Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan
Chapter 12 - Clash Between Two Dragons
(Illust translation by KLSymph)
Part 1
The sixty-second Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, day three.
The summer sun was shining onto the ground even more mercilessly than the previous day.
However, it paled in comparison to the heat enveloping the event venue.
「Temperature 35°C, humidity 70%!
Thank you all for coming here despite the burning hot sun!
We have reached the semi-finals of the sixty-second Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival!
The national best four participants that have climbed up all the way to this point will be clashing against one another!
Amongst these strong people, that are a cut or two above the rest, who will obtain the ticket to the final battle!?
Everyone, have you prepared well against dehydration!? Well-prepared, right!?
──Then, let’s welcome the contenders for the first match of the semi-finals!」
In line with the announcer Iida’s words, cheers raised from the venue.
Under the rain of applause, with flowing crimson hair, Stella appeared on the semi-final stage.
「First, from the red gate, Contender Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion has shown up!
As the second Imperial Princess of the Vermillion Empire, even amongst the mage-knights belonging to the member nations of the League, she is a genius boasting the highest magic power!
She had almost lost her qualification in the first round due to an incident on the railway[1], but she faced against all of the contenders in B-Block at the same time, overwhelmed them, and brilliantly cleared the late penalty! She has advanced to the semi-finals in one fell swoop!
The power which can even destroy this venue itself can be described as top-notch!
That strength, living up to the previous evaluation, is without a doubt the top on the list of winning candidates!
She is genius knight like a shining star of the current era!
Will she be able to reach the summit of the Seven Stars with this momentum!?」
「Princess Stella――――! Do your best――――!」
「Kyaa―! Stella-sama～! Please look over here～～!」
「There are two matches today, so please don’t break the venue too much――――!」
Voices of support, regardless of gender, directed towards Stella on the ring.
Stella was very popular amongst both genders.
The strength of a knight that possessed the world’s highest magic power.
The social position as the second Imperial Princess of Vermillion Empire.
In addition, since she was a peerless beauty, it was only natural.
And Ikki, who was more fascinated by Stella than anyone else, sent her claps of encouragement while his eyes were robbed by the dignified side profile of the dauntless girl.
At that moment.
A voice suddenly called out from behind Ikki.
“Stella-san has a nice expression.”
“Eh?”
It was a voice he was so used to hearing that he could not forget it.
Surprised, he turned back, and there was...
“T-Toudou-san! And Toutokubara-san as well!”
Chestnut-colored hair tied in a three-strand-braid, a girl with gentle demeanour, Raikiri, Touka Toudou, and a tall girl holding a parasol, a friend of Touka, Scharlach Frau, Kanata Toutokubara were standing there.
“Fufu, long time no see, Kurogane-san.”
“Y-Yeah, really. The two of you have come to Osaka?”
“Yes. We took the Shinkansen with Saikyou-sensei this morning. We want to watch it from the side even if it’s only for the semi-finals.”
“Is your body alright already?”
He asked Touka who was still unconscious just the other day.
Touka responded with an energetic nod.
“Yeah. I have already recovered completely. I slept so much that I am too energetic now. Uta-kun said that he still felt languid so he stayed back at the Academy to laze around.”
“Vice President has not recovered yet?”
“You don’t have to worry about him. In Uta-kun’s case, he doesn’t have much physical strength because he only plays games every day. He reaps what he sowed.”
“Fufu, Vice President is frail after all.”
The two girls giggled facing each other.
Judging from that appearance, he certainly did not need to worry anymore.
“Kurogane-kun, is it alright if we watch the battle together?”
“Yeah, of course.”
There was no reason to refuse.
Ikki slightly tilted his body to give way to the two.
And then, as that was happening, Stella’s opponent showed himself.
「Up next, from the blue gate, A-Block’s champion, Contender Sword Emperor of Wind, Ouma Kurogane enters!
Contender Ouma has one-sidedly overwhelmed his opponents from the first round to third round!
His strength and mercilessness are already tested and guaranteed!
We have received information that he had defeated Contender Stella unofficially before!
If Contender Stella is the favorite of this event, then the one who could rival her is none other than him!
He is an A-Rank knight from Japan who is boasted in the world! How will he fare against an international celebrity!?
This confrontation between A-Ranks is totally unpredictable!」
Ouma was wrapped in pressure like a drawn blade.
With his arrival, the audience held their breaths.
「He’s still the same......his fighting spirit seems to split you open just from looking......」
「I’m scared......」
「Though that’s the case, since the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival is still Japan’s event, I wish that he will do his best.」
The cheers for Ouma’s entrance was much lesser compared to Stella.
It was probably the expected lingering effect from the shocking ending of the match against Panzer Grizzly, Renji Kaga from the day before.
The Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival was a competition with lives on the line. The participants risked their pride and lives to challenge it after acknowledging that they could die from losing. However, that was the principle of the Mage-Knight. For the audience, who did not have such resolve, drawing back was understandable.
「And, we have invited the mage-knight currently ranked third in the world, Yaksha Princess, Nene Saikyou-sensei to be the commentator for the semi-finals! Saikyou-sensei, please take care of us today.」
「Hmm～ Nice to meet you～」
「How is it? The two contenders’ condition seen from Saikyou-sensei’s, Japan’s highest ranked mage-knight’s, point of view is...」
「Both are in high spirits. Feels like they are really motivated. Even so, they are not too tensed up. Both of them are in the best condition―」
「I see. This match has become a confrontation between two A-Ranks, but at this moment, which one of them does Saikyou-sensei think has the greater power?」
「Kuku......Don’t be in such a rush, Onii-chan. Nobody likes impatient people, you know?」
Saikyou snapped close the folding fan in her hand...
「......Those two will immediately give you that answer.」
After replying so, she opened her fan again and gave a meaningful smile.
(Now, Stella-chan. That guy is different from those brats in the first round. He is someone you can fight with at your full strength......Give him the shock of his life, with the new power you obtained from the training with me.)
Before long, Ouma also stood on top of the ring, at the start line.
At the same time, the audience shut their mouths, and silence fell over the venue.
In that silence, the announcer Iida ── pulled the trigger of the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival Semi-Final.
「Both contenders are at the starting line! And now, the first match of the semi-finals begins!
LET’S GO AHEAD────!!!!」
Part 2
After receiving the starting signal, the first to move was......Ouma.
“We aren’t close enough to chit chat before meeting death. Let’s begin immediately.”
Murmuring with a tone as if he was talking to himself, he slanted his body and stretched his right arm backwards.
And then his magic power compressed into his right hand...
“Snarl. ──Ryuuzume.”
He manifested the essence of his soul.
It possessed a blade a little longer than that of a Japanese katana, belonging to the Nodachi type of sword.
That was Ouma’s Device, Ryuuzume.
“First is to see how much you have grown from back then. I will confirm it with my own sword.”
“......If you can, that is.”
Ouma returned Stella’s provocation with action.
He sank his slanted stance and ── dashed out.
「Ooh! Contender Ouma, who had been nonchalant in every match so far, makes the first move! The hem of his kimono flutters up as he closes in on Contender Stella in one straight line! How will Contender Stella intercept him!?」
The proactive Ouma who was clearly different from the matches up till then raised a commotion in the venue.
However, Stella was unshaken from that unexpected start...
“Serve me. Lævateinn.”
She manifested her own Device in response to the fast-approaching Ouma.
However, what she made out of her magic power ── was not just the sword.
「Th-This is! Contender Stella! Spheres with burning heat appeared behind her! A-And what an incredible number!」
And then, Stella swung her Lævateinn like a conductor’s baton.
“Burn to dust. ──Broken Arrow.”
She ordered the super hot spheres exceeding a hundred behind her back.
Answering that command, the flame spheres waiting in air behind Stella shot out with vigor, becoming arrows of light to assault the Sword Emperor of Wind.
The carpet bombing of intense heat that would bury everything within the width of the ring approached.
Stella’s overwhelming magic power that nobody could catch up to, did not leave any gaps for Ouma to evade...
「D-Direct hiit! The flame sweeped the ring and raised black smoke!」
Furthermore, it did not stop with one hit.
More arrows of flame rained down onto the location where the flames had swallowed Ouma.
Explosive noise and conflagration. Not a single person in the venue could see Ouma’s figure anymore.
It was not unreasonable.
What Stella used was an excessive violence to defeat a single person.
However──
「However, it doesn’t seem to be effective.」
──Even so, the opponent was the Sword Emperor of Wind.
Right after Saikyou murmured so.
Breaking through the flame and dust from Stella’s simultaneous firing, Ouma’s figure showed up.
There was not a speck of soot on his clothes.
He did not mind the incoming bombing, and broke through from the center by using his power to control the wind to take it on. He did not decelerate at all, rather, he was approaching Stella while accelerating.
──I won’t be stopped by such fireworks.
The gaze behind his bangs swaying in the storm was telling her that.
Towards that gaze of Ouma...
“Empress Dress.”
Stella also responded with another move.
Holding Lævateinn upright tightly in her hand, her whole body wrapped in flame, she stepped forward herself.
「Contender Stella has wrapped herself in a dress of flame! The heat is burning the atmosphere to the extent of twisting her surrounding scenery!」
Stella’s flame, Dragon Breath, had a temperature of three thousand degrees Celsius.
Not to mention a direct hit, just entering its range would cause the skin to be burned to crisp.
However──
「However, Contender Ouma isn’t stopping! He dashed into the zone of burning air!」
「That’s cause Ouma-chan’s ability is 「Wind」 after all. Since it’s conductive heat, so he just needs to make a vacuum heat insulating wall to prevent the heat from transmitting through. Rather than that ── the audience-chan sitting at the front most row should brace themselves.」
「Brace themselves?」
At the instant the announcer felt confused about what that meant, it happened.
Stella and Ouma, the Devices those two swung clashed...
──The noise produced from the clash, which exceeded the realm of sound and could only be described as shockwave, slammed the whole dome with a physical impact.
「「「UWAaAAAAAAAAAA～～～～～!!!!」」」
The audience leaning next to the fence were blown back by the 「sound」 of the clash between the swords of those two and landed on their bottoms.
Furthermore, it did not end with just one strike.
Second time, third time──
Every time the flaming red sword and jade wind blade crossed each other, the fence would squeak, and the glass windows would vibrate.
「I-It stiiings! T-This is what you call the sound of swords clashing!? It’s just like the explosive noise and shockwave from a collision between high speed jet planes!」
However, despite releasing so much energy, the two people at the epicenter did not retreat a single step, and continued to clash their swords.
And after crossing for about ten times──
A loud explosive sound, as if ten streaks of lightning struck down, echoed, blowing both of them towards the edges of the ring at the same time.
Neither of them had landed a hit.
They were on even grounds. At a frighteningly high level.
And that ── proved that Stella had filled the gap in the difference between herself and Ouma in a short period of time.
“As expected of Stella-chan.”
Having witnessed the first contact of those two, Kanata leaked out her admiration.
“With this, it doesn’t seem that she will lose in strength like before.”
Ikki nodded at that.
“Yeah. Not to mention that Stella has not shown her seriousness yet. She is still going to increase her pace.”
That’s right. She should still be able to increase her pace.
It was possible to imagine from the potential Stella had shown in the first round.
However, she still had something.
──First round, and yesterday night, he saw the phantom of a dragon in that split second.
Stella had not shown the root, the source of that yet.
She was still holding back her power.
However──
“But Ouma-san also has not shown his seriousness yet.”
Touka interrupted Ikki’s words.
Just like she said, Ouma was not serious as well.
In that first contact, both of them were only ascertaining each other.
The enemy before their eyes, taking on their full power......an opponent that would not break from it.
And that was something that Ikki, as the little brother, knew the best in that place.
(Certainly, Nii-san is not someone who will get serious regardless of his opponent.)
He would choose an opponent that was worthy for his seriousness.
And right then......that greeting and confirmation had been completed.
──It would start from there.
(From now on is the real......battle.)
Part 3
“I see. As expected of your power. To be able to match my sword straight on.”
Ouma praised Stella’s ability as numbness remained in his own arm.
Because he had not experienced a clashing of swords for a long time.
However──
“However, it’s only at the level of numbing my arm. This much won’t be enough to take my life.”
Ouma’s expression clearly showed that he had room to spare as he told her.
Stella pouted in displeasure.
“......You’re still quite carefree, huh.”
Well, she was once defeated by him.
At the moment, Ouma was still above her.
That probably couldn’t be helped.
That’s why, Stella held up Lævateinn right before her...
“I will draw out the bloodthirst from that composed face first.”
She injected more magic power into the Dragon Breath flame enveloping her blade.
“HAAaAAAAAAAaAAaaa!!!!”
With Stella’s magic power, the flame enveloping the sword swelled.
The crimson flame rampaged about without limit as its temperature and brightness increased.
That appearance caused Touka Toudou to recall.
“That’s...during the training camp......!”
That’s right. It was the long-distance shot Stella had shown Touka during their mock battle.
It was the preparation for Dragon Fang.
Though the motion was the same, the intense heat from the sword could not be compared.
However, that was only natural.
That’s because it was a big technique that was going to fire off seven shots of the Noble Art, Dragon Fang, which held destructive power that Touka Toudou’s Raikiri could barely intercept, simultaneously!
“Devour and scatter! Satan Fang────!”
Immediately, seven shots, no, seven flame dragons with heads flew out from Lævateinn.
And their jaws, lined with flame teeth, assaulted Ouma from various angles to devour him.
However, even as the scene of destruction was right before him, Ouma’s expression did not change...
“Just this technique alone requires who knows how many normal Blazer’s magic power to do it. Quite impressive......But, how will just the level of a few snakes scare me?”
As he said so, he stabbed Ryuuzume into the ring...
“Fuujin Kekkai.”
He activated the Noble Art that protected the audience stand from Stella’s Bahamut Howl during the first round battle.
Tornado stirred up in his surrounding, and that blade of wind tore up the incoming flame dragons into specks of dust.
The flame dragons that were sliced up until they became tiny incandescent drew a spiral as they were rolled into the wind that rose up to the sky, and disappeared.
And Ouma, who had easily overwhelmed Stella’s full-powered long distance shots, did not change his expression as expected...
“Is that all you got? Crimson Princess.”
As he spoke to Stella before his eyes...──he noticed.
The instant Satan Fang covered his sight, Stella’s figure disappeared from the ring.
And, the moment he realized it, it was too late──
“It’s something like this......! Sword Emperor of Wind!”
A red-haired girl appeared from the heat haze-like rippled space behind Ouma, and swung her sword at his neck.
Flame Veil.
It was Stella’s Noble Art which bent the light rays with heat to make her opponent unable to see her own body.
That’s right. Ouma had misjudged the knight known as Stella.
She was not a knight that could only rely on her magic power capacity and attack with quantity.
Stealing his sight with that destructive power, making him think that Stella was attack specialized, but her style was an extremely competent all-rounder.
Her usage of magic was so varied that even Shizuku could not be a match.
Then Stella devised a tactic from that variety and brilliantly got behind Ouma...
“HAaAaa!”
Slashed diagonally down at the defenseless Ouma.
Right after that...
“N-Not good!”
At the same time Touka’s shout echoed, red drops sprayed onto the ring like a blooming red flower.
Part 4
The owner of the blood that splashed the ring was...──Stella who slashed diagonally down.
「Contender Stella is injured! Sword Emperor of Wind has finally captured Crimson Princess with his sword! Blood is spraying out from the two arms of Contender Stella! The opening hit belongs to Contender Sword Emperor of Wind, Ouma Kuroganeee!」
A turning point occurred between the evenly matched offense and defense between the two.
Voices of grief came from the venue due to the obvious difference in power in that effective attack.
However, the injured person herself did not press down on her wounds.
Did she not care?
No. The shock, to the point of making her unconscious of her wounds, caused her to freeze up.
(What...is this......!?)
Stella’s expression was of incomprehensiveness.
It wasn’t unreasonable.
Ouma read the surprise attack from the back, and returned with a slash...──she would be convinced if that was the case.
However......it was not so.
Stella’s diagonal slash definitely settled it.
Lævateinn had certainly hit Ouma’s shoulder.
Even so...──her blade could not advance any more than that.
Touka bit her teeth as someone who had experienced the same phenomenon before.
It turned out like that after all. As she thought.
“The danger of Sword Emperor of Wind is not just his offense......Even though there isn’t much difference in magic power, he was able to receive my slash attack without any wound like just now. What exactly is that unexplainable defensive power......”
Touka questioned what exactly that was.
In response to that...──Ikki, who was next to her, spoke.
“That itself is not so unexplainable. It is out of the norm, though.”
Touka’s eyes opened her eyes wide at those words.
“K-Kurogane-kun knows something? The mystery behind that defensive power.”
Ikki nodded at that question.
