Chivalry of a Hollow Cryo Dragon Devil Knight

by Gaevontracey24

Ayato Kurozakuro Sparda will enter the world of Devils and learn more about himself as Rias Gremory's Pawn & Stella Vermillion Gremory Phenex's Queen , along with his mysterious family past which allows him to wield a legendary demonic sword... and he's the next Red Dragon Emperor. Harem with Stella,Rias and Mio being the main girls.

15. Chapter 15

"" - Speech

'' -Thought

{} -Sparda

[] -Ddraig

…

Ayato was trying to stop his mind from running away with what he was hearing going on nearby, his eyes looking away more to save himself from a nosebleed than anything else, although they seemed to work against him as he glanced at the pair that he would be sharing the bath with every so often.

"Ara, Asia your skin is beautiful. I am jealous."

"N-No way. Buchou, your skin is white and the texture is smoother."

"Ufufu, your words make me happy." Nearby Rias and Asia were standing and washing themselves while Ayato sat in the bath wondering how this had happened before remembering that he'd gone to have a shower only to find Asia in the middle of undressing, about to leave only for Rias to enter behind him as if she'd planned this to happen.

It had then been her choice that they shared the bath, despite Ayato's attempts to say that he would return later but she'd been adamant that he stays which had been further backed up by Asia.

Ayato moved his eyes to the ceiling of the bath as he heard someone entering the changing room which was followed by a splash as they stepped into the bath.

Weight pressed down on Ayato's body, leaning on his side as he looked down to see Rias, who sighed as she spoke with a smile on her face

"I wanted to enter the bath with Ayato like this once." Pressing her body even more against Ayato, the silver haired teen's body stiffened as he could smell her shampoo, his mind on edge as he tried to understand what was going on. He was brought back to his senses as Rias asked him

"Hey Ayato. Do you hate entering the bath with me?"

"N-No…Just didn't expect it. '' Ayato replied nervously, glancing over to Asia to see that she was washing her body although was sending sharp glances towards him

"Just by hearing that I am happy. I want to bathe with Ayato-kun like this everyday." Rias spoke, pressing further onto Ayato who quickly wiped the stream of blood from his nose as she continued

"But it seems like your body won't be able to withstand it. Everyday seems impossible. How about once every 3 days? Or once every 5 days? I won't like it if it's only once a week."

Ayato gulped, not sure if he could survive the rewrite to his schedule that one of his crimson haired masters was attempting. A small part of him was glad Asia was there so he could avoid any of her serious teasing

"Do you want to attack me?" Rias asked with a smile as Ayato blushed further as she continued with a sultry tone

"If Asia wasn't here, I may have been attacked… seems like during our time alone…" Asia entered vigorously and entered the bathtub, embracing him from the other side as she spoke "I hate being left out! E-Even though I want to enter the bath together as well!" Rias' face turned sharp as she raised her eyebrows and spoke

"Get away Asia; since it's this situation I will say it clearly. This boy is mine. My family and my servant. He's my Ayato. Understood?" Ayato sweatdropped at how possessive Rias was with him, partially feeling more like a pet than anything else as Asia replied

"That may be true. But he's my Ayato-san as well!" Ayato knew Asia adored him as well, given he'd taken a nap in his room one day and she'd sneaked into the room and slept next to him.

He'd told her to go back to her own room but she wanted him to carry her there, which he did, thanking Kurono's training for allowing him to carry her easily back to her room.

Also he'd noticed that when he talked to other girls, Asia would often puff out her cheeks in jealousy.

Upon hearing Asia's words, Rias' eyes narrowed, Yukio feeling the bathtub had just become a warzone as Rias spoke.

"Asia it's because you're normally adored by Ayato. At least hand over these times to me. I am healed just by being with Ayato. It takes away my daily exhaustion too." She tried to separate Asia and Ayato but the former was stubbornly clinging onto the latter.

"No, No! I am holding it in too! I also want to be with Ayato-san!" Asia replied as she shook her head sideways and hugged Ayato tightly, blood starting to drip from his nose as her soft breasts pressed into his side, Ddraig laughing in amusement at the situation his host was in.

Asia looked at him with hazy eyes as if she wanted to say something, Ayato looking at her while Rias' face twitched in jealousy, grabbing one of Ayato's hands before placing it on her breast.

The drip started to turn into a small stream as Ayato remembered waking up a few times with one of his hands on her breasts before but Rias hadn't complained about it at all while Ddraig had tried to egg him on to do more.

"Has Asia done such a thing? Mine and Ayato's relationship is such that we can do these things." Rias spoke, thorns hidden in her words.

Asia's whole body shook, her cheeks swelled and puffed as her temper reached its limit, taking Ayato's other hand and placing it on her breasts, the silver haired teen knowing that Rias and Akeno was a bad influence on the blonde girl who then asked

"Ayato-san, between me and Buchou, whose breasts are better? I lose in size but I won't lose in anything else!"

Ayato felt his vision turn fuzzy; glancing down to see the bathtub was starting to be dyed red from the blood he was losing

"Hey, Ayato!"

"Ayato-san, hold on!"

Both girls panicked as Ayato's head rolled back and fell unconscious.

…

It was now the afternoon and the sun had started to set over the horizon, making the sky into a deep orange colour. Ayato was currently in the middle of Devil work, having been summoned by the request of one of his client's. The client in question was the man who first summoned him when the incident with the Holy-Swords first began, the tall man with black and blonde hair in a kimono whose name Ayato never found out, he only knew him as Aza.

He was always an unusual client. Aza only ever made strange requests like asking Ayato to go buy bread in the night. And before that, he said "Let's go fishing" and had Ayato accompany him to a nearby fishing spot. Though Ayato never complained because he gave back more than what was demanded.

This time the request was for Ayato to join him for a meal and the two of them were sitting in Aza's hotel suite while eating a large plate of sushi.

"You must really like fish." Ayato commented while eating. "I mean, first you went fishing and now you ordered sushi for dinner."

"I figured I wanted to give it a try, after going to the fishing pond I wanted to try some fish for myself." Aza reasoned.

"Besides, this is the first time I've ever eaten sushi so I wanted someone else here in case I needed help finishing it."

"Yeah well, this ain't real sushi, it's just some cheap packaged crap you can find anywhere." Ayato argued. "Now the sushi I make, that's real sushi."

Aza smiled and took another bite. "I see, I have to try someone these days."

"Well as long as you can pay for it." Ayato joked.

Aza then ate one last piece of sushi and then stood up. "I must admit though, it's never boring with you Devil-Kun." Aza then narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Or would you rather I call you Red Dragon Emperor?"

The room was suddenly filled with silence, both the aura around Aza and the atmosphere in the room became heavy and ust looked amused. "Haha, you can call me whichever you want, Aza. Or would you rather I can you Azazel?"

If the now revealed to be Azazel felt any surprise fromAyato's words, he hid it well. "Hmm interesting, how'd you figure it out?"

"It's elementary my dear fish-man." Ayato jokingly replied. "I've been able to sense a huge power from you since the day I first saw you, but I didn't have anything to compare it to until I fought Kokabiel. I realized your power was almost the exact same as his' only much bigger, meaning you were a Cadre Fallen Angel. Plus the fact that you called yourself Aza was practically giving me the rest of the answer."

Azazel sheepishly rubbed his head. "I guess that was my bad. Still, the fact that you figured it out means that what I've heard is true; you are smarter than you look."

Ayato narrowed his eyes. "Hey! You saying I look stupid!?"

Instead of answering him, Azazel brought out his wings and sprouting out from his back were 12 Black-feathered wings that were as big as Kokabiel, only they looked a bit different. Not just Kokabiel, but Raynare and every other Fallen-Angel he had met thus far had the same kind of wings, they were Black but they were more of a dirty Black with messed up feathers, resembling that of crows or a raven's wings.

Azazel's wings seemed different, his feather looked fresh and undamaged, also the color while still Black felt different. It was like the Black of a starless night, a true Blackness which light could reflect off of.

"You are correct, I am indeed Azazel the Governor-General of the Fallen-Angels. It's a pleasure." Azazel introduced himself.

…

"This isn't a joke!" The crimson haired bishoujo spoke, her eyebrows raised with an angry expression on her face. Ayato is currently getting a lap pillow from her and feeling calmer then when he'd found out about Azazel, embarrassed at how he freaked at seeing the twelve wings of Azazel.

"Indeed, even though it was decided that the meeting of the leaders of the devils, angels, and fallen angels would be held in this town, to think that suddenly the Governor of the fallen angels would intrude in my territory and interfere with our business….!" Rias spoke trembling with rage.

A few days earlier, because of Kokabiel, the relations between the three factions had been affected to a certain extent. As a result, the leading members of each faction would gather together and discuss the future.

The Gremory team got involved in that incident but to top it off, they would have to be present at that meeting and report on the details of the incident. Before the meeting date, Azazel suddenly contacted them, Ayato now knew him as the contract client he'd been dealing with for several days now.

He hid his identity and presence when he came into contact with them. It's correct to say that it was interference in other peoples' business and since it was the governor of the fallen angels, the topic escalated to an entirely different level. It wouldn't end with just mischief.

However, Rias' family seemed like they weren't bothered by the event as she continued

"And to top it off, to try and lay a hand on my cute Ayato, the price is death! I had heard that Azazel was extremely interested in the Sacred Gears.

It's definitely because my Ayato possesses the Boosted Gear that he came in contact with… It's going to be alright Ayato. I will definitely protect you, Ayato."

She patted Ayato's head comfortingly; the silver haired teen feeling more like a pet at the moment for an odd reason.

"Seems like Azazel is eyeing my Sacred Gear after all. He's the Governor of the Fallen Angels, right?" Ayato asked worried over what may happen as Yuuto spoke

"I heard from someone that Azazel has deep knowledge about the Sacred Gears. I also heard that he's gathering capable sacred gear holders. But it's going to be alright." Yuuto looked at Ayato as if he didn't want to lose him as he added "I will protect you."

"…Thanks…" Ayato spoke, not sure what else he could've said given Yuuto's tone sounded more like it was for a heroine then for a comrade and friend as Yuuto continued "There's no problem. My sacred gear that attained balance breaker and Ayato-kun's Boosted Gear also attained balance breaker and Kuraokamitsu, if we combine these, then I feel we can surpass even a dangerous crisis. …Fufu, I wasn't the type to say such things before. After hanging out with you, my readiness for comrades also changed as well. But I don't know why I don't dislike that… It's hot around my chest region"

"Don't say things like that…That's just creepy" Ayato retorted with a creepy shiver, hoping that there wouldn't be any rumours along those lines although after Kokabiel's invasion, Yuuto's attitude had been weird

"N-No way, Ayato-kun…" "However, I wonder what happened… Besides not knowing their movements, it's difficult to move here as well. The other side is the Governor of the fallen angels. We can't even come in contact with him." Rias pondered, knowing that they couldn't break down the relationship between devils and fallen angels any further.

"Azazel has always been like that, Rias." Another voice spoke up, Ayato found it familiar slightly as they all looked to see a crimson haired young man smiling Akeno and the others were kneeling in their places.

Asia and Ayato were the only ones having trouble coping with the situation and the newcomer, Xenovia as well, had a confused expression.

Ayato was dropped onto his head as Rias stood up suddenly as she spoke surprised

"O-O-O-Onii-sama!"

"Azazel won't do anything like Kokabiel did a few days ago. He may do a prank like last time, though. The Governor will come earlier than the planned date." Sirzechs spoke, behind him was the silver haired maid, Grayfia.

Ayato hurriedly, like Akeno and the others kneeled down, Asia soon copying his actions as Sirzechs spoke up "Please relax I came for private business today."

Everyone obeyed and stood up, relaxing as he turned to look around the room "Hey, my little sister. This room seems like a murder scenery. I wonder how it is possible for this place to be full of magic circles even though young girls gather here." Sirzechs spoke with a bitter smile

"Onii-sama, w-why are you here?" Rias asked doubtfully only to get handed an unfilled printed form

"What are you saying? Classroom visits are coming soon, right? I am also thinking about participating. By all means I want to see my little sister working hard in studies from up close." Ayato gulped nervously, Kurono was in high spirits although it was more due to the classroom visits and the talent show being on the same day.

[So…looks like you've got more important people to perform to] Ddraig spoke up, Ayato calming himself as he turned back to the conversation.

"Grayfia, right? You're the one who told Onii-sama?" Rias spoke turning to Grayfia who instantly replied

"Yes, the reports from the school come to me who has been entrusted with the schedule of the Gremory household. Of course I am Sirzechs-sama's Queen as well, thus I reported it to my master." After hearing that Rias sighed, not interested in her family coming to see her as Sirzechs added,

"Even if my Maou duties are hard, even if I have to take a day off from my work, I wanted to participate in my little sister's class visit.

Don't worry. Otou-ue will come over as well"

{Even Gremory's Father is coming along…} Sparda added with a thoughtful tone

'Gen's not going to like this…' Ayato thought to himself, wondering when would be the best time to tell the Sitri Pawn.

"T-That's not true! Isn't Onii-sama the Maou? To leave your job and come here! The Maou can't treat a single Devil in a special way!" Rias spoke, however Sirzechs turned his head sideways as he replied

"No no, this is my work as well, Rias. Actually I thought about conducting the conference between the 3 factions in this school. I came to inspect the meeting place." Everyone looked shocked at the idea of the meeting between the three factions at their school.

"…Here? Really?" Rias spoke, her eyes wide open as well, YAyato surprised as well but given how much had happened around him he had a feeling it was his fault.

"Ah, this school somehow seems to have fate tied to it. My little sisters , you, the legendary Sekiryuutei, the holy devil sword user, the holy sword Durandal's wielder, Maou Serafall Leviathan's little sister are attached to this place, Kokabiel and Hakuryuukou attacked this place. This is a phenomenon you can't label as coincidence. Strong powers keep mixing in, it's like wave motion. I think the person accelerating this wave motion is Kurogane Ayato-kun-the Sekiryuutei" Sirzechs glances at Ayato, the latter feeling nervous under his gaze.

"Are you Maou? Nice to meet you, I am the one called Xenovia." Xenovia introduced herself

"Good day to you, Xenovia. I am Sirzechs Lucifer. I got the report from Rias. The holy sword wielder of Durandal got reincarnated as a devil, not to mention became my sister's family… Truth be told, I was doubting my ears when I heard it the first time."

"I also didn't think that I would become a devil. To be reincarnated into the side I kept on killing, even if I say so myself, I sometimes regret it and that it was quite a bold move. …Yeah, that's it. Why did I become a devil? Desperation? However, at that time, truthfully, everything was fine… But, was it really fine to be a devil?" She said deeply with her head in her arms, Ayato finding her hard to understand.

"Hahaha, it's great that my little sister's family has a lot of interesting people. Xenovia, since you just were reincarnated you won't understand your own way but I want you to support the Gremory household as Rias' family. I'll be counting on you."

"If I am asked by the Legendary Maou written in the Bible to do it, then I'll have no choice but to do it. I don't know how much I'll be able to do but allow me to do whatever I can in my capability." Xenovia spoke, Sirzechs smiling from hearing what she'd said

"Thanks." Xenovia's cheeks became a bit red as the Maou turned to continue

"Now then, let's continue the difficult conversation somewhere else. Hm, however, even though I came to the human world, it's night time. Would a lodging institution be open right now?"

"Ah, if that's the case then…" Ayato spoke after raising his hand before continuing

"If that's the case, would you stay in my house?" Sirzechs circled his eyes for a few moments before remembering that Rias was staying there before replying

"That's fine with me. I wanted to greet the person whose place my sister was boarding in,"

"No! No!" Rias tried to resist cutely but there's no way she could stop both Sirzechs and Grayfia; after the devil business was completed.

…

"I see. I am relieved that my sister wasn't causing you any trouble." Sirzechs spoke as they sat in the living room of Ayato's house.

"Yes, Rias-san is such a wonderful girl and she's been a really good girl" Haruka spoke up with a smile. Rias was beside her brother, her face bright red in embarrassment, and Grayfia was waiting on standby behind them.

Sirzechs had introduced himself as a Gremory and heir to the family company and seemed to have fun with his previous name as Kurono asked "The maid-san over there is…"

"Yes, she's Grayfia." Sirzechs answered before adding "Actually she's my wife."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh?" Everyone aside from Rias let out gasps, Grayfia while being expressionless was pinching the Maou's cheek as she spoke calmly

"I am the maid, Grayfia. I apologise for my master speaking such boring jokes."

"It hurts, It hurts, Grayfia." Sirzechs replied with a teary eyed smile, Rias was covering her face with her hands from embarrassment

"Well then, Gremory-san, would you be attending the class visit as well?" Haruka asks him, her cheeks dyed red as Sirzechs rubbed his cheek as he replied

"Yes, I have taken a break from work, so I thought I could use this chance to see my little sister's school and also how she looks in class. On the day of the visit, my father should be coming as well."

"Ah, Rias-san's Otou-san as well." Haruka asked surprised

"Father helped in the establishment of Hagun Academy, like me, it seems this was a good chance for him to come visit as well. Although frankly I think he just wanted to see Rias's face."

