Lorelei versus Raikiri.

Both were among the strongest Rank B knights in the school, but the battle between the two behemoths was off to an unexpected start.

“Wh-What’s this, I wonder! Neither of them is advancing!”

The silver shortsword, Yoishigure. The katana, Narukami, waiting in its glossy black sheath. With their respective Devices in hand, the two fighters kept their distance as they each traced a semicircle around the arena. An entire minute had passed since the start of their duel, but their blades hadn’t crossed even once.

Meanwhile, the air in the venue was thick with tension. Over a hundred spectators were gathered for the battle between the two masters of war, all watching with bated breath.

“Neither of them wants to initiate,” the flame-haired girl next to Ikki, Stella Vermillion, muttered with a stiff voice.

“They’re just glaring at each other from a distance, sizing up their opponent’s actions,” Nagi Alisuin—Alice—said in response. “Two Rank B knights with power worthy of challenging the Seven Stars Battle Festival. Both Shizuku and the student council president have ways of attacking from across the ring. They’re both keeping their foe in killing range—the first to act thoughtlessly is sure to lose.”

“That’s one reason, but in this match, Shizuku doesn’t want to make the first move,” Ikki added. “Toudou uses the strongest close-range weapon out there: the katana.”

“Is that related to the trump card they were talking about a minute ago, Ikki?” Stella asked.

“Yeah. That’s no exaggeration, either. It’s so powerful and so breathtaking that it became Toudou’s nickname as well. I’m talking about her Noble Art, the super-electromagnetic quickdraw, Raikiri.” Narukami, hung at her waist, and its sheath made use of electricity to create a magnetic field, ejecting the sword; the otherworldly speed and power with which she unsheathed her sword could rend even a bolt of lightning. It wasn’t a blow that the human body could withstand. It was certain to defeat any foe. “So far, she’s won every official battle she’s used Raikiri in, no exceptions. Once Raikiri is summoned, it’s curtains for her opponent. It’s the very epitome of a trump card.”

“Oh, but she was only a semifinalist, right? Doesn’t that mean that whoever beat her was able to get around Raikiri?”

“Not quite.” Ikki shook his head. “The Seven Stars King, Moroboshi, is a lancer. I saw the video of their battle, and he stayed outside of Raikiri’s range from start to finish. That means even the Seven Stars King is afraid of her Noble Art. There isn’t a single person who’s defeated her at close range. Anyone who gets near her is destroyed by her faster-than-lightning strike. Shizuku is well-aware of that, of course.”

“That’s why she isn’t moving, then?”

“Right. She’ll be on the defensive for the entirety of the battle. Shizuku’s specialty is long-range magic, so there’s no reason for her to intentionally step into a disadvantageous fight.” So Shizuku waited, time frozen, for the moment her opponent began her attack. “But if Toudou so much as flinches, the battle will explode into action.”

The very moment Ikki finished his sentence, Touka went on the attack.

◆◇◆◇◆

With a sudden burst of energy, Touka bent her knees and leaned forward. She drove off the ground, shifting to top speed in an instant. Less than twenty yards stood between them, a distance she could close in the blink of an eye, but Lorelei wouldn’t stand and watch while she did.

Responding to Touka’s actions, Shizuku made her move as well. She was ready, because she had been waiting for the moment Touka would dash forward.

“Freeze the earth, Toudo Heigen!”

The ground below her feet froze. The spreading ice reached the walls even faster than Touka could move, turning the arena into an ice rink. If someone dashed on an ice rink, they would, of course, slip, making it their only option to slow down. Driving Touka into such a situation was Shizuku’s ploy, and once accomplished, she immediately leapt into the next step of her plan: Noble Art: Suiroudan

When launched, the cannonball of water that emerged from Yoishigure’s tip would wrap around the foe’s head and make them unable to breathe. Firing three shots, common sense dictated that it would be impossible to dodge all of them on a field of ice.

Her foe was on another level, however; she was a being that had nearly reached the pinnacle of the Seven Stars. Somehow, Touka navigated the ice rink without slowing down. She had realized right away what Shizuku wanted her to do, so instead of stopping, she instead let herself accelerate further by sliding.

Weaving through the gaps between shots, she gracefully evaded Suiroudan. She then used the ice to her advantage to spin like a top and unsheathe her sword, aiming for the still-distant Shizuku as she sent a magic slash of lightning in the shape of a crescent moon gunning for her neck.

Touka had seen through Shizuku’s strategy, evading her fire and launching an immediate long-range counterattack. She had been visualizing her every move since the very moment she saw Toudo Heigen.

Shizuku had never experienced someone who could see through her so quickly and precisely, but she had assumed it would happen and planned for it. A moment before Touka’s lightning sliced through her neck, a hundred-foot tall wall of water shot up from between her and the attack, separating them. It was Shouha Suiren, another of her Noble Arts. Stronger than a defensive wall of iron, neither projectiles nor electricity could pass through it.

Of course, Shizuku didn’t expect Raikiri to go along with her plans so easily—she was among the four strongest student knights in Japan, after all. Touka was sure to attempt a long-range counterattack after being targeted by Suiroudan, so Shizuku had prepared the defensive wall in advance.

The lightning struck the wall of water, vaporizing the point of impact, but it wasn’t able to break through. Shizuku had successfully repelled Touka’s attack, but that thought lasted only a mere moment.