“Previously, I had a chance to cross swords with him. I noticed it back then.”
He was assaulted on the way back from Yuudai Moroboshi’s invitation to his family shop.
Ikki came into contact with Ouma’s 「Abnormality」 in that instance.
And he saw through its true form.
“Stella will probably notice it after one more strike. But──”
Ikki’s words stopped there.
The reason was because, there was nothing he could do even if he noticed it.
It was just as what Ouma had said.
His power was...──not a 「Technique」 against which a strategy could be formed.
And, just at that moment...──his prediction came true.
The two people on the ring crossed swords again.
After clashing a number of times, Ouma thrusted out like a released arrow.
Stella turned her body as if dancing and evaded that...
She hit a counter horizontally at his body with not just her own power, but also using her opponent’s power on the second time.
That horizontal line cleaning dug into Ouma’s body...──and stopped at that.
“You’re...kidding......!”
“Fuun.”
“────!!!!”
Ouma dished out a kick at Stella’s flank when she stopped her movement in shock.
Stella’s body danced in the air as she was blown more than ten meters away.
“Cough...cough! Ugh......!”
Stella winced as she kneeled in pain as if her internal organs were blended.
What spilled out from her mouth was blood.
Ouma’s kick broke through Stella’s sturdy magic defense that defended against the slash attack from The Unturning, Yui Tatara’s Device in one hit, damaging her internal organs.
The shockwave was like getting hit by a battering ram.
However──
That was how it was, it was natural in that case, Stella was convinced.
The feeling of hitting a rock mountain after the two strikes, and the damage to her flank.
From all that information......Stella noticed Ouma’s 「Abnormality」.
“I can’t believe it......What’s with your body......!”
The shaking in her voice was probably not just from her wounded side.
In response to that, Ouma──
“Fuu......As expected, you noticed after two strikes.”
Ouma let out a sparse smile and answered Stella’s doubt.
“You want to ask what this is, right? This is...──my resolve.”
Part 5
“It’s a story from five years ago.
In my last year as an elementary student, I, who had dominated the U-12 World Tournament organized by the League of Mage-Knight Nations, was on the contrary feeling gloomy about the result.”
He noticed after dominating the world.
By striking with just the back of his sword, the path would not open for him.
Even when he went to the world tournament, there was something that still could not exceed the realm of 「Training」.
“This kind of childish tournament could not let me test my limit.
I was unable to overcome it.
──I was in agony.
To stay in an environment like a lukewarm bath during my growth period......it was unacceptable to stay there for at least three more years when it was the period during which I could grow as much as I wanted.”
To be even stronger, to reach even higher.
To Ouma, who continued to seek it more than anyone, that stagnation was unbearable.
He had always been challenging his body’s limits and wishing for power to unleash.
“That’s why I......flew out of Japan, the League, to seek it.”
The real battles that he seeked existed in the world.
Sometimes in the streets of slums.
Sometimes in an underground colosseum.
Sometimes in the battlefield with bullets flying everywhere.
Ouma Kurogane had obtained the places he wished for, and was engrossed in studying.
He remembered how fulfilling that period of time was.
Amongst the battles with his life on the stake, he dreamily remembered how his body was being forged day by day.
If he stayed like that, if he continued on that path, he could become the world's strongest knight.
He did not hold a speck of doubt.
However......
“That thought did not continue for long. I had an encounter. On my path of warrior’s training, at the end of this world, with a real demon living there.”
“Demon......?”
“Tyrant......That name, the princess of a country should probably know about it.”
“────!”
The nickname spoken by Ouma.
The venue showed incomprehension, but Stella’s crimson pupils widened in shock.
Just like what Ouma said, as the royalty of a member nation in the League, Stella knew that name.
Of course she would know.
That was......the arch nemesis of the International Society, Rebellion.
It was the name that people living in the underworld called their Leader by, just like a Blazer’s nickname.
“Don’t tell me, you fought......!?”
Ouma nodded.
“I was pulverized......Even though I exerted every ounce of my strength, I could not even resist a single moment.”
It was only natural.
That opponent was an incarnation of violence that continued to reign at the summit of the underworld since more than half a century ago.
There was a gap between them so huge that he could not understand just how large that difference was.
Ouma, who knew his powerless self, could only beg for his life shamelessly.
However, Tyrant was not a man who would listen to such words.
His strength could not reach, his pleas could not reach, only violence continued to rain down on him.
“Just remembering it......causes my entire body to tremble in fear. I have never felt the despair known as death so near to me......No, if Twin-Wings had not come to my rescue, I probably would’ve been killed for real.
And then, after coming into contact with the territory at the summit of the world where the demonic being lived, and my own powerless self, I was able to understand......Even if I just train as how I had been training, even if I advanced down the path I had been advancing on, my pace would not let me reach the summit.”
His lifespan would be too short for him to reach there with his current pace. As such.
“In that case......there was already no meaning in training anymore. Normal training was useless. What I needed was......an evolution to obtain wings that let me fly towards the summit instead of walking on the path!”
In an instant, Ouma grasped the upper part of his kimono...
“Tenryuu Gusoku ── Release.”[2]
And took it off.
Immediately after that, an invisible shockwave hit Stella and then the venue itself.
It had blown Stella off to the edge of the ring, bent the fence surrounding the venue, and shattered all the windows facing the ring. A choir of screams resounded.
Stella drew her breath at that scene.
Just then, Ouma had definitely said ‘release’. In other words, that amount of air was not generated right in that moment──
“Don’t tell me, you, with that absurdly large amount of air......have you been suppressing yourself with that until now!?”
Ouma wordlessly affirmed her.
That’s right. The explosion of air that knocked Stella just then, everything was a high-pressure shackle that had been binding Ouma until a moment ago. He used his Noble Art, Tenryuu Gusoku, which repelled enemy attacks by wearing it, against himself, and burdened his body constantly with an out-of-norm load.
“For what reason, are you doing that......”
“Of course, for the sake of 「Evolution」.”
Evolution was a fundamental ability that living things possessed in order to adapt to the environment. For example, something similar to webbing might appear from a human who had been constantly swimming since he was young.
Ouma administered himself to a harsh environment that pushed his body to the limit, forcefully triggering his body’s ability. It was for the sake of obtaining a physical body that could withstand any attack, and a power that could beat any enemy down.
However, even if living things were equipped with the ability to evolve, it was normal for it to take a long time. Naturally, he couldn’t do it easily.
A human body under that level of pressure would not remain unscathed.
The pressure suppressed him from all directions, he couldn't even lift a finger.
His flesh was squashed, his bones were smashed.
His organs could not function properly due to external pressure.
Of course, he could not fight in that condition, and continued to lose.
He was beaten, slashed, pierced, burned by enemies that he could effortlessly win against in the past──......
However......even so, he did not cease his recklessness.
Because he knew that he had to do it in order to reach the territory of that demonic being.
He continued to force his battered body without mercy.
If he was pressed to death by his own power, he could only go that far.
“And then......when countless wounds were carved onto my entire body, this recklessness paid off.”
His body gradually, in order to adapt to the environment he set on himself, began to evolve.
His bone structure increased its hardness to be like an iron core in order not to lose against the pressure suppressing him, his organs pulsated strongly in order to let blood circulate his entire body. Each and every muscle fibre of his body became stronger and more tenacious in order to let him move smoothly under high pressure......eventually, when his body could not feel the 「Pressure」 anymore ── Ouma’s body literally transformed into 「Steel」.
“You may not see it from the compacted external appearance, but just like the feedback from your hand, my weight, with muscle and bone density tens of times higher than a normal person, is way heavier than Panzer Grizzly. A lukewarm slash will never injure me.”
And then──
“And so right now, I have released those shackles. Do you know what this means?”
“～～～～～～～......!”
Stella hurriedly held up her sword from those words, but...
“Too slow.”
“Kuh──”
The stone plate ring crumbled under Ouma’s kick off, and he shortened the distance between the two in just one step.
Next, he swung his wind-wrapped sword three times before any interference.
Three flashes of slash, accompanied by the groan of atmosphere, assaulted towards her.
Any one of those could turn Stella into a speck of dust in the same instant.
Fast. Compared to the speed of Twin-Wings’s sword technique that Ikki imitated, that was more──
“HAaA!”
It was hard to handle even for Stella, who possessed excellent athletic ability and battle sense, but she understood that it would be dangerous to stay within sword range like that.
Hence, at the same time Stella received Ouma’s slash attacks, she leaped back.
Using the force from receiving the opponent’s sword, she escaped from coming into contact with him.
It was a method that Ikki used to take distance during the mock battle they had in the past.
However...
“ZeAAAAa!!!!”
Ouma immediately reacted to it.
He sent a flurry of vacuum blades towards Stella who escaped the contact range.
Slashes of vacuum flew with a speed that surpassed rifle bullets.
It was impossible to visually catch sight of those.
However, it was a battle between two Blazers.
Stella read the presence of magic power like that of a blazing sun wrapped around the vacuum blades, and struck them down one by one.
However...
“──Ka...fu!?”
Immediately after striking down the last vacuum blade.
Stella’s abdomen tore open horizontally, blood sprayed out.
Why? Stella was confused as there wasn’t any presence of magic power.
However, it was only natural.
Just then was ── an effect without using magic power.
“I can’t believe it. To be able to send a slash wave with just arm strength......!”
Touka murmured with a trembled voice while watching the match in the audience stand.
That’s right. What slashed open Stella’s abdomen was not a Noble Art.
It was a physical wind pressure raised by Ouma swinging his Ryuuzume.
Of course, it was much less powerful compared to a vacuum blade.
Due to the magic power wrapped around Blazers which added strong resistance towards physical impact, the damage on Stella’s abdomen was only skin-deep without reaching the internal organs, but ── it was sufficient to stop her from escaping.
“Fu────!”
Ouma immediately closed in on Stella, who stopped her movement for a moment, and slashed diagonally down with his right arm.
Evade ── it was already too late for such an action.
As the impact from those flying slashes was greater than what she had predicted, her body’s axis was misaligned and not in a condition for evasion.
Hence, Stella guarded Ouma’s diagonal slash in her unstable posture.
However...
“Not good! The technique coming from this pose is......!”
Ouma, who had slashed diagonally down with just his right arm, still had his left arm.
Ikki turned pale from that fact.
He knew because he had peeked at Kurogane House’s training when he was young.
What would be executed from that pose was known as the sword of national defense.
It was a sword technique that Kurogane household had passed down since the samurai era, 「Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu」[3] extremity of steel......!
“──Hono Ikazuchi.[4]”
Aiming at Stella’s eye level as she defended against his sword, no, accurately speaking, at the eye level of Ryuuzume that she defended against, Ouma’s clenched left fist struck.
That steel fist struck Ryuuzume like a thunderclap, further adding power to the sword.
Stella, who had received the sword in an unstable posture, could not defend against that...
Stella’s body was blown away with an intensity like a missle.
And she crashed into the wall below the audience stand just like that. She did not stop even after crushing──
Despite the reinforced concrete blasting open, she was thrown until outside of the venue.
Part 6
「W-Whaaat!?」
「Lies. From the hall, blown all the way there!? It’s not manga, you know!?」
「C-Can’t believe it. Would it be alright, this...」
The people who could not fit inside the dome that were listening to the broadcast made an uproar at Stella’s figure blasting through the dome wall to the outside.
It was the same inside the dome.
The overly impactful scene raised an earth-shattering cheer.
「E-Extreeeeeme!! Not just a ring out, but a dome out! I have over ten years of experience as the an announcer for A-League, but I had only seen such a flashy out of field once! To think that I would be seeing it a second time in a match between students!
This is a battle between A-Rank Knights! There’s no other description than out-of-norm!
──Now then, the count is beginning now!
Contender Stella, will she be able to return within the count!?」
The announcer’s voice could be heard intermittently.
The cheers from the audience reached the peak.
Stella heard it from afar while lying down face-up, looking at the sky.
(He got me......)
The stimulation in that impact which exceeded the limit a human body could handle had paralyzed the sense of feeling in her entire body.
Since she was born, she had never received an impact as strong as that.
(What a monstrous bastard......that guy.)
Certainly, living things possessed the ability to adapt to environments.
The history of life was the history of evolution.
Like how a creature that originally lived in the sea grew four limbs because it hoped to live on land.
Like how the process of coping with the change in living environment by walking on two feet caused the bone structure to change.
By making his own environment severe, he obtained power that could not be obtained in a normal environment.
Since life possessed the mechanism called evolution, it was not that much of a bizarre consideration.
──However, that was originally supposed to be achieved after decades or centuries of time.
Ouma had completed that in just one generation, just a few years.
Even though he could probably stop his recklessness if he wanted to, since the method of adding burden was his own ability, he cut off that common sense and temptation, ignored any half-hearted strength, only wishing for the top, the strongest. With just his will alone, he changed the design of anatomy that was drawn by god.
The word stoic already could not describe that aberrant willpower towards his goal.
(Strong......truly.)
She could only admit.
She could feel respect for that way of living which rejected any compromises.
There was no falsehood in that.
Not even a tiny bit.
(──Aah, nevertheless...)
「Eh?」
「N-No way......Stella-chan, is smiling?」
That’s right, nevertheless, it was a strange story, but...
(As if, I don’t feel like losing......!)
Part 7
「──Five! Six!」
Ouma, who was on the ring, did not even listen to the counting that echoed in the venue.
Anyone could understand that it was meaningless.
The opponent was an A-Rank Knight like himself.
The same chosen one who was born to carry a large fate in this world.
Just that much ── would not be the end for that woman.
“You said it yesterday. You will beat me up at my full strength. I have responded to that request of yours now. This is my full strength. If you want to crush it then show me. ──Crimson Princess.”
As he said that, Ouma lifted his gaze upwards.
To the sky he could see as he looked up.
Over there, she was standing.
「T-There――――! Contender Stella! She is looking down at the ring from the top of the night light before we knew it! E-Even though she was hit outside so grandly, apart from some tatters on her clothes, there are no severe injuries!」
「Well, even if she smashed through the dome, she wouldn’t suffer much damage from a physical impact without magic power as long as she didn’t get hit by Ryuuzume. Especially for Stella-chan who boasts the greatest magic power capacity in the world.」
「And right now, she has returned to the ring at the count of eight!」
The audience leaked voices of exclamation in amazement towards Stella as she returned from outside like it was natural.
After the main referee made the call to resume the match, Ouma readied his Ryuuzume again.
However, Stella did not take a stance...
“Ouma. Before we resume the match, I want to ask one thing.”
Towards the enemy before her eyes......she talked in the most friendly voice she had made so far.
“What?”
Ouma asked back without releasing his stance.
What she wanted to hear from him was just one thing.
“You......for what reason are you aiming for the summit?”
That extremely tenacious willpower towards his goal.
What was the foundation that supported it? She wanted to know.
After Ouma looked down for just an instant, stayed quiet for a moment, then he answered.
“......It’s not much of a story.
When I was a child, I was happy to have won the match held by my household for the first time.
And then I thought.
I wanted to become stronger than anyone in this world. That is......something I would probably feel good about.
If I have to put it in words, it’s just that.”
Ouma said that such a trivial matter was not worth to talk about purposely.
However...
“......That’s incredible. You.”
Stella thought so in her heart.
She had her duties as a royalty.
What supported the core of the girl known as Stella was the obligation towards her citizens.
However, Ouma was not like that.
To the end, it was for his own sake.
Just for that reason alone, he had obtained that much power.
He traveled around the world, encountered despair, and yet even so, he did not compromise a single time.
That fortitude was similar to her most beloved man......
“You are the second person that I 「respect」 from the bottom of my heart as an enemy, Ouma.
That’s why I will show you.
Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion’s true power......!”
There was already no hatred anymore.
Even the anger about what Ouma had done before had also disappeared.
As a knight, as a warrior, she only wanted to fulfill the subjugation of that proud enemy.
Making up her mind, Stella raised her Lævateinn...
“Dragon Spirit......!!!!”
──And stabbed it into her own chest.
In that instant, dazzling light, accompanied with heat wave, blew out from Stella’s body, enveloping the whole venue.
Part 8
It was ten days ago.
Stella, who had decided to train herself after losing to Ouma, volunteered to take the special training from Yaksha Princess, Nene Saikyou, who was a temporary lecturer in Hagun Academy, using Kurono Shinguuji’s connection.
Saikyou acknowledged her, and the two went to the training camp in Okutama that Hagun Academy owned to begin their special training.
The training with a strong opponent such as the third in the world was meaningful to Stella.
However, just however──
「There is something decisively lacking in Stella-chan’s sword.」
The first day of special training. Saikyou pointed out an issue .
Something she lacked. What could it be?
Honestly speaking, she couldn’t see it.
It might be conceited for Stella to say it herself, but she was confident in being a balanced Blazer.
There should not be any significant flaws.