"Gremory-san! Would you like some sake? We have some delicious sake from Japan." Haruka spoke moving to go collect a bottle from the kitchen, Sirzechs smiling in response as he spoke

"That is excellent! Let's drink it by all means! Since Japanese alcohol goes down well with a capable mouth!" Ayato decided that now was the time to sneak off into the back garden and alert Saji about this new development.

…

[No way…so Rias-senpai's & Stella sama's brother and father are coming along] Saji replied in shock as Ayato nodded to himself as he spoke

"Y-Yeah…"

[Do they know about the talent show?] "Probably do by now…he's talking with Aunt Kurono" Ayato replied, keeping half an ear directed towards the others inside

[Well…I've got a problem as well…]

"What is it, Gen?" Ayato asked, feeling his stomach drop as Saji replied

[Kaichou's sister is coming as well…and she's protective]

"Oh…Good thing you're not going to single Kaichou out then" Ayato spoke, Saji sighing on the other end of the line as he spoke

[Yeah I know…]

"Anyway I better get going before someone notices I've gone" Ayato spoke, before exchanging good nights and he hung up, slipping the phone back into his pocket before heading inside to rejoin the party, stopping as he noticed Rias standing in the doorway.

"What's wrong Rias-sama?" Ayato asked, Rias looking at him slightly sad as she spoke

"I'm worried about you…Your Hollow nearly took over against Kokabiel" She stepped towards him, her hand going to rub his cheek as Ayato smiled softly to her as he spoke

"I'm sorry for scaring you like that, Rias-sama…"

"Buchou-san, Ayato-san!" Asia called standing in the doorway, her cheeks puffed out as she continued

"Your dark side scared me too…Ayato -san"

"Don't worry Asia, both of you brought me back to my senses during Kokabiel's attack...and I'm getting more control over my spiritual powers everyday" Ayato spoke with a smile, Asia blushing as she felt his hand on her shoulder before he heard Sirzechs laughing loudly as Ayato sighed as he spoke

"We best head inside before Aunt Kurono gets out the videos''

…

"No-No way… I can't sleep together with Ayato?" Rias asked as she walked towards her brother who had a strict face.

"I wanted to talk with him a bit while being on the bed. Sorry, Rias, but just for tonight, lend me Kurozakuro Ayato-kun." Ayato figured he wanted to talk to him about things, having already put the futon in his room.

Noticing that Rias looked completely sad from not being able to sleep with him although he was reminded of something Akeno said about his master's dependence towards him growing by the day which he found kinda cute although he knew it would feel odd to be without either Asia or Rias being near him for the night.

Ayato mentally chuckled as he remembered Rias saying that she has an illness, that if she doesn't sleep with him she'll die. Asia says if she doesn't have me by her side like usual she gets sad and hates it. Yukio wonders if hugging him feels that good.

[If you look at it from guts, you're not the Red Dragon Emperor but the Red Virgin Emperor, Partner.] Ddraig spoke up, Ayato getting annoyed as he mentally retorted

'…Don't pile your delusion onto me just because you've not got your own body'

"Ayato…" Rias spoke, hugging Ayato who was embarrassed with Sirzechs and Grayfia watching, gently hugging her back as she asked

"Can you sleep alone? Are you alright with me not being beside you? I am not alright though. Just by you not being beside me…" Ayato nodded, not trusting his own voice at the moment.

"Ojou-sama, now let's return back to our room. I will be there in your room as well. Well then, Sirzechs-sama, good night." Grayfia spoke, Rias letting go before she was taken away by the maid as she spoke

"I know, Grayfia…" Rias seemed as if she's regretting it as she headed off with Grayfia.

"Ah, Um, Ayato-san, good night. I also think it's unfortunate but tonight I'll sleep in my room." Slightly bowing her head, Asia headed off towards her room while keeping her smile on.

"Night Asia, Rias-sama" Ayato called after them, leaving just him and Sirzechs standing in front of his door

"Now, shall we enter inside?"

"Y-Yes!" Ayato answered nervously feeling the terrifying concentration of magic power on his skin and quickly realised that by just concentrating a bit of his power he would be reduced to dust, although his demeanour helped put the silver haired teen at ease.

"I heard you met Azazel." the Maou asked, Ayato answering as he nodded "…...Yeah"

"I hear he did nothing to you but did he say something to you?"

"…'I'll meet you again next time,' is what he said."

"I see. …... Azazel has a strong interest in the Sacred Gears. Your Boosted Gear is no exception. Actually, the same as you, a person possessing the Longinus has gathered alongside him."

"…..For what purpose?"

"I don't know that. But, Azazel is the Governor of an organization with the power to affect Heaven, Underworld and the human world. If he uses that, it will span a lot of digression.

However, he doesn't like war like Kokabiel does. It's because of that that the fallen angels were the first to withdraw from the great war of the past." Sirzechs speaks in an enjoyable tone as if noticing Ayato's concerns

"Don't worry. I guarantee your safety. Finally the legendary dragon came to the devil side so I'll have them give you a good treatment.

-And also my little sisters treat you dearly. I've never seen Rias & Stella have so much fun, even in the underworld.

I am sure she must be having fun everyday. I feel that it is thanks to you."

"Kurogane Ayato-kun. Take care of my sisters, Rias & Stella, from now on too."

"Of course, Maou-sama, I'm Rias-sama's pawn & Stella-sama's queen"

"Thanks. -Oh yeah, Kurogane Ayato-kun. Is it alright for me to call you Ayato-kun like my little sister does?"

"O-Of course! It's an honor!"

"I see. Then, Ayato-kun, won't you call me by my name? Onii-san is fine as well." Ayato did a double take at that moment, sure he felt a spike in Kurono's Magical power from her own room as if she'd heard what was just said as well.

"It's rude after all is what I feel…and Kurono would be jealous so would calling you Sirzechs-sama be alright?" Ayato spoke, trying not to come across as rude.

"Then, let's do it that way. Yeah, however, it's a pity. I wanted to be called Onii-san by the legendary dragon….. Meh, it will become that before long, so it should be fine with this for now."

"? H-Huh…." Ayato asked surprised as he wondered if he would be pulled into something bigger, it wasn't helped that Ddraig was humming the Wedding March in his head for a few moments before Sparda shut the dragon up.

"By the way Ayato kun"

"Y-Yes?"

"Your Aunt said that you were playing in the talent show…"

"Y-Yes, that's true I'm helping a friend out with Kaichou…I mean Sitri-san"

"Oh… Not singing for Rias & Stella then?" Ayato scratched the back of his head nervously, his cheeks red as he shook his head "I am…but we wanted it to be a surprise for them three"

"Well I look forward to hearing you perform. Ayato-kun"

...

"Let's go to the pool tomorrow."

The day before, shortly after winning his tenth battle in a row, Ayato made that suggestion and parted with Ayase. He wasn't just inviting her to hang out; Ayase hadn't noticed it yet, but her body had amassed a lot of fatigue from her consecutive days of training.

Due to her corrected stance, she was using muscles that she'd never had to use before—muscles that were untrained from the lack of use.

Today, she was to rest those muscles, and Ayato knew just the training course for such a day.

"You're coming, too, Stella?"

Waiting for Ayase at the school gate, Ayato was accompanied by Stella & Rias, who was wearing a white sundress.

"Of course I am. If I take my eyes off you, you'll just sexually harass her again."

"I didn't do that."

"Liar! You did during your training. Or is it normal for people to touch other girls' thighs?"

"I had to do it to correct her form! It was very delicate work that I couldn't afford to mess up. Trust me, I was so nervous that there wasn't any room in my mind to think of doing anything bad." Stella had seemed unhappy the past few days. Ayato knew why, of course: he was only focusing on Ayase. At least, that's what Stella seemed to think. It wasn't as though Ayato didn't understand her feelings. No matter the reason, he would be upset if she got close to another man too. She was one of his girlfriends, after all.

"Hey, Stella. I really haven't thought of her like that even once. You have to believe me when I say that. The only thing going on between us is me giving her advice as a fellow swordsman. All of us need help sometimes."

Nobody had ever helped Ayato; the people who were supposed to have his back had stabbed him in it. He was painfully aware of how difficult it could be for someone to overcome hurdles on their own, hence he was all the more willing to help them.

"That's the only reason I'm helping her," he continued, "not because I'm interested in her or anything. I swear. You're one of the few women I'm interested in, Stella."

"Ayato…" Stella's face was tinged red as she looked up at Ayato, her ruby eyes still quaking with unease. In truth, she knew all along that Ayato didn't feel anything for Ayase that she needed to be so apprehensive about. The boy who loved her wasn't so frivolous. Regardless, however, she couldn't quell her anxiety. All that had happened between Ayato and Stella was the promise they made to each other—there was nothing to solidify it.

As if hopelessly searching for something to do just that, Stella's pale pink lips began to move, seeming to voicelessly call Ayato's name. That's it! Ikki thought. If he could do something to prove that their promise was more than just empty words, she'd be able to trust him even more. I… Like a bee to a flower, his lips were drawn to hers.

"Sorry to make you wait! I couldn't find a swimsuit!"

"Aaah!" They both cried in shock at the voice that had interrupted them.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Ayase, the person behind that voice, asked.

"You screamed like a couple being discovered on a secret rendezvous." How did she know?! They both broke into a cold sweat, amazed by Ayase's exceptional deduction.

"N-N-N-Nothing's wrong! Right, Ayato?!"

"Right! You just surprised us!" Ayase seemed confused by their agitation. She didn't seem to be too convinced, so Ayato quickly changed the subject and they moved to depart. That could have ended badly.

If their relationship were to be discovered, it would become a scandal thanks to Stella's status as a princess. Not only did they have to find the right mood to show their affection, but they also had to be careful of where they showed it.

What a shame, Ayato thought, dejected. They had found the same pleasant mood that naturally arose on the night of their promise. If Ayase had come just a little bit later, they could have taken the next step. Disappointed that he'd lost his chance, Ayato sighed inwardly.

Among other facilities, Hagun Academy naturally had a pool on its enormous campus. Two of them, in fact, both over a hundred yards long. The first happened to be in the middle of a scheduled cleaning, however, and the second was reserved by Kurono Shinguuji, Ayato's Aunt, the school's director and former third-place King of Knights contestant, for special training, so the group of them chose to use a heated swimming pool in a nearby gym.

Ayato, in his red and black swim trunks, was the first to finish changing. He made his way to the poolside to wait for the girls, who appeared a few minutes later with Yuuto

Unsurprisingly for the easily-embarrassed and straitlaced Ayase, she wore a sporty tankini that looked suitable for both the pool and exercise. It wasn't very glamorous, but it had a certain stylish charm that fit her well-maintained, well proportioned sword woman's body.

Also unsurprisingly, Stella was much more eye-catching. Unlike the bikini she'd worn when they bathed together, this one was a black string bikini. It exposed even more skin than a normal bikini, let alone Ayase's tankini. With every step, her ample breasts seemed ready to burst out of her top.

Moreover, even the bottom was mouth-wateringly attractive, exposing her wide hips—an unusual sight in Japan.

Her shapely legs were a sight to behold too. How could she maintain such a soft, voluptuous appearance despite her muscular strength?

It was mysterious even to Ayato's well-trained eyes. Too mysterious, in fact; she must have been cheating somehow.

To top it all off, the way she walked accentuated her gorgeous looks. Stella moved like a model, like someone you'd see at Paris Fashion Week. She had probably been taught how to carry herself.

Stella's so beautiful…

Rias is wearing a two-piece white bikini that was very revealing in which the top was held together by and bottoms were held together by small gold rings on the front and by the sides, plus the bikini was one-size too small. Not to mention Rias was posing in a seductive position.

Akeno is also wearing a two-piece blue and red designed string bikini that was also one-size too small. Like Rias, she was also posing in a seductive position.

Next was Koneko and Asia who were wearing blue one-piece stereotypical school swimsuits, Asia's one had her name written on the chest area and Koneko was wearing a white swimming cap on her head.

Kiba wore his black Speedo again.

Mesmerized, Ayato let out a sigh. It wasn't just him, though; people resting beside the pool and even some who were in the water stopped and stared, spellbound by the foreign beauties. Stella was often on television, too, so it wouldn't have been surprising if some of the gawkers recognized her.

"Sorry for taking so long," she told him. "Boys get ready so fast."

Everyone's eyes had been attracted to Stella,Rias,Akeno & Ayase but they instantly shifted to Ayato, their glares stabbing into him like knives

"What?! Those four babies are with him?!"

"No way! How'd such a plain guy get a chick like that, let alone four?!"

"You've gotta be kidding me! Japan's short enough on girls as it is!"

"I'm gonna kill him!" I get the feeling I'm going to "accidentally" drown while we're here. Ignoring the cold sweat that crept down his back, Ayato noticed Stella looking curiously over the indoor pool. He had begun to forget about it due to living with her, but she was a princess. She had probably never seen a commoners' pool before.

Smaller than the ones at Hagun at about fifty yards long, the pool was divided into two areas by a rope: one area for swim lanes and one for recreational swimming. It was still only June, so neither area was relatively crowded.

"It's so big," Stella said, awestruck.

"Miss Vermillion, you're a princess, right? Doesn't your family have a pool this big?" Ayase didn't understand her fascination.

"Nope. But we do have a bath about this size."

"Wow! That's amazing! You really are like a celebrity!"

"Well, that bath is for our servants. The family's bath is a lot smaller.

It's a bit of a waste of space to have a big bath for only a few people, don't you think?" Ayato hadn't really thought about it before, but he realized that Stella didn't seem to live a life very different from those of ordinary people.

She had been surprised to learn that instant coffee was a real thing, but that was about it.

The Vermillion Empire was small, so maybe they just lived more humbly than royalty from larger countries.

"Phew. I heard that Japanese people are packed into places like sardines a lot, so I'm glad this place isn't super busy."

"It's not pool season yet, fortunately."

"Then we can play all we want without worrying about space!" Stella cheered, revealing a beach ball.

"Hey, Ayato." Rias called out, approaching him. "What do you think of my new swimsuit?" She asked while posing.

Before he can answer, Akeno approaches as well.

"Ara, Ara. This is really getting to you isn't it, Chief?" Akeno said, somewhat amused.

"It's adorable how badly you want to impress Ayato with your swimsuit." She giggled.

Huffing slightly, Rias turned towards Akeno. "And I suppose you're only wearing yours to show off for yourself?"

"Sure." Akeno smiled, not even bugged at all.

"Why do you two bother asking?" Ayato questioned, raising a brow. "I already saw both your swimsuits from the selfies you sent me."

"What, Akeno sent you one too?" Rias asked, surprised and not happy with Akeno.

"I don't see how that's a problem." Akeno pointed out, not bothered by Rias' displeasure.

"A-Ayato-san!" Asia called out in a cheery voice and Ayato looked to see her with Koneko.

"I've also changed into my swimsuit." She said with her hands behind her back and a beaming smile.

"We're not here to play."

"Whaaat? Why did we come to the pool, then?"

"I'm more curious about why you came at all, Stella."

"Ugh. I lugged this thing here for nothing!"

"All right, fine. We can play once we're done training, just lose the ball for now."

"Whatever. But afterward, we will play!" she said and reluctantly handed the ball over to Ikki. She really is here to play, huh? he thought. I could've sworn I told her that we were here to train, though.

"So, Kurogane. What are we doing for today's training? Just swimming?"

"Nah." Ayato shook his head.

"Honestly, I keep calling it 'training', but it's not really that tough. Your body is going to start feeling some fatigue soon."

"Then what are we doing?"

"In a word: nothing."

"Huh?"

"We're just gonna float underwater like jellyfish."

"D-Does that really count as training?"

"Sure does,"Ayato responded confidently.

"First off, of course, this will help increase your lung capacity. Anaerobic exercise is good preparation for heated battles—those with lesser lung capacities will be the first to fall, so it's just as important to a swordsman as strength or power. That's actually just a side effect of today's training, though. You might not get it until you try it, but when you're underwater, you'll begin to feel much closer to yourself."

Ayase must not have understood it fully, as she cutely tilted her head in confusion

"While you're floating under the water, try to forget about the strength your body uses to stand, along with the brainpower you use to understand what your eyes see. Shift your focus inward and listen to the voice of your very self."

"I don't think I understand, but you're the boss, so I'll give it a try." Ayase was still unsure of what Ikki wanted her to actually do, but she had no reason to doubt him. She obediently held her breath and submerged herself underwater. Judging from her training, she could probably stay under for about three minutes.

A swordswoman as experienced as Ayase should grasp the meaning of this after she's tried it once, Ayato thought while pulling Stella's ball out of the pool.

"I'll go put this in a locker," he said. "It'll just get in the way if we leave it here."

As soon as Ayato left, Stella got bored. She didn't know anything about Ayase as a person, much less about her swordplay. There wasn't anything to talk about, not to mention that it was rude to interrupt someone's training for no reason.

Boooring…

With nothing else to do, Stella decided to follow Ayase's training. She held her breath and sunk into the water.

It wasn't difficult; she had far greater lung capacity than even Ayato.

If she wanted to, she could stay underwater for ten minutes—calling it superhuman wouldn't be too far-fetched.

It's quiet down here.

There were still swimmers paddling and children romping around above water, but beneath the surface, now so far away that it seemed as though the world itself was a distant thing, there was nothing.

In that silence, she began to hear herself.