“Ah!”

When Touka saw that her attack didn’t hit its mark, she wasted no time in unleashing two, three, ten more bolts of lightning. She was like a machine gun, firing wildly at her target. The foresight she’d displayed before was gone; she was attacking with brute force alone.

That didn’t mean it was a thoughtless action, however. Touka was well aware of the advantage she held over Shizuku: the speed at which she could use her techniques.

To prevent her water from conducting electricity, Shizuku had to take care to remove every single impurity from every single molecule of water, making perfectly, completely pure. It was extremely delicate and precise work. In contrast, Touka’s strikes required no careful management whatsoever; she only had to enchant them with lightning.

It was only natural that their speeds would differ. Touka had realized her advantage with only one attack, and that her continuous, lightning-fast assault would put Shizuku in the most difficult possible situation.

Her analysis was correct. Against the endless bombardment, Shizuku was forced to maintain her barrier. She had to focus entirely on using Shouha Suiren to protect herself from the volley of attacks. Even so, Touka’s powerful attacks with her superheated lightning blade were slowly but surely vaporizing the barrier, grinding down Shizuku’s shield.

After dozens of strikes, the machine gun-like lightning destroyed the last of her protection. Touka swung Narukami once more, ready to deal the finishing blow, but something wasn’t right.

“Huh…?!”

Her movements stopped just as she went to swing. Why? The reason lay at her feet. Something had taken hold of her legs: a watery arm that had sprouted from the frozen floor. It froze as soon as it grabbed her, pinning her where she stood, and a shadow simultaneously appeared over her head.

By the time Touka had torn her line of sight away from Shizuku and looked up at the sky, it was too late. What she saw was a massive pillar of ice, falling at a terrifying speed from within any human’s worst blind spot. It seemed close enough that she could touch it with her nose.

Everything was happening just as Shizuku had imagined it would. If Touka wanted to fight using the speed of her foresight, then Shizuku would fight with depth of hers. Touka had been led to believe that her speed gave her an advantage, that Shizuku was only able to hide in her shell and fight a defensive battle until she’d lost. All the while, Shizuku’s magic had crept along the floor, creating an arm to restrain Touka. In addition, the steam resulting from Touka’s attacks was used to create the pillar of ice that would soon crush her.

Three complex uses of magic, all at once. A normal Blazer couldn’t perform such a feat, but Shizuku could. She had Rank A magic control—the highest level among all of humanity, even surpassing Stella Vermillion.

The falling mass of ice split the entire ring in two, the resulting crack extending even to the audience’s seats. That was just how powerful the blow was. A gravestone of ice sat at the center of the destruction; Touka couldn’t have possibly been standing after that. It was clear to all who the victor was.

Or so it should have been, but Shizuku could still feel the tension in the air, no less painful than before. As if confirming her fears, the mass of ice began to split in half, like a blooming flower. In the midst of it, Raikiri stood uninjured.

Both attacked, both defended. The area was left half-destroyed by their battle, but not a single strike landed. They were evenly matched.

The duel between Rank B knights had returned to its starting point: a staring match.

◆◇◆◇◆

“A-Amaziiiiing! Such high-level offense and defense! I was put in charge of the play-by-play, but I couldn’t even get a word in!”

The commentator shouted as if she had only just remembered that she was supposed to speak. Her voice seemed to lift the breathless audience’s tension all at once, with shocked yells coming from all directions.

“Wh-What’s with these two?! Are they really human?!”

“Man, the student council pres is crazy!”

“We already know that! She was a semifinalist! How the hell is that first-year standing up to her, though?!”

“Defend, counterattack, bluff, secret weapon—all in a matter of seconds! How many moves does she have?!”

“But the president was ready to handle all of it!”

“They’re both monsters. This is what a Rank B battle looks like!”

“The crowd is going wild over their fight, and it’s no wonder! Strength, skill, and tactics alike are being displayed at levels much higher than any normal student could achieve! These two are the real deal! I wouldn’t be surprised if either one of them became the Seven Stars King!

“All this fighting, and yet zero damage has been done! There’s not even a single scratch on either of them! You know what they say: ‘Diamonds can only be cut by other diamonds’! Who will the goddess of victory favor today, folks?!”

“Shizuku’s doing great!”

“I knew she was strong, but this is surprising, even for me!”

Like the hosts, Stella and Alice were in awe of Shizuku’s fighting. Her opponent was the strongest knight in all of Hagun, a girl who was in the semifinals of last year’s Seven Stars Battle Festival. Shizuku keeping pace with Touka proved that she was strong enough to fight on even footing with the beings at the very top of Seven Stars.

“If she keeps this up, she might be able to win!” Stella cheered, full of excitement.

Though they often snapped at each other, Stella didn’t hate Shizuku. In fact, their love for the same man led to a sort of mutual understanding, and for that, from the bottom of her heart, Stella was truly happy. Shizuku was doing more than enough to win, despite her foe having the elemental advantage.

The outcome of their match was unclear; there was a great possibility for a major upset. However, beside the two whose hearts swelled with anticipation, Ikki Kurogane alone watched the arena with apprehension.

Are they really evenly matched?

◆◇◆◇◆

“They really are well-matched, eh, Kanata?”