On the other hand, she felt that Saikyou’s point was a very important matter in her heart.
That’s why it was even more weird.
However, time flew by as if mocking the feeling of the impatient Stella, as she could not see the answer. Finally reaching the day before the opening of Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival──
“Now then. Tomorrow is the start of Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, how about it? Did you realize what your sword is lacking?”
In the morning, Stella appealed to Saikyou, who had reached the field in the forest used as a training ground.
“Nene-sensei......! Please! Please at least give me a hint of what I am lacking......!”
However, towards that appeal, Saikyou replied with the same answer as before.
“No.”
“Why!?”
“If I taught you, it would have the reverse effect if you don’t handle it well. Especially in Stella-chan’s case, at that.”
A reverse effect in her case?
What did that mean?
It would be different if it was not her? Stella was confused.
“I totally don’t get what you’re trying to say......”
Towards that lost child-like expression of Stella...
“Is that so? In that case, it can’t be helped.”
Saikyou sighed...
“Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion’s Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival ends here.”
And swung her iron fan Device, Beniiro Ageha, in a horizontal line.
In an instant, a shallow cut was on Stella’s cheek, and blood drops spewed into air.
“──Ha?”
Stella was stunned for a moment due to the sudden enmity.
The fact that blood flowed meant that she was not holding back.
However, that was...
“W-What is it, tomorrow is the Festival, so as expected, today is...────!?”
Stella raised a voice of protest, but she did not finish what she wanted to say.
Because she saw the expression of Saikyou standing before her.
(What’s with that face......!)
What was reflected in her pupils was a bloodlust that she had never seen before during their special training.
(She’s...serious......!)
“Kuh!”
She did such a thing at such a time, when the next day the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival would start.
Stella could not understand what she was thinking doing that, but she knew just one thing.
She instinctively understood that the current situation was really bad.
Hence, Stella exploded her magic power beneath her feet, and took a large jump backwards.
She took distance from Saikyou. ──However...
“I won’t let you es-cape.”
“UAAA!?”
Saikyou faced her palm upwards, and curved her index finger.
Right after that, Stella’s body was pulled towards Saikyou in the middle of jumping backwards by an invisible force.
Nene Saikyou’s ability. The attraction force from Gravity Manipulation.
She did not intend to let Stella go.
She was really serious.
Then she did not have the luxury of feeling confusion or hesitation.
Stella also changed her Device from Illusionary Form to real blade.
And she gathered a few strings of flame onto that blade...
“Katharterio・Salamandra────!”
The heated blade that turned into light flashed as it was swung down towards Saikyou who had pulled her in.
The blade of light was racing on the track of a diagonal slash at Saikyou without an err...
──However, it was at the moment when it was around thirty centimeters from Saikyou’s skin.
Suddenly, the slash’s movement curved and went off the way.
“Nah!?”
What exactly happened?
Stella’s head was full of question, but she didn’t have the free time to think.
That’s because Saikyou, who had drawn her in, swung her iron fan.
“Kokutou・Yatagarasu.”[5]
Accompanied by a crimson iron fan that tore through the wind, was a black blade of super gravity that pushed away even light.
Stella could not evade it after her posture crumbled from missing her strike.
She couldn’t evade it, but ── reversing her blade to shield herself was a miraculous technique possible due to Stella’s high physical ability.
However ── it could do only so much.
“Kokushichou.”[6]
Against Stella, who had received her right hand’s iron fan, Saikyou opened the iron fan in her left hand and swung as if fanning wind at her.
Soon, black gravitational energy formed shapes of butterflies, fluttering their wings and flying towards Stella’s flank...
“～～～～～～～～～～～～!?!?”
Immediately after that, Stella was assaulted by a super massive impact, as if a large truck had just rammed into her, blowing away her body.
Stella’s body slid past the ground, thrusted into the forest behind her back, knocking down trees along the way, until a huge cliff raised from the ground.
“Ka...ha......!”
Stella’s body was about to collapse onto the ground while blood flowed out as she opened her mouth wide.
However, Stella thrusted her sword into the ground to act as a support, and asked the woman in crimson kimono she could see on the other side of the collapsed trees.
“Gu-uuu......! What...are you trying to do!? Why are you......!”
In response, Saikyou answered.
“Nothing in particular. Stella-chan is doing special training for the sake of winning against Ouma-chan and getting a rematch with Kuro-bou, right? But......if you can’t see what your sword is lacking even now, that dream is as good as dead. There’s no meaning in participating. Rather, if you went all out against Ouma-chan who is the same A-Rank as you, you might die if you’re unlucky. Cause a battle between A-Ranks is just that kind of dangerous thing......So consider stopping you a form of love from me, as a teacher being responsible despite our short time together, alright? You can go ahead and sleep in a bed for a day or two. Everything will be over by the time you wake up.”
As Saikyou told her such, she activated Jibakujin.
The gravity of the surrounding space increased, applying ten times the normal gravity on Stella’s body.
She would not be able to escape easily with that, but...
“T-Thisssss! Stop jooooking!”
That would work at best against a normal Blazer.
Stella pulled out her sword from the ground while bearing the heavy pressure, and stood with her two feet...
“Dragon Faaang!!!!”
The hot flame wrapping around the sword shot out towards Saikyou with the intensity of the swing.
The flame dragons that flew out numbered ten.
They twisted their bodies between the gaps in trees as they assaulted Saikyou to devour her.
However, as they closed in on her, the flame dragons started to show abnormalities.
As if they were escaping from Saikyou, they started to wriggle away in the wrong direction.
(W-Why!? I totally cannot control them......!)
She ordered the flame dragons a few times, but the result was the same even if she changed their tracks.
Not a single one could get close to Saikyou.
She had obstructed the homing ability with some kind of method.
──Wrong. Saikyou’s ability was not something that could do that kind of job.
Then as Stella was thinking what could have caused it, she immediately understood the reason.
(I see......! Using super gravity, she twisted the space itself around her and made it like a maze......!)
However, there was nothing she could do even though she understood...
“Know when to quit.”
“Ga...fu............!”
As Saikyou strengthened the pressure of Jibakujin, Stella was finally pressed down to the ground.
Her bones were making creaking sounds and her body was being buried into the ground.
Even if she wanted to stand up, she could not even lift her upper body.
(Too...strong......)
However, that was only natural.
Her opponent was the third place in the KoK A-Rank League.
Because she was the third strongest knight within the nations of the League.
Although both were A-Rank Blazers, her opponent was too much for Stella, who was still a student.
If such an opponent was seriously trying to crush her, she had no way of resisting.
──If she remained like that, it would really be the end.
The Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival. The important promise with Ikki.
Anything and everything would be lost.
That mortification was too much for her, causing tears to gather.
(I’m sorry......Ikki............I────)
However, just as Stella was about to apologize to Ikki in her heart, in that instant.
Ba-thump.
She felt her own heartbeat increasing throughout her entire body.
(Eh......?)
Stella’s weak heart, that was about to give up, slowly started beating stronger on the contrary.
It was beating crazily and calling out to Stella.
‘──What a stupid girl, trying to selfishly give up. I, will not lose to anyone’, as if it was saying that.
(Aah, speaking of which......in the past, something similar happened as well.)
That voice calling out from her body made Stella remember her past self.
It was the time when she awakened her power as a Blazer, and was able to control it to a certain extent.
Stella was drowned in her power, which would get stronger proportional to the amount of training she did.
Where exactly could her limit be?
That bottomless talent of hers, how strong could she become with it?
She heard that her magic power seemed to be the highest in the entire world.
She felt that it was wonderful.
In that case, she would not lose to anyone.
No matter what enemy she faced...
──She would be able to protect her country, her important citizens.
(Yes. That’s right......)
Stella smiled bitterly at herself.
For the sake of becoming strong, she studied the world, watched many things, fought against various kinds of enemies──
And as she gained strength, seriously......she forgot the most important thing.
It was the confidence of being an existence born stronger than anybody else.
She was too strict on herself, and belittled herself before she knew it.
──An opponent too much for her who was still a student?
──If such an opponent was seriously trying to crush her, she had no way of resisting?
What, what a foolish concept.
Magic power was proportional to the destiny the person was carrying.
As the possessor of the world’s greatest magic power capacity, she carried an equally great destiny.
She still didn’t know what kind of destiny it was, but──
At the very least, it was not something that just the world’s number three could stop!
“──────”
In that case, she just had to release it.
All the power sleeping in her body that she herself did not know.
That should be in her body for sure.
Right then, just like her body, her soul roaring────!
“Ua-AA-A-AaAAAAAAAAAA──────!!!!!!”
The moment Stella resolved herself, her body moved by itself, and stabbed Lævateinn into her chest.
No more hesitation, no more wavering.
It was the same as humans breathing without being conscious of it.
Her body, her cells, knew about it.
Her own power, the real way to use it────
Immediately, an explosion of heat rays came from the center of Stella’s body.
A wind of light that mowed everything down in all direction was like a sickle of scorching heat.
The trees in the forest that were hit were disintegrated into ash without even having the time to burn.
While that storm of heat rays made her hair flutter......Saikyou smiled as if she was relieved.
“Good grief, finally awakened. What a troublesome child.”
Part 9
「W-What does this mean!? Suddenly, the moment Contender Stella seemed to have made up her mind, a storm of light so blinding that we couldn’t even open our eyes blew from Contender Stella and buried the whole ring! Be it the camera or the naked eyes, we are unable to determine the situation on the ring! What exactly could be happening now!?」
「Hot! So hot!」
「Please do not touch the fence! There is a danger of getting a burn! Please keep your hands away from the fence!」
The heat wave that spread to the audience stand caused groans from the audience and voices from Mage-Knights protecting them to mix around.
Amongst that commotion, seeing the same brilliance as that time, Saikyou murmured “It’s fine like this.”
(It’s fine for Stella-chan to trust in her talents more.)
What she was lacking in.
Simply speaking, it was the pride in her own talent.
Stella possessed talent greater than anyone else, and yet she did not neglect hard work.
She would honor and respect the knights possessing excellent techniques despite them having weaker magic power.
That humbleness was a virtue as a human being.
However, Saikyou thought otherwise.
If it was about Stella, such a thing might not suit her.
It would only be a virtue for those run-of-the-mill people.[7]
It would not do for the out-of-norm genius born as the possessor of the world’s greatest magic power capacity to be acting that way.
There was no need for her to follow the example of others.
What she should have was not humility, but pride.
The confidence that she was an absolute strong existence.
The reason was because she was born as a lion in the world.
In which world would a lion envy a rabbit?
Always be haughty. Be proud. Be greedy.
Be certain that not a single person in the world could be stronger than herself.
If she did that──
Her talent would respond to that haughtiness, pride, greed no matter what......!
(......But well, I never thought that such a monster had been lying dormant.)
Before long, the raging storm of heat rays died down, and it happened the instant their eyes readjusted after being blinded by the heat rays.
「「「............!?」」」
Everyone in the venue drew their breaths.
The positions of Stella and Ouma did not change from before the light enveloped the ring.
However, Stella’s appearance was like that of a different person.
Stella stood in the center of the heat wave-like twisted scenery.
The Lævateinn that pierced her chest disappeared somehow, leaving a scar shining like a heated metal.
That scar slowly flickered between bright and dim as if carving out the heartbeat. And as if synchronizing with that, the radiance from the core shone on Stella’s skin and bright red hair.
That was like an entirely different thing from the brilliance of magic power Stella released until then.
It was not the brilliance of magic power gushing out, but the glow coming from within her body.
What exactly happened to her body──
In the instant everyone was having that question.
Stella slowly raised her chin up towards the sky and...
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■──────!!!!!!”
Roared into the sky.
What was released from the lovely lips of a girl was a roar of something obviously non-human.
Like the rumbling of the earth. Like the rumbling of the sea. Or like a deafening thunder.
It was a roar that shook the atmosphere──
“Crimson Princess.....You, that voice, is......”
“Defend yourself. You may die.”
Right after saying so, Stella crushed the distance of fifty meters between them with a speed similar to a bullet, arriving before Ouma’s bosom.
And then she clenched her fist that was shining and then threw it at Ouma as if using her whole body behind it.
“────!”
She broke through.
He could not dodge that fist.
However, to Ouma it was an attack not even on the level of a slash by a Device. He did not need to dodge in the first place.
However ── the words of warning from Stella to the defending Ouma held some certainty in it.
That certainty triggered Ouma’s sense of danger.
Ouma crossed his trained arms before him and prepared for Stella’s punch.
Then, Stella’s swung fist hit Ouma’s guard ── instantly...
“Gu...ha...aa...AA......!”
The impact that was harder and heavier than Ouma’s prediction broke his guard and knocked into his ribs.
Its momentum was not killed after breaking two layers of guard, piercing through the back of Ouma through his ribs, pushing his feet along the ground.
「Contender Stella has blown Contender Ouma away despite his guard! A groan leaked out from Contender Ouma who did not change his expression regardless of any attacks or strikes from Devices! His knees are bent! It was that much of a heavy impact!」
「It’s not just heavy. Look at Ouma-chan’s arms.」
「Eh?」
Guided by Saikyou, the broadcasting camera zoomed in on Ouma’s arms.
There was a shocking image displayed.
「T-This is......! On Contender Ouma’s arm, there is a burn mark in the shape of Contender Stella’s fist as if it was branded on it......!」
「The punch just now should have burned into his bone, literally. In other words──」
“GuuuaAA......!”
Knees bent, Ouma pressed on the arm that received the punch as he howled in pain.
He could not be blamed.
Stella’s punch did not only shatter Ouma’s reinforced bones, but also burned them in one strike.
To Ouma, his bone became something like a burning red metal rod.
That intense heat was charring his flesh from the inside, burning his nerves.
「He can be accustomed to external pain, but getting burned from inside is not something you get to experience often. This will be hard on him.」
「That’s true......! B-But I don’t understand! The current Contender Stella is clearly different from the Contender Stella from before! What exactly is this sudden power up about!?」
The audience also got noisy, as if resonating with the announcer’s confusion.
It would be natural if considering whether it was natural or not.
There was the raw power which made Ouma, who could not be injured even once by swords until then, bend his knees. There was the change in her appearance, there was the roar that could not be called human, there were many things they did not understand.
However──
“I see......That is how it is......!”
Ikki, who had been closer to Stella than anyone else for the past few months, had arrived at the answer of that mystery one step faster.
“Kurogane-kun, what is the reason for Stella-chan suddenly becoming stronger?”
Ikki nodded and replied to Touka’s question.
“......I believe that most likely, her method of using her power was wrong from the beginning. Surely......in the first place, Stella is not a fire user.”
“E-Eeh!? What...does that......”
Touka’s voice contained more question to Ikki’s answer.
She could not understand the meaning behind Ikki’s words.
That was explained by Saikyou, who was at the scene when she awakened.
「Blazers are not able to use magic the moment they are born. They usually awaken abruptly on some day. Things like having the power to let out fire, or the power to control gravity. And then they learn how to use it from their own comprehension, hence there are times where misunderstandings occur.
I was like that. The very first time I was aware of my special power was the time when I made toys float in air, I actually believed that my ability was to make things float, but in reality, it was different. It was possible to achieve that from its usage, but it was a completely different ability.
Stella-chan is the same. Of course, spewing out fire from an empty space suddenly would make anyone think that they were fire user. Well, most of them would clear their misunderstandings like me while playing or fighting when they were small......In Stella-chan’s case, she was too strong even with the misunderstanding. Due to that, she had come all the way here with that misunderstanding.」
「I-In other words, are you saying that, Contender Stella is not a fire user?」
「That’s how it is. Stella-chan’s original ability is not nature interference, but concept interference. And everyone should also know. The mythical monster with boiling blood circulating its body, and breathing out burning flame. The concept of the story that is passed down as a symbol of fear and violence which could not be resisted anywhere in this world......!」
“Don’t...tell me......!”
According to Saikyou’s words, Ouma, who was forced onto one knee by Stella, thought of the worst possibility as he looked up at her.
And that premonition was spot on.
“Concept interference type ── Dragon.
The ability to manifest in one’s body the power of a predator that lives at the peak of the food chain in the mythological world.
That is mine, Crimson Princess’s, Stella Vermillion’s true power.”
Something like flame was just a portion of her power. It was exactly just a Breath.
Sweltering heat dwelled in her body similar to the mythical monster, allowing her to obtain the raw power of a Dragon.
Manifesting any and all kinds of violence revolved around the concept of Dragon.
That was what the real power was, and the rightful way of utilizing it.
Stella realized it in her battle against Saikyou.
In other words, the dragon that was bound to only using its 「Breath」 so far had torn away its bindings, and started to wield its full power──
“And I am not used to this power yet, so I cannot control it well. Without a doubt......I will break you. I don’t think that I will fight against you another time. That’s why I will say this before the end.