Sounds that were normally inaudible among the external noise—her heartbeat, the flow of her blood, the move

ment of impulses sent from her brain and through her nerves—all became incredibly clear. "When you're underwater, you begin to feel much closer to yourself." Stella was experiencing exactly what Ayato had meant, though a knight as accomplished as her already knew the feeling of letting her consciousness permeate her body. She understood that sensation, the feeling of the very consciousness that governed her.

To the unenlightened, swinging a sword was just "holding your sword and moving your arm".

But when one was conscious of every movement from shoulder to thumb, the impulses carried through their nerves, and the expansion and contraction of their muscles, they would begin to notice a marked difference in the speed and strength of their swings.

To be able to control every minute factor of one's swing, one has to understand the makeup of their body.

Ayase wasn't ready to do that yet. If she were, she wouldn't have moved so unnaturally in the first place, as once one felt their consciousness so intimately, they became able to recognize areas of themselves that caused strain and wasted energy.

Thanks to Ayato adjusting her form based on her bodily condition, Ayase's movements had sped up.

One's bodily condition can change from day to day, however, so she had to be ready to adjust to those changes on her own.

Only then could she say that she had full control of her own strength.

Therefore, the training she was undergoing was sure to be useful for her.

Stella, however, didn't need it, for she had already trained herself to automatically adjust without conscious effort.

That was why, even when she meant to swing wildly the other day, she was subconsciously correcting herself for optimal movement. I was naïve to think that was enough.

Looking up at the surface, Stella lost herself in her thoughts.

She had believed she'd trained herself more vigorously and earnestly than anyone else out there.

She had believed she'd had perfect control of herself. But she had believed incorrectly.

Ayato's Ittou Shura was at the furthest extreme of self-control, and Stella was not yet at that point.

The level of discipline required to use up all of her own energy in a single minute was beyond her.

That gap showed that Stella's martial arts prowess was lesser than Ayato's.

She Equaled him in so many physical capabilities, such as lung capacity, strength, instantaneous force, and the like, but still fell short because their ways of living were fundamentally different.

Ayato stood alone at the darkest, quietest depths of self-control, deeper even than the water she floated in, while Stella remained in the shallows. That was his world.

If she could claw her way there, she thought maybe she could find something she hadn't found before.

The light filtering in from the surface faded as she slowly closed her eyes, leaving her cut off from everything but the sounds within her own body.

She was completely alone.

Amidst silence and darkness, all that remained was a vision of herself.

It wasn't enough.

She hadn't delved deep into The Cryo Gale Sword Emperor's Realm

"Miss Vermillion, are you and Kurogane dating?" "

Gbrfg?!" Stella started to drown.

Turns out Koneko didn't know how to swim and wanted to learn how. Asia also didn't know how to swim and so they both decided to learn together. Right now they were holding hands while Asia was walking backwards in the shallow end of the pool as she was helping Koneko with kick-peddling exercises. After they reach the end of the pool they would switch places.

"Ayato~" Rias called to him, laying on her stomach on top of a pool towel with her bikini top untied. She was looking at him over her shoulder with a seductive gaze and holding a bottle of suntan lotion. "Would you help us rub lotion on my & Stella's backs?"

First, he applied lotion on the President. He went to her legs first, because it was the easy part, but now the 'fun' part is about to begin. He then rubbed lotion on the President's Private' part, causing her to groan.

"Ahn!" moaned the President, as she was enjoying every part of it. Ayato tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't, and he could feel the dangerous killing intent of the Guys at the pool.

Ayato continued as he rubbed lotion on her stomach, and then the hardest part of all, her breasts.

"Oh, wait," said Rias. She then removed her top, and let Kazuki and the others show her exposed nipples. "Now, go ahead." She put on a very mischievous smile as she watched Ayato's face turn red

'I think I'm going to hurl,' thought Ayato, but he decided to shake it off, and rubbed lotion all over President Rias' breasts.

"Ahn! That feels so good!" President said to herself.

After a good 5 minutes of rubbing President Rias, Ayato then turned to Stella.

"Fufufu. I think I will enjoy this special treatment from you, Ayato," said Stella. "Oh, and don't think of trying to run away. I will give a good burn if you try to escape.".

First, he applied lotion on Stella. He went to her legs first, because it was the easy part, but now the 'fun' part is about to begin. He then rubbed lotion on Stella's Private' part, causing her to groan.

"Ahn!" moaned Stella, as she was enjoying every part of it. Ayato tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't, and he could feel the dangerous killing intent of the Guys at the pool again.

"Oh, wait," said Stella. She then removed her top, and let Stella and the others show her exposed nipples. "Now, go ahead." She put on a very mischievous smile as she watched Ayato's face turn green.

'I think I'm going to hurl,' thought Ayato, but he decided to shake it off, and rubbed lotion all over Stella's breasts.

He just finished applying suntan lotion on Stella, Yukina, Akeno, Ayase,and Mio although she really wanted more from Ayato.

"Oww! Wader wennup my noshe!" Stella coughed as she pressed on her nose, disappointed at her own failure.

She had come to the surface and was standing in the pool, but the fact that Ayase's voice had reached the depths of her consciousness while she was underwater proved that her training was incomplete.

She would never be able to catch up with Ayato at the rate she was can probably just cut off his sight and hearing entirely.

He needed to be able to do at least that much to use Ittou Shura, bringing her face-to-face with the difficulty of her goal once more.

"S-Sorry, Miss Vermillion," Ayase said.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine," Stella assured her. "Considering how exaggerated your reaction was, that must mean…"

"N-N-No way! The second imperial princess of the Vermillion royal family would never date a commoner!"

"Are you sure you're not dating?"

"Of course we're not."

"Then you don't mind if I ask him out?"

"What?!" Stella's voice cracked. "H-Hold on! I thought you just wanted him to teach you swordplay! He even told me there were no feelings between you!"

"At first, yes. But Kurogane is so gentlemanly and handsome, and he even gave a stalker like me an oil massage & a chance. Even though he's younger than me, he's so much more mature. And he's so gentle when he teaches, but he's still so good at it. Kurogane is the perfect man. Now that I can look at his face when I talk to him, I think I might ask him out to—"

"N-Nooo!" Stella couldn't take it anymore, screaming before Ayase could even finish her sentence. "No way! Absolutely not! Ayato is my boyfriend, so back off!"

She smacked the water with her hands like a child throwing a tantrum. She didn't even want to think of another person asking Ayato out, so she drowned out Ayase's words entirely and glared at her, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I knew it." When she saw the mischievous grin on Ayase's face, Stella knew that she'd been had. "I thought you two looked pretty lovey-dovey back there, and it looks like I was right after all!"

"Ugh. I didn't think you would be the type to come at me with a sneaky tactic like that," Stella moaned.

"I figured you were too dumb."

"Well, aren't you sweet?"

"I think it's natural for me to be a little mean after you trapped me like that. But let's keep this a secret, okay? It would be annoying if everyone and their brother found out about this."

"Don't worry, I'll keep quiet. You're famous, so it would just cause problems."

"By the way… Were you lying about liking Ayato?" Ayase nodded decisively.

"I do think he's a wonderful person, but that doesn't mean I'm interested in him like that. It would be a betrayal to the man who humored me and taught me swordplay. I always had a hunch, though. You two are so lucky. I want to fall in love with someone too!" Much to Stella's surprise, Ayase's eyes sparkled and she put her hands over her blushing cheeks. She looked like a little girl reading a fairy tale.

"I thought you hated men, Ayatsuji."

"You've definitely got the wrong idea. I actually love boys."

"Shh! Be careful what you say here. I think I just saw like six guys perk up."

"Anyway, I don't hate men at all. I actually focus on their presence so much that I can't help but get embarrassed. My roommate says I look mean. Oh, how I wish I could love someone." "Why not just do it?" Stella asked, putting aside her surprise at seeing someone be so upfront about such a thing.

"N-No, I couldn't! I would be delighted if I could, but I'm so inexperienced when it comes to love that I'd probably die of embarrassment. Instead, I just content myself with manga and books."

"Talk about a sad life."

"So, do you two do sexy things when you're together at night?"

"Gak!" Ayase's fastball lodged itself in Stella's throat.

"H-H-How can you just say that?!"

"I really want to know what real couples are like!" Just like all the other girls in her class, Ayase readily pried into Stella's private affairs, shattering Stella's impression of her as a prim and proper swordswoman. She was just another gossip-lover with a nose for romance. "Obviously not. We haven't even said our vows yet."

"Really? All the girls in the manga I read are constantly having premarital sex."

"S-Seriously?! Don't people think that's weird?!"

"I've never had a boyfriend, so I wouldn't know." Her reply was so honest that it was almost sad. "But seeing the way you act, I think you want to have sex with him, don't you?" Sh-She's really out for blood! Stella cried in her mind. There was no point in hiding it since the truth was out, though. She thought that talking to someone might help soothe the unease deep within her, so she lowered herself further into the water and muttered quietly.

"I-I wouldn't go that far, but I do want to do more lovey-dovey stuff."

"Why don't you tell him exactly what you just said?"

"I wouldn't be so stressed out if I could do that."

"Why can't you?"

"Isn't it kind of unladylike for a girl to say that?"

"Is it? I think it's normal to want to be closer to your boyfriend. In fact, I'd think it would be less healthy if you didn't want to." Huh? Stella didn't know how to respond. It made sense when someone else said it. Of course it did; what kind of person, boy or girl, wouldn't want to take the next step with their significant other?

But… "Maybe he wants to take things slow, though. If I get too ahead of myself, he might think I'm a slut or something and get turned off by it."

"So you think Kurogane is insensitive, then? He would have to be really insensitive to be turned off just because you're interested in moving things forward."

"N-No! He's not insensitive!"

"Then I don't see the problem."

"But… Hm." Stella didn't have a rebuttal. Perhaps Ayase was right, after all. It seemed so simple. Why hadn't she realized it before? Maybe this is what people mean when they say love is blind. Ayase looked Stella right in the eyes.

"Don't waste the time you have with your loved ones. For as long as humans live, we'll have to say goodbye sooner or later," she said with a mature look on her face.

"Wow. This is the first time it's really set in that you're older than me."

"I'm just speculating at this point, but I bet Kurogane wants to take the next step with you too."

"Why's that?"

"You may not have noticed it when we got here, Miss Vermillion, but he was practically drooling at the sight of you. I had to stop myself from laughing at how obviously he was leering at you."

"Ah!"

No way. This is the worst thing ever. Why didn't I look at him? I'll never live this down. While Stella agonized over the shame of missing her opportunity, Ayato returned from lotioning up Rias,Akeno,Yukina Herself.

"Oh? Already given up, huh, Ayatsuji?" he asked.

"No, sorry. I just wanted to chat with Miss Vermillion."

"Cool. So, how was it? Did you feel your consciousness moving throughout your body?"

"Yes! I understand the point of this exercise, too. In fact, I'd like to focus on it by myself for a while. Would you mind letting me be alone for a bit?"

"Go ahead." In the meantime, I think Miss Vermillion here has something she really wants to tell you!"

"What—?!" Stella seemed to scream as she was put on the spot. Ayase ignored her and just swam far off, shooting her a wink as if to say,

"This is me making up for interrupting you two before." I don't need your help!

After Ayase's departure, Ayato and Stella moved to a bench next to the pool. "So, what did you want to tell me?"

"Umm…" Reluctant to answer, Stella simply looked down at her legs without a word. Who could blame her? Ayase had been able to coax her to sit down with Ayato using logic, but logic wasn't the issue. Why did she think he would hate her for wanting to do more things that lovers do? Why didn't she realize that he couldn't hate her for something so simple and innocent? She learned the answer when she looked at Ayato's face. The problem was simple: she was ashamed of herself. She kept on putting off the issue, clinging to whatever justification she could, all while pretending she didn't realize it and thinking that maybe, just maybe, Ayato would bring up the topic himself. It wasn't like she could just ask him to kiss her. I can't say something that embarrassing! "Stella?"

"Oh! S-Sorry! So, what I wanted to tell you is, umm…" With her escape route having been cut off by Ayase, Stella had to at least say something.

"R-Right! My swimsuit! I was wondering if you liked it!" "Of course I like it. It looks really good on you. You've got a nice style, and the swimsuit really complements it." Ayato responded smoothly and comfortably to Stella's emergency maneuver, his expression as gentle as ever. Even that bothered her, though. Was it because she had been told earlier that he was nearly drooling over her? If that were true, should he have been able to answer so easily? What if he was just putting on an act when he first saw her?

"Actually, I have something I want to tell you too."

"You do?" What is it? I didn't plan for this! Was he just going to ask for her thoughts on his swimwear too? How should she answer? She was attracted to him no matter what he wore, but she wasn't sure she could get that across— "I was just wondering, uh, if we should keep doing this."

"Huh?"

"I've been thinking about it for a while now. We haven't done anything that couples do for the whole month we've been dating." Stella felt as if her heart had frozen over when she heard that. We haven't done anything that couples do for the whole month we've been dating. Those were the words she feared most. Her boyfriend had just said the most frightening thing he could possibly say. So it's true. Ayato's grown tired of our relationship, he just didn't say anything for the entire month. He's gotten bored of me. Who wouldn't? He had Shizuku. And he had a beautiful disciple, too, even if she was older. And there were plenty of other viable girls among his classmates, like Kusakabe. Countless girls fawned over him on a daily basis. Why should he care about a self-important girl who wouldn't even touch him? The blood in her veins grew colder the more she thought about it.

"So I was just wondering where we should go from here." No. Stella knew what he would say next.

"Why don't we just go back to the way we used to be?" She didn't want to hear it. She couldn't bear to let Ayato finish that thought, so she turned to face away from him and spoke with a shrill tone.

"Y-You're right! Honestly, I meant to bring that up, instead of the dumb swimsuit! H-Haha, yeah, it was never gonna work out in the first place! A princess and a commoner are just too different! Instead of being with a girl who won't even hold your hand, you should just be with someone like Ayase who'll let you touch her thighs and her butt!"

"H-Huh?! No! Stella, wait! What are you talking about?!"

"I-I-I'm talking about b-breaking up, obviously! You don't need to be with a prude who won't touch you!"

"What—?!"Ayato stood there, his eyes wide with shock. He had no idea why Stella would say something so hurtful. With all the color gone from his face, he grabbed Stella's shoulder and pleaded, "I've never felt that way! Let's just calm down and talk this through!"

"Don't touch me!" she screamed and turned back toward him, smacking his hand away. Droplets of water shimmered as they were sent dancing through her red hair. Is she crying? Ikki thought. He knew he had to figure out why she wanted to break up, so he reminded himself that their relationship would be over the moment he got angry, then spoke.

"If I did something to put you off or make you hate me, I'll apologize, but please, I need you to tell me what's wrong!"

"You're the one who hates me!"

"That's not true! Why would you ever think that?! I never said I hated you!"

"I already know you do, even if you don't say it!"

"You don't know! Please, just calm down!"

"I am calm!"

"You don't seem calm! Why do you think I'd hate you, Stella?! If that's what you think of me, that must mean you're the one who hates me!" Ayato's voice gradually became more and more panicked, until he was basically yelling. He couldn't help but lose his cool; he was being broken up with by his girlfriend without an explanation, after all. How could he stay calm when he loved her so much?

"I-I don't! I love you, Ayato!"

"Well, I love you more!"

"Liar! I love you way more! Remember when I asked if you liked my swimsuit and you lied?! You don't care about me, and it's because I won't even touch you! When Ayase said you were drooling over me, you were actually just drooling over her!"

"What?! That's mean, and it's definitely not true! You'd better stop, or I'll get mad at you!"

"You're already mad at me!"

"Because you're making baseless accusations! Why would I look at another girl when my smoking-hot girlfriend is standing right there?!"

"Then why did you act so normal when I asked?!" "I might have looked normal, but come on! I can't just answer a question like that honestly! You're so sexy, I can't keep my eyes off you! But the problem is that if I act like some sort of pervert, I'm worried you might be grossed out! And what about you, Stella?! If you love me so much, why haven't we been intimate at all this past month?!"

"That's your fault, too! The girl in the relationship can't be the one to say she wants to have sex! I don't want you to think I'm some sort of slut or something!" "Then why are we even fighting?!" "How should I know?!" They continued yelling at each other, despite all the people around them.

"Excuse me? I'm not sure if you're having a lovers' quarrel or flirting, but there are other people trying to enjoy the pool. Could you possibly take it somewhere else?" A lifeguard smirked as he spoke to them, while the other swimmers around them watched as if they were exotic animals. Ayato and Stella could feel their faces burning as they simultaneously realized how strange their fight must have looked.

"E-Excuse us!"

"Sorry!" The two ran off to the kids' pool, also empty, in an attempt to escape the onlookers. They sat under an umbrella-shaped fountain in the middle of the pool, the curtain of water making them invisible to any onlookers and drowning out their voices. They were completely isolated; only the two of them would know what happened there.

"Ayato, um, don't look at me right now."

"Sure. I don't really want you to see my face either, so that works." Both of them were painfully embarrassed. Though they had at least escaped it, they realized that their argument was downright ridiculous. They were so ashamed of themselves that they couldn't even look at each other.

"Hey, Stella?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't we both say what we want the most right now? We'll do it at the same time."

