"" - Talking
'' - Thoughts
Chapter 17
…
- Cryo Gale Sword Emperor vs Sword Eater
In the middle of the night following Ayato's battle with Ayase, a solitary shadow danced around the forest clearing where he and the group usually trained. Someone was swinging a sword that just barely reflected the moonlight that filtered in through the trees. The night was still; only the sound of that sword slicing through the air could be heard as the lone shadow trained with fluid, graceful movements.
Suddenly, the shadow's movements came to a halt.
"Stella?"
"Yukina?"
The shadow, Ayato Kurozakuro, wiped the sweat from his brow and turned toward the entrance to the clearing, for he had felt the presence of an intruder. The silhouette standing at the entrance was, as he'd expected, the fiery-haired girl & another Individual whose brilliance shines even in the darkness: Stella Vermilion & She is Akeno's twin sister, and another one of Rias' and Stella's childhood friends. She is also like Akeno, only a little taller, an impressive 100cm bust, a 59cm waist, and 90cm hips, and her hair is colored brown, and tied in a longer ponytail and has two ribbons; a red one on top, and a yellow one on the bottom and almost to the end of her hair. She is the last of Hagun Academy's Six Great Ladies, Yukina Himejima.
She frowned at Ayato and spoke candidly. "You're still at it? If you don't give yourself time to rest, it'll show during your fight tomorrow." The coming fight she spoke of was Ayato's decisive battle with Kuraudo.
After his battle against Ayase, he and Stella learned everything about what had happened two years prior. Everything, from the day Kuraudo had appeared to the present, about how Kaito Ayatsuji, the Last Samurai, had been defeated and broken.
Once he'd learned of it, Ayato reaffirmed his promise to Ayase that he would challenge Kuraudo the very next day for the fate of the dojo.
An even harder fight than his battle with Ayase would be waiting for him, so it was best for him to rest his body.
Ayato was well aware of that, but he just couldn't calm himself down.
"Were you shocked when you found out?"
"I was, yeah. I've more or less looked up to Kaito for a long time."
For Ayato, who had been abandoned by every possible parental figure in his family except his aunt & parents,Kaito and other famous swordsmen were like his faraway mentors.
He watched their matches, desperately trying to steal, analyze, and practice their style of swordplay.
They had laid one of the foundations for the man Ayato had become, so it certainly came as a surprise when he learned of the depressing fate that had befallen the man who was basically a part of him.
Even if he had been in poor health, how could Kaito have been defeated so one-sidedly in a battle not of Mage-Knights, but of pure swordsmanship?
"Kurashiki is no pushover; that much is clear."
"Are you getting nervous?"
"Considering who he is, yeah." Third-year Kuraudo Kurashiki, the Ace of Donrou and a quarter finals at the previous year's Seven Stars. His infamy made it easy to find information about him. His Device, Orochimaru, could freely change its form by extending or contracting by virtue of his Noble Art, giving him the ability to attack from any range.
He could use it to attack faraway enemies with a bullet-like high-speed thrust, and if that were to miss, he could swing it back and forth through the arena to make it nearly impossible to evade. For anyone who tried to fight at close-range, Orochimaru could shrink to the size of a one-handed sword, allowing Kuraudo to overwhelm the enemy with quick strikes from his saw-like blade.
Able to fight with the optimal blade for any range, Kuraudo's Noble Art, Jakotsujin, left him without a single weak point when it came to crossing swords.
It wasn't all that flashy, but it had so much offensive power that it was sure to be a headache.
Against someone like Ayato, whose forte was crossing swords & magic, an enemy who could constantly change his attack range was sure to be an equal match. That's why Kuraudo was called the Sword Eater; his ability naturally allowed him to prey on swordsmen. He probably held secrets even darker than his breaking of Kaito.
"Well, I already figured that out." Ayato had thought that way ever since he'd felt Kuraudo's barbaric aura and seen his beastly expression, but that wasn't why he found it so hard to calm down.
"Hey, Stella. What did you think when Ayatsuji told us all that?"
"I could see where she was coming from, since that mad dog had its annoying little eyes on her."
"Is that all? I—"
"You don't have to finish that sentence," Stella muttered, interrupting him. "I think we're both thinking the same thing; that's why I said 'where she was coming from'."
"Yeah, you're right. I figured you'd say something like that." Ayato was all smiles, overjoyed that the most important person in the world to him thought the same thing he did.
"But no matter what the truth is," she continued, "it has nothing to do with you. What you have to do doesn't change either way."
"You're right. I agree." Ayato nodded and continued swinging his sword through the darkness. His body was in good condition, and he had energy to spare. All that was left was to wait for the next day's fight, when the truth of the past two years would be revealed to Ayase.
The next evening, Ayase guided Ayato,Stella & Yukina to the former Ayatsuji Dojo.
"Even the road that leads there is so nostalgic," Ayato said as they walked along a road full of old-fashioned buildings.
"Yep. I traveling around the World honing my skills & magic for six years now"
"That was when you were in middle school, right, Ayato?" Stella asked.