Thank you, Ouma. Thanks to you, I have remembered myself.”
“......!”
──Ouma already understood that he did not have any bit of leeway.
“Tenryuu Gusoku────!!!!”
Against Stella coming for another attack, Ouma wrapped himself in an armor of wind, intercepting the attack with his full power.
Stella was currently barehanded.
If she closed in, she would have an upper hand in maneuverability.
That’s why he had to keep her at sword range.
Ouma showered Stella with countless slashes after deciding so. However──
“Slow!”
“......!?”
The slash attacks coming from Ouma like falling rain, that were definitely not lukewarm, were deflected by Stella’s two fists.
She caught the flank of Ryuuzume accurately, not leaving a single scratch on her fist.
And everytime she deflected Ryuuzume, Ouma’s hand felt a terrible impact.
It was an impact so forceful that if he slackened his strength a little bit, Ryuuzume would be blown far away from him.
Ouma held the handle with all his strength, while preventing Ryuuzume from being deflected away, his forehead was drenched in sweat.
(This is...a dragon’s raw power huh......!)
The overwhelming raw power possessed by the monster living in the mythological world.
It was originally supporting the function of arm strength in Stella’s body, but that was at best unconsciously. It was like water droplets dripping out from a closed faucet.
However, Stella had realized her own power, and obtained the technique to fully open said faucet.
As such, it was natural that the power output would be different.
Currently, Stella’s physical ability was several tens of times greater than before.
And then, with the destructive speed and attack power it gave her, she repelled all of Ouma’s slashes, while digging closer towards him.
After deflecting about three more strikes, she would probably close in within fist range.
However...
“Fuu────!”
Ouma also did not easily allow her to accomplish that.
There, he displayed the technique of the Sword Emperor of Wind.
He abandoned the number of strikes, and swung Ryuuzume widely.
He wrung his muscles to the limit, squeezed, adding a force to the point of twisting the joints on his spine, to the point of twisting his body to face away from his opponent.
Of course, Stella would further close in during that gap, he understood it.
She would probably deflect away any amount of those slashes with no weight behind anyway.
In that case, he would bet everything on the fastest single strike he had.
Preparing his sword from the limit of his swing was for that sake.
What he was about to release was the godspeed sword passed down in Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu.
Naturally, every muscle in his entire body was used, it even used the rebound of the joints and bones in his body by returning his posture from its twisted position to the original one to accelerate, it was exactly a sword released with his entire body and spirit.
There was no preparation or counter after releasing that one strike.
It was just speed alone was principle. Cut alone was justice.
That was truly──
“Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu・Jin no Kyoku. ──Amaterasu!”[8]
“............!”
The white blade swung from the position after his body twisted to the limit fell onto Stella without a sound.
Despite just one strike, different from Ikki’s Blade Steal, Ouma’s Amaterasu, which had truly reached Twin-Wings’s territory, exceeded the limit of reaction even for Stella with dragon’s power dwelling inside her, Ryuuzume cut Stella’s body diagonally.
Blood sprayed into the air.
He felt the feedback of Ryuuzume cutting flesh and bones squarely.
It did not reach the organs, but it was probably a sufficient strike to dull her movements.
It was supposed to be so──
“There!”
“Gu...u!”
Let alone retreating, Stella stepped forward despite receiving Amaterasu, her long leg lashed out like a whip and kicked Ouma’s right shin.
Stella’s low kick made a sound like something popped, broke through Tenryuu Gusoku and crushed Ouma’s shin bone with just one strike.
Ouma wobbled in pain while being confused at what happened.
Certainly, although Amaterasu did not cause a fatal wound, it should have dealt sufficient damage to rob Stella of her mobility.
Ouma immediately noticed the answer.
(This is......!)
That large cut wound on Stella.
There was not a single drop of blood from there.
No, on the contrary, the wound was being stitched up at an unbelievable speed in front of his eyes.
That was the strength of vitality possessed by the creature known as dragon.
──Since ancient times, it was common sense to decapitate a dragon to subjugate it.
To a creature such as dragon, a wound that was not fatal could not be considered a wound.
Stella had just recreated the vitality of a dragon that could be said to be immortal with a human body through inheritance.
──An indecisive wound could not be considered a wound anymore.
“Tch!”
The versatility of that ability was even wider than his imagination.
Ouma judged that he had to observe the situation and let go of his left hand from Ryuuzume and gathered the air on his palm.
What he created was a explosive bullet of wind made from air.
He threw it and intended to take distance by blowing Stella’s body away.
That was the most appropriate action Ouma judged in that instant. ──However...
“Out of the way!”
Even that most appropriate action was useless against the ferocious dragon.
The released explosive bullet of wind was scattered by Stella’s back hand punch.
Ouma’s expression froze at that outcome.
(Like steel crushing rock, the hardness of her magic power crushed my magic......!)
And with that move, Stella had caught Ouma within fist range.
Ouma immediately pulled back his empty-handed left arm to guard...
“Ugh────!”
That punch crushed the bone of the guarding arm like a matter of course, and the impact pierced into his organs.
Ouma’s body wobbled back greatly and his knees bent.
He could not stop it. He could not stop Stella’s fierce attack.
Not his trained muscles, not his sharpened speed, not technique, not magic──
Everything that he had accumulated was meaningless.
He would be trampled on. By pure violence that could knock down everything.
And that helplessness caused Ouma to get a flashback on the memory of his first loss and frustration.
He, who was covered in blood miserably, and that pair of pupils glaring at him while sitting on a chair like it was a throne.
Nothing went through no matter what he did.
Despite him challenged again and again, he could even not touch the seated Tyrant, he could not even protect his own body, and was just single-sidedly beaten up.
His body suffered burning pain. His heart felt helplessness.
As he linked everything to the fear that shook him at that time in the past, his whole body started to tremble.
“Ku...O...OoOoOoo──!”
Even so, Ouma struggled to raise his trauma-carved body and counter attacked.
He aimed to stab at Stella’s heart as she chased after him for further attacks after he collapsed backward.
However, with his crushed right leg and battered body he could not aim accurately as he wanted...
The stab was ── blocked.
Stella purposely pushed out her left hand at the incoming Ryuuzume, letting it pierce through her palm as she advanced, and grabbed hold of the sword guard of Ryuuzume after it pierced through to the base.
“I caught you, Ouma.”
(Shi────)
It was too late by the time he thought so.
Stella punched her superheated right fist into Ouma’s upper body that was full of openings.
“HAAaAaa────────!!!!”
She also did not end it with one strike.
She had the intention of determining the outcome and rained down consecutive punches.
With Ryuuzume caught, Ouma could not even escape backwards with the impact from the hits.
If he were to let go of Ryuuzume once, Stella would probably not even give him the time to reconstruct his Device.
He must not let go. If he were to let go, he would lose. Hence, he could not escape.
He could not escape, he could not even defend, he could only let the consecutive punches that were like cannon shots shower on him.
And that storm-like punches that fell onto him burnt his skin, grilled his flesh, crushed his bones──
“～～～～～～～～～Ka...ha!!!!”
The instant Ouma’s chin finally lowered.
An uppercut that came from the ground level thrusted upwards at his chin, hitting the four hundred kilo body of Ouma into the air.
His body flew through the air in a big parabola, and fell onto the stone disk with his back without any protection.
In that match, no, in that Festival, Sword Emperor of Wind sank onto the ground for the first time.
Part 10
「Contender Ouma...down! He is lying down in a ‘大’ position and looking at the sky without moving! No he can’t move!」
「H-How intense......」
「This...already determined the match, right?」
「This is......the Blazer possessing the world’s strongest magic power huh......!」
A big reversal from the eventful out of the ring.
The strength of Stella, who had displayed her true power, caused a big commotion in the venue.
However, even that commotion did not reach Ouma who had fallen on the ring.
It was no wonder. His right leg fractured from the shin, left wrist dislocated, his rib cage did not have a single bone uninjured. The jawbone that received an uppercut was smashed from the root of his teeth, that crack reached even his skull. And the heat from those shattered bones were burning his flesh from inside currently.
The injuries were so severe that it wouldn’t be strange if he had lost his consciousness.
There was no way he could hear the surrounding voices.
Ouma simply looked at the sky with his clouded pupils, and once again recalled within his spaced-out consciousness.
Similar to the day of frustration five years ago.
How vast the world was.
How tiny he was.
──Certainly, Ouma had an out-of-norm talent like that of gold.
However......his talent was like golden sand.
There were people who possessed similar golden talent but that of a gold ingot.
There was a world where only such kind of chosen existences could stand in.
The summit was that kind of place.
......Shouldn’t it be about the time for him to recognize his lack of ability?
If he recognized his lack of ability, he would probably receive the honor worthy of him.
Reality had always been persuading him so.
(But...even so......)
“──............U...oo.”
「C-Contender Ouma flipped his body around and is trying to raise his body with his arms! He is trying to stand up! Contender Stella is also showing a shocked expression!」
(......I have ambition to continue even if my chest is burned.)
No matter how many times he realized the vastness of the world...
No matter how many times his accumulated confidence and pride were shattered...
His unwithering desire to continue remained unchanged.
──He would wish for any and everything.
It was fine if he did not have a comfortable life.
It was fine to just have one thing.
──He wanted to be number one.
To stand at the summit of the world he loved.
It was a wish he held since the day he obtained his first victory.
Compared to Stella’s wish of protecting her country, it would only be called a selfish and childish wish.
By being able to throw a ball a little faster than others, one would want to become a baseball player.
By being able to draw a little better than others, one would want to become a manga artist.
It could only be seen as a typical future wish of a child.
However, even after losing his confidence and pride, Ouma still moved with the desire to push forward.
It was just his desire.
In that case, no matter how childish it was, how selfish it was──
(That is...for a person such as me...a wish that is worth betting a lifetime on!)
That’s why ── just that alone, he would not concede!
“OOOooOooOoooaAaAAAAA──────!!!!”
「H-He stood up! Contender Ouma, while letting out a roar as if spitting out his blood, he raised his battered body and stood up! U-Unbelievable! Even though his arms and legs were smashed......!」
「He used atmospheric pressure as a cast to maintain his bone structure forcefully......Ouma-chan has not given up yet!」
Before he knew it, the trembling of his body had stopped.
What was boiling in his marrows was not fear, but boundless competitiveness.
His flesh was, blood was, bone was, soul was──
Everything that made up the shape of a man known as Ouma Kurogane stirred up for one thing.
He would surpass her, that was.
Facing the despair that rose up in the past, he did not feel a tiny bit of resignation.
Ever since he was defeated by the Tyrant, he had gone through that one thousand five hundred days as he thought of challenging that territory once again, it was reckless but definitely not useless.
It was because of those days that he could stand up again.
It was because of those days that he could fight again.
Then he just had to move on. Just as his heart desired so.
“It’s showdown. ──Crimson Princess.”
Ouma injected all his remaining magic power into Ryuuzume, wrapping it in a tornado.
The tornado increased in density as it swallowed the surrounding air, becoming a sword of storm from thousands of wind blades in due time.
The claw of the heavenly dragon that would tear everything upon contact.
It was the trump card of the Sword Emperor of Wind, Ouma Kurogane, which had defeated Stella before.
Ouma raised it towards the sky, and pleaded at Stella with his eyes.
──Draw your blade.
It was the figure that would take on the full power of his enemy despite knowing the difference in strength.
To the world that he loved, he would not compromise, not deceive himself, such was his spirit.
Seeing that, Stella comprehended as she remembered the side profile of Ikki as he talked about Ouma.
「Well, just that from my impression as far as I know, he is a seriously stoic person.」
──When she was talking with Ikki about Ouma, he praised him as such.
She could understand a bit of that feeling currently.
He definitely......respected his brother.
Only moving for his own sake.
He was a knight who held onto his dream from when he was young, and continued to face it more sincerely than anyone.
In that case──
“I will take you on. ──Sword Emperor of Wind.”
Stella also responded with the magic boasting the greatest attack power amongst her Noble Arts.
What took shape in her palm that was raised towards the sky was a sword of light made from binding the heat that could only be seen as an unwavering flame.
Magic power was the power to open up destiny.
In other words ── willpower.
Binding her willpower, holding her willpower, Stella faced off against the enemy before her eyes.
There was no more conversation between their intersecting gazes.
No, there was no need to.
As things had come to that far, they understood that they only had to cross swords.
And then, the flame and wind knights released their killing techniques...
“Kusanagiiii!!!!”
“Katharterio・Salamandraaaa!!!!”
Both of them swung down with all of their strength.
The sword of storm and sword of heat crossed.
That was similar to the fight before, a storm of heat bursted out in the moment of contact...
However ── it was not evenly matched currently.
Because Sword Emperor of Wind was swallowed into it just like that.
Part 11
The Katharterio・Salamandra that Stella had released did not stop at subjugating Sword Emperor of Wind, it had also slashed apart the Bay Dome, as well as the Osaka Bay beyond.
The audience stand and the huge screen in the dome were burned. A deep trench was carved on the seabed.
Along with the extraordinary destruction and dramatic closure, the announcer raised an excited voice.
「A-Amazing! Contender Stella, she has cut Sword Emperor along with the sea!」
「S-SSS-SCARYyyYYY!」
「If World Clock had not stopped the time for evacuation, I would’ve been cut along with that......What an outrageous princess.」
The audience raised a commotion at the carved out scar of destruction.
And Ouma, who was completely bathed in that destructive power, would definitely not be unharmed.
The main referee judged that Ouma was unable to continue the fight, and announced the end of the match.
At the same time, he announced Stella’s victory.
「Just now, the main referee has announced Contender Stella’s victory! A battle worthy of attention. The one who conquered this duel between both A-Rank monsters is Contender Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion!
Well, we speculated that both of them would be more evenly matched in this first match of the semi-final, but seeing the result, it is still the record holder of the world’s greatest magic power capacity after all! She suppressed Sword Emperor of Wind with overwhelming power from a different dimension! As expected, the wall of magic power capacity at birth is still tall!」
However, to those words of the announcer...
「That is wrong.」
Saikyou objected next to him.
「Wrong...meaning...there are other reasons for the victory?」
「Of course. Certainly, the strength of magic power is an important talent proportional to the greatness of destiny the Blazer carries in this world. But using that great power wrongly will also cause great backlash to the user. To use it well, it is necessary to put in an effort more than usual and have the strength of heart to continue that......If not, in unfortunate cases it is possible to be devoured by that talent. In fact, Stella-chan had almost died many times due to her power when she was a child.」
「I-Is that so!?」
「This is a famous rumor in Mage-Knight world. But Stella-chan never gave up no matter how many times she came close to death. It is because she had continued training without any compromise, she managed to let her own blood boil to imitate the dragon. Just a single mistake could cause her magic power control to be cut off from the power that can burn herself. Basically, I believe that the reason Stella-chan won this fight is because of her strong willpower.」
Certainly, Stella had used her power wrongly.
However, that was not a path of no return, but a necessary process.
She had properly practised to control her real power correctly.
And because Stella did not stop during that process, without compromise, overcoming it, she was able to use the power of a Dragon.
That’s why saying that the talent she had possessed since birth was the reason for her victory was rude to her.
「Well, in any case, those are trifling matters, the most important reason was thanks to me, the one who made Stella-chan awaken to her hidden potential! Ah, sorry for being too great of a coach! Ahaha!」
While ignoring Saikyou’s giggles, on the ring, Stella released the power of dragon dwelling in her body.
The boiling blood lost its heat, the glowing heat on her whole body disappeared.
And after returning completely back to a neutral state, Stella breathed out a sigh as if she was relieved, and murmured in a small voice that nobody could hear.
(I won......)
She had broken Ouma’s Kusanagi that had defeated her before.
That was the result of growth she could see.
She definitely became stronger. Compared to herself from a few weeks ago, far stronger.
If it was the current her, she could definitely reach him.
A few months ago, the opponent whom she could not even touch.
Ikki Kurogane’s back that she had been chasing after ever since that day.
──However, as Stella reminiscenced her own growth, her expression was not that of a smile.
The reason was──
(To think that he has managed to come this far, I never expected it.)
Despite receiving a merciless sure-kill strike that even blew all the way to the sea, Ouma Kurogane stood upright without falling on the ring.
The slash wound of heat carved from his shoulder to his flank, his consciousness already gone, but without bending his knees, his gaze, overflowing with fighting spirit, turned towards Stella.
In those eyes, a trace of 「I will definitely get there」 such a strong will remained.
His sword was broken, but his soul was not.
Before such an enemy that could catch up to her any moment, there was no way she could smile.
Eventually, the medical team rushed up the ring with stretchers.
They were probably carrying Ouma to the Medical Room.
That’s why Stella cut off from Ouma’s gaze in that instant, and turned away from the ring.