"…Okay." It was a stupid argument, but it wasn't pointless. It proved to both of them that the person they loved loved them back.

"I want to kiss you," they said in unison. They didn't need to say any more than that. The two of them sighed heavily before looking into each other's eyes, neither of them too embarrassed to make eye contact anymore. Stella looked up at Ayato and gently closed her eyes, tears still sitting gently at the ends of her eyelashes. Ayato gently wiped them away and put his hands on her soft cheeks. Stella's body stiffened. Her eyes shot open and her soft, warm face trembled. She was unsure how to react to the new sensation of a boy touching her eyelashes. But she didn't push him away; she just closed her eyes, giving herself to him.

Ayato felt so happy, so loved in that moment. Within the curtain of water and the sound of the fountain, he drew closer and placed his lips against hers. It was a light touch—one tiny kiss—but Ayato's lips burned for more. Friends and family often kissed each other on the cheek, but never on the mouth. It was proof above all else that they shared a special relationship, proof of the new bond between them that gave their promise meaning.

"Hey, Ayato?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you hate bad girls who beg for kisses like me?"

"There isn't a guy in the world who hates a bad girl. I should be asking you a similar question, though. Stella, do you hate guys having sexy thoughts about you?"

"Not if it's you having them, Ayato." After they took that first step, their hesitation melted away. They shared a second kiss, deeper and more forceful than the first. It was an immature, impatient, clumsy kiss, but it was one born from their desperate longing for each other. There had been some rough patches, but Ayato and Stella had shared a day they would never forget.

The sky was already getting dark when the trio left the pool. With their stomachs empty, they decided to head to a restaurant before returning home. Ayato asked Stella and Ayase if they wanted to go anywhere in particular, but they didn't offer any ideas, so he took them to a random family restaurant. They ordered according to their own tastes: for Ayato, a hefty serving of udon with tofu; for Ayase, a salmon meal; and for Stella, four servings of mixed grill and three servings of steak.

"Y-You certainly eat a lot, Miss Vermillion," Ayase said, astounded by her appetite.

"I can't help it," Stella replied.

"My body needs all of this to function."

"How do you eat so much, yet stay so slim? It doesn't make sense." Stella's cheeks flushed slightly. She knew she was a big eater, but she didn't care to stop. She just kept on chomping and chomping, filling up on calories. The machine that was her body needed ample fuel to keep on moving—she needed to eat a lot for everything to work properly.

"If I didn't know better, I would never have imagined you were a princess." Ayase laughed as she watched Stella eat.

"Om-nom. What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not insulting you! You just seem so approachable, and you don't eat any differently than we do."

"Well, I have taken classes on table manners, but now's not the time or place for any of that. Knowing the proper time and place when it comes to anything— be it manners or swordplay—is an important skill."

Stella looked around the restaurant. It was packed full of people, owing to the dinnertime rush. The sounds of clanging silverware, the bells on the door ringing every time someone came or went, children screaming and crying, and students laughing and talking loudly all mingled into a cacophony of noise. If she ate politely like she had been taught, it would look out of place.

"Haha. Isn't that the truth?" Ayase laughed self-delusively as one of her faults was pointed out.

"I've learned a lot today. Ever since I started training under you, every day has been full of discovery and growth. I'm nowhere near ready to use the ultimate technique my father taught me, but I think I'm getting closer and closer by the day. I don't know how I could ever thank you, Kurogane."

"It's all your own doing, Ayatsuji. I mean it. Even if you were studying alone, you would've figured it out someday. All I did was give you a little push in the right direction, so there's no need to thank me."

"No. I'm going to use what you've taught me very soon."

"In your selection battles, you mean?"

"Yes. This is my third year, so it's my final Seven Stars. I have to win every one of my selection battles and make it to the Festival to take back what was stolen from me. That's why I need strength right now." Huh? Ikki saw a strange emotion in Ayase's eyes: anger. It wasn't your average, everyday anger, though; it was full of hatred that almost resembled murderous intent. Why was she so— "Hah! If it isn't Ayase. I thought I recognized that mug." A hoarse voice called out from behind Ikki, interrupting his thoughts.

"Gah?!" Ayase's eyes opened wide with shock. The man who'd spoken was just under six feet tall with dyed hair. The whites of his eyes were constantly visible, revealing his ferocity through his sunglasses. He puffed on a cigarette despite being in a no-smoking area. His deep-red top was unbuttoned to reveal a laughing skull tattoo on his chest, which bothered the nearby customers. Ikki recalled his distinctive appearance. When they'd walked into the restaurant, he and the rest of his poorly-mannered group had been roaring with laughter.

"I was just wondering where you went off to, and here you are. Hah! One hell of a coincidence, right?"

"Kuraudooo? Who are you talking to?"

"Let's get to the arcade, man!"

"Hey, that's Ayase, ain't it?! Long time no see!"

"We were worried about you, y'know? You never show up anymore. Gahaha!"

"You just gonna ignore Kuraudo when he's talking to you?"

"You got pretty full of yourself, didn'tcha? Well?" Following the guy with the skull tattoo, around ten more outlaw-like men gathered around Ayato's table. He figured they must have known Ayase, but she didn't bother to look at them. Instead, she stared down at the table and bit her lip angrily. Ayato knew what he had to do.

"Sorry, I don't think my friend likes you. Would you mind backing off?"

"Just who the hell are you?"

"You'd better shut up before you get messed up, pal!" The henchmen yelled at Ayato, but he didn't respond. He knew there was only one person he needed to deal with, so he turned his attention toward the guy with the skull tattoo, apparently named Kuraudo. Kuraudo glared at Ayato with deep interest, then asked a strange question.

"You're a swordsman, aren't you?"

"How'd you know?" Ayato replied. "Hah! You all have the same aura." He then took a beer bottle and a glass from a nearby table where a family was eating.

"Sorry for butting in on your meal, brother. I saw an old friend, so I just wanted a quick chat," Kuraudo said as he poured the beer into the glass and slid it over to Ayato.

"Here, a symbol of my apology. Take it."

"Oh, sure." He wanted to point out that it wasn't Kuraudo's drink to give away, but there wasn't any merit in stirring the pot, so he silently reached his hand toward the glass. Before he knew what had hit him, he felt the bottle being smashed over his head.

"Ayato!"

"Kurogane!"

The bottle shattered, sending shards of glass all over the table and floor. After taking such a painful hit to the head, Ayato fell forward onto the table.

"Hah! Great reflexes there, swordsman! Dumbass!"

"Ahaha! Nice one!"

"Damn, Kuraudo! You're always flipping' a shit outta nowhere!"

"He just does what he wants, devil may care!" Kuraudo's henchmen cheered him on as the people at nearby tables screamed. He tossed the broken beer bottle aside and licked his lips.

"Beating up little sword-flailing idiots like you is my favorite thing to do. C'mon, kid! Get your Device!" The man summoned his own Device, a nodachi with a saw-like blade that reflected no light, more akin to bone than steel. His red top, though unbuttoned, was the uniform of Donrou Academy, another Mage-Knight school in Tokyo. He was a Blazer, like Ayato. "How dare you?! I hope you enjoy being burnt to a crisp!" Seething with rage after watching Ayato get hurt, Stella sent embers flying from her hair and opened her hand to summon Lævateinn, but Ayato grabbed her arm.

"No, Stella," he said, slowly rising from his seat as if nothing had happened to him. He smiled at her while a stream of blood gushed from his head. "There's no reason to make a scene. His hand just slipped." "Wh-What the hell are you talking about?!"

"It's just a cut on my head and a little blood on my clothes. We don't have to fight here." Ayato was clearly trying to suppress Stella's anger. If they used their Devices and made things even worse than they already were, suspension wouldn't be the end of it; expulsion was the best-case scenario. "Pfahahahahahaha! Aaahahahahahaaa!" Ayato had managed to stop Stella, but the skull-guy's henchmen seemed to think he was running away from a fight like some sort of coward. They pointed at him and laughed oafishly. "Get a load of this guy! He's still smiling like a dumbass even after his head got split open!" "Are you that scared of Kuraudo? What a freakin' loser!" "Bwahaha! So lame!"

"Hahahah! I've never seen a swordsman who's as big a pansy as you. How 'bout you grow a pair?" They ridiculed Ikki, showering him with profanity. He showed no signs of reacting, however, instead just smiling vacantly while he waited for it all to end. Hoping for some sort of reaction, Kuraudo spat on his face.

"Rgh!" Stella's rage peaked yet again, but Ikki held her back, stronger than before. Even that wasn't enough to provoke him, which perturbed Kuraudo.

"Damn killjoy. If we hang around a chicken-shit like this, we're bound to look bad too. Let's go, boys."

"Later, coward!" "

Good. Kuraudo's not the type to bully wimps!"

"Right? Good thing he was a weakling. Ahahaha!" The group turned around and headed out of the restaurant. Once they had left, a man who seemed to be the owner of the restaurant ran over to Ikki and bowed deeply, sweating profusely.

"I'm so very sorry, sir! Are you okay?! I'll go call an ambulance!"

"No, I'm fine. Do you have a first-aid kit? I can just bandage this up and call it a day, if you'll bring it over."

"Y-Yes, sir! Right away!" The owner ran to the break room like a madman in search of the first-aid kit while all the other workers were apologizing to nearby customers. After confirming that the situation had been resolved with the smallest mess possible, Ikki wiped the spit off of his face with a napkin. "Your face looks twice as big as usual, Stella," he said. "I can't help that I look mad!" she exclaimed, her cheeks puffed up like a balloon. "How could you let that trash talk to you like that?! Hell, you didn't even try to avoid that beer bottle! What's with you?" "If I'd avoided it, he might've just gotten angrier. I can't go around causing problems in public."

"I guess that's true. Couldn't you have beaten those guys up even without Intetsu, though?" "I dunno." "Why not?"

"That guy with the skull tattoo is really strong. I'm not sure I could take him on barehanded."

"You've got that right. That guy was a quarterfinalist in last year's Seven Stars, y'know." A boy's voice, so cheerful that it seemed out of place, cut into their conversation, plastering Ayato's and Stella's faces with shock. The reason they were so surprised was that he had somehow appeared on their table, scattering silverware in all directions. He'd intruded without so much as a trace of his approach; it was as if they had suddenly cut to a new scene in a movie. Wavy hair of dull silver, eyes of gold that reflected no light. The boy, no larger than a kindergartener, was wearing Hagun Academy's uniform. He went on to speak to Ayato, wearing a smile so fake it looked like he'd glued it on.

"Ahaha! Hoo, boy, that was unfortunate, huh? Just a disaster. That's the ace of Donrou Academy, a wild dog who'll sink his fangs into anyone he sees. Kuraudo Kurashiki is his name, but people just call him the Sword Eater. Shame you had to run into him, Cold One, but you made the right choice."

"Heehee. Yes, absolutely." A tall girl appeared next, but her presence was much more pronounced than the boy's. Even indoors, she was equipped with a parasol and a wide-brimmed hat. Her eyes were hidden by the hat's brim, but her features could be imagined based on the outline of her jaw. She carried herself like a noblewoman, wearing a snow-white dress that was glorious to see.

Despite her pure, innocent appearance, however, Ayato and Stella felt an intense, hair-raising disgust. Immaculate white covered her body, but she almost seemed to be covered in the blood of others.

Why? It didn't take long for Ayato to realize that she reeked of blood, unable to be concealed by even the most potent perfume. If there was one thing he could be sure of, it was that she was, without a doubt, the real deal.

"If either of you had escalated the situation any further, I would have been forced to apprehend everyone present." She spoke with a refined tone that further clashed against the pure-white blood and death.

"Who are these people, Ayato? What are they?" Stella, thoroughly creeped out and wary, spoke to Ayato in a low voice.

"They're from Hagun's Student Council. One of the Vice Presidents Utakata Misogi and Treasurer Kanata Toutokubara."

"Toutokubara?! You mean…" Even Stella, ignorant of most rumors, recognized that name. Kanata Toutokubara, the Blutrote Dame. The second-strongest student in Hagun Academy and a Rank B knight. She made a name for herself through her battle capabilities that, despite being a student, led her to be summoned into real combat under special circumstances. Toutokubara had experience with destroying bases belonging to the Rebellion and other terrorist groups.

"Looks like we don't need any introduction, huh?" Utakata said.

"Great job not dodging the bottle, though, Kurogane. That Sword Eater attacks other schools whenever he wants, goes around destroying sword dojos around the city, and is overall just not a fun guy to deal with when he gets mad. We didn't have to because of you, so thanks! Maybe we underestimated you a bit."

"It's no surprise now that you were able to defeat Renren," Kanata added. "That Demon Princess really has trained you well when you were younger she saw your potential from the first time she saw you . We certainly think more highly of you now too."

"Ahaha! Definitely. So, how about you let me see that little scrape? I'll fix you right up."

"Oh, no, thanks. I can handle it myself."

"Come on, don't be like that! Let your upperclassmen help you out. 'Pain, pain, go away', as they say!" Utakata gently touched Ayato's wound.

"There! All done."

"Huh…?"

Ayato was surprised at how skilled Utakata was. Despite not dodging the blow, Kuraudo didn't land a direct hit, so Ayato's wound wasn't that deep. Still, Utakata had an almost unnatural healing ability—both the cut and the bruise had been healed quickly and cleanly. Even Shizuku, with her Rank A magic control, needed more time than that to fully heal someone. There was something more to his healing power. Actually, it's as if he was removing the wound in its entirety.

Utakata Misogi, also known as Fifty-Fifty. Ayato had no idea what his ability was; all he knew was that this boy was stronger than most.

"Ahaha! You don't have to look at me like that. I'm not in the selection battles this year, so don't sweat it."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to be rude after you were so kind to me."

"Ahaha! Don't worry about it. That cautiousness is what makes you a knight. Now that your wound's all taken care of, we'll be off. Let's get going, Kanata."

"Yes, Vice President."

With a "Don't party too hard tonight!" to see them off, Utakata Misogi led Kanata Toutokubara out of the restaurant. Once they were gone, Ayato looked out the window at the twilight sun and sighed deeply. It feels like dusk is looming more ominously than ever. Ayato felt as though the only people he'd met recently were big shots, but seeing as they'd left, Ayato didn't bother letting the student council members' appearance get to him. There was something weighing more heavily on his mind.

"Hey, Ayatsuji?"

"Nh!" Having known he would bring it up sooner or later, Ayase turned to look anywhere but at him. She tried to escape him, but he asked his question regardless.

"What's your relationship with that jerk?" He had known Ayase's name. As skilled a knight as she was, she wasn't all over the internet or TV, so it must have been a personal relationship. It clearly wasn't a positive one, however, as the expression on her face showed. As her friend, he wanted to help her.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But when they were harassing you, you looked different. If they're making trouble for you, I think I might be able to help you out."

"I…" She visibly hesitated to answer his question, but eventually opened her mouth to speak before an email suddenly interrupted their conversation. The tone had come from Ayato's and Ayase's pockets simultaneously. Ayato looked at his handbook's display to see the sender: the Selection Battle Committee. He got a bad feeling about the email, which was confirmed by the text.

"Ayato Kurozakuro, for your eleventh selection battle, your opponent will be Ayase Ayatsuji of class 3-1."

Gee, great timing, he thought, certain that Ayase's email had given her the same news.

"Uh, sorry! My roommate said I need to get back to our room ASAP! I gotta run!" she claimed, her face as pale as a ghost. She was clearly lying. Reading the notification from the committee had probably made her feel uncomfortable to be around him.

"Oh, all right. See you tomorrow." Ikki didn't try to stop her. Kuraudo and Ayase's relationship bothered him, but he didn't need or want to interrogate her in public. He could just wait to ask until she was more comfortable.

"Yeah, tomorrow…" Ayase set her portion of the bill on the table and left Ikki and Stella behind.

"She didn't look good. I wonder what happened." Stella didn't understand the situation, so Ikki showed her the email on his handbook.

"Oh. Oh, no."

"I didn't want to have to fight her, but I guess this is fate."

"Come to think of it, didn't she say she had to make it to the Seven Stars so she could take something of hers back?"

"Yeah."

"You're not gonna throw the match, are you?"

"Do you really think I'd do that?" Ikki answered her question with one of his own, to which she smiled and shook her head, relieved.

"No. That was a stupid question, sorry." Of course Ayato would never do such a thing. Even if his opponent were Stella or Shizuku, he would fight sincerely. That was common courtesy for a knight, no matter what sort of curveball fate threw at them.

I said "see you tomorrow", but she probably won't be coming to our training sessions for a while. Ayato's intuition turned out to be correct. After that day, Ayase never came to meet them.

"Man, that guy today was a real piece of work."

"Hah! That's what you call a sissy."

"What a loser! Who the hell just sits there and smiles after being smashed upside the head with a bottle?"

"You know how it is, Misato. It ain't smart to try to fight Kuraudo."

"Bahaha! You right. Don't pick fights you can't win!" The teenagers laughed as they filled the ruined dojo they used as a hangout spot with smoke. They were, of course, talking about the scene at the restaurant.

"Heh. You boys think so?" Kuraudo sipped some sake as he spoke to his henchmen, looking down at them from a hole in the roof.

"Hell yeah! A bean sprout like him can't beat you, Kuraudo!" "Seriously. He's not even worth your time. I could beat his ass with one hand tied behind my back!"