"You were certainly full of energy, Kurozakuro, but isn't it dangerous for a middle schooler to do something like that? Someone could have beaten you up if you rubbed them the wrong way."
While they talked about the past, the three of them left the city road and entered a quiet clearing in the woods. Before their eyes was a large house surrounded by tall walls.
"This used to be my home."
The mansion was so decrepit and poorly maintained that it seemed abandoned. Roof tiles had peeled off, and the wood supporting the gate had rotted and collapsed. Cigarette butts, empty cans, and plastic wrappers littered the area, and the once-white walls had been covered with vulgar graffiti.
"Look at this tasteless 'art'," Stella said, full of disdain. "There are people out there with real skill when it comes to this sort of thing, but this is just awful."
"I don't think that's the worst part, but yeah, it's a real mess." Ayase wore a pained expression, as if trying to stifle her frustration. To see a place so full of memories for her trampled so callously must have been too much to bear. We'd better get this place back in her hands right away. Ayato steeled his resolve once more and removed a bamboo sword from the long, slender bag he carried.
"How do you plan to get the dojo back, Kurogane?"
"I'm just gonna charge through the front door and storm the dojo, of course."
The first thought Ayato had when he'd learned of what happened was that Kuraudo's actions were surprisingly decent.
Assaulting the disciples to force their master to accept his challenge was certainly a crime, but when all was said and done, the final battle had been settled with mutual consent from both parties.
For better or for worse, everything had ridden on the outcome of their duel. If a third party had tried to intrude, it would have been an insult to Kaito's honor.
"That's very like you, Ayato."
"Okay. But please, Kurozakuro, be careful. The Sword Eater is very strong. The other disciples and I were no match for him, and my father may have been rusty, but even he couldn't win…"
"I know. He's the Ace of Donrou, too. I can't be careless against him." Ayato took a deep breath and said, "All right. Here goes." He prepared himself mentally and headed to the gate of the former Ayatsuji Dojo.
In front of the decaying gate, five high school thugs were sitting on the ground, laughing. One of them was the skinhead from the confrontation at the restaurant. He was definitely one of Kuraudo's underlings.
"Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but could I have a sec?" "The hell you want?" I wonder why these people always try to lead off with intimidation
. "Oh! Heh! You're that little bitch from the family restaurant!" The skinhead immediately took notice of Ayato, obviously remembering him.
"Huh? Is that the guy you were talking about?"
"Yeah! Kuraudo beat him and spat on him, and he just sat there shittin' his pants! He didn't even say a word!"
"Hahaha! He definitely looks like a weak little bean sprout, doesn't he? He's wearing a Hagun uniform; does that mean this guy's a Blazer?"
"Hey, that's Ayase behind him! Who's the redhead?! Damn, she's hot!"
When the thugs saw Stella, they started to approach her with vulgar grins on their faces. Stella, however, looked at them as if they were nothing but walking garbage.
Tiny embers crackled in the air. Hoo, boy. Ayato grabbed the shoulder of one of the boys that tried to approach her before he could get burned to death. He'd done it out of kindness, but the thugs took it as an attack.
"The hell do you think you're doing?"
"I'm trying to save your life. Now, just listen to what I have to say. I'm here to challenge Kurashiki to a fight. Could you show me where he is right now?"Ayato got straight to the point, hoping to keep them from inciting Stella's wrath and creating an actual issue. Their eyes opened wide at his statement, and so did their mouths as they laughed.
"Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahaha!" "Hey, seriously?! You wanna fight him?! A chicken like you? Damn, man, you're hilarious!"
"Do you even know what the word 'fight' means?!"
"Heheheh! Ah, my sides hurt!"
"Whew… Hey, buddy. I'm sorry, but Kuraudo doesn't care about fighting weaklings like you. Here, we'll give you a good fight. If you beat us, we'll go ahead and take you to Kuraudo."
"Woo! Fight, fight! I'm excited!" One of the boys materialized an army knife-like Device and patted the flat of the blade against Ayato's face. They're Donrou students, too. Ayato accepted their challenge. He seized the wrist of the boy with the knife, holding it tightly with an Ice Gauntlet as a cruel smirk spread across his face.
"I'm glad you're quick to the point."
"That asshole with the dyed brown hair was so stubborn; I pantsed him and kicked him all the way down the road!"
"Gahaha! For real?!"
"No way! Haha!" In the trashed halls of the former Ayatsuji Dojo, a group of boys sat around and chewed the fat. They talked about the same things they always did: who'd beaten up whom, who'd cheated whom, and who'd had sex with whom.
Kuraudo didn't especially care for any of it, so he sat away from them on a sofa, puffing away at his cigarette.
They weren't a bad group, and they all loved him, but he just didn't understand it
. How do these guys not get bored talking about the same shit every day? I wish Donrou would start doing something like Hagun's selection battles.
That way, at least he could be excited about some part of his daily life.
He sighed, watching the cloud of smoke he exhaled drift toward the hole in the roof that let in the sight of the night sky.