“It seems so, Vice President.”

Two members of Touka Toudou’s student council—Utakata Misogi and Kanata Toutokubara—observed the fight from just above the red gate, opposite Ikki’s seat above the blue gate.

“These first-years are amazing. They’re so strong it’s hard to put into words. If they decide to be delinquents, we’re the ones who’ll have to stop them, y’know?”

“Heehee. Your cries seem more joyful than anything. This means we can graduate without worry.” With a voice as elegant as a bird’s song, Kanata smiled and once again looked out from beneath her wide-brimmed hat at the first-year who fought on even footing with Touka. “It’s truly a surprise, though. Who would have expected her to be able to compete with our princess like this?”

“Right? I can’t see a single advantage or disadvantage on either side. It’s not just Kurogane and Stella; these first-years really are incredible.” Utakata acknowledged their ability with a cool, composed smile. “At least, this one is when it comes to long range.”

That was the reason Ikki looked so concerned. There was one truth to be gleaned from their initial trading of blows: Touka would absolutely dominate Shizuku in close-range combat. There would be no way to defeat her if it came to that. In other words, Shizuku Kurogane’s chance at victory lay solely in staying far away—keeping pace wasn’t good enough.

If she wanted to win, Shizuku needed to get a leg up on Touka offensively. She knew that, but she couldn’t land a single damaging blow. Their exchange may have ended in a draw, but in the grand scheme of things, it was clear who had really come out on top in the first skirmish in the battle between Lorelei and Raikiri.

“Even worse, Touka isn’t fighting seriously yet.”

For a Rank B knight, Shizuku was a first-class water mage with Rank A magic control. One would be hard-pressed to find a talent like her even at the Seven Stars. She was a rare opportunity.

Instead of unleashing an all-out attack, Touka instead chose to do as Shizuku wished and remain at long range. She wanted to learn what a top-tier water mage’s attacks felt like.

“Touka must be happy to be able to fight her before the Festival.”

“Indeed. She’ll likely end this study session soon, though. Today’s matches are far behind schedule, and as we know, the president isn’t fond of delays.”

◆◇◆◇◆

As Kanata had predicted, there was a change in the arena. At Touka’s feet, the skating rink created by Toudo Heigen was beginning to spew steam—she was joule heating the ground with the immense electrical power within her, using it to neutralize Shizuku’s Noble Art. Then, she lifted Narukami and pointed it at Shizuku.

The light reflecting off the tip of Touka’s sword carried a powerful killing intent that Shizuku couldn’t ignore. Her expression stiffened as that bloodlust pierced her heart, though the almighty pressure she felt was only part of the reason.

I don’t understand. Glaring at Touka from afar, Shizuku was frozen with apprehension. Her foe’s last move in their previous exchange assailed her with doubt. How was she able to respond to my surprise attack? Can she see something I can’t?

Lorelei’s magic control far outclassed Raikiri’s. It was even a full level above the Rank A Blazer Stella’s. She was right to have confidence in her camouflage; it was inconceivable that her opponent could have been aware of the trick she was going to pull.

Even stranger, it had come from Touka’s worst blind spot: directly overhead. Though many people could react to hints from behind them, it was a fundamental flaw of the human species that they could never do so to hints from above. Touka, however, had reacted as if it were completely normal, splitting the gravestone of ice in twain.

It was then, while Shizuku toiled over the mystery of her foe’s abilities, that she suddenly saw Touka standing right in front of her, disturbing the air as she swung Narukami.

“Gah?!”

Her eyes grew wide with shock—it took everything she had to avoid screaming. Who could blame her? A fraction of a second ago, her opponent was dozens of yards away, but she had gotten close enough that Shizuku could reach out her arm and touch her. Of course, not before Touka’s sword would slice into her.

“Ngh!”

She did not freeze up, however. Without a thought as to how she would catch herself when she fell, Shizuku threw herself backward, barely evading Touka’s horizontal slash. Her body spun in midair, and when she touched her left hand to the ground, she detonated a high-pressure blast of water from her palm, launching herself far away from Touka.

Dodging the attack and putting distance between them was a calculated decision, but Shizuku had been forced to rack her brain to come up with such a daring move and execute it with composure. It left her in a half-panicked state.

I don’t get it!

She couldn’t comprehend what had happened. Touka hadn’t left her sight for even a moment, yet somehow, with no sound or sign of movement, she had instantly closed the several-dozen-yard gap between them.

“Ooh! Careful there, Kurogane! That was quite the narrow escape! She was reacting to Toudou’s attacks with ease earlier, so what’s the deal now?! She almost looked like she was daydreaming!”

Did I lose focus? No, there’s no way. Shizuku knitted her eyebrows dubiously. It shouldn’t have been possible for her to lose focus in battle, but the announcer’s words were proof that it appeared that way to others. Had she failed to keep Raikiri’s attack in sight even though she’d had no trouble doing so before?

No matter what the case, Touka’s last attack was problematic for Shizuku. She had to stay focused, lest she miss her assailant again, so she reminded herself to stay sharp, focusing her consciousness on her eyes. The next moment, however, she once again saw Narukami rapidly approaching.

“Bwahhh?!”

Given no time to dodge, Shizuku was helpless as her clothes were shredded by the attack.