"Gahaha! C'mon, guys, don't bully weaklings like that. He might snitch on the cops." They laughed again. Even when nobody said anything funny, they just kept on laughing. Idiots. They don't know a damn thing. Kuraudo glanced down at them and chuckled before turning to look at the moon. He remembered Ayato's eyes.

Those eyes showed no signs of horror or panic as they pierced his soul; just the coldness of ice. All that guy cared about was getting out of there without making a scene. He probably took that bottle to the head on purpose. A man with eyes like his could've easily dodged that.

"He's above all that. He wouldn't fall for such a cheap challenge. Heh…" It didn't matter. Ayato was certain to get into Seven Stars.

When that happens, I'll gladly crush him. Kuraudo gulped down the rest of his drink as his heart throbbed in anticipation of the first real challenge he'd faced in a long time.

Three days had passed since Ayato and the gang had last seen Ayase. Even the afternoon before their match, she was nowhere to be found.

"She never came. Not even once," Stella sighed listlessly.

"Isn't that more convenient for you, Stella?" Shizuku asked.

"I recall you being jealous of her for taking up all of Big Brother's time with their lessons."

"Shut up. This is a different issue. It just feels kinda lonely without her around."

"How selfish. But that may be one of your better sides."

"Did you say something?"

"I said your legs are fat."

"I keep telling you, they're muscular!" Still unsure of whether they had a good or bad relationship, Ayato watched them from afar while toying with his student handbook.

"So she still hasn't sent you any emails or anything?" Alisuin cast a long shadow over him as she approached.

"Nope,"Ayato replied.

"Are you being honest?" Ayato raised his head and looked at Alice. A smile spread gently across her face, but she probed for more information with her eyes.

"You don't believe me?"

"Of course I don't. I don't know her all that well, but I know she's frightened that she won't reach her true goal of fighting in the Seven Stars. She can't bear the thought of losing to you in tomorrow's match."

The six participants to be sent to the Seven Stars Battle Festival were chosen based on their win-loss records.

Judging from what Ms. Oreki had said, there would be about twenty battles per person. With a number like that, there was bound to be a number of students with perfect twenty-win records. In other words, even a single loss meant forfeiting one's chance to enter the Seven Stars.

"But if you fight the way you normally do, there's no chance she'll win. There's just too big a difference in your skill levels. To make matters worse, you know her style of swordplay better than anyone else since you're teaching her. What I'm saying is that she must be concocting some plan to secure victory. Wouldn't you agree?"

"You're really sharp, Alice." Ayato shrugged his shoulders in defeat and tossed his student handbook over to Alice. The display revealed a single email sent by Ayase Ayatsuji.

"There's something important I can only ask you for. I need your help, Kurozakuro. I'll be waiting on the roof of the main building at 3:00 a.m." "She sent it this morning."

"This certainly reeks of a trap."

"Heh, yeah. It does, but there's no trickery afoot here."

"You seem sure of that."

"I believe in her. Ayatsuji would never do something so cowardly. I may have only known her for a few days, but I can say that for sure." The Ayase he knew was honest to a fault, and a sincerely hard worker.

"She said she liked my hands." Would someone cowardly enough to rig the fight beforehand, someone who would spit on everything their fellow knights trained and put their hearts on the line for, say something like that? No. They wouldn't be able to say that even if they wanted to.

"I'm going to go see what she wants." Ayase was a friend—one who only had him to rely on. Ayato couldn't just ignore that, so he told Alice that he would go. "You really are a star, honey," she responded with a bitter smile, and extended her hand toward Ayato. He was within arm's reach, but the look in her eyes suggested that he was far, far away.

"A star?"

"Yes, absolutely. I'm honestly jealous of you all sometimes. Shizuku and Stella have the ability to love with all their hearts, and you have the ability to trust someone with all of yours. It makes me realize just how rotten my own heart is, because I always find myself thinking twice about others.

"Sometimes, however," Alice punctuated before warning Ayato with a worried expression, "that's exactly why I'm able to figure out the truth. You might think I'm stepping too far into your business here, but you should be ready to cut ties with her if need be. You never know what may be lurking behind a person's mask. Going in half-heartedly and faltering may turn a winnable match into an unwinnable one, like what almost happened with The Hunter."

"You warned me about the same thing back then, too, Alice. But don't worry about me. I can't falter anymore because I know what's most important to me." Ayato turned his attention to Stella, who was still bickering with Shizuku. They'd made a pact to fight for the crown in the final battle.

"No matter what, I'm not going to break our promise."

"Ahaha. I guess I was prying too much. Sorry for being such a downer."

"You're not. In my battle with Kirihara—and even now—I managed to turn things around thanks to my friends' help. That's why I won't let anyone call any of you rotten, Alice. Not even if you're saying it about yourself." For a moment, Alice appeared as though she were worried by some difficult truth, but she quickly masked it.

"Teehee. Don't be too smooth, now. I might just fall in love."

"Leave the jokes for the girls, please." Alice spoke as cheerfully as ever, so Ayato reciprocated by not pressing any further. She probably wouldn't have gone along with it even if he'd tried to probe for more information anyway. For the time being, he decided to focus on what lay ahead. He looked up at the roof of the school building, bathed in the light of the setting sun. At 3:00 a.m., Ayase would be waiting there for him. I hope I can help her.

Ten minutes before they were to meet, Ayato quietly left his room, being careful not to wake Stella. He exited the dorm, which was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, and used the dim, pale moonlight to guide him as he moved toward a window that he'd opened in preparation. From there, he snuck through the school building, his footsteps just barely echoing through the night.

The place was normally so loud and active, but Ayato pushed through the deafening, discomforting silence until he finally reached the top of the school and opened the steel door before him. Pale moonlight shone into his face, accompanied by a gust of wind. The rooftop before Ayato's eyes was entirely plain, with a sterile concrete floor and an ugly fence sullying the night sky. It was summertime, but the wind and moonlight felt cold, making the sight all the more dreary. Ayase Ayatsuji stood there, facing away from the fence, basking in the pale moonlight.

"Hey. I haven't seen you since we went to the pool, Ayatsuji."

"Yeah. Sorry to ignore you, considering you were helping me and all." Hmm? Ayato noticed something a little bit off about Ayase's eyes—something more than the apologetic glance. Her gaze seemed dry and artificial, as if her eyes were made of glass.

Ayase seemed to have gotten more comfortable with Ayato to the point that she didn't constantly avoid eye contact, but the day they'd gone to the pool, when their conversation was interrupted and their eyes met, she'd had the same artificial look.

Ayato had figured it was a normal reaction for someone like her who wasn't used to boys.

That was what made her current gaze bother Ayato all the more. Was Ayase really the type of girl who could look at him so calmly on such a quiet night? Even if she did seem off, though, it was really only a tiny bit. They weren't here for something so small, so he didn't waste his breath asking her about it.

"You're fine. Honestly, I felt pretty awkward after that email too."

"I'm glad you understand. But… You really came alone, didn't you? That seems pretty immoral for a boy with a girlfriend, but thank you."

"Oh, I thought you might mention that. Let's not tell Stella about this; she'll get mad at me." Ayato shrugged as a follow-up to his joke and approached Ayase, ready to change the subject. "So, what did you need me for?"

"…" She didn't answer. Was she reluctant to tell him, or was there some other meaning to her silence? Ayato couldn't read Ayase's emotions or motives behind her glass eyes. A conversation couldn't advance if both speakers were quiet, though.

"If you don't want to just come out and say it, could I ask you a question?" Ayase remained silent even when Ayato attempted a different approach. He took it as a no and tried again, aiming for the core of the matter.

"Sorry to bring this up again, but is Kuraudo Kurashiki the one who stole what was important to you?"

"What makes you think that?" Ayase answered his question with one of her own. "Just a bit of observation and intuition," he replied, not overlooking the instant change from glass-eyed stoicism to wide-eyed shock.

"At the restaurant, when you said you wanted to take back what was stolen from you, I saw something in your eyes that almost seemed like bloodlust. You had the same look on your face when the Sword Eater came over to our table.

"You said you had to go to Seven Stars to take it back, so that means the one who stole it from you would be there as well. The Sword Eater was a quarterfinalist last year, and since his school doesn't use Hagun's new Shinguuji System to select its candidates, his place in the Festival is guaranteed. With those two things established, I figured the person you're trying to take something back from must be the Sword Eater. Am I right?" Ayato didn't have to ask; he knew he'd hit the nail on the head.

"Haha, that's right. You've figured it all out. Now I don't have to hide it anymore. With that out of the way, Kurogane, I came here because I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Miss Vermillion told me in the changing room when we were getting ready to leave the pool that you two promised to meet in the final battle of the Seven Stars Battle Festival this year."

"Yeah. If the bracket works out for us, at least, we're going to meet in the finals. But we will fight at some point, for sure."

"But what if you were pitted against an enemy that you just couldn't defeat no matter how hard you tried? What would you do?" Ayato raised an eyebrow, unsure of where Ayase was headed. Why was she so interested in him and Stella? Instantly, though, he realized that her question applied to herself just as much as it did had to win to fulfill a promise, while Ayase had to win to take back what was hers. Their reasons differed, but their resolve was the same. Was it possible she was asking him because she wanted advice on how to prepare herself to fight even the strongest warriors? Ayato still wasn't positive about what he wanted, but he was positive about how to answer.

"I'd fight with every last ounce of my strength."

"Even if you couldn't win?"

"I wouldn't know until I tried. But even if I ended up losing, the only thing I can do is fight, fight, fight." When he'd fought The Hunter, Ayato had accepted defeat, but it was thanks to Stella that he remembered. If someone lost to their enemy and got hurt, their wounds would one day heal.

They would be able to fight again. However, the wound of running away—of losing to oneself—would never heal, dragging that person down forever. Even if one was fated to lose, they should at least fight so that they were able to pride themselves on their effort. Ayato would never lose sight of that again.

"I disagree." Ayase coldly cast his answer aside. "Why play fair if it means you won't get what you want?"

"Huh?" Ayato gasped in surprise, taken aback by her sudden conclusion that the ends justify the means. He had no idea why she would say such a thing.

The Ayase in his mind could never imagine something so awful. He didn't even know how to respond.

As he stood there, still silent from the shock, Ayato noticed that Ayase's lips had curled into a sneer beneath her artificial-looking eyes. He had never seen her look that way. Is this really Ayase? No, maybe this is the real Ayase? Her cold smile pierced into his confused thoughts.

"Here's my answer, then," she continued.

"I would do whatever I had to if it meant stomping them into the dust."

"Nh!" Ayase materialized her scarlet sword, Hizume, in her right hand, and the sound of something being sliced reverberated twice through the night sky.

"Ngh?!" Ayato knew immediately that Ayase had used her magic to cut something, but what did she cut? Heightening his guard and concentration, he focused all of his consciousness into his eyes. He surrendered his cognition of color and sound to maximize his awareness of the situation, and instantly understood what was going on. The section of fence behind Ayase was falling away from the top of the building—she'd sliced both ends of it. There had been two slashing sounds, so Ayase must have used some ability to cut them. What is she doing? Why would she need to do that? Ayato was bewildered, completely unable to figure out her goal. "Wha—?!" Something even more bizarre was happening. Alongside the fence, Ayase was falling head-first from the top of the four-story school building. As shocked and stupefied as he was, those feelings were suppressed by the decisive, instantaneous urge to didn't understand Ayase's actions; he didn't know whether her ability had misfired or if what she did was intentional, but he didn't have time to play detective. He knew what he had to do. A blue aura of magic surrounded Ayato's body, signifying the use of his Noble Art, Ittou Shura. With his one-minute superpower activated, Ayato looked down from the hole in the fence. Once he perceived Ayase's falling body, he ran straight down the wall of the school building in pursuit. Catching up to her as she fell was easy with the speed granted by Ittou Shura. Ayato grabbed Ayase's right arm and held her against himself. Got her! But what now?! They only had another second before they hit the ground. With how much speed he had built up running down the wall, he wasn't sure if there was any hope left. Ayato racked his brain before spotting something in his peripheral vision: a small pond within the courtyard, nearly a hundred feet away from the wall. It was far, but it was their only chance. Ayato forced his body to turn 180 degrees, then used all his might to kick off of the school wall.

"Haaaaaaaaaah!" A crack spread from the point he kicked off of, shattering every window on that side of the building with the impact. In return, he and Ayase flew horizontally with enough force to make it all the way over to the pond. The two of them fell into the water with a huge splash.

"Phah! Haah, haah, haah…!" They'd made it by the skin of their teeth. I

f Ayato had delayed by even a fraction of a second, things could have taken a life-changing turn for the worse. If his calculations had been off ever so slightly, Ayase may very well have died. Ayato trembled with fear at the thought of it. His hands shook and his body froze to the core, but welling up within him as he lifted Ayase out of the pond as well was fury.

"Wh-What the hell were you doing?! You would've died if I wasn't here to save you!" Ayato grabbed her by the collar and yelled angrily—a reaction he seldom had.

"Heehee. Haha… Ahahah! Hahaha!" Her scornful laughter echoed clearly through the dark night. "Don't worry. I knew you would come to save me."

"What?!" Still roaring with laughter, Ayase peeled away Ikki's fingers and stood on her own, looking down at the drenched boy beneath her. Her lips curled into a wicked grin. "You just used up one of your trump cards—Ittou Shura." Ah!

"No way. Were you planning to make me use it this whole time?!" "Of course I was." "S-So you acted like you were throwing your life away just to accomplish that?!"

"Didn't I say I'd do whatever I had to?" she asked in a detached tone that made Ikki even angrier.

"If you'd said the same thing I did, I might have tried bribing you instead. But, of course, you took the righteous path because you're such a righteous person. The only thing I could do was force you to use your ace in the hole ahead of time. I can't win if you have Ittou Shura on standby, but now, you can't use it for another twenty-four hours, and there are just ten more until our fight. This gives me an actual chance to win. Even if my swordplay isn't enough to best yours, my ability as a knight may be able to defeat you without one of your trump cards."

She was right. Ittou Shura's basic premise was that it used Some of Ayato's magical power to push him to a never-before-seen level of strength. By making him use it before the battle, she no longer had to worry about Ittou Shura. Was I wrong about her? Was I misreading her this whole time? Ikki had thought she was honest, sincere, and hard-working. Had it all been an act? Was Ayase such a dishonorable person that she would gladly sabotage her opponent, the greatest taboo in all of chivalry? Was the way she smiled like a little girl when she'd believed she was finally catching up to her father fake too?

"When I first saw the calluses on your palms, I was so excited," Ikki told her. "I thought I had finally found another true swordsman like me in this school. I thought I had found a friend."

"I do appreciate your teaching," she replied coldly. "The skills you taught me will be a great help when I'm beating you down." "I never thought of you as the type of person who'd do this." "That was your mistake. Don't project your ideals onto me."

"Urgh! I don't know or even care what the Sword Eater stole from you, but what you're doing doesn't hurt just me! It's an insult to Stella, to Shizuku, and to every knight who's fighting to make it to the Seven Stars! You've thrown away your honor and dragged everyone else's through the mud in the process! Even if you take back whatever it is you've lost, will you be able to take pride in it?!"

"That has nothing to do with you, Kurozakuro." Ayase turned her back to him, shrugging off his screams with a single statement.

"No matter what you say, I will crush you. I have to." After that, she disappeared into the darkness. In reality, she wasn't far away, but to Ayato, she seemed to be miles off in the distance.

"You should be ready to cut ties with her if need be. Going in half-heartedly and faltering may turn a winnable match into an unwinnable one."

Once she'd left his vision, Alice's words flitted through Ayato's mind. It was true; confused thoughts would only dull his swordplay. Should he just cut ties with Ayase? Cut ties. Never speak to her again. Forget about her. Should he really do that? "Urgh." Dark clouds began to weigh on his heart and he fell to his knees—Ittou Shura's side-effect. "Dammiiiiit!" Cursing, though nobody could hear it, he futilely punched the grass.

…

Ayase greeted the morning—the day of her battle with Ayato—groggily at 9:00 a.m. After leaving him behind, she'd dozed off in her room. She was tired, not only because of the meeting with Ayato, but also because she had been preparing for the duel. As she crawled out of bed, she noticed a letter from her roommate on the table:

"You told me yesterday not to come, so I won't watch your match today, but come talk to me if something's wrong. I get so worried whenever I see how gloomy you look these days."

"I really am a good-for-nothing." She had betrayed her teacher and made her roommate worry.

"You've thrown away your honor and dragged everyone else's through the mud in the process! Even if you take back whatever it is you've lost, will you be able to take pride in it?!" Ayato's cries still rang in Ayase's ears. She felt awful, even before such an important battle. She needed to set herself straight. She had to fix her mood and prepare herself, so she headed to a certain place before the morning ended.

Fifteen minutes after departing from the train station closest to Hagun Academy, Ayase arrived at her destination: a massive, chalk-white building that penetrated the cloudless summer sky. It was Shishido General Hospital, the closest hospital to Hagun Academy. Ayase followed the same path she'd walked countless times as she headed through the large building to room 515, before opening the sliding door. Inside the private room was a single solitary bed, with a beautiful, middle-aged woman sitting next to it in a pipe chair. She gasped in surprise when the door opened to reveal Ayase.