Looking back, it had been two years since he'd won the dojo. Maybe I ought to sell this place, he thought idly, still blowing out cigarette smoke.
"Hey, Kuraudo?" One of his lackeys called over to him, his face pale.
"What? Your stomach hurts or something?"
"You remember the guys you got into it with at that family restaurant? That guy and girl who were with Ayase?"
"Yeah. What about them?"
"I thought I'd seen their faces before. Yesterday, I finally remembered."
He showed Kuraudo his electronic student handbook. On the display was a news aggregator site with a summary video under the article The Crimson Princess, A Rank, Somehow Loses to The Cryo Gale Sword Emperor, A Rank, in Mock Battle! The video was, of course, a recording of Ayato and Stella's duel. "One of my buds at Hagun told me that he took down Runner's High too!
People have even started calling him 'Cold One or the 'Cryo Gale Sword Emperor . Hey, man, you think maybe we stepped into some nasty shit?"
Once they realized who they had messed with, Kuraudo's friends grew pale and sweaty, but Kuraudo simply laughed. Instead of showing fear, he grinned, his canine tooth poking out of his mouth.
"Hahah! I get it. I figured they weren't normal, but this is a surprise." Kuraudo noticed his body temperature rising. He so badly wanted to run wild and let all his pent-up energy explode out of him. Interesting.
Kuraudo had thought he would wait until the Seven Stars, but perhaps it was time for him to pay Hagun a visit.
Either that, or he could use Ayase to smoke them out. As a wicked plan began to form within Kuraudo's head, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him.
"Oh?" It was a beautiful sound; the sound of someone with perfect posture. None of his cronies had such posture.
"Hahah! I think things are about to get interesting!"
"Huh? Kuraudo, what are you talking—" Suddenly, the footsteps stopped at the entrance and the door was flung open. The visitors were just the ones he had expected: Ayato Kurogane, Stella Vermillion, and Ayase Ayatsuji—the trio he'd run into at the restaurant.
"I'm coming in."
"Whoa! The inside is filthy, too. How can you guys live in a dump like this?" Ikki and Stella announced their arrival.
"Wh-Who are you?!"
"These are the people from the family restaurant!"
Casting a sidelong glance at his friends, who had been bothered by the sudden intrusion, Kuraudo remained sitting on his sofa. He glared at Ayato, who was still holding the bamboo sword and convenience store bag.
"What a coincidence. I was just thinking of coming to find you losers."
"Really? I'm glad we didn't miss each other, then." Ayato's response didn't sound like something a person treading on enemy soil would say. He was definitely testing his luck.
"So, what are you here for, coward?"
"I don't think you're dense enough to not be able to guess. I am to kick your Sorry ass and take back Ayase's Dojo.
"Haha! You're funny, man. I don't know how she convinced you to do this, but I won this dojo fair and square. As a swordsman, you ought to know what that means."
"Of course. I'm not just going to ask you to give it back." He approached the sofa Kuraudo sat on and pointed his bamboo sword at his enemy's nose. "Kurashiki, I challenge you to a duel.
"Came to storm my dojo, huh?"
"I'm doing the same thing you did. You're not going to back down, are you?" He's gonna taunt me and everything, huh? Ayato might as well have been a different person compared to when they'd last met. Kuraudo didn't know how much Ayato's state of mind had changed, but he was interested nonetheless. He grabbed the sword pointed at his face and spoke.
"Haha. All right, I accept." He then crushed the sword with his grip strength alone.
"But just like when I took this dojo for myself, you're gonna have to take on my thirty idiots by yourself. We'll see where things go from there."
"I don't mind. My friends are just here to watch. It's only proper to respect the dojo master's rules, after all."
"So you know a challenger's etiquette. Good. Wait right there while I get my idiots." Kuraudo used his electronic handbook to call his friends outside the dojo.
"Oh, that won't be necessary."
"Huh?"
"I thought you might do this, so I already fought them all." Ayato turned his bag upside down in front of Kuraudo, causing nearly two dozen Donrou Academy student handbooks to clack as they fell to the floor. One of them was ringing; of course, the caller's name shown on the screen was Kuraudo. Ayato grinned fearlessly at Kuraudo as he showed off the spoils of his victories and said,
"The only ones left are these seven."
"D-Don't mess with us, jackass!"
"I'll kill you!"
Once Kuraudo's lackeys realized that their friends had been defeated, they materialized their Devices. Their leader stopped them, however.
"Back off, boys."
"Kuraudo?"
"D-Don't be a wuss! Let's kick his ass!"
"I said back off. You're in my way."
"Eep!" They gasped and turned pale, frightened by the threatening fire in Kuraudo's eyes. Hmph. Even if they all attacked at once, they wouldn't be a match for him. It would just be a waste of time.
"I'm changing the rules. This is now a real battle to the death. First to die loses," Kuraudo declared as he materialized his Device, a nodachi that looked almost like it was made from human bone. Normally, student knights were forbidden from using their abilities outside of school, but there were certain exceptions. For example, if they were caught up in a major incident; or if they had been given permission by the owner of a private dojo. Ayato was dealing with the latter, and he had no reason to refuse such an offer.