Not bending his knees until the last moment before her was Ouma’s obstinacy.
She could not break that obstinacy.
In that case, she did not have the right to watch his figure lying on the stretcher.
There was only one thing she should keep in her memory.
The figure of a man that continued to challenge her by exhausting all his power, for that childish......but a dream purer than anyone else’s.
She thought so.
──Like that, defeating the fateful opponent, Sword Emperor of Wind...
Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion moved forward to the finals first.
1 ダイヤの乱れ - Please refer to Vol 5 Epilogue for the actual incident. And ‘ダイヤの乱れ’ refers to an issue on the railway in Japan’s ‘service planning diagram’ for trains. Please research yourself if you want to find out more. ↩
2 Tenryuu Gusoku - 天龍具足 (Heavenly Dragon Armor). ↩
3 Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu - 旭日一心流 (Rising Sun Synthesis Style). ↩
4 Hono Ikazuchi - 火雷 (Fire Thunder). ↩
5 Kokutou・Yatagarasu - 黒刀・八咫烏 (Black Sword・Yatagarasu). ↩
6 Kokushichou - 黒死蝶 (Black Death Butterfly). ↩
7 一山いくらの木っ端 - A Japanese idiom.Literal meaning: Wood shaving that piled up to a mountain. Refers to those weak/average ones that are left out when compared to the elites. ↩
8 Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu・Jin no Kyoku - 旭日一心流・迅の極 (Rising Sun Synthesis Style・Extremity of Speed. ↩
Chapter 39: Volume 8 - CH 12
(Illust translation by KLSymph)
Part 1
The sixty-second Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, day three.
The summer sun was shining onto the ground even more mercilessly than the previous day.
However, it paled in comparison to the heat enveloping the event venue.
「Temperature 35°C, humidity 70%!
Thank you all for coming here despite the burning hot sun!
We have reached the semi-finals of the sixty-second Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival!
The national best four participants that have climbed up all the way to this point will be clashing against one another!
Amongst these strong people, that are a cut or two above the rest, who will obtain the ticket to the final battle!?
Everyone, have you prepared well against dehydration!? Well-prepared, right!?
──Then, let’s welcome the contenders for the first match of the semi-finals!」
In line with the announcer Iida’s words, cheers raised from the venue.
Under the rain of applause, with flowing crimson hair, Stella appeared on the semi-final stage.
「First, from the red gate, Contender Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion has shown up!
As the second Imperial Princess of the Vermillion Empire, even amongst the mage-knights belonging to the member nations of the League, she is a genius boasting the highest magic power!
She had almost lost her qualification in the first round due to an incident on the railway[1], but she faced against all of the contenders in B-Block at the same time, overwhelmed them, and brilliantly cleared the late penalty! She has advanced to the semi-finals in one fell swoop!
The power which can even destroy this venue itself can be described as top-notch!
She is genius knight like a shining star of the current era!
Will she be able to reach the summit of the Seven Stars with this momentum!?」
「Princess Stella――――! Do your best――――!」
「Kyaa―! Stella-sama～! Please look over here～～!」
「There are two matches today, so please don’t break the venue too much――――!」
Voices of support, regardless of gender, directed towards Stella on the ring.
Stella was very popular amongst both genders.
The strength of a knight that possessed the world’s highest magic power.
The social position as the second Imperial Princess of Vermillion Empire.
In addition, since she was a peerless beauty, it was only natural.
And Ikki, who was more fascinated by Stella than anyone else, sent her claps of encouragement while his eyes were robbed by the dignified side profile of the dauntless girl.
At that moment.
A voice suddenly called out from behind Ikki.
“Stella-san has a nice expression.”
“Eh?”
It was a voice he was so used to hearing that he could not forget it.
Surprised, he turned back, and there was...
“T-Toudou-san! And Toutokubara-san as well!”
Chestnut-colored hair tied in a three-strand-braid, a girl with gentle demeanour, Raikiri, Touka Toudou, and a tall girl holding a parasol, a friend of Touka, Scharlach Frau, Kanata Toutokubara were standing there.
“Y-Yeah, really. The two of you have come to Osaka?”
“Yes. We took the Shinkansen with Saikyou-sensei this morning. We want to watch it from the side even if it’s only for the semi-finals.”
“Is your body alright already?”
He asked Touka who was still unconscious just the other day.
Touka responded with an energetic nod.
“Yeah. I have already recovered completely. I slept so much that I am too energetic now. Uta-kun said that he still felt languid so he stayed back at the Academy to laze around.”
“Vice President has not recovered yet?”
“You don’t have to worry about him. In Uta-kun’s case, he doesn’t have much physical strength because he only plays games every day. He reaps what he sowed.”
“Fufu, Vice President is frail after all.”
The two girls giggled facing each other.
Judging from that appearance, he certainly did not need to worry anymore.
“Kurogane-kun, is it alright if we watch the battle together?”
“Yeah, of course.”
There was no reason to refuse.
Ikki slightly tilted his body to give way to the two.
And then, as that was happening, Stella’s opponent showed himself.
「Up next, from the blue gate, A-Block’s champion, Contender Sword Emperor of Wind, Ouma Kurogane enters!
Contender Ouma has one-sidedly overwhelmed his opponents from the first round to third round!
We have received information that he had defeated Contender Stella unofficially before!
If Contender Stella is the favorite of this event, then the one who could rival her is none other than him!
He is an A-Rank knight from Japan who is boasted in the world! How will he fare against an international celebrity!?
This confrontation between A-Ranks is totally unpredictable!」
Ouma was wrapped in pressure like a drawn blade.
With his arrival, the audience held their breaths.
「He’s still the same......his fighting spirit seems to split you open just from looking......」
「I’m scared......」
「Though that’s the case, since the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival is still Japan’s event, I wish that he will do his best.」
The cheers for Ouma’s entrance was much lesser compared to Stella.
It was probably the expected lingering effect from the shocking ending of the match against Panzer Grizzly, Renji Kaga from the day before.
The Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival was a competition with lives on the line. The participants risked their pride and lives to challenge it after acknowledging that they could die from losing. However, that was the principle of the Mage-Knight. For the audience, who did not have such resolve, drawing back was understandable.
「And, we have invited the mage-knight currently ranked third in the world, Yaksha Princess, Nene Saikyou-sensei to be the commentator for the semi-finals! Saikyou-sensei, please take care of us today.」
「Hmm～ Nice to meet you～」
「How is it? The two contenders’ condition seen from Saikyou-sensei’s, Japan’s highest ranked mage-knight’s, point of view is...」
「Both are in high spirits. Feels like they are really motivated. Even so, they are not too tensed up. Both of them are in the best condition―」
「I see. This match has become a confrontation between two A-Ranks, but at this moment, which one of them does Saikyou-sensei think has the greater power?」
「Kuku......Don’t be in such a rush, Onii-chan. Nobody likes impatient people, you know?」
Saikyou snapped close the folding fan in her hand...
After replying so, she opened her fan again and gave a meaningful smile.
(Now, Stella-chan. That guy is different from those brats in the first round. He is someone you can fight with at your full strength......Give him the shock of his life, with the new power you obtained from the training with me.)
Before long, Ouma also stood on top of the ring, at the start line.
At the same time, the audience shut their mouths, and silence fell over the venue.
In that silence, the announcer Iida ── pulled the trigger of the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival Semi-Final.
「Both contenders are at the starting line! And now, the first match of the semi-finals begins!
LET’S GO AHEAD────!!!!」
Part 2
After receiving the starting signal, the first to move was......Ouma.
“We aren’t close enough to chit chat before meeting death. Let’s begin immediately.”
Murmuring with a tone as if he was talking to himself, he slanted his body and stretched his right arm backwards.
And then his magic power compressed into his right hand...
“Snarl. ──Ryuuzume.”
He manifested the essence of his soul.
It possessed a blade a little longer than that of a Japanese katana, belonging to the Nodachi type of sword.
That was Ouma’s Device, Ryuuzume.
“First is to see how much you have grown from back then. I will confirm it with my own sword.”
“......If you can, that is.”
Ouma returned Stella’s provocation with action.
「Ooh! Contender Ouma, who had been nonchalant in every match so far, makes the first move! The hem of his kimono flutters up as he closes in on Contender Stella in one straight line! How will Contender Stella intercept him!?」
The proactive Ouma who was clearly different from the matches up till then raised a commotion in the venue.
However, Stella was unshaken from that unexpected start...
“Serve me. Lævateinn.”
She manifested her own Device in response to the fast-approaching Ouma.
However, what she made out of her magic power ── was not just the sword.
「Th-This is! Contender Stella! Spheres with burning heat appeared behind her! A-And what an incredible number!」
And then, Stella swung her Lævateinn like a conductor’s baton.
“Burn to dust. ──Broken Arrow.”
She ordered the super hot spheres exceeding a hundred behind her back.
Answering that command, the flame spheres waiting in air behind Stella shot out with vigor, becoming arrows of light to assault the Sword Emperor of Wind.
The carpet bombing of intense heat that would bury everything within the width of the ring approached.
Stella’s overwhelming magic power that nobody could catch up to, did not leave any gaps for Ouma to evade...
「D-Direct hiit! The flame sweeped the ring and raised black smoke!」
Furthermore, it did not stop with one hit.
More arrows of flame rained down onto the location where the flames had swallowed Ouma.
Explosive noise and conflagration. Not a single person in the venue could see Ouma’s figure anymore.
It was not unreasonable.
What Stella used was an excessive violence to defeat a single person.
「However, it doesn’t seem to be effective.」
──Even so, the opponent was the Sword Emperor of Wind.
Right after Saikyou murmured so.
Breaking through the flame and dust from Stella’s simultaneous firing, Ouma’s figure showed up.
There was not a speck of soot on his clothes.
He did not mind the incoming bombing, and broke through from the center by using his power to control the wind to take it on. He did not decelerate at all, rather, he was approaching Stella while accelerating.
──I won’t be stopped by such fireworks.
The gaze behind his bangs swaying in the storm was telling her that.
Towards that gaze of Ouma...
“Empress Dress.”
Stella also responded with another move.
Holding Lævateinn upright tightly in her hand, her whole body wrapped in flame, she stepped forward herself.
「Contender Stella has wrapped herself in a dress of flame! The heat is burning the atmosphere to the extent of twisting her surrounding scenery!」
Stella’s flame, Dragon Breath, had a temperature of three thousand degrees Celsius.
Not to mention a direct hit, just entering its range would cause the skin to be burned to crisp.
However──
「However, Contender Ouma isn’t stopping! He dashed into the zone of burning air!」
「That’s cause Ouma-chan’s ability is 「Wind」 after all. Since it’s conductive heat, so he just needs to make a vacuum heat insulating wall to prevent the heat from transmitting through. Rather than that ── the audience-chan sitting at the front most row should brace themselves.」
「Brace themselves?」
Stella and Ouma, the Devices those two swung clashed...
──The noise produced from the clash, which exceeded the realm of sound and could only be described as shockwave, slammed the whole dome with a physical impact.
「「「UWAaAAAAAAAAAA～～～～～!!!!」」」
The audience leaning next to the fence were blown back by the 「sound」 of the clash between the swords of those two and landed on their bottoms.
Furthermore, it did not end with just one strike.
Second time, third time──
Every time the flaming red sword and jade wind blade crossed each other, the fence would squeak, and the glass windows would vibrate.
「I-It stiiings! T-This is what you call the sound of swords clashing!? It’s just like the explosive noise and shockwave from a collision between high speed jet planes!」
However, despite releasing so much energy, the two people at the epicenter did not retreat a single step, and continued to clash their swords.
And after crossing for about ten times──
A loud explosive sound, as if ten streaks of lightning struck down, echoed, blowing both of them towards the edges of the ring at the same time.
Neither of them had landed a hit.
They were on even grounds. At a frighteningly high level.
And that ── proved that Stella had filled the gap in the difference between herself and Ouma in a short period of time.
“As expected of Stella-chan.”
Having witnessed the first contact of those two, Kanata leaked out her admiration.
“With this, it doesn’t seem that she will lose in strength like before.”
Ikki nodded at that.
“Yeah. Not to mention that Stella has not shown her seriousness yet. She is still going to increase her pace.”
It was possible to imagine from the potential Stella had shown in the first round.
However, she still had something.
──First round, and yesterday night, he saw the phantom of a dragon in that split second.
Stella had not shown the root, the source of that yet.
She was still holding back her power.
However──
“But Ouma-san also has not shown his seriousness yet.”
Touka interrupted Ikki’s words.
Just like she said, Ouma was not serious as well.
In that first contact, both of them were only ascertaining each other.
The enemy before their eyes, taking on their full power......an opponent that would not break from it.
And that was something that Ikki, as the little brother, knew the best in that place.
(Certainly, Nii-san is not someone who will get serious regardless of his opponent.)
He would choose an opponent that was worthy for his seriousness.
And right then......that greeting and confirmation had been completed.
──It would start from there.
(From now on is the real......battle.)
Part 3
“I see. As expected of your power. To be able to match my sword straight on.”
Because he had not experienced a clashing of swords for a long time.
However──
“However, it’s only at the level of numbing my arm. This much won’t be enough to take my life.”
Ouma’s expression clearly showed that he had room to spare as he told her.
Stella pouted in displeasure.
“......You’re still quite carefree, huh.”
Well, she was once defeated by him.
At the moment, Ouma was still above her.
That probably couldn’t be helped.
That’s why, Stella held up Lævateinn right before her...
“I will draw out the bloodthirst from that composed face first.”
She injected more magic power into the Dragon Breath flame enveloping her blade.
“HAAaAAAAAAAaAAaaa!!!!”
With Stella’s magic power, the flame enveloping the sword swelled.
The crimson flame rampaged about without limit as its temperature and brightness increased.
That appearance caused Touka Toudou to recall.
“That’s...during the training camp......!”
That’s right. It was the long-distance shot Stella had shown Touka during their mock battle.
It was the preparation for Dragon Fang.
However, that was only natural.
That’s because it was a big technique that was going to fire off seven shots of the Noble Art, Dragon Fang, which held destructive power that Touka Toudou’s Raikiri could barely intercept, simultaneously!
“Devour and scatter! Satan Fang────!”
Immediately, seven shots, no, seven flame dragons with heads flew out from Lævateinn.
And their jaws, lined with flame teeth, assaulted Ouma from various angles to devour him.
However, even as the scene of destruction was right before him, Ouma’s expression did not change...
“Just this technique alone requires who knows how many normal Blazer’s magic power to do it. Quite impressive......But, how will just the level of a few snakes scare me?”
As he said so, he stabbed Ryuuzume into the ring...
“Fuujin Kekkai.”
He activated the Noble Art that protected the audience stand from Stella’s Bahamut Howl during the first round battle.
Tornado stirred up in his surrounding, and that blade of wind tore up the incoming flame dragons into specks of dust.
The flame dragons that were sliced up until they became tiny incandescent drew a spiral as they were rolled into the wind that rose up to the sky, and disappeared.
And Ouma, who had easily overwhelmed Stella’s full-powered long distance shots, did not change his expression as expected...
“Is that all you got? Crimson Princess.”
As he spoke to Stella before his eyes...──he noticed.
The instant Satan Fang covered his sight, Stella’s figure disappeared from the ring.
And, the moment he realized it, it was too late──
“It’s something like this......! Sword Emperor of Wind!”
A red-haired girl appeared from the heat haze-like rippled space behind Ouma, and swung her sword at his neck.
It was Stella’s Noble Art which bent the light rays with heat to make her opponent unable to see her own body.
That’s right. Ouma had misjudged the knight known as Stella.
She was not a knight that could only rely on her magic power capacity and attack with quantity.
Stealing his sight with that destructive power, making him think that Stella was attack specialized, but her style was an extremely competent all-rounder.
Her usage of magic was so varied that even Shizuku could not be a match.
Then Stella devised a tactic from that variety and brilliantly got behind Ouma...
“HAaAaa!”
Slashed diagonally down at the defenseless Ouma.
Right after that...
“N-Not good!”
At the same time Touka’s shout echoed, red drops sprayed onto the ring like a blooming red flower.
Part 4
The owner of the blood that splashed the ring was...──Stella who slashed diagonally down.
「Contender Stella is injured! Sword Emperor of Wind has finally captured Crimson Princess with his sword! Blood is spraying out from the two arms of Contender Stella! The opening hit belongs to Contender Sword Emperor of Wind, Ouma Kuroganeee!」
A turning point occurred between the evenly matched offense and defense between the two.
Voices of grief came from the venue due to the obvious difference in power in that effective attack.
However, the injured person herself did not press down on her wounds.
Did she not care?
No. The shock, to the point of making her unconscious of her wounds, caused her to freeze up.
Stella’s expression was of incomprehensiveness.
It wasn’t unreasonable.