"My, oh, my. Is that you, Ayase?"

"Hello, Aunt Suzuka." "Hi! What are you doing here at this time of day? Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Attendance is voluntary for me today. Students are exempt from classes on days they have selection battles, so I decided to come see Dad instead."

"Huh. That new director has some strange policies, both for battles and for roommates." Her aunt seemed to understand when Ayase explained it was one of Kurono's policies. As she stood up from the pipe chair and moved toward the bed, she spoke to the man lying in it.

"Did you hear that? Your cute little daughter is here to see you!" His cheekbones had receded with age. His skin was wrinkled, like a longforgotten, cracked patch of land, and his arms were thin and brittle like twigs in the winter. The man, as thin as a rail from losing so much weight, was Kaito Ayatsuji— Ayase's father.

"Good morning, Dad." Following her aunt, Ayase spoke to Kaito, but he didn't respond; he kept sleeping. He slept and slept, like he had for the past two years. "I don't want to get between you two," Suzuka said, "so I'll be at the coffee shop outside. How long will you be here, Ayase?"

"My match isn't until the afternoon, so I can stay until noon." "Okay. I'll be back around noon, then. Bye." Her aunt waved and left the hospital room. No matter what time of day, she was always so lively. If only she could share that liveliness with her brother. No, that's not right. Long ago, even he—

"Mm… Ah…" Kaito's bone-dry lips moved ever so slightly, trembling weakly. "Dad…" He had been that way for a long time. He spoke the same words he always did, but Ayase couldn't hear him, as he had no voice to hear. His daughter had memorized the motions his lips took: "I'm sorry." "Rgh!" Ayase audibly ground her teeth. The only way she could withstand the shame and anger in her heart without screaming was by clenching her teeth. Ever since that day, Kaito never stopped apologizing to her. Apologizing for being unable to protect her, unable to entrust something so special to her. He was forever lost and alone within that one rainy day.

※ ※ ※

"Remember, Ayase. No matter what happens, never forget your pride. Our swords have the power to kill men, and you Blazers have power greater than any men that came before you. If you forget your pride, all you'll have left is destruction.

"Respect others, protect the weak, and curse the wicked. Never be a puppet to your own power. Fight others fair and square. Be a knight that neither you nor anyone else can be ashamed of."

Ayase's father, the Last Samurai, often repeated those words to her. It was the responsibility of the strong to obey those teachings. Kaito knew as much, so he continually drilled the samurai's morals into his daughter's head despite her having been born as a Blazer. He never wanted her to become addicted to power and turn into a cheap, arrogant person.

Kaito's lessons weren't mere lip service, either; he backed up his teachings with rigorous training. Despite his severity, however, his daughter loved his strength that was so noble. She loved to watch her father valiantly swing his sword. She loved his large, coarse hands that patted her on the head whenever she grew as a person.

In their little dojo, it was just her, Kaito, and his ten disciples. They may not have been well-off, but they shared a bond. It was a happier time. Ayase wished those days could have gone on forever, but that desire was cruelly smashed and thrown aside. She lost everything because of the man who'd intruded on their everyday life on that rainy day two years ago.

※ ※ ※

Two months after Ayase enrolled at Hagun Academy, the rainy season began. The air was suffocatingly hot and humid, and the sky teemed with dismal rainclouds. After class, rather than returning to her dorm, Ayase, umbrella in hand, went to visit the family dojo. She was ready to learn what they didn't teach in school: swordplay.

Ever since her first year of middle school, Ayase had known that Kaito was suffering from an illness that couldn't be cured even by modern medicine. At that point, he could hardly even swing a sword. The last time he'd picked up a sword was when Ayase was accepted into Hagun Academy, when he'd taught her his ultimate technique.

Put simply, his body was no longer up to the task. Yet his disciples remained at the dojo, their knowledge of the Ayatsuji Single Blade Style intact.

Though they were few, they were veterans of the style, having trained under the Last Samurai their entire lives.

His best student, Sugawara, may not have been as skilled as Kaito, but he still far surpassed Ayase. She had spent the past three weeks frequently visiting the dojo in order to learn from him. It was all she could do to get even a single day closer to mastering her father's technique. Traveling to the dojo might as well have been part of her daily schedule. This time, however, when she entered the open door that invited Kaito's disciples, she was greeted by an unusual sight.

"Huh?" Ayase ran into a tall boy with a western-style umbrella.

He had dyed hair, a cigarette between his lips, and eyes as sharp as those of a hungry wolf. He wore an unbuttoned Donrou Academy uniform, a skull tattoo visible on his chest. His appearance wasn't that of a boy in the polite world of dojos and samurai; instead, he was from somewhere brutal and fiendish. Ayase was already scared of most men, so the intimidating boy standing before her was enough to make her back away.

"Hahah! Later." The boy, Kuraudo Kurashiki, laughed derisively at how pathetic she was before disappearing into the ash-gray, cloudy city.

Who was that? Why was someone so dangerous-looking coming out of my house? He was wearing Donrou's uniform, so he must have been a Blazer. He shouldn't have anything to do with a samurai dojo. Was he just here to ask for directions?

With those questions in her mind, Ayase walked toward her family's dojo.

"Dammit! I won't let that stupid kid get away with this!" The voice of Sugawara, who could be considered one of her childhood friends, echoed from within the dojo. She hurried inside, where there was none of the usual lively swordplay.

Sugawara and six other disciples were all standing around, gritting their teeth in anger. Kaito sat cross-legged among them, wearing a troubled expression. "What's wrong?" Ayase asked Sugawara. "Did something happen?" "Some weird-looking thug kid just barged in and demanded that we bet the dojo on a duel with him." "Did he threaten to fight you guys too?" "Yeah, but our master is too weak to fight. Besides, the Ayatsuji Single-Blade Style doesn't allow stupid gambles like that." Ayase knew that as well. The Ayatsuji style existed to protect. Kaito was always telling her that. It didn't exist for pointless brawls or for students to boast about their strength. Under those ideals, the Ayatsuji style forbade any and all unofficial battles based on private disputes. "Master Ayatsuji declined, of course. And then…" "That brat insulted our master! He called him a coward, a weakling, and a failure! He even spat on his face!" "He's nothing but an uppity thug who thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he has magic!" The disciples expressed their anger, one after another. They had all studied under Kaito for so long that they thought of him as a father, making it all the more appalling to see him treated so poorly.

Ayase knew how they felt. That teenager had spat on her father's face. She could feel her body temperature rising just thinking about it.

"He tracked dirt all over the place, too. What kind of idiot comes into a dojo with his shoes on? If our master were in better condition, he'd get what was coming to him!"

"No, Nitta." Kaito, who had remained silent, admonished his disciple with a sharp tone.

"I would have refused even if I was healthy. The Ayatsuji style exists solely to protect, not to fight pointless battles. We do not live in an era where people are protected with swords, but we must never forget the spirit of this style."

"S-Sir! I'm so sorry! I must repent!" Nitta lowered his head in honest regret.

"Good. Disciples, why are your hands idle?! As punishment, that's another thousand practice swings!" After Kaito reminded Nitta of their philosophy, he clapped his hands and refocused their efforts. The disciples responded unanimously with a "Yes, sir!" and returned the dojo to its usual liveliness.

"Okay, Ayase. Change into your uniform. I can't have you being a powerdrunk Blazer like him, so get ready for another day of tough training." "Yes, sir! Gladly!" Relieved to see the dojo revitalized, Ayase hurried to the changing room. On the way, she noticed an unusual scent wafting through the dojo—the scent of Kuraudo's cigarette smoke, still lingering in the air. That scent would infect her beloved daily life like an ominous, ever-present snake that eternally bared its fangs. Eventually, finally, the snake struck.

※ ※ ※

The next day, Ayase once again walked to the dojo through the dreary rain.

"Hellooo! Hm?" She gave a greeting as she opened the door to the dojo, but the only one there was Kaito, sitting cross-legged on a cushion. "Is it just you, Dad? It's weird for everyone to show up after me."

"You're right. I've never seen them all late on the same day." Kaito raised an eyebrow, puzzled. They usually weren't all late at once, but they would occasionally trickle in one at a time. They assumed it was just a coincidence, so Kaito and Ayase didn't think much of it. "Well, they'll be around soon enough. Since we're alone now, I can personally direct your training."

"Thank you. Just make sure you don't pick up a sword yourself, okay? You're too sick."

"You're such a worrywart, Ayase. But fine, I'll just watch. The rain hasn't exactly been doing wonders for my health anyway." While they waited for the rest of the disciples, Ayase decided to show him her stance for the ultimate technique he'd taught her before she'd started at Hagun. She lifted her wooden sword in front of her and opened her stance slightly, then dropped her hips and relaxed her shoulders, carefully tracing Kaito's actions one by one.

"No." He immediately found fault with her stance. "Relax your shoulders, but keep your arms tight. Tighten up your wrists especially. Don't strain yourself, though; keep the stance natural."

"It's really hard to do all of that at once."

"If you can't do it, you'll never be able to use this technique. Let me show you one more time," Kaito said, using the wall as a support to help him stand up. He reached toward a sword

. "Grr."

"…"

"Grrrr."

"Fine, fine. I won't use the sword. Happy?" Unable to go against Ayase, he threw his hands up in surrender.

"Lord. You're just like your late mother. Whenever she wanted to nag at me, she'd just stare at me instead of saying anything."

"Well, she's the one who taught me to do it. She said that if you ever start to do something stupid, that's all I have to do to make you stop."

"I can't believe both my wife and my daughter can control me like that." Kaito sighed and moved behind Ayase. He put his arms around her and grabbed her hands, which still held her sword.

"Look. Here's how your wrists should be angled. The main point of this technique is that you don't break your posture." While he explained the purpose of the technique he'd passed down to his high school-aged daughter, Kaito corrected her posture. His stiff, hard hands covered Ayase's.

Dad's hands are so big. His hands weren't gentle, but she loved them for it. It's been such a long time since he trained me one-on-one like this.

"Teehee." Ayase couldn't help but giggle with joy when she realized that.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking of how long it's been since we trained together like this. It just made me happy." She leaned on Kaito's chest and pressed her cheek against him.

"I wish we could stay in this moment forever." Listening to her beloved father's heartbeat thumping against her ear, Ayase spoke to nobody in particular.

Kaito said nothing in response. He knew he couldn't grant her wish, and she knew it as well. Kaito didn't have much longer left to live. Someday, the time would come that his heartbeat would cease forever.

That was why he'd passed on his ultimate technique to his daughter before she was ready; he was no longer able to use it himself. How long does Dad have left? She had steeled herself for the day death would force them apart, but it made her hope that their final day together would be gentle and sweet, just like this one.

Her wish was betrayed, however, in the cruelest possible way. Not a second later, the dojo door opened. The two of them looked toward the door, expecting to see the other disciples, but only one was there.

"S-Sugawara?!" Ayase's face drained. Sugawara's body was covered with bandages and gauze, as if he had been badly injured. "What happened to you?! You look terrible!" Kaito ran over to Sugawara, his face also pale.

"Master… I'm so sorryyy!" When Sugawara saw his master running over to him, he looked like he was ready to cry.

He kneeled down so quickly that his head smacked against the dojo floor. Though they couldn't see him crying, they could hear sobs between words. Kaito instantly realized that something had gone very wrong.

"Pick your head up. You didn't hurt yourself this badly. Who did this to you?"

"I-It was that boy from yesterday!"

"What?!"

"That guy's insane! He ambushed the seven of us on our way home last night and attacked us with a stick, trying to crack our skulls open! We tried to fight back, but…" He was bawling so hard he could barely speak.

"We couldn't do anything! Even with the seven of us, we couldn't lay a finger on him! The guy didn't even use any magic to attack us or even defend himself!" Ayase gasped in shock at what had transpired. Just like her, Sugawara and the other disciples had trained under the Ayatsuji style since they were children. How could they not do anything against a single teenager? Is he really that strong?

"I let that stupid thug beat us up. I've sullied your good name, Master! I'm so very sorry!"

"Stop apologizing! Are the others safe?!"

"Nitta is rich enough to go to an iPS Capsule, but the others are all in the hospital." Capsules had to be paid for out-of-pocket; they weren't covered by insurance. The other five were probably still asleep in their hospital beds, with the ones who were worse off having been told that they might never be able to use their arms again. After explaining everything that had happened, Sugawara looked up.

"All seven of us just wanted to be proud swordsmen like you, sir. I… I don't want to say this, but what was the point of all these years we've spent training?! What were we doing all this time?!" he asked Kaito, tears spilling from his eyes. Ayase stared at the pitiful husk of her father's best disciple, lost for words. Sugawara, the man who had given her so much direction and aid, was no longer there.

His broken eyes only communicated despair and fear. His heart had shattered into countless pieces, never to be repaired. It wasn't just Sugawara, either. The other six disciples had been broken in much the same way.

"I'm sorry. We can't hold swords anymore." Sugawara looked up again and requested that all seven of them be allowed to leave the dojo. This is awful. How could he do something like this? How did he do something like this? All of them have walked the righteous path of the samurai since they were born. How can someone just trample all over them like it's some sort of game? Ayase couldn't understand any of it.

"Guess I came in at a fun time, huh?" came the voice of the man who had committed the atrocity.

"Gh?!" He then appeared as if he had been watching, waiting for the right moment. "Maybe I was a bit too mean, if all of you are quitting."

"Eeeeeeeeeep!" Sugawara screamed like a scared little girl when he saw him and scurried to the back of the dojo on all fours.

"Don't run away from me. I have feelings, too, y'know." Kuraudo laughed oafishly and walked into the dojo, his shoes still on.

"G-Get away from me! Don't get any closer! Eek!"

"C-Cut it out! He's afraid of you!" Unable to bear seeing her lifelong friend in such a state, Ayase stepped in front of Sugawara to protect him. She felt a firm hand grab her shoulder. It was Kaito's. He pulled her back and stood in front of her, glaring at the intruder.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly.

"Same as yesterday."

"Didn't I refuse you?"

"I figured you might change your tune if I came back. Hahah!"

"Hmph. So you did this to my disciples just to bait me into fighting you?"

"Yep. Just a shame I couldn't get my hands on that girl yesterday."

"…Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you do this? You're a Blazer. You have your school, the Seven Stars Battle Festival, and plenty of other places to run wild. Why are you so obsessed with me?"

"Don't ask me like you don't already get it, old man. Or did your mind lose its edge after you retired, too?" Kaito's eyes widened slightly.

"Hah! Ah, whatever. It's a simple reason: I just want to show off my strength —my raw power! It doesn't matter if you're a Blazer or a normal person; you're gonna see it whether you want to or not!" Ayase's anger reached a boiling point as Kuraudo bared his teeth and revealed his motive.

"You did something so awful… for such a stupid reason?!"

"'Stupid'? What's stupid about it? I want to find strong people and crush them. Isn't that natural?"

"Shut up!" Ayase wouldn't let him have his way. "The answer will always be no! This isn't a place where you can just barge in with your shoes on to show off how strong you are! Dad, let's call the police!"

"No," Kaito murmured.

"That won't do anymore. The Ayatsuji Single-Blade Dojo accepts your challenge. The first to strike twice is the winner. We use wooden swords. I expect you won't mind foregoing your magic?" Kuraudo had beaten the dojo's disciples to a pulp, leaving Kaito no choice but to accept his challenge.

"Wh-What?! Dad?!"

"M-Master! Please, Master! You can't fight this thug! Your heart…!"

"Yeah! Your body is in no condition to fight, Dad! If we have to, then I'll fight in your place!" Sugawara, who had been cowering in the corner in fear of Kuraudo, and Kaito's daughter both suppressed their fear when he revealed that he was willing to fight Kuraudo. They had gone pale, but they tried desperately to persuade him. In response, a small grin crept over Kaito's face.

"Thank you for your concern. I'm honestly proud of both of you. But that's exactly why I can't let this brat get away with hurting you!" Sugawara's words wouldn't leave the back of his mind.

"What was the point of all these years we've spent training?! What were we doing all this time?!" Kaito couldn't leave the job to someone else. He was going to win on his own. He stared Kuraudo down like an angry beast, resolution in his heart. It left Ayase speechless, for she finally understood that nothing she could say would stop her father.

"Okay. If that's what you want, Dad, I won't stop you. I'll watch over this fight as the referee."

"Good. Thank you."

"Please win, Dad." Ayase begged, almost as if she were praying. A tactless voice interrupted them.

"C'mon. If you've made up your mind, then let's get this fight started. I'm getting tired of waiting."

"Fine." Ayase scowled at Kuraudo, who was tapping his foot impatiently. She tossed him a wooden sword in response to his demand.

"Hahah! You've got spunk, girl."

"As my father stated before, the first to land two hits is the victor. You will use wooden swords, and magic is strictly forbidden. Understood?" "No point in repeating it. Why fight if it isn't fair?" Kuraudo's canine teeth reflected gleams of light as he smirked, his eyes fixed solely on Kaito. Meanwhile, Kaito stood stock-still, sword in hand and eyes closed, as if concentrating deeply. They both seemed prepared.

"Both fighters, stand and face each other. Now… Begin!" Ayase gave the signal, and their battle began.