"You have my thanks for accepting my challenge, Sword Eater," Ayato replied, materializing and readying Ryuuzetsu in place of his shattered bamboo sword. All the hair on Kuraudo's body instantly stood on end. He was up against the real deal, invoking a sensation that he hadn't felt since the Last Samurai.
This is why I love swordsmen, he thought. The nervousness I feel is a world different from fighting idiots who are caught up in their so-called "talent".
Ayato's naked blade-like eyes and dimly-glowing sword both threatened to pierce directly into Kuraudo's heart. The tension within him rose to a peak, giving him a high he couldn't find even at the Seven Stars Battle Festival.
"Then let's fight!" Kuraudo screamed, lost in the excitement. Spurred on by his boiling blood, he attacked.
"Well, I think I'll start things off with this. Freezing Hell ." Ayato said as he tapped his sword blade against the ground and the dojo floor froze over.
"So you use ice? No wonder you're called the cold one, but just freezing the ground won't help you here." Kuraudo said as he'd put magical power into his legs and kicked off the ground, sending him forward at a rapid speed as he ran at Ayato. Ayato focused on him and dodged his attack.
"Hahah!" His saw-bladed nodachi ripped through the air as he swung it powerfully with his right arm. The swing was too wild, too easily-countered—he may as well have been an amateur. He wielded it like a one-handed sword, as if he didn't understand how to use a nodachi. Rather than slicing, he seemed to be trying to smash it with it.
How is his swing so sharp when his style is so sloppy?!
Once, twice, thrice.
Ayato then held up his right arm and formed a violet-colored icy armor to block everyone of his strikes.
Ryuuzetsu began to creak from the repeated, formless blows, while Ayato's arms screamed as pain radiated all the way down to his ankles. Kuraudo's strength was beyond belief. He was like some sort of monster, the wildly-swinging nodachi like his fangs. His sword had no theories or ideals behind it, just raw, deadly power. But those wild movements should put him off-balance, slowing down his recovery!
After taking the first three blows, Ayato shuffled awkwardly to block the incoming horizontal swing with his ice violet frozen colored gauntlet.
The air boomed like a cannon as the pressure from Kuraudo's attack grazed Ayato's gauntlet.
Swinging such a large sword with only one hand, however, left Kuraudo's chest open to attack.
This is my chance!
Ayato had perfectly calculated his dodge so that he would be close enough to counterattack.
He wasted no time in swinging his own sword for his opponent's torso, but the leering skull on Kuraudo's chest simply laughed at him.
"Ngh?!" What he felt against his sword was not skin, but steel. Ayato's perfectly-timed counterattack had been blocked by the bone-like blade.
"Hah! Damn shame." The monster stuck his tongue out and laughed. It was a damn shame. No human alive should have had reflexes fast enough to protect themselves from a perfectly-timed counterattack while still recovering from their last attack.
Unless, perhaps, they had expected the counter and were moving to guard from the beginning.
Or maybe… An incredibly dangerous theory took form in Ayato's mind.
He had no room to deliberate on it, though, as Kuraudo was already repelling not just Ryuuzetsu, but even Ayato himself with just one arm.
"Hah! Hahah!" They had moved from sword range to lance range—a distance neither of them would be able to fight at. Was he trying to reset their positioning? No, that wasn't it.
"Trail your prey, Jakotsujin!" Ayato was still in the Sword Eater's striking distance. Kuraudo's blade, Orochimaru, slithered like a snake as it extended toward Ayato.
"Ngah!" Ayato deflected the extending blade with Intetsu, successfully defending himself.
"Hahah! It's not over yet!" Kuraudo's assault didn't end with just one strike; he pulled his long weapon back and hacked away at Ayato from a safe range, using Orochimaru's flexible body like a whip. There was enough distance between them that only the Sword Eater's attacks would reach. All Ayato could do was block each and every incoming attack
. "Urk!" Every whip of the saw-like blade ground away bits of Ikki's sword, sending sparks flying. Ayato's arms were beginning to give, unable to take the long-range assault.
"Woooo! Get 'im, Kuraudo!"
"Tear him apart until he's just a raggedy dust rag!" Kuraudo's crowd cheered as he gained even more ground. Meanwhile, Ayato's side wasn't looking so good. Ayase's face went pale.
"You can't keep guarding, Kurogane! Get away for now!"
"He can't. Every time he's forced back, Orochimaru grows to fill that distance. In fact, if Ayato moves away, it'll just be worse for him."
"So it's just going to get worse?"
"Yes. But Ayato isn't the kind of man to just let something like this happen to him!" The Crimson Princess made a bold declaration. She was correct, of course, because she knew the Worst One better than anyone else.
Though he had been forced into a defensive battle, Ayato leaned forward. He threw his body forward using just his legs, but Kuraudo wasn't ready to let him approach so easily.
Given the distance between them, their battle would be completely one-sided in Kuraudo's favor.
He swung his sword once again, hoping to maintain his advantage and limit Ayato's options.