Ouma read the surprise attack from the back, and returned with a slash...──she would be convinced if that was the case.
However......it was not so.
Stella’s diagonal slash definitely settled it.
Lævateinn had certainly hit Ouma’s shoulder.
Even so...──her blade could not advance any more than that.
Touka bit her teeth as someone who had experienced the same phenomenon before.
It turned out like that after all. As she thought.
“The danger of Sword Emperor of Wind is not just his offense......Even though there isn’t much difference in magic power, he was able to receive my slash attack without any wound like just now. What exactly is that unexplainable defensive power......”
Touka questioned what exactly that was.
In response to that...──Ikki, who was next to her, spoke.
“That itself is not so unexplainable. It is out of the norm, though.”
Touka’s eyes opened her eyes wide at those words.
“K-Kurogane-kun knows something? The mystery behind that defensive power.”
Ikki nodded at that question.
“Previously, I had a chance to cross swords with him. I noticed it back then.”
He was assaulted on the way back from Yuudai Moroboshi’s invitation to his family shop.
Ikki came into contact with Ouma’s 「Abnormality」 in that instance.
“Stella will probably notice it after one more strike. But──”
Ikki’s words stopped there.
The reason was because, there was nothing he could do even if he noticed it.
It was just as what Ouma had said.
His power was...──not a 「Technique」 against which a strategy could be formed.
And, just at that moment...──his prediction came true.
The two people on the ring crossed swords again.
After clashing a number of times, Ouma thrusted out like a released arrow.
Stella turned her body as if dancing and evaded that...
She hit a counter horizontally at his body with not just her own power, but also using her opponent’s power on the second time.
That horizontal line cleaning dug into Ouma’s body...──and stopped at that.
“You’re...kidding......!”
“Fuun.”
“────!!!!”
Ouma dished out a kick at Stella’s flank when she stopped her movement in shock.
Stella’s body danced in the air as she was blown more than ten meters away.
“Cough...cough! Ugh......!”
Stella winced as she kneeled in pain as if her internal organs were blended.
What spilled out from her mouth was blood.
The shockwave was like getting hit by a battering ram.
However──
That was how it was, it was natural in that case, Stella was convinced.
The feeling of hitting a rock mountain after the two strikes, and the damage to her flank.
From all that information......Stella noticed Ouma’s 「Abnormality」.
“I can’t believe it......What’s with your body......!”
The shaking in her voice was probably not just from her wounded side.
In response to that, Ouma──
“Fuu......As expected, you noticed after two strikes.”
Ouma let out a sparse smile and answered Stella’s doubt.
“You want to ask what this is, right? This is...──my resolve.”
Part 5
“It’s a story from five years ago.
In my last year as an elementary student, I, who had dominated the U-12 World Tournament organized by the League of Mage-Knight Nations, was on the contrary feeling gloomy about the result.”
He noticed after dominating the world.
By striking with just the back of his sword, the path would not open for him.
Even when he went to the world tournament, there was something that still could not exceed the realm of 「Training」.
“This kind of childish tournament could not let me test my limit.
I was unable to overcome it.
To stay in an environment like a lukewarm bath during my growth period......it was unacceptable to stay there for at least three more years when it was the period during which I could grow as much as I wanted.”
To be even stronger, to reach even higher.
To Ouma, who continued to seek it more than anyone, that stagnation was unbearable.
He had always been challenging his body’s limits and wishing for power to unleash.
“That’s why I......flew out of Japan, the League, to seek it.”
The real battles that he seeked existed in the world.
Sometimes in the streets of slums.
Sometimes in an underground colosseum.
Sometimes in the battlefield with bullets flying everywhere.
Ouma Kurogane had obtained the places he wished for, and was engrossed in studying.
He remembered how fulfilling that period of time was.
Amongst the battles with his life on the stake, he dreamily remembered how his body was being forged day by day.
If he stayed like that, if he continued on that path, he could become the world's strongest knight.
He did not hold a speck of doubt.
However......
“That thought did not continue for long. I had an encounter. On my path of warrior’s training, at the end of this world, with a real demon living there.”
“Demon......?”
“Tyrant......That name, the princess of a country should probably know about it.”
“────!”
The venue showed incomprehension, but Stella’s crimson pupils widened in shock.
Just like what Ouma said, as the royalty of a member nation in the League, Stella knew that name.
Of course she would know.
That was......the arch nemesis of the International Society, Rebellion.
It was the name that people living in the underworld called their Leader by, just like a Blazer’s nickname.
“Don’t tell me, you fought......!?”
Ouma nodded.
“I was pulverized......Even though I exerted every ounce of my strength, I could not even resist a single moment.”
It was only natural.
That opponent was an incarnation of violence that continued to reign at the summit of the underworld since more than half a century ago.
There was a gap between them so huge that he could not understand just how large that difference was.
Ouma, who knew his powerless self, could only beg for his life shamelessly.
However, Tyrant was not a man who would listen to such words.
His strength could not reach, his pleas could not reach, only violence continued to rain down on him.
“Just remembering it......causes my entire body to tremble in fear. I have never felt the despair known as death so near to me......No, if Twin-Wings had not come to my rescue, I probably would’ve been killed for real.
And then, after coming into contact with the territory at the summit of the world where the demonic being lived, and my own powerless self, I was able to understand......Even if I just train as how I had been training, even if I advanced down the path I had been advancing on, my pace would not let me reach the summit.”
His lifespan would be too short for him to reach there with his current pace. As such.
“In that case......there was already no meaning in training anymore. Normal training was useless. What I needed was......an evolution to obtain wings that let me fly towards the summit instead of walking on the path!”
In an instant, Ouma grasped the upper part of his kimono...
And took it off.
Immediately after that, an invisible shockwave hit Stella and then the venue itself.
It had blown Stella off to the edge of the ring, bent the fence surrounding the venue, and shattered all the windows facing the ring. A choir of screams resounded.
Stella drew her breath at that scene.
Just then, Ouma had definitely said ‘release’. In other words, that amount of air was not generated right in that moment──
“Don’t tell me, you, with that absurdly large amount of air......have you been suppressing yourself with that until now!?”
Ouma wordlessly affirmed her.
That’s right. The explosion of air that knocked Stella just then, everything was a high-pressure shackle that had been binding Ouma until a moment ago. He used his Noble Art, Tenryuu Gusoku, which repelled enemy attacks by wearing it, against himself, and burdened his body constantly with an out-of-norm load.
“For what reason, are you doing that......”
“Of course, for the sake of 「Evolution」.”
Evolution was a fundamental ability that living things possessed in order to adapt to the environment. For example, something similar to webbing might appear from a human who had been constantly swimming since he was young.
Ouma administered himself to a harsh environment that pushed his body to the limit, forcefully triggering his body’s ability. It was for the sake of obtaining a physical body that could withstand any attack, and a power that could beat any enemy down.
However, even if living things were equipped with the ability to evolve, it was normal for it to take a long time. Naturally, he couldn’t do it easily.
A human body under that level of pressure would not remain unscathed.
The pressure suppressed him from all directions, he couldn't even lift a finger.
His flesh was squashed, his bones were smashed.
His organs could not function properly due to external pressure.
Of course, he could not fight in that condition, and continued to lose.
He was beaten, slashed, pierced, burned by enemies that he could effortlessly win against in the past──......
Because he knew that he had to do it in order to reach the territory of that demonic being.
He continued to force his battered body without mercy.
If he was pressed to death by his own power, he could only go that far.
“And then......when countless wounds were carved onto my entire body, this recklessness paid off.”
His body gradually, in order to adapt to the environment he set on himself, began to evolve.
His bone structure increased its hardness to be like an iron core in order not to lose against the pressure suppressing him, his organs pulsated strongly in order to let blood circulate his entire body. Each and every muscle fibre of his body became stronger and more tenacious in order to let him move smoothly under high pressure......eventually, when his body could not feel the 「Pressure」 anymore ── Ouma’s body literally transformed into 「Steel」.
“You may not see it from the compacted external appearance, but just like the feedback from your hand, my weight, with muscle and bone density tens of times higher than a normal person, is way heavier than Panzer Grizzly. A lukewarm slash will never injure me.”
And then──
“And so right now, I have released those shackles. Do you know what this means?”
“～～～～～～～......!”
Stella hurriedly held up her sword from those words, but...
“Too slow.”
“Kuh──”
The stone plate ring crumbled under Ouma’s kick off, and he shortened the distance between the two in just one step.
Next, he swung his wind-wrapped sword three times before any interference.
Three flashes of slash, accompanied by the groan of atmosphere, assaulted towards her.
Any one of those could turn Stella into a speck of dust in the same instant.
Fast. Compared to the speed of Twin-Wings’s sword technique that Ikki imitated, that was more──
“HAaA!”
Hence, at the same time Stella received Ouma’s slash attacks, she leaped back.
Using the force from receiving the opponent’s sword, she escaped from coming into contact with him.
It was a method that Ikki used to take distance during the mock battle they had in the past.
However...
“ZeAAAAa!!!!”
Ouma immediately reacted to it.
He sent a flurry of vacuum blades towards Stella who escaped the contact range.
Slashes of vacuum flew with a speed that surpassed rifle bullets.
It was impossible to visually catch sight of those.
However, it was a battle between two Blazers.
Stella read the presence of magic power like that of a blazing sun wrapped around the vacuum blades, and struck them down one by one.
However...
“──Ka...fu!?”
Immediately after striking down the last vacuum blade.
Stella’s abdomen tore open horizontally, blood sprayed out.
Why? Stella was confused as there wasn’t any presence of magic power.
However, it was only natural.
Just then was ── an effect without using magic power.
“I can’t believe it. To be able to send a slash wave with just arm strength......!”
That’s right. What slashed open Stella’s abdomen was not a Noble Art.
It was a physical wind pressure raised by Ouma swinging his Ryuuzume.
Of course, it was much less powerful compared to a vacuum blade.
Due to the magic power wrapped around Blazers which added strong resistance towards physical impact, the damage on Stella’s abdomen was only skin-deep without reaching the internal organs, but ── it was sufficient to stop her from escaping.
“Fu────!”
Ouma immediately closed in on Stella, who stopped her movement for a moment, and slashed diagonally down with his right arm.
Evade ── it was already too late for such an action.
As the impact from those flying slashes was greater than what she had predicted, her body’s axis was misaligned and not in a condition for evasion.
Hence, Stella guarded Ouma’s diagonal slash in her unstable posture.
However...
“Not good! The technique coming from this pose is......!”
Ouma, who had slashed diagonally down with just his right arm, still had his left arm.
Ikki turned pale from that fact.
He knew because he had peeked at Kurogane House’s training when he was young.
What would be executed from that pose was known as the sword of national defense.
It was a sword technique that Kurogane household had passed down since the samurai era, 「Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu」[3] extremity of steel......!
“──Hono Ikazuchi.[4]”
Aiming at Stella’s eye level as she defended against his sword, no, accurately speaking, at the eye level of Ryuuzume that she defended against, Ouma’s clenched left fist struck.
That steel fist struck Ryuuzume like a thunderclap, further adding power to the sword.
Stella’s body was blown away with an intensity like a missle.
And she crashed into the wall below the audience stand just like that. She did not stop even after crushing──
Despite the reinforced concrete blasting open, she was thrown until outside of the venue.
Part 6
「W-Whaaat!?」
「Lies. From the hall, blown all the way there!? It’s not manga, you know!?」
「C-Can’t believe it. Would it be alright, this...」
The people who could not fit inside the dome that were listening to the broadcast made an uproar at Stella’s figure blasting through the dome wall to the outside.
It was the same inside the dome.
The overly impactful scene raised an earth-shattering cheer.
「E-Extreeeeeme!! Not just a ring out, but a dome out! I have over ten years of experience as the an announcer for A-League, but I had only seen such a flashy out of field once! To think that I would be seeing it a second time in a match between students!
This is a battle between A-Rank Knights! There’s no other description than out-of-norm!
──Now then, the count is beginning now!
Contender Stella, will she be able to return within the count!?」
The announcer’s voice could be heard intermittently.
The cheers from the audience reached the peak.
Stella heard it from afar while lying down face-up, looking at the sky.
(He got me......)
The stimulation in that impact which exceeded the limit a human body could handle had paralyzed the sense of feeling in her entire body.
(What a monstrous bastard......that guy.)
Certainly, living things possessed the ability to adapt to environments.
The history of life was the history of evolution.
Like how a creature that originally lived in the sea grew four limbs because it hoped to live on land.
Like how the process of coping with the change in living environment by walking on two feet caused the bone structure to change.
By making his own environment severe, he obtained power that could not be obtained in a normal environment.
Since life possessed the mechanism called evolution, it was not that much of a bizarre consideration.
──However, that was originally supposed to be achieved after decades or centuries of time.
Ouma had completed that in just one generation, just a few years.
Even though he could probably stop his recklessness if he wanted to, since the method of adding burden was his own ability, he cut off that common sense and temptation, ignored any half-hearted strength, only wishing for the top, the strongest. With just his will alone, he changed the design of anatomy that was drawn by god.
The word stoic already could not describe that aberrant willpower towards his goal.
(Strong......truly.)
She could only admit.
She could feel respect for that way of living which rejected any compromises.
There was no falsehood in that.
Not even a tiny bit.
(──Aah, nevertheless...)
「Eh?」
「N-No way......Stella-chan, is smiling?」
(As if, I don’t feel like losing......!)
Part 7
「──Five! Six!」
Ouma, who was on the ring, did not even listen to the counting that echoed in the venue.
Anyone could understand that it was meaningless.
The opponent was an A-Rank Knight like himself.
The same chosen one who was born to carry a large fate in this world.
Just that much ── would not be the end for that woman.
“You said it yesterday. You will beat me up at my full strength. I have responded to that request of yours now. This is my full strength. If you want to crush it then show me. ──Crimson Princess.”
As he said that, Ouma lifted his gaze upwards.
To the sky he could see as he looked up.
Over there, she was standing.
「T-There――――! Contender Stella! She is looking down at the ring from the top of the night light before we knew it! E-Even though she was hit outside so grandly, apart from some tatters on her clothes, there are no severe injuries!」
「Well, even if she smashed through the dome, she wouldn’t suffer much damage from a physical impact without magic power as long as she didn’t get hit by Ryuuzume. Especially for Stella-chan who boasts the greatest magic power capacity in the world.」
「And right now, she has returned to the ring at the count of eight!」
The audience leaked voices of exclamation in amazement towards Stella as she returned from outside like it was natural.
After the main referee made the call to resume the match, Ouma readied his Ryuuzume again.
However, Stella did not take a stance...
“Ouma. Before we resume the match, I want to ask one thing.”
“What?”
Ouma asked back without releasing his stance.
What she wanted to hear from him was just one thing.
“You......for what reason are you aiming for the summit?”
That extremely tenacious willpower towards his goal.
What was the foundation that supported it? She wanted to know.
After Ouma looked down for just an instant, stayed quiet for a moment, then he answered.
“......It’s not much of a story.
When I was a child, I was happy to have won the match held by my household for the first time.
And then I thought.
I wanted to become stronger than anyone in this world. That is......something I would probably feel good about.
If I have to put it in words, it’s just that.”
Ouma said that such a trivial matter was not worth to talk about purposely.
However...
“......That’s incredible. You.”
Stella thought so in her heart.
She had her duties as a royalty.
What supported the core of the girl known as Stella was the obligation towards her citizens.
However, Ouma was not like that.
Just for that reason alone, he had obtained that much power.
He traveled around the world, encountered despair, and yet even so, he did not compromise a single time.
That fortitude was similar to her most beloved man......
“You are the second person that I 「respect」 from the bottom of my heart as an enemy, Ouma.
That’s why I will show you.
Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion’s true power......!”
There was already no hatred anymore.
Even the anger about what Ouma had done before had also disappeared.
As a knight, as a warrior, she only wanted to fulfill the subjugation of that proud enemy.
Making up her mind, Stella raised her Lævateinn...
“Dragon Spirit......!!!!”
──And stabbed it into her own chest.
In that instant, dazzling light, accompanied with heat wave, blew out from Stella’s body, enveloping the whole venue.
Part 8
It was ten days ago.
Stella, who had decided to train herself after losing to Ouma, volunteered to take the special training from Yaksha Princess, Nene Saikyou, who was a temporary lecturer in Hagun Academy, using Kurono Shinguuji’s connection.
Saikyou acknowledged her, and the two went to the training camp in Okutama that Hagun Academy owned to begin their special training.
The training with a strong opponent such as the third in the world was meaningful to Stella.
However, just however──
The first day of special training. Saikyou pointed out an issue .
Something she lacked. What could it be?
Honestly speaking, she couldn’t see it.
It might be conceited for Stella to say it herself, but she was confident in being a balanced Blazer.