※ ※ ※

"Hahah! Let's do this!" The instant the battle began, Kuraudo dashed toward Kaito. He closed the distance between them immediately, raising his wooden sword and swinging it toward Kaito's head. No technique guided his sword as it tore through the air.

He didn't drive power to his upper body using his legs, keep his arms at his side, or even use his latissimus dorsi muscles. It was a wild swing, guided by sheer force alone. Kuraudo's technique was amateurish at best.

Even a master like Kaito was surprised by his speed, however. He knew it was too dangerous to try to parry, so he quickly stepped out of the way. Kuraudo's sword grazed the tip of his nose and crashed into the floor of the dojo, splitting it apart.

"He's so strong!" The referee, Ayase, was shocked. She couldn't help but be nervous when such a ridiculously strong attack was mere inches away from killing her father. Kaito, on the other hand, was not as nervous; the near-miss was completely intentional on his part.

Minor distance adjustments through leg movement was a basic skill for swordsmen. Letting the sword scratch his nose was meant to minimize the distance between them, improving the success rate of a counterattack. After a full swing strong enough to smash through the floor, his foe wouldn't have time to defend himself.

The tiny opening such an attack created was the difference between victory and defeat against a master. The Ayatsuji style happened to be most proficient when it came to counterattacks. As soon as Kuraudo's blade struck the floor, Kaito slid his foot forward, closing the distance between them by a half-step and putting him in the perfect position to attack. He exhaled sharply and swung his sword.

Though their swings traced the same arc, Kaito's was much cleaner and more controlled than Kuraudo's barbaric attack, making it faster as well—faster than the naked eye could perceive. He had gotten worse due to his illness, but the Last Samurai was still an extraordinary master of swordplay; it was foolish to even begin to compare his abilities to an amateur's. Kuraudo couldn't hope to dodge such a swift attack while he was still recovering from his first strike. Or so one might expect.

"Hahah!" What felt like electricity ran through Kaito's hands, numbing them. However, it wasn't the sensation of striking Kuraudo's head, like he'd expected. It was Kuraudo's sword, raised to repel Kaito's blow. The collision caused the latter's bones to creak.

"You look surprised, old man. Did you think you'd get me with that?" "I did. I didn't expect you'd be able to defend against it." Kaito was honestly surprised. He hadn't even considered such an outcome as a possibility. He wasn't so inexperienced that he would let it show on his face, though.

This boy is surprisingly quick-witted, Kaito thought. He must have known that I would counterattack. His reaction speed was otherwise unexplainable; it was simply inhuman. That he had blocked a single blow was no issue, however. Kaito had other tricks up his sleeve.

"My turn!" Kuraudo cried and swung again, with the same speed, arc, and artless form. There was something awe-inspiring about the force behind his attacks. If Kaito tried to block, his sword would probably shatter into a hail of splinters.

However, he did exactly that. Was he cornered? No. It was all part of his plan. If his opponent was expecting him to dodge and counterattack, all he had to do was betray his expectations.

The instant their swords met, Kaito deftly moved his wrist before his sword could break, shifting the majority of the impact away from it. Kuraudo's sword slipped away as a result, breaking his posture.

Blocking and evasion were only the most basic of defensive moves. Martial artists had invented much greater, much more radical methods of defending themselves.

The parry, for example, was a move that could deflect the foe's force and use it to the defender's advantage. When done successfully, it could knock the foe off balance, break their form entirely, and create a decisive opening.

"Haaaah!" Having finally created the opportunity he needed, Kaito swung straight for Kuraudo's torso. His greatest skill, parrying into a counterattack, was a textbook example of a perfect maneuver.

"Successful hit!" Ayase declared. "One point to Ayatsuji!" What is this feeling? Kaito, breathing heavily, felt a thud as the strike reverberated back into his palms, causing a strange feeling to arise within his heart.

"That's our master for you! You couldn't even tell he's sick!"

"Amazing, Dad! You're incredible!" Kaito's disciples cheered for his first point. He smiled at them, concealing the inexplicable stirring within him, then looked back toward his enemy, who had dropped to one knee and was holding his side in pain.

"Hah… You're not the Last Samurai for nothing. I've never taken such a sharp blow. But let me tell you something, old man: If that's the best you can do, you're dead meat." Even when he was on the brink of defeat, Kuraudo's fighting spirit remained. His eyes still burned with hunger as he glared at his prey.

"We'll see about that. I've only just begun, boy."

"Good. Then I'll get serious, too!" With another fierce smirk, Kuraudo charged toward Kaito once again. His third attack was just the same as the first two. He still hasn't learned? An amateur is an amateur, strong or not! Kaito had thought his foe was onto something when he'd predicted the first counterattack, but Kuraudo just continued to bet it all on emotions and brute force. Swordplay based on strength alone couldn't threaten a refined swordsman. This is it! Kaito adjusted his stance once more, ready to parry Kuraudo's next attack and put an end to their duel—he, Ayase, and Sugawara were all prepared for his victory. However, Kuraudo's wooden sword seemed to disappear into thin air for a moment. What?! The sound of Kaito's ribs breaking echoed through the dojo.

※ ※ ※

After taking the full force of Kuraudo's blow to his side, Kaito collapsed onto the dojo's floor. It was a boorish, messy blow, but a blow nonetheless. Ayase, however, wasn't in any condition to pass that judgement, because her father, holding his side, had begun coughing up blood. It wasn't a small amount of blood, either; one of his internal organs had clearly ruptured. Seeing his condition, Ayase ran over to him, her face pale.

"Dad! Are you okay?!"

"Don't come any closer…!" Kaito raised his voice through the blood that spilled from his lips.

"This duel isn't over…! If you won't judge fairly, then step down!"

"Now's not the time for you to—"

"Ayase! This is my fight! Don't interrupt!"

His voice boomed in response to his daughter ignoring his command to stay away. Ayase had been yelled at by her father many times, but what she'd just heard was of an entirely different nature. Like the bellowing of a monster, his roar struck her heart, filling her with fear.

"Ah… D-Dad...?" She was paralyzed after hearing the raw anger in her father's voice.

"I'm fine! I… will win this…!" Kaito stood up, blood still dripping from his mouth. His bloodshot eyes, fixed on Kuraudo, were full of fighting spirit as he shouted and ran forward. "Let's do this, boooy!"

"Hahah! Try all you want; this won't end any different!" Kuraudo faced the attack head-on. They clashed for a third and final time, albeit much more one-sidedly. Kaito had already been severely injured, and the rust after his many years of not holding a sword was finally beginning to show. He was losing. Countless amateurish yet savage blows pushed him back with pure force. He could barely defend himself with his own wooden sword, leaving him unable to fight back. Then, ready to finish off his wounded foe, Kuraudo unleashed the same skill that took his first point from Kaito just before: a strike to the torso, coming diagonally from below. Kaito swiftly moved to defend himself, assuming a defensive stance. However, just before the two swords connected, Kuraudo disappeared once more.

It reappeared above Kaito, headed for his skull. It was completely beyond his comprehension. How could a sword being swung upward toward his torso now be moving downward toward his head? Such an action went far beyond human ability. What sort of trick was he using? Nobody could tell. Regardless of how it had gotten there, Kuraudo's sword was right above Kaito's head, about to crash mercilessly into it. The duel should have been over.

"What?!" Kuraudo was shocked. He had been convinced that that would be the deciding blow, but his sword struck Kaito's collarbone rather than his head. He hadn't been able to dodge the entire blow, but he'd moved just enough to cause the sword to fall a hair's breadth off its mark.

"That wasn't a scorable point, boy!"

"Hahah! It's long past your time to die, old man! Quit struggling!" Kuraudo kicked Kaito in the stomach to create a small gap between them. Then, he once again charged at him, swinging violently. Even though the hit on Kaito's collarbone hadn't been a scorable point, it had surely weakened him. His movements were slower and duller, lacking their previous vigor. As a result, he took blow after blow.

The sharp strikes from Kuraudo's wooden blade broke bones, tore skin, and splattered the dojo with blood, but Kaito refused to let him take that last point. His whole body was covered in blood, but he kept his feet planted and continued fighting. Why?! Ayase didn't understand what her father was doing. It was clear who would win; why wouldn't he stop fighting? Why wouldn't he surrender? "Please, stop," she whimpered.

"No more." The sound of wood smashing against flesh repeated endlessly, accompanied by a fresh spray of blood every time.

"Hahahah! Hahahahahahahah!" Kuraudo, covered in his opponent's blood, laughed boisterously. Their duel had ended long ago; Kaito was merely being beaten on. His expression—or even if he was still alive—was no longer visible to Ayase through the tears that clouded her vision. I have to stop them, she thought. I have to stop them! If I don't stop them, Dad will be killed! Yet even as Kaito's blood splashed onto her clothes and his broken teeth stuck to her face, she couldn't move. She was still paralyzed from when he'd barked at her, unable to put any strength into her legs.

"Just stop this, please! The dojo doesn't matter anymore! Just stop hurting Dad!" All she could do was scream, even though her voice couldn't reach the two men standing on the border between life and death. Kaito still wouldn't surrender, and Kuraudo still kept battering his opponent. Suddenly, Kaito took his final fighting stance, his entire body dyed with blood. He held his sword before him and charged toward Kuraudo. "Raaaaaaahhh!"

"Tch!" Kuraudo's expression changed as he sensed something strange coming from his dying prey, who had previously only been able to defend against scorable points. Instead of moving away, however, he just swung his sword again with all his might, aiming for Kaito's head.

The wooden sword tore through the air, but Kaito charged ceaselessly. He didn't even move his own weapon; he held in front of him, never moving to defend against the flash of lightning ready to strike him from above. It was a suicide attack.

That stance…! It appeared reckless to the untrained eye, but Ayase knew the meaning of his action.

His charge signaled the end result of the Last Samurai's lifelong dedication to the sword and the only skill that could possibly turn the tide on his bleak situation: the Ayatsuji style's ultimate move.

Kaito's body, however, withering away from illness and the damage done to him by his opponent, couldn't possibly— "Stooooooooooooooop!" Kuraudo's sword cruelly destroyed both Kaito's skull and consciousness.

"Ah…" The second point was accompanied by Kaito's broken body falling to the floor. "Aaaaaaahhh!" Ayase frantically ran over to her fallen father. She screamed and screamed, but he didn't respond; blood simply continued to flow from his mouth. "No! Nooooo!" "Hmph. Boring. Well, should've expected as much now that he's so damn old." Kuraudo's wooden sword, stained with blood and cracked in many places from shattering so many bones, clacked against the floor in front of Ayase. The sight of it filled her with such intense hatred that the world turned red before her eyes. This guy hit my dad so much that his sword looks like this now?

"You monsteeeeer!" With the last of her reasons having melted away, Ayase materialized Hizume and leaped toward Kuraudo. Unfazed, he merely grabbed the hand that held her weapon and lifted her up effortlessly.

"Calm down, bitch. I'm not here to fight weaklings."

"Let me go! Let me gooooo!"

"You sure you wanna be fighting me right now?" He tossed her on top of her father, making her realize what she needed to do most.

"Gh! Sugawara, an ambulance! Call an ambulance! Hurry!"

"O-Okay!" After giving that direction to Sugawara, who had been standing stupefied in the corner, Ayase screamed desperately at Kaito in a vain attempt to wake him. Kuraudo shot an uninterested glance at the two panicking disciples before turning to leave the dojo.

"You've got until tomorrow to pack your shit and get out. This isn't your home anymore," he declared as he left. Ayase ground her teeth so hard she thought they might break. As she did, Kaito groaned out two words: "I'm… sorry…" "

Dad!" When she looked back down at her father, his eyes were closed. All he could do was weakly exhale an apology.

"Thank you all for waiting! The time has come for today's first match at the sixth training field!

I'm Isogai, a third-year student with the broadcasting club, and I'll be giving you the play-by-play! Analysis will be handled by the teacher for class 1-1, Ms. Yuuri Oreki! Ms. Oreki, you look healthy today!"

"That's because it's the first match of the day," Ms. Oreki replied.

"By the third match, I'll be the sickly Yuuri you all know and love! Oh, but don't worry! I've got about a quart of blood ready to go at any time!"

"I see! Looks like blood's gonna rain both on the field and in the announcers' booth, then! Now, the two fighters everyone has been waiting for are taking the field!" the girl from the broadcasting club spoke, inviting the first pair of fighters into the arena.

"Coming in hot from the blue gate, we have the Rank A knight that everyone's got their eyes on! It's Ayato Kurogane!"

As Ikki entered, the bowl-shaped arena erupted with screams from the girls who'd come to support the Cold One.

"The crowd went wild as soon as he appeared! How popular can you get?!"

"Kurogane has a lot of fangirls, huh?"

"Being assigned Rank A Generation despite his strength & magic really makes him feel like the underdog. It just makes you want to have his back!"

"I think I know how that feels."

"Not long ago, he was a nameless flunk who nobody cared about that won the Junior League & U-12 World Tournament earning the Nicknames Cryo Gale Sword Emperor & Cryo Raikiri Sword Emperor. But thanks to the changes to Hagun's system, he's finally able to show his true battle prowess. Now, the Cold One is among the select few favorites to make it into the Seven Stars Battle Festival!

What kind of fight will it be today, I wonder? His opponent is now entering through the red gate! Also undefeated and aiming for her eleventh win, it's the Rank D third-year Ayase Ayatsuji!" Ayase entered the arena after him, her black hair fluttering in the wind.

"Oddly enough, Ayatsuji is a swordsman just like Kurogane! She's won all of her matches so far through swordplay alone, and according to the editor of the Hagun Academy Bulletin, Kagami Kusakabe, she's actually one of Kurogane's martial arts students! That makes today's battle master versus apprentice! Will the student finally surpass the master?!"

"Cough. This battle will be a major turning point for Ayatsuji."

"Yep! Unlike Kurogane, Ayatsuji hasn't been up against opponents like The Hunter or Runner's High yet. She's been blessed by the luck of the draw so far, matching up only with Rank E opponents. It's made for an easy ten-win streak."

"What kind of Blazer is she?"

"Well, we have almost no information on Ayatsuji. She hadn't been in any official battles until this year, so there's no data available. And this year—as I mentioned before—she's won using swordplay alone, so we have no idea what tricks she might have up her sleeve! Whether she wins or loses here might just depend on whatever trump card she may have! Now, the fighters have moved to the starting lines!" In the center of the three hundred-foot diameter ring, the two stood facing each other, about fifty feet apart.

Ayato and Ayase had spent so much time practicing their swordplay together, but the atmosphere between them was anything but pleasant. That's a scary face. Ayase realized as she looked at Ayato that his expression was tighter and more severe than she had ever seen. He was furious at the girl who had intentionally, remorselessly thrown her pride to the wind.

She wouldn't apologize, however, because her path was one she'd chosen to forge herself. This is actually good for me.

Ayato's magic had fully recovered for him to use his Rank A Cryo Powers during this match.

Considering the vast difference in skill between Ayase and Ayato, she needed to decrease his fighting power as much as she could, so she considered it a nice side-effect of her actions. Plus, she had a trump card available to her in the form of a trap she had set the day before, prior to meeting with Ayato.

If he's already lost his cool this much, he might just fall for it. "Now, everyone, say it with me! Let's go ahead!"

Jumping off the line like a sprinter, the swordsman dashed toward Ayase the moment the buzzer sounded, his black sword at the ready. He crouched low, using his whole body to run rather than just his leg strength. The match began with a complete surprise attack. Ayase hadn't had time to hold her sword with the proper posture, so normally, she wouldn't be able to react. But she wasn't any ordinary swordswoman—theirs was a battle between Blazers.

"You fell for it!" As she yelled, Hizume emitted a red light that looked strikingly similar to blood. When it did, blood sprayed from Ayato's body.

"Gaaah!" He screamed and stopped running. His body was covered in long slash wounds.

"Wh-Wh-What was thaaat?! Kurozakuro's been sliced all over somehow! What just happened?!"

"Ayato?!"

"What the heck?! What's going on?! The Cold One is bleeding!" A commotion spread through the crowd. Nobody knew what had just occurred, but they all knew that the only beings capable of making mincemeat of a person from afar were Blazers. What had happened to Ikki was a result of the ability of Ayatsuji's Device, Hizume.

I have the ability to open wounds using Hizume. When used against other people, any wounds created by Hizume could be freely expanded at will, turning even tiny cuts into life-threatening gashes. It could also be used against the air itself; if she cut through the air using Hizume, she could, at any time of her choosing, instantly create blades of air in that place.

That was her Noble Art, Mark of the Wind. That morning, before her meeting with Ayato, Ayase had visited the sixth training field and left Hizume's claw marks all throughout the arena. In essence, she had created remote-operated explosives. I've placed over a hundred marks throughout the ring.

Even if Kurozakuro is a master swordsman, he can't defend against attacks he can't see! He's already fallen right into my trap. Ayase was cheating, of course. Had the marks been produced during the fight, there would have been no problem, but setting traps in the arena before the start of the match was a clear violation of the rules. Because the marks were invisible, however, her deception was nearly undetectable. S

he had been apprehensive that a full-fledged Mage-Knight like Ms. Oreki might have noticed, but given that she hadn't spoken out about the rule violation yet, Ayase felt that she had outwitted her. This just might work! she cheered.