“Whoooa, get a load of that! Shizuku Kurogane has taken a direct hit from Toudou’s sword! And a deep one, at that! Could this be a fatal wound?!”

However, just as everyone began to think the match had been decided, Shizuku’s body turned pale, then liquified and spilled onto the ground. The real Shizuku was already standing a great distance behind Touka.

“Wh-What’s this?! A water clone?! Kurogane has beautifully evaded Raikiri’s—Wait, what’s this?!” The announcer’s voice froze when she saw the stream of crimson running down Shizuku’s arm. “Blood is dripping from her left arm! She didn’t evade it completely, after all! Kurogane has finally been hit! The great Raikiri, Touka Toudou, draws first blood!”

“Rgh…!” Shizuku groaned, holding the slash wound on her left arm.

It’s like she’s teleporting. What sort of trick is she using? She had no idea what Toudou was doing to mask her movements, but the stream of crimson running down her arm made one thing perfectly clear: I can’t follow her movements!

That was the beginning of the end. It became obvious to everyone that theirs was no longer an even match.

◆◇◆◇◆

The scales had finally tipped in Touka’s favor; Shizuku was fighting a purely defensive battle, only able to run away. The approaching Raikiri was faster, though, and Shizuku’s decreasing reaction speed was a major burden. She became more and more exhausted, eventually reaching the point where a stiff breeze would be nearly enough to topple her.

“What’s going on here? At first, Lorelei and Raikiri seemed evenly matched, but now it seems to be taking everything Lorelei’s got just to run away. How did she fall so far behind?!”

The play-by-play announcer was bewildered. She didn’t know that Shizuku was unable to see Touka’s movements, so there was no way for her to understand why the battle had become so one-sided. Even so, everyone present at the training field knew exactly who would emerge victorious.

“She should really just surrender.”

“I guess the president was just too much for a first-year.”

“And here I thought she had a chance at first.”

“Huh? You leaving already?”

“Yeah. This battle’s over. I mean, not like we didn’t know the president was crazy strong, right?”

The venue had calmed significantly, missing all of the enthusiasm present at the start of the match. Really, no matter how incredible she was, Shizuku was just a first-year. How could the best knight in all of Hagun fall to someone like her? Everyone there was disappointed in themselves for having even begun to get excited over something so unlikely.

Among them, Stella spoke to Ikki, nearly groaning in dismay.

“Hey, Ikki? What happened to Shizuku?”

“What do you mean?”

“Look at her. Her reactions have obviously dulled.”

“That’s right, Stella. The president isn’t moving any differently, but it’s like Shizuku can’t even see her.”

Alice had noticed the problem with Shizuku’s actions as well. Naturally, Ikki had too, but he could see a little bit more than the rest of them.

“I think you’re right about that.”

“Oh?”

“Shizuku really can’t see her. I’ve seen something like it before.” It was when he’d met Nene Saikyou, the Demon Princess, just before his first selection battle. “Back then, Ms. Saikyou appeared in front of me without me even realizing it. I never stopped looking in her direction, but she was suddenly inches away from me. Whatever Raikiri is doing, it must be the same thing. Perhaps it’s some sort of martial art.”

“Ahaha! Nice one, little Kurogane. I’m surprised you noticed.”

When Ikki turned toward the voice that had descended on him from behind, he saw a girl in a beautiful kimono and a handsome woman in a suit, both making their way down the stairs of the bowl-shaped arena.

“Hey there. Been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Ms. Saikyou, Director. Why are you two here?”

“What? It’s not like we need anything. We just saw you here, so we wanted to say hi.”

The director, Kurono Shinguuji, answered Alice’s question. They merely came to watch a selection battle between two Rank B knights for fun, and called out to Ikki and the girls because of their fascinating conversation.

“Wait, are you saying Ikki was right, Ms. Nene?”

“Yep,” Ms. Saikyou nodded in reply to Stella. “That’s Void Step, an ancient technique combining breathing and footwork. If I had to describe it…”

“…Huh?”

Without warning, Saikyou seemingly teleported nearly twenty feet, stopping close enough to breathe on Stella. She then grabbed Stella’s ample breasts and held them up, massaging them.

“Eep?!”

“Like that, see? Damn, you’ve got big honkers. Soft, too.”

“Aaahhhhh! Wh-Wh-Wh-What do you think you’re doing?!”

“I figured mine would get bigger if I felt yours up.”

“If you want them to get bigger, feel up your own!”

“Look at my chest, stupid! What am I supposed to feel here?!”

“Why are you the one getting mad? You groped me!”

“I suppose you can already see through the trick behind Void Step, Kurogane?” Kurono asked, ignoring the two bickering girls, to which he nodded.

“Yes. If I were told to replicate it, I probably could.”

“Hey, Ikki?” Stella began. “What is Void Step, exactly?”

“Well, let’s see. Basically, since we humans are living things, we can’t perceive every single thing that enters our eyes and ears like machines can. The brain registers things and can recall them, but the consciousness doesn’t identify them. And that’s a good thing—if your brain was forced to take note of and analyze every single piece of sensory information it received, it would quickly overheat. Instead, the human brain tosses the lowest-priority information into the voids in one’s consciousness, making things easier by not recognizing this information at all.