There should not be any significant flaws.
On the other hand, she felt that Saikyou’s point was a very important matter in her heart.
That’s why it was even more weird.
You are reading story Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan at novel35.com
Just like a bone stuck in the throat, Saikyou’s point reverberated in Stella’s head.However, time flew by as if mocking the feeling of the impatient Stella, as she could not see the answer. Finally reaching the day before the opening of Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival──
“Now then. Tomorrow is the start of Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, how about it? Did you realize what your sword is lacking?”
In the morning, Stella appealed to Saikyou, who had reached the field in the forest used as a training ground.
“Nene-sensei......! Please! Please at least give me a hint of what I am lacking......!”
However, towards that appeal, Saikyou replied with the same answer as before.
“No.”
“Why!?”
“If I taught you, it would have the reverse effect if you don’t handle it well. Especially in Stella-chan’s case, at that.”
A reverse effect in her case?
What did that mean?
It would be different if it was not her? Stella was confused.
Towards that lost child-like expression of Stella...
“Is that so? In that case, it can’t be helped.”
Saikyou sighed...
“Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion’s Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival ends here.”
And swung her iron fan Device, Beniiro Ageha, in a horizontal line.
In an instant, a shallow cut was on Stella’s cheek, and blood drops spewed into air.
“──Ha?”
Stella was stunned for a moment due to the sudden enmity.
The fact that blood flowed meant that she was not holding back.
However, that was...
“W-What is it, tomorrow is the Festival, so as expected, today is...────!?”
Stella raised a voice of protest, but she did not finish what she wanted to say.
Because she saw the expression of Saikyou standing before her.
(What’s with that face......!)
What was reflected in her pupils was a bloodlust that she had never seen before during their special training.
(She’s...serious......!)
“Kuh!”
She did such a thing at such a time, when the next day the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival would start.
Stella could not understand what she was thinking doing that, but she knew just one thing.
Hence, Stella exploded her magic power beneath her feet, and took a large jump backwards.
She took distance from Saikyou. ──However...
“I won’t let you es-cape.”
“UAAA!?”
Saikyou faced her palm upwards, and curved her index finger.
Right after that, Stella’s body was pulled towards Saikyou in the middle of jumping backwards by an invisible force.
Nene Saikyou’s ability. The attraction force from Gravity Manipulation.
She did not intend to let Stella go.
She was really serious.
Then she did not have the luxury of feeling confusion or hesitation.
Stella also changed her Device from Illusionary Form to real blade.
And she gathered a few strings of flame onto that blade...
“Katharterio・Salamandra────!”
The heated blade that turned into light flashed as it was swung down towards Saikyou who had pulled her in.
The blade of light was racing on the track of a diagonal slash at Saikyou without an err...
──However, it was at the moment when it was around thirty centimeters from Saikyou’s skin.
Suddenly, the slash’s movement curved and went off the way.
“Nah!?”
What exactly happened?
That’s because Saikyou, who had drawn her in, swung her iron fan.
“Kokutou・Yatagarasu.”[5]
Accompanied by a crimson iron fan that tore through the wind, was a black blade of super gravity that pushed away even light.
Stella could not evade it after her posture crumbled from missing her strike.
She couldn’t evade it, but ── reversing her blade to shield herself was a miraculous technique possible due to Stella’s high physical ability.
However ── it could do only so much.
“Kokushichou.”[6]
Against Stella, who had received her right hand’s iron fan, Saikyou opened the iron fan in her left hand and swung as if fanning wind at her.
Soon, black gravitational energy formed shapes of butterflies, fluttering their wings and flying towards Stella’s flank...
“～～～～～～～～～～～～!?!?”
Immediately after that, Stella was assaulted by a super massive impact, as if a large truck had just rammed into her, blowing away her body.
Stella’s body slid past the ground, thrusted into the forest behind her back, knocking down trees along the way, until a huge cliff raised from the ground.
“Ka...ha......!”
Stella’s body was about to collapse onto the ground while blood flowed out as she opened her mouth wide.
However, Stella thrusted her sword into the ground to act as a support, and asked the woman in crimson kimono she could see on the other side of the collapsed trees.
“Gu-uuu......! What...are you trying to do!? Why are you......!”
In response, Saikyou answered.
“Nothing in particular. Stella-chan is doing special training for the sake of winning against Ouma-chan and getting a rematch with Kuro-bou, right? But......if you can’t see what your sword is lacking even now, that dream is as good as dead. There’s no meaning in participating. Rather, if you went all out against Ouma-chan who is the same A-Rank as you, you might die if you’re unlucky. Cause a battle between A-Ranks is just that kind of dangerous thing......So consider stopping you a form of love from me, as a teacher being responsible despite our short time together, alright? You can go ahead and sleep in a bed for a day or two. Everything will be over by the time you wake up.”
As Saikyou told her such, she activated Jibakujin.
She would not be able to escape easily with that, but...
“T-Thisssss! Stop jooooking!”
That would work at best against a normal Blazer.
Stella pulled out her sword from the ground while bearing the heavy pressure, and stood with her two feet...
“Dragon Faaang!!!!”
The hot flame wrapping around the sword shot out towards Saikyou with the intensity of the swing.
The flame dragons that flew out numbered ten.
They twisted their bodies between the gaps in trees as they assaulted Saikyou to devour her.
However, as they closed in on her, the flame dragons started to show abnormalities.
As if they were escaping from Saikyou, they started to wriggle away in the wrong direction.
(W-Why!? I totally cannot control them......!)
She ordered the flame dragons a few times, but the result was the same even if she changed their tracks.
Not a single one could get close to Saikyou.
She had obstructed the homing ability with some kind of method.
──Wrong. Saikyou’s ability was not something that could do that kind of job.
Then as Stella was thinking what could have caused it, she immediately understood the reason.
(I see......! Using super gravity, she twisted the space itself around her and made it like a maze......!)
However, there was nothing she could do even though she understood...
“Know when to quit.”
As Saikyou strengthened the pressure of Jibakujin, Stella was finally pressed down to the ground.
Her bones were making creaking sounds and her body was being buried into the ground.
Even if she wanted to stand up, she could not even lift her upper body.
(Too...strong......)
However, that was only natural.
Her opponent was the third place in the KoK A-Rank League.
Because she was the third strongest knight within the nations of the League.
Although both were A-Rank Blazers, her opponent was too much for Stella, who was still a student.
If such an opponent was seriously trying to crush her, she had no way of resisting.
──If she remained like that, it would really be the end.
The Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival. The important promise with Ikki.
Anything and everything would be lost.
That mortification was too much for her, causing tears to gather.
(I’m sorry......Ikki............I────)
However, just as Stella was about to apologize to Ikki in her heart, in that instant.
Ba-thump.
She felt her own heartbeat increasing throughout her entire body.
(Eh......?)
Stella’s weak heart, that was about to give up, slowly started beating stronger on the contrary.
‘──What a stupid girl, trying to selfishly give up. I, will not lose to anyone’, as if it was saying that.
(Aah, speaking of which......in the past, something similar happened as well.)
That voice calling out from her body made Stella remember her past self.
It was the time when she awakened her power as a Blazer, and was able to control it to a certain extent.
Stella was drowned in her power, which would get stronger proportional to the amount of training she did.
Where exactly could her limit be?
That bottomless talent of hers, how strong could she become with it?
She heard that her magic power seemed to be the highest in the entire world.
She felt that it was wonderful.
In that case, she would not lose to anyone.
No matter what enemy she faced...
──She would be able to protect her country, her important citizens.
(Yes. That’s right......)
Stella smiled bitterly at herself.
For the sake of becoming strong, she studied the world, watched many things, fought against various kinds of enemies──
And as she gained strength, seriously......she forgot the most important thing.
It was the confidence of being an existence born stronger than anybody else.
She was too strict on herself, and belittled herself before she knew it.
──An opponent too much for her who was still a student?
What, what a foolish concept.
Magic power was proportional to the destiny the person was carrying.
As the possessor of the world’s greatest magic power capacity, she carried an equally great destiny.
She still didn’t know what kind of destiny it was, but──
At the very least, it was not something that just the world’s number three could stop!
“──────”
In that case, she just had to release it.
All the power sleeping in her body that she herself did not know.
That should be in her body for sure.
Right then, just like her body, her soul roaring────!
“Ua-AA-A-AaAAAAAAAAAA──────!!!!!!”
The moment Stella resolved herself, her body moved by itself, and stabbed Lævateinn into her chest.
No more hesitation, no more wavering.
It was the same as humans breathing without being conscious of it.
Her body, her cells, knew about it.
Her own power, the real way to use it────
Immediately, an explosion of heat rays came from the center of Stella’s body.
A wind of light that mowed everything down in all direction was like a sickle of scorching heat.
The trees in the forest that were hit were disintegrated into ash without even having the time to burn.
“Good grief, finally awakened. What a troublesome child.”
Part 9
「W-What does this mean!? Suddenly, the moment Contender Stella seemed to have made up her mind, a storm of light so blinding that we couldn’t even open our eyes blew from Contender Stella and buried the whole ring! Be it the camera or the naked eyes, we are unable to determine the situation on the ring! What exactly could be happening now!?」
「Hot! So hot!」
「Please do not touch the fence! There is a danger of getting a burn! Please keep your hands away from the fence!」
The heat wave that spread to the audience stand caused groans from the audience and voices from Mage-Knights protecting them to mix around.
Amongst that commotion, seeing the same brilliance as that time, Saikyou murmured “It’s fine like this.”
(It’s fine for Stella-chan to trust in her talents more.)
What she was lacking in.
Simply speaking, it was the pride in her own talent.
Stella possessed talent greater than anyone else, and yet she did not neglect hard work.
She would honor and respect the knights possessing excellent techniques despite them having weaker magic power.
That humbleness was a virtue as a human being.
However, Saikyou thought otherwise.
If it was about Stella, such a thing might not suit her.
It would only be a virtue for those run-of-the-mill people.[7]
It would not do for the out-of-norm genius born as the possessor of the world’s greatest magic power capacity to be acting that way.
There was no need for her to follow the example of others.
What she should have was not humility, but pride.
The reason was because she was born as a lion in the world.
In which world would a lion envy a rabbit?
Always be haughty. Be proud. Be greedy.
Be certain that not a single person in the world could be stronger than herself.
If she did that──
Her talent would respond to that haughtiness, pride, greed no matter what......!
(......But well, I never thought that such a monster had been lying dormant.)
Before long, the raging storm of heat rays died down, and it happened the instant their eyes readjusted after being blinded by the heat rays.
「「「............!?」」」
Everyone in the venue drew their breaths.
The positions of Stella and Ouma did not change from before the light enveloped the ring.
However, Stella’s appearance was like that of a different person.
Stella stood in the center of the heat wave-like twisted scenery.
The Lævateinn that pierced her chest disappeared somehow, leaving a scar shining like a heated metal.
That scar slowly flickered between bright and dim as if carving out the heartbeat. And as if synchronizing with that, the radiance from the core shone on Stella’s skin and bright red hair.
That was like an entirely different thing from the brilliance of magic power Stella released until then.
It was not the brilliance of magic power gushing out, but the glow coming from within her body.
What exactly happened to her body──
In the instant everyone was having that question.
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■──────!!!!!!”
Roared into the sky.
What was released from the lovely lips of a girl was a roar of something obviously non-human.
Like the rumbling of the earth. Like the rumbling of the sea. Or like a deafening thunder.
It was a roar that shook the atmosphere──
“Crimson Princess.....You, that voice, is......”
“Defend yourself. You may die.”
Right after saying so, Stella crushed the distance of fifty meters between them with a speed similar to a bullet, arriving before Ouma’s bosom.
And then she clenched her fist that was shining and then threw it at Ouma as if using her whole body behind it.
“────!”
She broke through.
He could not dodge that fist.
However, to Ouma it was an attack not even on the level of a slash by a Device. He did not need to dodge in the first place.
However ── the words of warning from Stella to the defending Ouma held some certainty in it.
That certainty triggered Ouma’s sense of danger.
Ouma crossed his trained arms before him and prepared for Stella’s punch.
Then, Stella’s swung fist hit Ouma’s guard ── instantly...
“Gu...ha...aa...AA......!”
Its momentum was not killed after breaking two layers of guard, piercing through the back of Ouma through his ribs, pushing his feet along the ground.
「Contender Stella has blown Contender Ouma away despite his guard! A groan leaked out from Contender Ouma who did not change his expression regardless of any attacks or strikes from Devices! His knees are bent! It was that much of a heavy impact!」
「It’s not just heavy. Look at Ouma-chan’s arms.」
「Eh?」
Guided by Saikyou, the broadcasting camera zoomed in on Ouma’s arms.
There was a shocking image displayed.
「T-This is......! On Contender Ouma’s arm, there is a burn mark in the shape of Contender Stella’s fist as if it was branded on it......!」
「The punch just now should have burned into his bone, literally. In other words──」
“GuuuaAA......!”
Knees bent, Ouma pressed on the arm that received the punch as he howled in pain.
He could not be blamed.
Stella’s punch did not only shatter Ouma’s reinforced bones, but also burned them in one strike.
To Ouma, his bone became something like a burning red metal rod.
That intense heat was charring his flesh from the inside, burning his nerves.
「He can be accustomed to external pain, but getting burned from inside is not something you get to experience often. This will be hard on him.」
「That’s true......! B-But I don’t understand! The current Contender Stella is clearly different from the Contender Stella from before! What exactly is this sudden power up about!?」
The audience also got noisy, as if resonating with the announcer’s confusion.
It would be natural if considering whether it was natural or not.
There was the raw power which made Ouma, who could not be injured even once by swords until then, bend his knees. There was the change in her appearance, there was the roar that could not be called human, there were many things they did not understand.
“I see......That is how it is......!”
Ikki, who had been closer to Stella than anyone else for the past few months, had arrived at the answer of that mystery one step faster.
“Kurogane-kun, what is the reason for Stella-chan suddenly becoming stronger?”
Ikki nodded and replied to Touka’s question.
“......I believe that most likely, her method of using her power was wrong from the beginning. Surely......in the first place, Stella is not a fire user.”
“E-Eeh!? What...does that......”
Touka’s voice contained more question to Ikki’s answer.
She could not understand the meaning behind Ikki’s words.
That was explained by Saikyou, who was at the scene when she awakened.
「Blazers are not able to use magic the moment they are born. They usually awaken abruptly on some day. Things like having the power to let out fire, or the power to control gravity. And then they learn how to use it from their own comprehension, hence there are times where misunderstandings occur.
I was like that. The very first time I was aware of my special power was the time when I made toys float in air, I actually believed that my ability was to make things float, but in reality, it was different. It was possible to achieve that from its usage, but it was a completely different ability.
Stella-chan is the same. Of course, spewing out fire from an empty space suddenly would make anyone think that they were fire user. Well, most of them would clear their misunderstandings like me while playing or fighting when they were small......In Stella-chan’s case, she was too strong even with the misunderstanding. Due to that, she had come all the way here with that misunderstanding.」
「I-In other words, are you saying that, Contender Stella is not a fire user?」
「That’s how it is. Stella-chan’s original ability is not nature interference, but concept interference. And everyone should also know. The mythical monster with boiling blood circulating its body, and breathing out burning flame. The concept of the story that is passed down as a symbol of fear and violence which could not be resisted anywhere in this world......!」
“Don’t...tell me......!”
According to Saikyou’s words, Ouma, who was forced onto one knee by Stella, thought of the worst possibility as he looked up at her.
And that premonition was spot on.
“Concept interference type ── Dragon.
The ability to manifest in one’s body the power of a predator that lives at the peak of the food chain in the mythological world.
Something like flame was just a portion of her power. It was exactly just a Breath.
Sweltering heat dwelled in her body similar to the mythical monster, allowing her to obtain the raw power of a Dragon.
Manifesting any and all kinds of violence revolved around the concept of Dragon.
That was what the real power was, and the rightful way of utilizing it.
Stella realized it in her battle against Saikyou.
In other words, the dragon that was bound to only using its 「Breath」 so far had torn away its bindings, and started to wield its full power──
“And I am not used to this power yet, so I cannot control it well. Without a doubt......I will break you. I don’t think that I will fight against you another time. That’s why I will say this before the end.
Thank you, Ouma. Thanks to you, I have remembered myself.”
“......!”
──Ouma already understood that he did not have any bit of leeway.
“Tenryuu Gusoku────!!!!”
Against Stella coming for another attack, Ouma wrapped himself in an armor of wind, intercepting the attack with his full power.
Stella was currently barehanded.
If she closed in, she would have an upper hand in maneuverability.
That’s why he had to keep her at sword range.
Ouma showered Stella with countless slashes after deciding so. However──
“Slow!”
“......!?”
The slash attacks coming from Ouma like falling rain, that were definitely not lukewarm, were deflected by Stella’s two fists.