The blades created by Mark of the Wind were byproducts of the conceptual ability to open wounds.

They couldn't win a battle decisively or deal fatal blows, but direct cuts from Hizume were a different story.

If she could make even a single, tiny cut with Hizume, Ayase's victory would immediately be sealed. That one cut could be expanded until it had sliced through flesh and bone, even becoming fatal. Thus, her goal was to tire Ayato out using Mark of the Wind until she could get that one decisive cut in.

If I can do that, victory is mine! The only question was how long it would take for her to cut Ayato.

Ayase had trained under him, so she knew better than anyone else that he was no ordinary swordsman. If she got ahead of herself, he would cut her down. She had successfully damaged him with her surprise attack, but momentarily stopping his charge didn't equal victory.

Even with his wounds, Ayato's fighting stance remained unbroken. It's not time yet. I can't make my move this early. And if I don't make my move now, Kurozakuro can only do one thing. His charge had been broken, and he had sustained deep wounds as a result. He would want to take a moment to reconfirm his mindset and his posture.

"Oh! Kurozakuro is stepping away from his opponent! He must be coming up with a new strategy to deal with her mysterious attack!"

And that's where I'll take aim!

"Gah!"

"What on earth is happening?! Kurozakuro has just been attacked from behind! What could possibly be going on in that arena?!" Ayase had created a prison of countless sword slashes, leaving no room for escape. The attack from behind forced Ayato to his knees, giving Ayase a decisive opening. Now's my chance! She charged toward her fallen foe, ready to end their duel.

"Kurozakuro has fallen to his knees, and Ayatsuji has immediately gone on the offensive! He won't be able to show us his legendary swordplay like this!" Ayase also had the option of drawing out the battle and thoroughly destroying Ayato, but she chose to go for broke right away as a result of her fear. Kurozakuro is the man who defeated The Hunter.

He didn't just win, either; he won after taking countless arrows unleashed from the cover of Area Invisible, one of the strongest anti-personnel Noble Arts out there. On top of that, he did it without even breaking through Area Invisible itself.

In that duel, despite Ayato never once seeing The Hunter, he, the Cold One, managed to catch the invisible Hunter and take him down. With his otherworldly perception, it wouldn't have surprised her if Ayato had learned to predict the location of every Mark of the Wind. Such a problem wouldn't even be worth considering if her opponent were anyone but Ayato Kurogane.

Though she could chip down his stamina bit by bit, things wouldn't end well if Ayato won mentally; the Cold One's true fearsomeness didn't lie in his stamina, but in the mind that granted him such perception & Ice Powers. I have to do it now! Just one cut is enough for me to win!

"Haaaaaaaaaah!"

"Ayatsuji's out for blood now! Rushing, rushing, rushing! Brandishing her scarlet blade, she's unleashing a storm of swords on her enemy as he sits helpless on his knees! Is blocking this flurry of fire all he can do from such an unsteady position?! Will he fall victim to her blizzard of blades?! What's this?! S-Somehow, Kurogane is blocking every blow with Intetsu despite his unsteady posture putting him at such a disadvantage!

Not a single drop of this steel shower is reaching him!" Ngh…! She couldn't reach him. All she needed was one small graze, but even that goal felt so distant. Ayase was astonished at Ayato, who was deflecting every one of her attacks with simple flicks of his wrist despite his disadvantageous position.

Doing so was no extreme feat for Frozen One, the Frozen Beast King. He wouldn't let her end things so easily.

While he continued to deflect the sword rain, Ayato gradually stood back up. "Hah!"

"Not only has Kurogane outmatched Ayatsuji in terms of swordplay, he's actually regained his posture and is now on the counterattack!"

He unleashed a large, powerful downward swing. What seemed like a rash, thoughtless move on his part was actually a calculated action; it wasn't a counterattack like the commentator had claimed.

Though he had regained his posture, Ayato's rhythm had been broken by fending off so many blows, and it wouldn't return so easily. Such a large swing was his way of trying to buy time to recover that rhythm.

If Ayase dodged, she would be putting distance between them, and if she blocked it, the force of the blow would push her away—either option was advantageous to Ayato. She could see the reason behind it, however.

This is it! Once she had read into Ikki's actions, Ayase found a chance at victory. The Ayatsuji Single-Blade Style was the most proficient when it came to parrying into counters.

At my level, I wouldn't normally be able to counter a fullpowered attack from Kurogane, but this one is different! Even I can parry this! Ikki's swordplay was sharp; Ayase had to be careful at all times.

His current attack was wild, however, lacking his usual precision. It was nothing more than an intimidation tactic meant to force her away. S

he made her decision instantaneously. Ayase held Hizume at the ready and easily parried his heavy blow, pushing the hammer-like swing aside. As she did, she channeled energy through her toes and pushed off the ground, moving in for a had yet to regain control of his upper body after Ayase's parry, leaving his torso wide open.

Still moving forward, she swung Hizume as she passed by her foe. I got him! Ayase was confident in her decision, but she didn't feel the sensation of tearing through flesh. Instead, she hit something solid.

He blocked it? How?! I parried his sword, so how could he have blocked it in time? The answer lay in Ikki's hand: he had blocked her counter using Ryuuzetsu's hilt.

"Oooooooh! I thought he was going to eat a counterattack, but Kurogane defended himself with his sword's hilt! What an amazing trick!"

"He did something similar during his mock battle with Stella. If he can't block with his blade, he'll just use the hilt. His two-pronged defense makes him a brick wall when it comes to close-range fighting!" Tch! I forgot he could guard in such an unorthodox way! Ayase clicked her tongue in frustration when she heard Ms. Oreki's analysis. Ayato's concentration was astounding. How was he able to maintain that level of concentration even after he'd lost his cool?

"Gh?!" Ayase was stunned when she looked at Ayato's face. She no longer saw anger and confusion in his eyes; he had calmed down.

His eyes, as tranquil as a pond with no ripples, looked down upon Ayase. Was that a trap?! The chills running down Ayase's spine spurred her into action. She kicked hard off the ground, jumping far away from her foe.

Though she'd expected Ayato to pursue her, he instead stood perfectly still. Had she been mistaken in her prediction, or had she been overly cautious? Either way, we're back to square one.

There were still plenty of traps all over the arena. Ayase wasn't hoping for a drawn-out battle, but she wasn't going to try to force a win and lose it all in the process. Next time, she'd just have to be more careful—

"Good," the samurai with the black Nodachi suddenly sighed in relief.

"Huh?"

What was good? The fact that she had jumped away from him? Ayase's mind raced as she tried to figure out the meaning behind that word.

"You're just the person I thought you were, Ayatsuji." Her mental processes seemed to freeze when she was faced with Ayato's smile.

"Good."

In truth, Ayato had held the whole battle in the palm of his hands from the outset. He'd even known about all the traps that had been set in the arena and seen through Ayase's plan to wrap up the battle quickly. That was exactly why Ayato charged at her at the very start, pretending to try to win in one fell swoop. It was all for the sake of communicating with her through their swords.

I should have done this at the start.

Ayato smiled wryly at his own stupidity. It had taken him an entire month to discover how his girlfriend, the closest person in the world to him, felt. Of course he wouldn't be able to understand Ayase just by talking to her. The sword was the only way. Crossing swords was the one way for him to see into someone's heart, and finally, he had seen the truth within Ayase. "Good. You're just the person I thought you were, Ayatsuji."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're not the kind of person who can make mistakes like that so calmly."

"What a ridiculous thing to say. Ahahah. Your body is in tatters, and you're still going to say nonsense like that? How soft can you be?" Ayase smirked at Ayato contemptuously, ridiculing him just like she had mere hours ago on the rooftop. Ayato, however, would no longer be deceived by her flimsy, false expression, because swords couldn't lie.

"It's not nonsense. Your swordplay, your footwork, your rhythm, your breathing—every part of you is off. You can't perform the moves you've known all your life, let alone replicate what I taught you. Even your forte, your counter, is stilted. That's why it was so easy to block. No matter how much you build yourself up as some kind of villain, you can't fool your soul. If heart, technique, and strength make up swordplay, then a lost heart can't produce real power. You're more noble than you think, Ayatsuji."

"Y-You're wrong!" There was more emotion in Ayase's voice after Ayato had pointed out the truth.

"I'm not lost! I learned the truth two years ago! No matter how nobly you fight, it's all worthless if you lose! Being a goody-two shoes doesn't mean anything if you can't produce results! You can't protect if you can't win, so the only thing you can do is win, no matter what it takes! Win, no matter the cost, and take back what's yours!" More than a counterargument, it sounded like Ayase was scolding herself.

Ayato recognized this: she was becoming desperate and ignoring the cries of her heart, just like he once had.

"Then there's only one thing I can do. I have to make you hear the cries of your heart." That was Ayato's sole duty, so he pointed Ryuuzetsu at her and made a declaration:

"I'll use my greatest weakness to bring back your honor."

"Oh, what's this?! Kurozakuro has crouched down, possibly in preparation for another charge! Even after taking those mysterious attacks, I don't see any fear on his face! The Cold One is ready to take the offensive! Could he have figured out the source of those invisible slashes?!" Ayase reacted instantly, stepping farther away from him until there was about a hundred feet between them. She appeared calm, but internally, she was panicking. Me, in the wrong?! The

"cries of my heart"?! What nonsense. That can't possibly be true. No matter what it takes, I have to get the dojo back and let my father be at peace! She wasn't lost; she wasn't trying to fool was just lying in hopes of confusing her.

Ayase forced herself to believe that, trying not to think too deeply about it. If he thinks I'm in the wrong, then I'll show him just how wrong I am while I win this fight! The hundred feet between them was a veritable minefield of invisible cuts. She had memorized the speed at which he charged the first time, allowing her to unleash her Marks of the Wind with even more lethal timing.

"Here I come, Ayatsuji," Ayato said, his body righting itself as he leaped forward. Got you! Responding to his charge, Ayase opened a Mark of the Wind right in front of him. The air was rent open, creating a guillotine in the resulting vacuum that would tear through anything it touched. The moment it touched Ayato, he would be in a world of hurt.

"Wha—?!" Ayato Kurozakuro moved like a bullet, even faster than he had at the start of the match. By the time the vacuum had opened, he was already past it, leaving Ayase's invisible blade behind. I've seen that speed before… Ittou Shura!

"What incredible speed! Kurogane has finally whipped out his trump card, Ittou Shura!"

H-How?! I thought I took care of that!

"Hm. That's not Ittou Shura, though." Ms. Oreki's voice cut into Ayase's confused mind.

"Oh? Are you sure, Ms. Oreki?"

"He's just speeding up by emitting mana, like anyone else would." Mana emission?! Ayase finally realized her mistake. Mana emission was a basic technique that most Blazers—Ayase included— used subconsciously to increase their speed. To use it, all they had to do was release magical power.

"Kurogane has much more magical power than the average Blazer. If he used mana emission like anyone else, he would run out after just thirteen or fourteen uses, so he normally use it. That doesn't mean he can't use it at will, though. He's unable to use Ittou Shura for some reason, so he's using this instead."

This isn't over yet! Ayato stepped into range. Crossing swords was inevitable. But once, just once, Ayase had to do everything she could to endure his attack and escape. If she could, Ayato would still have mana left, That's my only chance to win! I have to overcome this, no matter what! Ayase shrieked and swung Hizume at Ayato, but all it cut through was thin ice.

"Huh…?" Ayato had definitely been right in front of her. She'd swung with all of her might, but her blade had only just grazed the tip of her enemy's nose. Had she miscalculated the distance between them? That wasn't it. Ayato had definitely been within striking distance. Like a mirage, however, he disappeared when he approached. Another Ayato had been running behind him. Ayase's mind went blank.

Nothing made sense anymore—a natural reaction to what had just occurred. It was yet another one of Ayato's original skills, much like Raikou, his Seventh Secret Sword. By radically adjusting his speed as he moved, Ayato could create Dolls of ice in front of him, fooling his opponent into thinking he was closer than he really was.

"Fourth Secret Sword: Zanhyō Ningyō!" Not a second later, Ryuuzetsu tore through both the ice & air and Ayase, who was still recovering from her full-power swing.

"It's all over eeeeeeeeee! Kurozakuro has made a perfectly clean hit!" The announcer wrapped up the events as the crowd erupted into cheers. "Ayatsuji has fallen to her knees, but she's not bleeding! Did he?"

"Cough, cough. Yes. Ayato changed his sword to Phantom Form before he attacked."

"Then she's just exhausted? She's not dying?"

"Right."

"But why did he do that? Is he scared of hurting girls?"

"I don't think so. I mean, he even cut me once. I think he was planning to exhaust her from the very start, because he's not here just to win." Ms. Oreki whispered the last part so nobody would hear, then looked back down at the arena, where Ayase was in the process of trying to get up off her hands and knees. Her body trembled as she looked up and glared at Ayato, who stood stock-still above her.

"What are… you doing?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't play dumb. Why didn't you finish me off?!"

"Why would I do that? Either way, you can't fight anymore." He's toying with me! Ayato was just trying to embarrass her. Taking that as an insult, Ayase continued putting all of her remaining strength into getting up. Because Ayato's Device was in Phantom Form, it had only drained her of her energy; she had taken no actual wounds. Ayase was confident in her stamina, however, because she could keep up with Ayato's daily runs with energy to spare. The fatigue she felt was nothing to her

. "…Huh?" Or so she thought, but she couldn't muster up the energy to stand.

"Why?" If she couldn't stand up—if she couldn't win the fight—it was all over for her. She wouldn't be able to save her father. So why? Was my heart always this cold? Could this be the cry of my heart? Her heart didn't even have enough resolve to drag the strength from her body and help her stand up. Finally aware of that, Ayase realized that her heart was rejecting her ignoble fight.

The only reason people were able to stand when cornered was that they had pride. You can still do it. Do it.

Don't give up.

It would urge the body and soul on. That was how Ayase had always kept pushing forward. No matter how hard it was to train, no matter how much the blisters on her hands popped and stung, she still had pride in herself for using the Ayatsuji Single-Blade Style. But she had foregone her pride.

"You were right, Kurozakuro." She didn't have the energy to stand. "I've lost."

"Ayatsuji has just surrendered! The battle is finished! Once again, Ayato Kurozakuro, the Cold One, has claimed victory! He's on an eleven-win streak, with names like The Hunter and Runner's High checked off his list! I'd bet money that his spot at the Seven Stars is all but guaranteed now!"

Casting a sidelong glance at the wild crowd, Ayase smiled dryly.

"I'm pathetic. I fought like a coward, and I couldn't even see that all the way through." She laughed at herself, pulled so far in either direction that she'd torn and was no longer whole.

"You're not pathetic at all." Ayato rejected her self-loathing.

"Huh?"

"You were lost, you made mistakes, and you had become blind, but you never threw away your father's style. That's where your strength comes from." Ayato offered his hand to Ayase and asked,

"Tell me, Ayatsuji: What did the Sword Eater take from you? What's eating you up inside like this?"

"What's the point in asking?"

"I'm going to take it back for you." There was no hesitation or trickery in his voice. He was clearly ready to fight for Ayase if she was willing to trust him. She knew as much, and that was why she couldn't say.

"I can't tell you. It's not your problem, Kurogane." She couldn't ask him to fight such a monster. She couldn't let him get hurt for the sake of such a half-hearted loser like her, so she kept her secret. Nobody else needs to be hurt. My father was one too many. "Then I'll figure it out myself."

"Huh?"

"I'll follow you around until I learn everything about it."

"Wh-What are you even—"

"I'll learn everything, and then I'll take it back, whatever 'it' is. You stalked me before, so now we can call it even. It's not like you're in any position to refuse, right?" He made no sense. What did he mean, "even"? They were nowhere near being even. If anything, she would just be more indebted to him.

"Why?" Ayase couldn't stop the flowing of her tears or the trembling of her body. "

I betrayed you. I was so... terrible to you… So why are you trying so hard to help me?" In contrast to her cracked voice, Ayato's reply was as plain as could be.

"I don't need a reason to wipe away a friend's tears."

"…!"

His reflection in her eyes seemed to mirror the Kaito of long ago, when he stepped into battle for the sake of his injured disciples. Ayato was the same as him. He wouldn't unsheathe his sword for trifles such as being spat on or verbally abused, but when one of his friends was hurt, he never hesitated to take action. Yes. That's really how he was. How long ago had Ayase lost sight of that? That was the ideal she'd been chasing for so long, ever since her days in the dojo. Ayase looked down at her hands.

Ugly by conventional standards, they were covered with open blisters. But they were swordsman's hands, the same as Ayato and her father's. That's right. I only ever picked up a sword because I wanted to be a cool, accomplished swordsman like him.

Being confronted with Kuraudo's monstrous strength and fretting over the need to take the dojo back had made Ayase lose sight of herself, but as she clasped her hands together, she remembered where her pride had come from. That was when she made her decision.

"Kurozakuro… Please, help me!"

What she needed was not to turn her back to her father's teachings, betray her pride, and lose herself in self-pity like some tragic heroine, it was to request the aid of the kind boy standing in front of her, and to trust in his coming victory. Ayase took Ayato's extended hand, to which he smiled happily and firmly squeezed hers.

"That's all I wanted to hear."

...