“Void Step uses a special, highly specific pattern of breathing and footwork to allow a person to slip into these voids. As a result, Shizuku can see Toudou, but she doesn’t know that she can. Her brain and eyes definitely still perceive her enemy, but her consciousness is discarding that perception as unimportant information. That is, until she comes close enough to pose a major threat to Shizuku’s life.”

“Exactly right. You’ve studied well,” Kurono said, impressed.

Ikki’s answer had perfectly exposed the previously incomprehensible mechanism behind the technique that was plaguing Shizuku. It was the tiny periphery of unconsciousness that existed within the senses. By shifting one’s breathing and self by a half-step, Touka had slipped through Shizuku’s consciousness, preventing her mind from locking on. That was the method behind Void Step, an ancient style of stealth walking.

“I’ve seen this before, after all.” Touka’s Void Step was also much less refined than Ms. Saikyou’s, allowing Ikki to see through it more easily. “But I’m surprised a student could master the Demon Princess’ technique.”

“Well, there’s an easy explanation for that one,” Kurono told him. “Nene and Toudou both studied under the same knight—the very knight who specialized in Void Step.”

“Really? Who was it?”

“Torajirou Nangou.”

“Nangou? You mean the God of War?!”

The shock on Ikki’s face was completely transparent. The God of War, Torajirou Nangou, was a lifelong rival to Ryouma Kurogane and a senior knight who remained active even past the age of ninety. He was undisputedly a living legend.

“As I recall, you saw him at a senior citizens’ home and begged him to teach you.”

“Jeez, slow down, Kuu!” Ms. Saikyou piped up. “I’ve never thought of that old-timer as my teacher!”

“Why are you so embarrassed? I bet you only wear those clogs to imitate him.”

“N-N-N-No, I do not! I bought these because I saw an ad saying they’d cure constipation!”

“Acupressure sandals…?” As Ms. Saikyou’s long, hanging sleeves fluttered around with her waving arms, Kurono rebuked her temper tantrum, mentioning that “You’re never honest when it comes to him”. Then, she turned to look at Ikki again. “Well, anyway, if you know that much about how Void Step works, then I’m sure you also know that your sister can’t do anything to stop it.”

“What?!”

Stella and Alice raised their voices in disbelief at her matter-of-fact declaration of Shizuku’s defeat. Though Ikki’s expression was grim, he wasn’t surprised; he had already arrived at the same conclusion.

“Is that true, Ikki?! There’s no way to defeat Void Step?!”

“No, there is a way to defeat the technique itself. You have to intentionally focus your mind on your unconscious senses—on the voids in your consciousness. The problem is that it’s much easier said than done.

“For example, imagine there’s a man pointing a gun at you from straight ahead, his finger on the trigger. He obviously wants to kill you. Your focus would naturally be drawn directly toward the barrel, because that’s what has control over the last seconds of your life, right?

“Under those circumstances, would you turn your attention to the man’s earring? Would you think about who manufactured that earring? Of course you wouldn’t, because unnecessary information is completely ignored by your conscious mind. In order to defeat Void Step, however, you must turn your attention from the gun to the earring in that life-or-death situation. That is the act of focusing on your unconscious senses.

“Shizuku may as well be in a life-or-death situation like that right now. Intentionally removing her focus from her enemy would require specific training; she would need to be able to freely control both her body and senses at once. Honestly, she’s in a really tough spot.”

If she were Ikki or Stella, she might have been able to. The two of them had established full control of their bodies as a result of their learning martial arts.

Shizuku was different, though. She was the best of the best when it came to controlling magic, but an amateur at controlling her body. The moment she began to think that she was just overlooking Touka and tried to concentrate more on her, her field of vision narrowed, making the voids in her consciousness even larger. It created a vicious, endless cycle.

“I don’t believe it!” Stella cried.

Ikki didn’t want to imagine his sister’s defeat either, but as things stood, the chasm between the two Rank B knights was too large. The fact that Shizuku hadn’t damaged Touka even once stood as a testament to that fact. Even their battle at long range, where she excelled, had ended in a draw, and an even battle at long range was equal to defeat in the long run.

With her pinned down and the scales so far against her favor, it was hard to believe that she could win. Touka would close the distance between them once and for all, entering the close-range domain of Raikiri.

“If Shizuku has some trump card to fight Raikiri off at close range, she might have a chance. But if not…”

Ikki didn’t bother to say what would happen if that were the case, though Stella already knew what was to follow.

“Mmh.”

It was strange. To her, Shizuku was a rival for Ikki’s affections; she shouldn’t have been anything but a hindrance. Even so, Stella knew what Shizuku was experiencing as she fought, the strength of the emotions that supported her as she faced the challenge before her. The fact that they loved the same man made that feeling all the more potent.

“Shizukuuu! You can do iiit!”

A few small words wouldn’t be enough to turn the fight around, but Stella couldn’t bear to not shout those words.

◆◇◆◇◆

Shizuku clearly heard Stella’s loud, beautiful voice as it echoed through the bored venue. It was the voice of her rival in love, honestly wishing for her victory, and hearing it made Shizuku clench her fists so hard the blood stopped flowing through them.

I don’t want your support! she claimed within her mind, feigning annoyance with an angry look while attempting to ignore the crawly, indescribable emotion deep within her heart.