And everytime she deflected Ryuuzume, Ouma’s hand felt a terrible impact.
It was an impact so forceful that if he slackened his strength a little bit, Ryuuzume would be blown far away from him.
Ouma held the handle with all his strength, while preventing Ryuuzume from being deflected away, his forehead was drenched in sweat.
(This is...a dragon’s raw power huh......!)
The overwhelming raw power possessed by the monster living in the mythological world.
It was originally supporting the function of arm strength in Stella’s body, but that was at best unconsciously. It was like water droplets dripping out from a closed faucet.
However, Stella had realized her own power, and obtained the technique to fully open said faucet.
As such, it was natural that the power output would be different.
Currently, Stella’s physical ability was several tens of times greater than before.
And then, with the destructive speed and attack power it gave her, she repelled all of Ouma’s slashes, while digging closer towards him.
After deflecting about three more strikes, she would probably close in within fist range.
However...
“Fuu────!”
Ouma also did not easily allow her to accomplish that.
There, he displayed the technique of the Sword Emperor of Wind.
He abandoned the number of strikes, and swung Ryuuzume widely.
He wrung his muscles to the limit, squeezed, adding a force to the point of twisting the joints on his spine, to the point of twisting his body to face away from his opponent.
Of course, Stella would further close in during that gap, he understood it.
She would probably deflect away any amount of those slashes with no weight behind anyway.
Preparing his sword from the limit of his swing was for that sake.
What he was about to release was the godspeed sword passed down in Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu.
Naturally, every muscle in his entire body was used, it even used the rebound of the joints and bones in his body by returning his posture from its twisted position to the original one to accelerate, it was exactly a sword released with his entire body and spirit.
There was no preparation or counter after releasing that one strike.
It was just speed alone was principle. Cut alone was justice.
That was truly──
“Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu・Jin no Kyoku. ──Amaterasu!”[8]
“............!”
The white blade swung from the position after his body twisted to the limit fell onto Stella without a sound.
Despite just one strike, different from Ikki’s Blade Steal, Ouma’s Amaterasu, which had truly reached Twin-Wings’s territory, exceeded the limit of reaction even for Stella with dragon’s power dwelling inside her, Ryuuzume cut Stella’s body diagonally.
Blood sprayed into the air.
He felt the feedback of Ryuuzume cutting flesh and bones squarely.
It did not reach the organs, but it was probably a sufficient strike to dull her movements.
It was supposed to be so──
“There!”
“Gu...u!”
Let alone retreating, Stella stepped forward despite receiving Amaterasu, her long leg lashed out like a whip and kicked Ouma’s right shin.
Stella’s low kick made a sound like something popped, broke through Tenryuu Gusoku and crushed Ouma’s shin bone with just one strike.
Ouma wobbled in pain while being confused at what happened.
Ouma immediately noticed the answer.
(This is......!)
That large cut wound on Stella.
There was not a single drop of blood from there.
No, on the contrary, the wound was being stitched up at an unbelievable speed in front of his eyes.
That was the strength of vitality possessed by the creature known as dragon.
──Since ancient times, it was common sense to decapitate a dragon to subjugate it.
To a creature such as dragon, a wound that was not fatal could not be considered a wound.
Stella had just recreated the vitality of a dragon that could be said to be immortal with a human body through inheritance.
──An indecisive wound could not be considered a wound anymore.
“Tch!”
The versatility of that ability was even wider than his imagination.
Ouma judged that he had to observe the situation and let go of his left hand from Ryuuzume and gathered the air on his palm.
What he created was a explosive bullet of wind made from air.
He threw it and intended to take distance by blowing Stella’s body away.
That was the most appropriate action Ouma judged in that instant. ──However...
“Out of the way!”
Even that most appropriate action was useless against the ferocious dragon.
The released explosive bullet of wind was scattered by Stella’s back hand punch.
(Like steel crushing rock, the hardness of her magic power crushed my magic......!)
And with that move, Stella had caught Ouma within fist range.
Ouma immediately pulled back his empty-handed left arm to guard...
“Ugh────!”
That punch crushed the bone of the guarding arm like a matter of course, and the impact pierced into his organs.
Ouma’s body wobbled back greatly and his knees bent.
He could not stop it. He could not stop Stella’s fierce attack.
Not his trained muscles, not his sharpened speed, not technique, not magic──
Everything that he had accumulated was meaningless.
He would be trampled on. By pure violence that could knock down everything.
And that helplessness caused Ouma to get a flashback on the memory of his first loss and frustration.
He, who was covered in blood miserably, and that pair of pupils glaring at him while sitting on a chair like it was a throne.
Nothing went through no matter what he did.
Despite him challenged again and again, he could even not touch the seated Tyrant, he could not even protect his own body, and was just single-sidedly beaten up.
His body suffered burning pain. His heart felt helplessness.
As he linked everything to the fear that shook him at that time in the past, his whole body started to tremble.
“Ku...O...OoOoOoo──!”
Even so, Ouma struggled to raise his trauma-carved body and counter attacked.
He aimed to stab at Stella’s heart as she chased after him for further attacks after he collapsed backward.
The stab was ── blocked.
Stella purposely pushed out her left hand at the incoming Ryuuzume, letting it pierce through her palm as she advanced, and grabbed hold of the sword guard of Ryuuzume after it pierced through to the base.
“I caught you, Ouma.”
(Shi────)
It was too late by the time he thought so.
Stella punched her superheated right fist into Ouma’s upper body that was full of openings.
“HAAaAaa────────!!!!”
She also did not end it with one strike.
She had the intention of determining the outcome and rained down consecutive punches.
With Ryuuzume caught, Ouma could not even escape backwards with the impact from the hits.
If he were to let go of Ryuuzume once, Stella would probably not even give him the time to reconstruct his Device.
He must not let go. If he were to let go, he would lose. Hence, he could not escape.
He could not escape, he could not even defend, he could only let the consecutive punches that were like cannon shots shower on him.
And that storm-like punches that fell onto him burnt his skin, grilled his flesh, crushed his bones──
“～～～～～～～～～Ka...ha!!!!”
The instant Ouma’s chin finally lowered.
An uppercut that came from the ground level thrusted upwards at his chin, hitting the four hundred kilo body of Ouma into the air.
His body flew through the air in a big parabola, and fell onto the stone disk with his back without any protection.
In that match, no, in that Festival, Sword Emperor of Wind sank onto the ground for the first time.
「Contender Ouma...down! He is lying down in a ‘大’ position and looking at the sky without moving! No he can’t move!」
「H-How intense......」
「This...already determined the match, right?」
「This is......the Blazer possessing the world’s strongest magic power huh......!」
A big reversal from the eventful out of the ring.
The strength of Stella, who had displayed her true power, caused a big commotion in the venue.
However, even that commotion did not reach Ouma who had fallen on the ring.
It was no wonder. His right leg fractured from the shin, left wrist dislocated, his rib cage did not have a single bone uninjured. The jawbone that received an uppercut was smashed from the root of his teeth, that crack reached even his skull. And the heat from those shattered bones were burning his flesh from inside currently.
The injuries were so severe that it wouldn’t be strange if he had lost his consciousness.
There was no way he could hear the surrounding voices.
Ouma simply looked at the sky with his clouded pupils, and once again recalled within his spaced-out consciousness.
Similar to the day of frustration five years ago.
How vast the world was.
How tiny he was.
──Certainly, Ouma had an out-of-norm talent like that of gold.
However......his talent was like golden sand.
There were people who possessed similar golden talent but that of a gold ingot.
There was a world where only such kind of chosen existences could stand in.
The summit was that kind of place.
If he recognized his lack of ability, he would probably receive the honor worthy of him.
Reality had always been persuading him so.
(But...even so......)
“──............U...oo.”
「C-Contender Ouma flipped his body around and is trying to raise his body with his arms! He is trying to stand up! Contender Stella is also showing a shocked expression!」
(......I have ambition to continue even if my chest is burned.)
No matter how many times he realized the vastness of the world...
No matter how many times his accumulated confidence and pride were shattered...
His unwithering desire to continue remained unchanged.
──He would wish for any and everything.
It was fine if he did not have a comfortable life.
It was fine to just have one thing.
──He wanted to be number one.
To stand at the summit of the world he loved.
It was a wish he held since the day he obtained his first victory.
Compared to Stella’s wish of protecting her country, it would only be called a selfish and childish wish.
By being able to throw a ball a little faster than others, one would want to become a baseball player.
By being able to draw a little better than others, one would want to become a manga artist.
It could only be seen as a typical future wish of a child.
It was just his desire.
In that case, no matter how childish it was, how selfish it was──
(That is...for a person such as me...a wish that is worth betting a lifetime on!)
That’s why ── just that alone, he would not concede!
“OOOooOooOoooaAaAAAAA──────!!!!”
「H-He stood up! Contender Ouma, while letting out a roar as if spitting out his blood, he raised his battered body and stood up! U-Unbelievable! Even though his arms and legs were smashed......!」
「He used atmospheric pressure as a cast to maintain his bone structure forcefully......Ouma-chan has not given up yet!」
Before he knew it, the trembling of his body had stopped.
What was boiling in his marrows was not fear, but boundless competitiveness.
His flesh was, blood was, bone was, soul was──
Everything that made up the shape of a man known as Ouma Kurogane stirred up for one thing.
He would surpass her, that was.
Facing the despair that rose up in the past, he did not feel a tiny bit of resignation.
Ever since he was defeated by the Tyrant, he had gone through that one thousand five hundred days as he thought of challenging that territory once again, it was reckless but definitely not useless.
It was because of those days that he could stand up again.
It was because of those days that he could fight again.
Then he just had to move on. Just as his heart desired so.
“It’s showdown. ──Crimson Princess.”
The tornado increased in density as it swallowed the surrounding air, becoming a sword of storm from thousands of wind blades in due time.
The claw of the heavenly dragon that would tear everything upon contact.
It was the trump card of the Sword Emperor of Wind, Ouma Kurogane, which had defeated Stella before.
Ouma raised it towards the sky, and pleaded at Stella with his eyes.
──Draw your blade.
It was the figure that would take on the full power of his enemy despite knowing the difference in strength.
To the world that he loved, he would not compromise, not deceive himself, such was his spirit.
Seeing that, Stella comprehended as she remembered the side profile of Ikki as he talked about Ouma.
「Well, just that from my impression as far as I know, he is a seriously stoic person.」
──When she was talking with Ikki about Ouma, he praised him as such.
She could understand a bit of that feeling currently.
He definitely......respected his brother.
Only moving for his own sake.
He was a knight who held onto his dream from when he was young, and continued to face it more sincerely than anyone.
In that case──
“I will take you on. ──Sword Emperor of Wind.”
Stella also responded with the magic boasting the greatest attack power amongst her Noble Arts.
What took shape in her palm that was raised towards the sky was a sword of light made from binding the heat that could only be seen as an unwavering flame.
Magic power was the power to open up destiny.
Binding her willpower, holding her willpower, Stella faced off against the enemy before her eyes.
There was no more conversation between their intersecting gazes.
No, there was no need to.
As things had come to that far, they understood that they only had to cross swords.
And then, the flame and wind knights released their killing techniques...
“Kusanagiiii!!!!”
“Katharterio・Salamandraaaa!!!!”
Both of them swung down with all of their strength.
The sword of storm and sword of heat crossed.
That was similar to the fight before, a storm of heat bursted out in the moment of contact...
However ── it was not evenly matched currently.
Because Sword Emperor of Wind was swallowed into it just like that.
Part 11
The Katharterio・Salamandra that Stella had released did not stop at subjugating Sword Emperor of Wind, it had also slashed apart the Bay Dome, as well as the Osaka Bay beyond.
The audience stand and the huge screen in the dome were burned. A deep trench was carved on the seabed.
Along with the extraordinary destruction and dramatic closure, the announcer raised an excited voice.
「A-Amazing! Contender Stella, she has cut Sword Emperor along with the sea!」
「S-SSS-SCARYyyYYY!」
「If World Clock had not stopped the time for evacuation, I would’ve been cut along with that......What an outrageous princess.」
And Ouma, who was completely bathed in that destructive power, would definitely not be unharmed.
The main referee judged that Ouma was unable to continue the fight, and announced the end of the match.
At the same time, he announced Stella’s victory.
「Just now, the main referee has announced Contender Stella’s victory! A battle worthy of attention. The one who conquered this duel between both A-Rank monsters is Contender Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion!
Well, we speculated that both of them would be more evenly matched in this first match of the semi-final, but seeing the result, it is still the record holder of the world’s greatest magic power capacity after all! She suppressed Sword Emperor of Wind with overwhelming power from a different dimension! As expected, the wall of magic power capacity at birth is still tall!」
However, to those words of the announcer...
「That is wrong.」
Saikyou objected next to him.
「Wrong...meaning...there are other reasons for the victory?」
「Of course. Certainly, the strength of magic power is an important talent proportional to the greatness of destiny the Blazer carries in this world. But using that great power wrongly will also cause great backlash to the user. To use it well, it is necessary to put in an effort more than usual and have the strength of heart to continue that......If not, in unfortunate cases it is possible to be devoured by that talent. In fact, Stella-chan had almost died many times due to her power when she was a child.」
「I-Is that so!?」
「This is a famous rumor in Mage-Knight world. But Stella-chan never gave up no matter how many times she came close to death. It is because she had continued training without any compromise, she managed to let her own blood boil to imitate the dragon. Just a single mistake could cause her magic power control to be cut off from the power that can burn herself. Basically, I believe that the reason Stella-chan won this fight is because of her strong willpower.」
Certainly, Stella had used her power wrongly.
However, that was not a path of no return, but a necessary process.
She had properly practised to control her real power correctly.
And because Stella did not stop during that process, without compromise, overcoming it, she was able to use the power of a Dragon.
That’s why saying that the talent she had possessed since birth was the reason for her victory was rude to her.
「Well, in any case, those are trifling matters, the most important reason was thanks to me, the one who made Stella-chan awaken to her hidden potential! Ah, sorry for being too great of a coach! Ahaha!」
While ignoring Saikyou’s giggles, on the ring, Stella released the power of dragon dwelling in her body.
And after returning completely back to a neutral state, Stella breathed out a sigh as if she was relieved, and murmured in a small voice that nobody could hear.
(I won......)
She had broken Ouma’s Kusanagi that had defeated her before.
That was the result of growth she could see.
She definitely became stronger. Compared to herself from a few weeks ago, far stronger.
If it was the current her, she could definitely reach him.
A few months ago, the opponent whom she could not even touch.
Ikki Kurogane’s back that she had been chasing after ever since that day.
──However, as Stella reminiscenced her own growth, her expression was not that of a smile.
The reason was──
(To think that he has managed to come this far, I never expected it.)
Despite receiving a merciless sure-kill strike that even blew all the way to the sea, Ouma Kurogane stood upright without falling on the ring.
The slash wound of heat carved from his shoulder to his flank, his consciousness already gone, but without bending his knees, his gaze, overflowing with fighting spirit, turned towards Stella.
In those eyes, a trace of 「I will definitely get there」 such a strong will remained.
His sword was broken, but his soul was not.
Before such an enemy that could catch up to her any moment, there was no way she could smile.
Eventually, the medical team rushed up the ring with stretchers.
They were probably carrying Ouma to the Medical Room.
That’s why Stella cut off from Ouma’s gaze in that instant, and turned away from the ring.
She could not break that obstinacy.
In that case, she did not have the right to watch his figure lying on the stretcher.
There was only one thing she should keep in her memory.
The figure of a man that continued to challenge her by exhausting all his power, for that childish......but a dream purer than anyone else’s.
She thought so.
──Like that, defeating the fateful opponent, Sword Emperor of Wind...
Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion moved forward to the finals first.
1 ダイヤの乱れ - Please refer to Vol 5 Epilogue for the actual incident. And ‘ダイヤの乱れ’ refers to an issue on the railway in Japan’s ‘service planning diagram’ for trains. Please research yourself if you want to find out more. ↩
2 Tenryuu Gusoku - 天龍具足 (Heavenly Dragon Armor). ↩
3 Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu - 旭日一心流 (Rising Sun Synthesis Style). ↩
4 Hono Ikazuchi - 火雷 (Fire Thunder). ↩
5 Kokutou・Yatagarasu - 黒刀・八咫烏 (Black Sword・Yatagarasu). ↩
6 Kokushichou - 黒死蝶 (Black Death Butterfly). ↩
7 一山いくらの木っ端 - A Japanese idiom.Literal meaning: Wood shaving that piled up to a mountain. Refers to those weak/average ones that are left out when compared to the elites. ↩
8 Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu・Jin no Kyoku - 旭日一心流・迅の極 (Rising Sun Synthesis Style・Extremity of Speed. ↩
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