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The four of them sat in a row, waiting for the moment the match would begin.
The first match of the afternoon was Toudou Touka versus Kurogane Shizuku. The atmosphere would hit its peak right from the start, but it would also immediately make people like Kurogane Ikki tense.
Ryoji casually glanced at Arisuin Nagi beside him.
All of a sudden, an inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over him.
"Come to think of it, Arisuin, "
"If you don't call me Alice, I won't respond, you know~."
"Eh… Alice."
The corners of Ryoji's mouth twitched.
The flirtatious lines he could easily say to anyone else completely failed him when facing Arisuin Nagi. Not only could he not say a single one, but he even felt like running away.
"If I remember correctly, your ability is shadow manipulation, right?"
"That's right~ I'm so happy you're willing to talk to me!"
"Heh… then in your opinion, if you used your ability to block out the light around someone's body and turned them into a stick figure, could you do it?"
"Hmm, that shouldn't be difficult."
Arisuin Nagi tapped a finger against his chin and answered after a moment's thought.
"I see… could you use it on other people too?"
"No problem. It's just that I almost never do that, since I prefer acting alone."
"Oh… could I take a look at your Spiritual Item (Device)?"
"Here?"
Arisuin Nagi gestured at their surroundings and spread his hands with an innocent expression.
Quite a few people around them were secretly watching. If he took out his Spiritual Item (Device) here, it would definitely be seen by many, and that would inevitably lead to punishment from the academy.
Student Knights were not allowed to casually take out their innate Spiritual Items (Devices). Unless it was on the battlefield or in a dojo with the owner's permission, even if you were attacked outside and used your Device in combat, you would still need to report it to the academy afterward.
"What's wrong with that?"
Ryoji flashed a set of pearly white teeth, then reached behind him and pulled out a katana gleaming with brilliant silver light.
"Look, this is my family's heirloom treasure blade. It's called the Vrring Sword."
He looked deadly serious, so much so that the people beside him were left staring in disbelief.
Who exactly do you think you're fooling with that story?
"Alright then, I'll play along!"
Arisuin Nagi put on a risk-my-life-to-accompany-you expression, then also reached behind him and pulled out a dagger.
"See? This is also my family's heirloom blade. It's called Dark Hermit~"
The dagger was dark purple in color, about a foot long, with a smooth blade and a very elegant appearance, truly fitting its owner.
"That's a really beautiful dagger."
Ryoji offered a polite compliment.
Only, the light in his eyes flickered faintly.
In the arena, accompanied by the host's announcement, the two contestants had finished preparing in the waiting room and were about to take the stage.
"By the way, when I went out the night before last, I think I saw you guys. Were you out that night?"
"The night before last? Stella and I weren't."
"At that time, I did go out with Shizuku-chan, but I didn't see Ryoji-kun~"
"I see… then I probably saw wrong. The match is about to start!"
As Ryoji shifted the topic, everyone's attention was drawn back to the arena.
Kurogane Ikki and Stella didn't think much of it and focused on the match unfolding before them.
Arisuin Nagi cast Ryoji a subtle glance, a hint of doubt surfacing in his eyes.
On the field,
"Everyone in the arena, thank you for waiting! This highly anticipated match has finally arrived as promised!"
"Now, let us introduce the contestants from both sides! She is now stepping out from the blue gate! As the younger sister of our academy's widely known Rakudai Knight, she possesses powerful talents completely different from her brother's. As this year's runner-up among the new students, her results are second only to the Crimson Lotus Imperial Princess, and she doesn't even regard attribute disadvantage as a problem!"
", Deep-Sea Witch, Year 1, Class 1: Kurogane Shizuku!"
A petite silver-haired girl stepped out from the blue gate. Unlike her usual cold, keep-everyone-at-a-distance aura, her expression was tense at this moment. A heavy resolve shimmered in her emerald-green eyes.
"Shizuku's out!"
Stella nervously clutched the hem of her skirt.
"If it were any other opponent, Shizuku should be able to win without much effort."
Kurogane Ikki's expression remained calm, but his face was also extremely serious.
"But this opponent… is far too strong."
Cheers erupted all around.
Because at that moment, the other contestant emerged from the red gate.
"And now, the student council president of our academy, and last year's top-ranked student! She has finally stepped onto the battlefield! As an expert who broke into the Top Four of last year's Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, what kind of results will she achieve this year? With speed as swift as a lightning strike, let us welcome her entrance!"
", Raikiri, Year 3, Class 3: Toudou Touka!"
Chestnut-brown long hair fluttered in the air.
Hagun Academy's strongest walked calmly out from the red gate.
She had removed her usual round-framed glasses. Her eyes were now sharp and piercing, and the lines of her face far more resolute than usual, like someone who could charge through countless dangers in one unstoppable push.
The two sides locked eyes in an instant.
A tense, blade-drawn atmosphere gradually filled the air.
"Her presence is completely different from any opponent she's faced so far!"
At the moment they confronted each other face to face, Kurogane Shizuku was forced to realize this.
"Now then, the first match of today begins!"
", Let's go ahead!"
The buzzer blared loudly,
, officially signaling the start of the match.
"Eh? Huh? What's going on?!"
As the match began, everyone expected a fierce clash, but the situation on the field completely exceeded all expectations.
The two girls standing at opposite sides of the arena didn't take a single step forward. Instead, they circled along the outer edge of the ring, maintaining the initial twenty-meter distance between them.
The silver-white short katana 〈Yoi Shigure〉.
The katana "Narukami", sheathed in a black scabbard at the waist.
Both sides held their Spiritual Items (Devices), yet neither made the first move to attack.
"No one wants to strike first."
Stella lightly brushed her flame-red hair, her expression solemn.
"Both of them are B-Rank Student Knights. In previous years, either one would have had Seven Stars Sword King–level strength, neither would act rashly."
"More importantly, both specialize in long-range attacks. Right now, both are already within each other's attack range. Whoever moves first will be the one at a disadvantage!"
Kurogane Ikki and Arisuin Nagi also offered their own analyses.
"But in the end, it should be Senior Sister who makes the first move."
Ryoji spoke up as well, joining the discussion.
"Kurogane Shizuku's close-combat ability is weak, that's her biggest flaw. And close range is Senior Sister's domain. Once within her effective range, Raikiri is practically invincible."
Raikiri's speed was said to be fast enough to even sever lightning itself.
Once someone entered Senior Sister's attack range, it was impossible to escape that strike. Up until now, no one had ever managed to break it head-on.
(End of Chapter)