The white serpent sliced through the air, heading toward its prey.
It bared its fangs, ready to crack open Ayato's skull, but he leaned even farther forward, evading the snake entirely.
He dashed so low that he almost looked to be crawling—a superhuman feat made possible by Ayato's honed body.
The Cold One ran low to the ground and passed under the blade, never letting the enemy out of his sight.
"He did it!" Ayase pumped her fist when she saw the perfect dodge.
"Hahah!"
The Sword Eater wouldn't let a single evasion stop him, though. Like a snake with its own free will, Orochimaru raised its head and continued pursuing Ikki even after he'd dodged it.
"H-His sword doesn't just extend?!" Ayase screamed. Orochimaru's true strength wasn't just in growing and shrinking; it could also move according to its user's will. The sword altered its course as if it were a living being, chasing Ikki anew. Despite Ikki's belief that he had avoided the looming threat, it aimed straight for his back. The attack was sure to skewer him. "I saw that coming, Kurashiki." Unless, of course, he had predicted it.
"What?!" Ayato made the smallest necessary sidestep to avoid the incoming fangs. He was never just fighting a defensive battle; he simply wasn't that docile of a person. Even his defensive battles always concealed some bold plan. As he struggled to block Kuraudo's successive attacks,Ayato was stealing his patterns and combinations, exposing the very root of Kuraudo Kurashiki himself. Perfect Vision. The Cold One had used his all-seeing eye, which had captured even the invisible Hunter, to read the thoughts of a fanged monster until he found an opportunity for his counterattack. His counter was to be a stab—the fastest possible method of attack for a Nodachi—and his closest target was the forehead of the skull tattoo.
Kuraudo was completely open, still recovering from his own surprise attack. He wouldn't even have had the time to pull back his sword, let alone take evasive action. It simply wasn't possible for a human, meaning Ayato's attack was sure to pierce his heart. Huh?!
At that very moment, the skull disappeared from before Ayato's eyes. What had happened? How could he have lost sight of his target?
Has Kuraudo really disappeared into thin air? That couldn't have been the case. Ayato's heart thumped painfully and furiously, alarm bells sounding in his head. Danger, danger! they blared. Danger, danger! Below?! His sixth sense had informed him of the enemy's position. Just before Ryuuzetsu could pierce his heart, Kuraudo had bent his upper body backward until it was almost parallel to the dojo floor, evading the thrust. Then, he looked at Intetsu from directly below, as if mocking it.
"Hahaha!" With his upper body still bent back, he attacked Ayato with his nodachi once more.
"Ngh!" Ayato blocked the attack with his own sword, stopping it just before it could behead him. He'd only narrowly defended himself, so he had been unable to properly disperse the impact, causing his shoulder to dislocate.
His expression turned grim, but not because of Kuraudo's incredible strength even while contorted into such an unstable position. I knew it! While Ayato was stupefied, Kuraudo let loose three more wild attacks, his body having been righted by his previous one.
Ayato's breathing was ragged as a result of his combined charge and evasive maneuvers; he had to be careful not to push himself too much. Focusing on defense once more, he held Ryuuzetsu over his head, ready to block the falling nodachi. However, the moment their blades were to cross, the nodachi faded like a mirage.
This is bad! As Ikki launched himself backward with all his strength, the spot he had leaped from was torn through by Kuraudo's blade.
"Ngh!" Because he had leaped back without thinking, Ayato broke posture and nearly fell. He staggered backward until he eventually corrected himself. Stella and Ayase gasped as they looked on from the sidelines. Ayato's uniform had been torn in the front—proof that if he hadn't jumped back at that exact moment, his entrails would have ended up all over the floor.
"Hah! Not bad, dodging that on your first time seeing it."
"Wh-What was that?!"
"Kurogane…"
"Nooooooo!"
"He was so close to slicing him in half!"
"Good shit, though, Kuraudo! This guy has nothing on you!"
"Get hiiiiiim!" Shock and confusion, anticipation and excitement. The difference between each side's mood was like night and day. Ikki didn't have room in his mind to worry about any of that.
"Hm. I think I get it." He'd finally confirmed the theory had been in the back of his mind ever since Kuraudo's impossibly-timed evasion of his counter. His worst nightmare had become a reality.
"So that's your true power—the power that allowed you to defeat the Last Samurai."
"When Ayatsuji first told me about your duel, there was something I just couldn't wrap my head around. How had Kaito been defeated so easily? Even if he had been rusty from his years of retirement, he was such a great swordsman that people called him the Last Samurai.
He couldn't have been beaten at his own game that easily. There had to be some explanation for it." It was all the more reason for Ikki to believe Kuraudo was just that strong.
"But now, I know what that reason is."
Blocking and evading with inhuman timing, a sword that would disappear into thin air and attack from entirely different angles—both were possible because of a single ability.
"What is it?! Is it some kind of trick?!" Ayase cut in from the sidelines, desperate to know more. She must have wondered how Kaito had been beaten so badly. She must have believed there had been some trickery afoot.
"No, it's not trickery," Ayato said, shaking his head.
