be doing is cleaning up after the messes of others."

"…Tch."

At his words, Kurono's expression darkened a shade. There was a measure of truth to what he had said. The League of Mage-Knight Nations was, in essence, an multilateral cooperative. When member states were invaded by non-member states, it would serve as a pipeline ferrying supplies and troops swiftly to the affected area―not altogether different in nature from medical insurance. In other words, if a country was not afflicted with the disease of war, not only would it not reap the benefits of this arrangement, but also have to continue paying to support other countries. Vietnam, Iraq, Israel―throughout the last 5 decades, Japan had not once engaged in a war with another nation, but had nonetheless had to provide troops and resources time and time again. This burden was by no means light, and the belief that this arrangement was disadvantageous was prevalent among the citizenry. It was against this political backdrop that the pro-secession faction that Tsukikage now spearheaded had grown powerful. Thus, Kurono could understand his point of view. And yet―

"Have you thought about this seriously!? Do you really believe that this country, lacking in natural resources as it is, can stand as an equal of the three great powers―China, Russia and America?"

She thought otherwise. Indeed, the burden of maintaining its seat in the Federation was great. Calling it a disadvantageous arrangement was not wrong. And yet the League's aegis had indeed protected Japan for the last fifty years―this was the truth. What would become of them if they lost that shield? That was beyond her imagination―and it was for that reason that she was terrified of Tsukikage's actions, these actions that might result in massive changes to not only Japan, but also to the global superstructure.

Unlike her, however, Tsukikage seemed completely unperturbed. His voice filled with certainty.

"Of course. I shall surely reclaim the glory and the territory that this country should possess by right."

"And for that, you'd use any means necessary?"

"Indeed. Akatsuki was created for this purpose, and they will surely take this Festival. And with that, the people will no longer look to the League of Mage-Knight Nations. This plan of mine can no longer be stopped."

"Haha. You look like you do not understand. But that is fine. In any case, I did not require your understanding―freedom of thought is a citizen's right, after all. You can criticize me. You can be disappointed in me. But I am the leader of this nation. Its direction is mine to determine. I will not allow anyone to get in my way."

One could feel the strength of his will, looming like a mountain, as he said those words. And having concluded so, he extinguished the embers of his cigarette stub upon the ashtray, leaving her these words as he made for the exit of the smoking room.

"This is no longer a situation in which a single educator like you can meddle. You would do well to understand your position."

He spoke as he passed by her, as though he were a teacher again, lecturing his errant pupil. That was when she understood that their paths had already diverged. His receding footsteps told the same story―that he no longer wished to remain here, and that she had no power to stop him.

Nonetheless.

"It's true, Sensei, that your ambition isn't an affair that a teacher like me can do anything about."

She addressed him, though her back remained turned.

"But only if Akatsuki Academy does emerge victorious in this Festival."

Her voice reverberated strongly in the room despite its softness.

"In that case, I can still crush your ambitions through my students, without having to do anything myself."

Of this, she was certain. Tsukikage's hand turned the doorknob, and then he stopped.

"I'm looking forward to it. To their performance as Akatsuki's supporting cast, that is."

Leaving these words behind, he departed from the room.

So it was that Kurono Shinguuji discerned the true intentions that Tsukikage held. But until the end of the tournament, she did not divulge any of what she had learned here to Ikki and the others. She did not put the fate of the country in their hands, for this would have been no different from gambling on the result of the tournament.

It's fine. They don't have to know of these under-table dealings or these ulterior motives.

They only needed to fight for themselves. If they did so―they would surely be victorious. Kurono had been here before at the summit, and while there she had fought a furious battle with the Yaksha Princess, so she understood this―that as strong as Akatsuki's members were, they had one decisive flaw. They did not hold any passion for the stage known as the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival.

To expect to be the last man standing? Absurd. It might have been possible for other battlefields, but not this one. For the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, emerging victorious without that passion was simply impossible.

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