If she were to acknowledge it, she believed it would change her relationship with Stella forever. However, no matter how much she tried to disregard it, Stella’s voice fanned the flames of her competitiveness.

Stella is sure to make it to the Seven Stars. I have to win and advance. I have to move onward to the Seven Stars, with my brother and my friends!

Stella was the only Rank A knight in all of Hagun, standing taller than even the monster that currently opposed Shizuku. She wouldn’t stumble over the small stepping stone that was the selection battles.

Ikki, the man who had defeated Stella, would surely make it to the top of the nation. Shizuku understood her brother’s strength better than anyone else, so she harbored no doubts about that fact.

She couldn’t allow herself to be the only one to lose. Her strength had been drained by the realization of her hopeless inferiority, but her fighting spirit raged stronger than ever. Casting healing magic on her own wounds, she stood up straight and glared directly at her enemy.

“What’s this? Kurogane still hasn’t given up on this one-sided battle! She’s healing her wounds, standing ready to fight on! Has she found her chance at victory?!”

What Shizuku had found was not her chance at victory, but rather her determination. She couldn’t perceive Touka’s approach, nor could she understand the trick behind it. All she knew was that she was tired of it.

Defending had become pointless. If she couldn’t see Touka’s moves, her original strategy of pinning her down and fighting a long-range battle was out of the question; trying to run away would make the situation progressively worse.

The only path left to her was to go on the offensive. Her opponent was Raikiri, the greatest knight in all of Hagun. She was undefeated at close range, but it was the only way for Shizuku to win, so she steeled her resolve and strengthened her grip on Yoishigure.

I’ll be the first to defeat her undefeated close-range attack!

Clueless as to what Shizuku was planning, Touka once again mercilessly stepped into the voids in Shizuku’s consciousness, when suddenly, Shizuku moved.

“Byakuya Kekkai!” she shouted, stabbing Yoishigure into the frozen earth.

When the words left her lips, the ice created by Toudo Heigen instantly turned into a thick, white mist that filled the arena.

Shizuku had changed her perspective on the battle. If she couldn’t see Touka, then why let Touka see her? Considering that Toudo Heigen was already useless against the enemy’s joule heating, Shizuku chose to sublimate the layer of ice, reducing visibility in the arena to a mere three feet.

The only one who could move freely in the magic mist was Shizuku herself. Though she couldn’t see, the mist was like a part of Shizuku’s body—she could feel everything and everyone that touched it. She located her enemy, who was standing still, at a loss for what to do, and immediately circled behind her.

“Hisuijin.”

In response to Shizuku’s voice, all the water vapor in the air surrounding her moved, focusing at Yoishigure’s tip to create a massive blade of highly pressurized, rotating water.

Water constantly dripping over a long period of time would erode massive boulders, and would cut through metal when made into a high-pressure current. One could even go so far as to say that Earth itself was carved by water into a sculpture. Nothing in the world cannot be cut by water, and Shizuku was using her outstanding magic control to condense the world-shaping power of Mother Nature into her blade.

Now, the true battle begins!

She dashed toward Touka, but it wasn’t a reckless attack, for she was deeply assured of her victory. She still didn’t know how Touka had seen her attack from above coming, but even if she saw Hisuijin and tried to react using Narukami, she would be unable to stop it.

No matter how sharp or well-crafted one’s blade was, it made no difference. A solid couldn’t stop liquid from flowing around it. Hisuijin would easily bypass Narukami and cut Touka down.

Shizuku already knew exactly how this would go, so she stepped in range of Raikiri with confidence in her heart. The moment she did, something caught her attention.

“Huh?”

Touka stood in the fog, her eyes fixed directly on Shizuku despite the low visibility. She was poised and ready to draw Narukami, visible lightning running through its pitch-black sheath.

Shizuku knew what came next, for she had seen the blinding light unleashed by Touka’s attack in videos countless times. It was her legendary trump card that crushed all foes before it with a single stroke.

“Raikiri!”

Plasma surged, instantly turning the world white with overwhelming heat, but having already set out for her final attack, Shizuku couldn’t stop. She used all of her strength to swing Hisuijin, but the blade of water was blown away with Raikiri’s speed alone.

Shizuku Kurogane’s wish, along with everything else she had put into the battle, was cut down with a single sword stroke.

◆◇◆◇◆

The moment the plasma-coated blade was unsheathed, its faster-than-sound slash detonated the air all around it. The raging wind it created, with Touka at the center, blew away the mist of Byakuya Kekkai. The aftermath reached all the way to the audience stands, making the split arena creak. It was so ferocious that one could hardly remain standing in the wind.

In the midst of those roaring winds, Ikki kept his eyes open, looking down into the arena. He saw everything, never averting his eyes until he was met with the sight of Shizuku Kurogane falling to the ground.

“A flash of lightning, and she’s dooooown! The referee has crossed his arms, signaling the end of the match! Kurogane fought tooth and nail, but the semifinalist proved too great a wall for her to surmount! The winner of this Rank B deathmatch is the student council president, Touka ‘Raikiri’ Toudou!”

The host announced the victor, lowering the curtain on their battle. An intense, no-holds-barred fight. The beginning of the battle revealed just how much both of them surpassed normal students, but in the end, Shizuku lost hopelessly; she was never able to land so much as a single hit on her opponent.

“Hey, Ikki?”

