Although he still couldn't compare to Haruki himself, the fact that he could keep up with Haruki's physical pace was impressive.
To be honest, it had far exceeded Haruki's expectations. If every Blazer in this world was as formidable as Ikki Kurogane—or if there were groups of people even stronger than him—then completing the system's mission might not be as simple as he thought.
I really can't afford to be careless.
Realizing that Haruki's physical conditioning was on a completely different level, Ikki Kurogane gave up on trying to match Haruki's routine. He didn't want to continue making a fool of himself. The two of them continued their training in separate areas of the grounds.
As the sun began to peek over the eastern horizon, both Haruki and Ikki finished their workouts.
"Haruki, why do you carry a physical sword with you everywhere?" Ikki asked curiously as they wiped off their sweat. "As a Blazer, shouldn't you be able to manifest your soul as a Device?"
"For certain reasons..." Haruki replied vaguely.
He couldn't exactly admit that he didn't actually have a Device. Moreover, considering he had to participate in the Seven Star Sword Art Festival selection matches, he would eventually have to fight in front of an audience. If he couldn't "summon" a weapon out of thin air when the time came, the fact that he wasn't a Blazer would be exposed instantly.
To prevent his cover from being blown, Haruki looked at Ikki and asked, "Ikki, could you show me your Device?"
"Eh? You want to see it?"
"Is it inconvenient?"
"Not exactly..." Ikki scratched his cheek awkwardly. "It's just that my Device is quite weak. My rank as a Blazer is the lowest—Rank F. Even if I call it out, I'm afraid it won't live up to your expectations."
"I see."
Haruki was surprised. During their morning run, Ikki had given off the aura of a sharpened blade; there were moments where Haruki had felt a faint trace of pressure from him. If someone like Ikki was considered the bottom of the barrel, Haruki had a hard time imagining what a high-ranking Blazer looked like.
Regardless, he needed to understand the mechanics of a Device to fake his own. Eventually, at Haruki's persistence, Ikki agreed.
"Hoo..." Ikki took a deep breath and slowly raised his right hand. "Come forth, Intetsu!"
As he spoke, a modest Japanese sword appeared in his hand. The blade was pitch-black, like a raven's wing, giving off a deep, somber aura.
So this is a Device.
Haruki watched the process closely. He sensed a release of energy—a faint but distinct surge. The moment Ikki gripped the hilt, his physical presence sharpened. Haruki immediately realized that this energy was Mana.
In this world, every Blazer is born with a fixed amount of Mana. It cannot be increased through training. Because of this, a Blazer's rank—from A to F—is usually determined at birth.
"Intetsu's ability is to double my physical output," Ikki explained. "To most Blazers who manipulate powerful magic, it's considered a 'useless' ability. Combined with my F-Rank mana, I'm essentially the symbol of the 'weakest' student."
"..." Haruki didn't comment, but he didn't think doubling one's physical capabilities was useless at all.
After seeing a real Device, Haruki began to brainstorm. He needed a way to pull a sword out of thin air to pass as a Blazer.
Back in his dorm, Haruki began experimenting.
A Device was a weapon manifested from the soul. As a swordsman, his "Device" obviously had to be a blade. He just needed to use his Ghost Power to mimic the summoning effect.
"Awaken."
Mimicking Ikki's stance, Haruki raised his right hand.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a thick, swirling cloud of dark Ghost Qi erupted from his palm, condensing into a physical, dark blade of energy.
The Ghost Slash technique usually involved launching a wave of energy. However, Haruki was now focusing on maintaining the energy's form, creating a temporary "Spirit Blade." From a distance, it looked exactly like a Blazer's soul-weapon.
Since every Device needed a name, Haruki decided to call his spectral creation: Onibi (Ghost Shadow).
He practiced moving with the Onibi, finding that his techniques flowed just as well as they did with his physical blade. Furthermore, because Onibi was made of pure Ghost Qi, its strikes naturally targeted the soul—an accidental, powerful evolution of his skills.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!!"
Just as Haruki was getting used to the weight of his new spectral blade, a piercing scream echoed from the room next door—Ikki's room.
Haruki had gained some respect for Ikki that morning, but the scream made him instinctively worry that the boy might be involved in something scandalous. He dropped his training and bolted into the hallway, bursting into Ikki's room.
What he saw was a red-haired girl in a state of extreme embarrassment, and a shirtless, confused Ikki.
"Turn yourself in, Ikki," Haruki said deadpan, assuming the worst.
Chapter 19 – The A-Rank Blazer
"I-It's not what you think!" Ikki cried out.
He quickly explained the situation. Apparently, Ikki had returned to his dorm to rest, only to find a complete stranger—this red-haired girl—inside. She had been in the middle of changing her clothes in the common area.
Normally, one would apologize and leave. But Ikki's brain worked differently. He figured that if he had seen her, the only way to make it "even" was to strip off his own shirt as well.
After listening to the explanation, Haruki remained silent for a moment. "I see. In that case, you're definitely in the wrong, Ikki."
"I know..." Ikki slumped.
However, Haruki added, "But Ikki, your mistake wasn't the 'peeping.' You shouldn't have apologized, and you certainly shouldn't have taken your clothes off. This is your room. You have every right to be here. If someone is changing in a common area where a roommate lives, the fault lies with the person who didn't lock the door."
"Wait, what?" Ikki blinked, stunned by Haruki's cold, blunt logic.
As the two boys stood there debating, the red-haired girl finally reached her limit. Her face turned as red as her hair.
"BOTH OF YOU! GET OUT!!"
The Office of the Selection Committee Chairperson.
Hagun Academy had been struggling lately, consistently ranking near the bottom of the seven academies. To reverse this, the board had appointed a new Chairperson: Kurono Shinguji.
Kurono was a world-class talent, a top-tier A-Rank Blazer who had once been ranked third in the world.
"I see," Kurono said, looking at the students. "So, Ikki, you walked in on Stella-san, and your idea of 'fairness' was to show her your own body to make it even?"
"That is... essentially what happened," Ikki muttered.
"Are you an idiot?"
"I just thought it was the only way to avoid owing her a social debt..." Ikki explained, trying to find any shred of dignity.
Kurono Shinguji sighed. "Ikki, try to look at it from Stella's perspective. She's changing in her new room, a stranger walks in, and then starts a localized strip show."
"It sounds terrible when you put it like that." Ikki was sincere; once his logic was dismantled, he felt the full weight of his embarrassment.