"Haha! Looks like you do get it after all. Go on and tell them so we can compare answers." Kuraudo smirked as Ayato revealed the true nature of his ability.
"The power that serves as the foundation for Kurashiki's strength is his reaction time."
"It does…?"
"Ayato, are you talking about the same reaction time that everyone has?"
"Yes and no. Going by the meaning of the phrase alone, yes, but the speed of our reactions is just too different. I'm talking about the factors that make up reaction time: the individual activities of sensing, comprehending, and responding to stimuli.
For a normal human, it all adds up to about a third of a second, and for a world-class sprinter, it's said to add up to about a sixth of a second. Getting below a tenth of a second should be impossible no matter how much you train. Judging by the speed of Kuraudo's moves, however, his reaction time must be around half of that." Stella and Ayase were, naturally, too shocked to speak.
Even Ayato and Stella only had reaction speeds slightly better than a sprinter's. Kuraudo had surpassed human speed; if Ayato performed an action, he could perform two or three in the same amount of time.
"Thanks to your superhuman reaction speed, you can avoid unavoidable attacks, change the path of your sword the moment our blades are about to meet, attack from completely new angles, and more. That's why it looked like your sword had disappeared in midair."
"Hahaha! Hahahahaha! Correct!"
Kuraudo laughed and gave Ayato a metaphorical gold star. There never was any technique to his swordplay; just brute force. Because all actions were governed on a basic level by reaction speed, that force alone was enough to allow the Sword Eater to pound any obstacle into the dirt.
The Sword Eater's true strength was his ability to, in essence, change his throw from paper to rock after seeing that his opponent had thrown scissors. Skills, experience, strategy, and tactics were nothing before the gift he was born with. Superhuman reaction speed and the action speed to put it to good use combined to create his special ability: Marginal Counter.
"I've never had someone see through my Marginal Counter from the very start! Good shit, Cold One! You're a cut above the rest. But so what?! Even if you know what's going on behind the scenes, what are you gonna do about it?!"
Knowing that Kuraudo was right, Ikki's expression clouded over. Perfect Vision was worthless against an opponent who could redo his move in rock-paper- scissors. Ittou Shura only increased physical strength ; it couldn't speed up the body's impulses. He had no way to break through Marginal Counter. "
Hahah! You can't do shit! My Marginal Counter isn't a skill—it's something I was born with. You can't beat it. And you haven't even seen Marginal Counter's top speed! Hebigami!" Kuraudo howled, moving to close the distance between them, and unleashed an attack that struck from two places at once. The simultaneous left and right strikes both somehow came from the same slash. There was no way for Ayato to guard against the twin strikes' impossible, phantom-like speed and vigor. Even if he protected himself on one side, the other strike from the saw-like blade would tear his body apart. As such, there was only one action he could take: he attempted to evade the blow by leaping backward. Superhuman twin strikes should have been pointless if he was out of range, but the Sword Eater could change his attack range at will.
"That won't work twice!" Orochimaru extended toward Ayato. He could no longer evade by moving back; the saw-like blades approached from left and right, ready to cut his body in two. That was when he acted. Ayato had repelled the Orochimaru on his right with Ryuuzetsu in his right hand. Wasn't that the wrong move, though? With Ayato's reaction speed, he shouldn't have been able to defend himself against the attack on the left. The saw should have dug into his torso, hurling flesh and blood all over the dojo, but that didn't happen.
"What?!" Sparks flew instead of blood, and the clang! of steel against steel rang out. The reason for that lay in Ayato's hands, which defended him from Hebigami.
"Damn you…!" Kuraudo growled when he realized what had happened. Ikki wasn't actually holding Ryuuzetsu's hilt; he was holding the base of the blade, decreasing his reach.
"Ooh, short sword techniques?! That's amazing, Ayato ``
''Kurogane can use shortswords too?!"
"Shizuku uses one, and given that he can teach others her style of swordplay with a lot, of course he can!"
Stella was confident in her judgment because she knew Ayato would hate to give flawed lessons, and she was correct. The martial arts he had learned weren't limited to swordplay with magic; he knew everything, from archery to hand-to-hand combat with magic. If he found anything that could help, he would pursue it wholeheartedly, using every second he had to the fullest because he knew that he was one of the Strongest Blazers out there
In times of need, Ayato would use every bit of Travel experience he'd gained. Doing so was how he'd found The Hunter's position based on the force and angle of his arrows. The same was true for him having survived Kuraudo's attack. Short Swords had less attack power than katanas due to their shorter reach, but they made up for it in defensive power due to their ease of handling. The increased speed they boasted allowed Ayato to parry Kuraudo's attacks.
"You're not the only one who can adjust their range." After warding off both bites of Hebigami from his tight stance, Ayato immediately stepped forward to counterattack.
"Hahah!" Kuraudo couldn't help but laugh as his foe seemed to communicate that he was ready to challenge even Kuraudo's incredible speed.
That weapon switch wasn't something that a student knight who relied on his magic all the time would come up with. Kuraudo praised Ikki for that last-second action.