“I know, Alice. I saw it.” After his reply, Ikki stared at one point in the arena. It was the fallen Shizuku’s right hand, her fingers wrapped around Raikiri’s ankle. Indeed, it was a complete loss for her. “Great job out there, Shizuku.”

Shizuku was likely the one who most clearly realized the chasm of strength between the two, but she kept on fighting and fighting, refusing to yield.

You’ve gotten so much stronger.

Long ago, she was just a little girl who chased after Ikki wherever he went. Ikki had become more aware of the passage of the last four years than he’d ever been.

“…”

Ikki watched the victor flip her chestnut-colored hair as she walked out of the arena.

She’s too strong.

Shizuku’s last attack was far from reckless. Having used Byakuya Kekkai to rob the enemy of her sight, she’d had her most powerful Noble Art, Hisuijin, in hand. She had leaped into battle against Raikiri with all of her most potent tools and visualizing a clear path to victory, but it was all cut down by a simple, head-on attack.

Raikiri was able to counteract the strongest of fighters and the most well-thought-out of plans, far exceeding anyone’s expectations. Ikki knew from his battle with Kuraudo Kurashiki, the Sword Eater, that the top of the Seven Stars was full of people like those two. Not a single member of that domain was normal; they were superhumans who had long surpassed normal measurements. It made Ikki think of how rewarding it would feel to reach that summit.

I’d like to cross swords with you sometime, Raikiri.

◆◇◆◇◆

What followed the blinding, burning flash of light was benighted emptiness. Shizuku slowly regained her consciousness, dragging herself from the darkness.

She lifted her heavy eyelids, focusing her blurry vision. The first thing she saw was a bland, white, unsoiled infirmary ceiling, followed by the familiar face of her roommate.

“Finally came to, huh, Shizuku?”

“Alice?”

Shizuku slowly lifted her upper body off of the bed. When she looked around, she noticed that other people were present as well. Ikki Kurogane—her brother—and Stella Vermillion were standing behind Alice. Upon seeing them all, Shizuku realized that she had failed.

Oh. I get it.

“Guess I lost,” she muttered, ushering in a depressed silence.

Don’t worry about it. Be happy.

People who put themselves squarely in the competitive world knew how grim those words truly were. There were no words for losers in this world.

“Hey, Shizuku? Um…”

“I’m sorry.” Stella tried to end the painfully awkward silence, but Shizuku coldly interrupted her. “I’d like to be alone for a while, if you don’t mind. I’m still tired from the match.”

Shizuku hid her face and asked everyone to leave. She didn’t want to see anyone or hear anything. All she wanted was to be alone.

“Sure. Let’s go, Stella.”

“…Okay.”

Ikki quickly understood her intentions and left with everyone in tow. She appreciated that, for the pain of defeat had already caught in her throat. Shizuku was a prideful girl; she didn’t want Ikki or Stella to see her as she quivered with regret and sadness.

“Why are you still here?”

For some reason, Alice had stayed behind, a serene grin on her face.

“Why? Well, who knows?”

“I just said I wanted to be alone.”

“Yes, I’m not deaf.”

“Then just—!” Before she could finish her retort, Alice drew her into a hug. “Alice?”

“You were amazing out there. Your brother’s eyes were glued to you from start to finish. He said you did a great job.” Alice whispered as she gently ran her hand through the still-shocked Shizuku’s hair. “Shizuku, I’m not someone you have to put on a mask around. You don’t have to keep acting so tough.”

Ah…

That was her limit. Alice’s gentle words and protective embrace were enough to coax the first sob out of her throat, and once the first one had broken through the dam, the rest came flooding out.

Damn it. Damn it, damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it!

A broken wish. A failed dream. It all still tormented her.

Shizuku screamed in place of the pain that she wouldn’t put into words, clinging to Alice’s chest so tightly that her nails dug in. Alice didn’t pull away, though; she knew she was the only one to whom Shizuku could express her pain, so she stayed with Shizuku, holding her tiny body until the sobs finally stopped.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Shizuku looked really upset.”

Stella spoke to Ikki as the two of them walked back to their dorm.

“Are you surprised? This probably destroyed her chances of getting to the Seven Stars.” Ikki had asked Ms. Oreki about it before the match. At the rate the selection battles were going, all six representatives would be people with flawless records. The national stage wouldn’t permit a loser. “But still, Shizuku has nothing to be ashamed of.”

Ikki remembered Shizuku’s right hand, holding Touka’s leg. The willpower she had displayed at the very end of their battle was especially spectacular.

“You can’t lose even once? That’s a lot of pressure.”

“Yeah. And we’re not exempt from that either, you know.”

Everyone—Shizuku, Ikki, Stella, and all the other students—was fighting under the same rules. No one aiming for the top of the Seven Stars would allow a single loss. That was the rule laid out by the new director, Kurono Shinguuji, in an attempt to proverbially pan for the new Seven Stars King.

They would find the strongest knight, even if it meant the school’s best had to crush one another. After all, only one person could stand at the top of Seven Stars.

“The selection battles are almost over,” Ikki continued. “We’d better brace ourselves for what’s to come.”

“I won’t lose, of course.” He turned to look at Stella, who oh-so confidently declared her victory. She looked back up at him in return, her eyes burning with fighting spirit. “I will not fail. You and I are going to fight in the finals of the Seven Stars Battle Festival, and this time, I’ll win.”

Ikki felt immense joy welling up from within him. He wasn’t the only one waiting eagerly for their chance to come.

“Me too, Stella. I won’t fail either.”

“Heehee, of course not. You know you’ll catch hell from me if you drop out halfway through♪”

Stella responded to his determination by flashing him a beaming smile. He couldn’t help but grin too; she was more charming than ever.

The more Ikki knew about her and the closer they became, the more he fell in love with her. The scent of flowers around her, her high body temperature—it was all charming in its own way.

In his desire to be loved even more by Stella, he was more motivated than ever to work harder than ever. He could push himself to greater heights in order to become a man fitting of his greatest rival and girlfriend. Having met her was his greatest stroke of fortune.

“If we’re planning on winning, then we’d better go train, right?”

“Sure! I’ve been itching for a battle after watching Shizuku’s.”

“Hah! That’s so like you, Stella. Let’s get to it, then.”

Once Ikki confirmed that they were alone in the hallway, he wrapped his fingers around Stella’s hand. She squeezed his hand tightly in return.

Ever since they had taken the next step at the pool, the couple had become a bit more used to that sort of physical contact. They’d gotten so accustomed to it that whenever they were alone together, their hands would naturally seek each other out.

Ikki and Stella both loved the act of interlocking their fingers, allowing them to feel the other’s presence and heat, but their favorite act was, of course, kissing. The event at the pool was proof that they had gotten much closer to acting like a real couple.

It was a clear step forward, but in truth, Stella felt a smidge dissatisfied with the state of their relationship. Perhaps it wasn’t dissatisfaction, though. Perhaps it was the desire to be even closer. She wanted Ikki to want her as a woman, and the closer the two became, the greater her desire.

That was especially true when they exchanged kisses before sleeping; parting lips was more difficult than anything else in the world. Stella had even moaned in disappointment and desire when their kiss had ended the day prior, startling Ikki.

That was way too embarrassing. Disgusted by the cloying sound that had escaped her lips, she jumped straight into bed and buried herself under the covers. It had taken some time for the flame in her to dissipate. Am I a nympho or something?

Just remembering it was painful. Besides, she was the second imperial princess of the Vermillion Empire. Even if he did want her, she wouldn’t be ready to respond to his desires.

At the same time, however, both she and Ikki were adults according to the standards set forth by the International Mage-Knight Federation, as they were above fifteen years of age. They were both real, marriageable adults, and as adults, they had the right to love as they pleased.

If only Ikki wanted me…

If he could look her straight in the eye, put his hands on her shoulders, and say he honestly wanted her, what would Stella do? Would she choose her position as a princess, or would she choose her own feelings?

Not long ago, Stella would have found some excuse to reject him, but she was no longer certain what she would say. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t find a sure answer. If Ikki really, truly wanted her that badly…

I think…

“What’s wrong, Stella? Your face is super red.”

“Huh?! O-Oh, um, it’s nothing! I’m fine!”

“Your face doesn’t get that red when nothing’s wrong. Did you catch a cold? Here, let me check your temperature.”

Ikki brought his forehead to hers with a worried expression, ready to check for a fever.

D-D-Don’t come near my face right nooow! Stella screamed internally in response to his kindness.

“R-Really, I’m fine! I swear! Please, don’t come any closer!”

Stella successfully drove Ikki back with her response, but she was somewhat appalled with herself. How brazen could she be, imagining such things while walking through the school while it was still light out? It was simply wrong.

That’s strictly forbidden until bedtime.

Stella finally calmed herself, ignoring the voice in her head telling her that being in bed didn’t make it any better, when something strange appeared from around the corner in front of them. Thinking it may have been a person’s shadow, the couple quickly untangled their hands.

Ikki and Stella had to remember their social standing. If the world knew of their relationship, it would be shocked at best, making their lives much more hectic. Until the busyness of school and the Seven Stars cleared up, they decided that hiding their relationship was the best choice.

What appeared was not human, however. It was a pale-white, misshapen rectangle monster.

“Hup… Hah…!”

Upon closer inspection, the monster was actually a giant stack of papers that somebody was carrying with both hands. Neither Ikki nor Stella had any idea who it was, for the mountain of paper was so high that it covered their face, but looking down at their feet, the two could tell that it was a female student.

“Wow, that’s unsafe.”

“Right. We should probably help her,” Ikki decided, and called out to the girl. “Excuse me. Would you like some help carrying all that?”

“Huh?! Eeeaaaaargh!”

The girl was so surprised to suddenly be addressed that she stiffened up, leading to her right foot entangling with her left and her accidentally throwing the entire stack of papers at Ikki.

“Whoa!”

“Jeez, what are you two even doing?”

“Oh no! I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t think anyone else was here!”

“No, it’s my fault for scaring you like that. I’m sorry.”

The three of them got on their knees and began collecting the scattered papers. Once a fair amount of them had been collected, Ikki once again turned his attention to the girl and was greeted by her butt, swaying as she moved.

“Bah!”

“Ah, my glasses. Where are my glasses?”

Her skirt must have ridden up when she fell, but she seemed to not have noticed; she simply muttered to herself as she groped around with her hands on all fours. Every time she moved, her plump rear end moved with her.