That won't help you win, though! It's not enough! The shortsword switch may have been clever, but it was nothing more than a trick.
Kuraudo was ready to give his enemy the final answer that he had learned as a quarterfinalist at Seven Stars, one of the strongest Blazers in Japan.
Strength didn't lie in flashy tricks or noble ideals like fighting for your friends. It was so much simpler, so much more basic: absurd brute force.
"Hah-haaaaah!"
"Wha—?!" Ayato and his spectators were lost for words. The snake Kuraudo had let loose had two additional heads; Ayato had to try to counter four attacks all at once. He can still move faster?! Ikki was taken completely by surprise, but he just barely managed to block both the blow that was meant to cut through his neck and the blow that was meant to gouge his left side. It wasn't enough, though. In the time it took Ayato to do one thing, Kuraudo could do four. The two remaining fangs tore through Ayato's chest in the shape of a cross, sending blood spurting out of him.
"Graaaaah!"
"Ayato!"
"Kurozakuro!"
"I'm fine! I can still fight!"
The wound was probably deep enough to reach his sternum, but Ayato still put energy in his legs, refusing to fall. He continued to stare fixedly at the monster before him.
"Heh. You let my first two attacks push you backward so you wouldn't get killed by the last two, did you? You're one tricky son of a bitch, you know that? But you won't be for long! You can't do anything from that distance! I'll make mincemeat out of you!" Kuraudo cast his freshly-bloodied Orochimaru like a whip from afar. At a distance from which only he could attack, he rained hell on the wounded Ayato.
When Ayato had first evaded Kuraudo's Orochimaru and charged toward him, Ayase had thought he'd done it.
When Ayato had blocked Hebigami short sword style, she had thought he'd had a chance.
But the Sword Eater had just kept coming out on top, far exceeding her expectations every step of the way.
it was like a nightmare.
Ayato had come to be known as one of the strongest contenders in the hunt to represent Hagun Academy at the Seven Stars Battle Festival, even able to win against the Crimson Flaming Princess without taking a single hit.
He was the Cryo Gale sword Emperor.
But he can't do anything, even at close range! Ayato's Perfect Vision was meaningless before Marginal Counter, and there was no point in him using Ittou Shura because Marginal Counter allowed Kuraudo to leave him in the dust either way.
In fact, if he were to use Ittou Shura, it could cause Kuraudo to go on his guard and end in Ayato's death after running out. Ittou Shura was a skill supported by Ayato's determination and resolve.
It was a last-ditch effort ability that he would use when he was desperate enough to use up all of his remaining strength.
He couldn't stop the skill halfway through, and he couldn't make adjustments to it like making it last longer than a minute.
And as long as Kuraudo had the inhuman reaction speed to act two or three times in the span of one of Ayato's actions, one minute wouldn't be enough to break through his defenses.
There's nothing he can do!
Even with his deep wounds, Ayato was desperately trying to block Orochimaru and its wild Hebigami attacks while standing in a pool of his own blood.
It was a one-sided battle.
Ayase gulped as she looked at Kuraudo, who continued piling attack after attack on Ayato.
This boy is too strong! He's out of control! His strength was world-class.
The Sword Eater, a quarterfinalist at the previous year's Seven Stars, was finally showing his true power. Is the top of the Seven Stars full of monsters like him?
Ayase didn't see any chance for survival, let alone victory.
The Sword Eater could just laugh and laugh as he trampled over every trick or skill in his way.
In the face of such overwhelming force, Ayato sustained wound after wound.
As blood flowed continuously from his chest, his prediction and shortsword-style guards began to dull more and more. Each time the saw blades grazed Ikki's chest and thighs, they dug in deeper, grinding away bits of flesh. At this rate…!
Ayase got a bad case of déjà vu.
Ayato was just like Kaito as he stood fighting despite being slowly turned into mincemeat. She
couldn't take it anymore.
"Miss Vermillion, we have to stop the duel! Kurogane's going to break down any minute now!"
"You won't get your dojo back if you stop them now."
"I don't care! Kurogane's life is more important!"
"Agreed. But we still can't stop him." Stella crossed her arms as she spoke. Ayase was floored by how unbelievable her statement was.
"Why not?! Aren't you two supposed to be a couple?! Is there something he can do to turn the tables or something?!"
"Nope. I could just take him down with pure firepower,Ayato Could use his Generation Powers to take him down
Stella's voice was perfectly calm, but when Ayase looked carefully, she noticed there were scratches on Stella's arms, leaking blood onto her white sleeves. She was desperately holding back the impulse to run in and help.
"World-class skill doesn't lie," Stella continued.
"I have to accept that he's incredibly strong. At this rate, Ayato can't win."
"I don't understand. If you know that, why won't you stop him?!"
"I told you: we can't stop him."
"Why not?!"
"Look how much fun Ayato is having."
"Huh?" Before she could comment on the absurdity of it, Ayase looked at Ikki's face amidst the bloodshed. She was left dumbfounded.
He's… grinning?!
It wasn't the kind, mild-mannered smile that she had become used to. It was ferocious, like he was baring his fangs.
"Thinking back, he smiled the same way when he was up against my Katharterio Salamandra & defeated it with his Kori Kusanagi."
"Why? He could die right now; just look at all that blood. So… why?"
"Because that's what's fun for him, of course." Ayase wasn't strong enough to comprehend it, but Stella understood, and Ayase's father, Kaito, likely did as well.
"Hey, Ayatsuji. When you told us about your dad, there was one thing we couldn't come to terms with."
"What's that?"
"Does the Last Samurai really regret what happened?"
"Huh?! Of course he does! What are you talking about?!" Ayase raised her voice, angered and shocked by Stella's baseless accusation.
"If… If he hadn't shown up, we could've been happy forever! Dad wouldn't be in a coma, we wouldn't have lost the dojo, and the disciples wouldn't have gotten hurt! He took away our days of happiness! How could Dad not regret it?!"
"That's just speaking from your point of view, isn't it?"
"What?!"
"Think about it. The man whose swordplay was so incredible that they named him the Last Samurai, the veritable king of swords that wanted glory so badly he ascended to the very top. Then, he became unable to hold a sword, drifting further from his passion every day. Is that happiness? Is that a feeling of satisfaction that you'd want to experience every day? If you ask me, I wouldn't be able to stand it."
"Ngh."
"Sure, maybe he had a problem with the details of the fight—this skull guy definitely did some really terrible things to make it happen—but for someone to go so far just to challenge him, a swordsman who could do nothing but decay all alone? I think he might have been really happy about that."
Is that true? No. That can't be right.
Dad was always smiling.
He looked at his disciples kindly, his life's new purpose being the teaching of his style—
"This is my fight! Don't interrupt!"
"Ngh!"
Something that had never made sense finally clicked in Ayase's mind; she understood everything.
She understood why her father, with an expression she had never seen and a voice that she had never heard, had shouted so angrily at her during that fight.
She understood why he, even when the outcome was clear, continued their duel.
She understood why he, despite being hurt so badly, refused to give in.
Ayase had never realized Kaito's feelings.
She couldn't have.
From her point of view, he had been forced into a duel that he didn't want and forever regretted it.
But she was wrong.
Completely wrong.
He was likely fighting in part for his wounded disciples and in part to protect the dojo he wanted to leave to his daughter, but that wasn't all.
The real emotion that spurred Kaito forward, supporting him in his fight, was something simpler—a reason much more basic than etiquette or morality.
It was the desire to fight the enemy in front of him, to defeat the incredible threat in front of him. It was the pure, unadulterated instinct of a wolf to fight.
For Kaito, who'd had his true life's purpose taken away from him by illness and age, that fight was something he had yearned for.
A single moment in which, even if his body and soul were burned away, he'd leave the world with no regrets. That's it, isn't it?
Those words weren't meant for us. "I'm sorry." She finally understood. His apology was likely meant for Kuraudo, rather than his disciples.
No matter his reason or his methods, that boy had been worthy of defeating Kaito, not caring how much he had decayed over the years.
The Last Samurai was apologizing to the boy because he wasn't able to fight with everything the Ayatsuji Single-Blade Style had to offer.
Some father he was. How could he have offered what could have been his last words to an enemy, of all people?
Ayase had thought he was wiser and more mature than that. What of that? Was he just an egotist?
He was like a sore loser of a little boy. Is that what it took for him to be happy? At that moment, a loud noise rang through the dojo.
The dojo fell perfectly silent for the first time since their fight began.
"Haah, haah! Haah!" In the silence, Ayato panted hoarsely. The loss of blood from so many wounds had clearly drained him of all of his stamina. He wasn't the only one short on breath, though.
"Heh… Haah, haah…" He was uninjured, but Kuraudo was red-faced and breathing heavily. Why was Kuraudo as exhausted as Ayato if the battle had been entirely in his favor? Stella immediately realized the answer.
"I get it! So this is Marginal Counter's weakness!"
"What is, Miss Vermillion?!"
"Look at that skull guy's face. You'll understand." Ayase did as directed, looking into Kuraudo's face. Drops of sweat were rolling down his face, dripping from his jawline.
"Is it stamina?!"
"Yes. It's so simple! Marginal Counter gives him the speed to perform countless actions, but it drains his stamina like nothing else. Ikki realized his weakness early on, so he's been waiting for his enemy's stamina to deplete!" Kuraudo clenched his jaw as if to confirm her statement.
Look at him, acting smart!
The battle was supposed to be moving at my pace, but he somehow dragged me into a game of endurance!
Even on the brink of death, even when his blade couldn't reach the enemy, Ayato had seen through Marginal Counter's weakness and chipped away at Kuraudo's stamina, turning their fight into a battle of attrition.
Just like Stella had said, Ayato wasn't the kind of man to accept a purely defensive battle.
He had plenty of ways to take down his foe with his Ice magic while protecting himself. It's like sorcery. He's a scary son of a bitch.
Kuraudo felt a chill when he thought of just how much experience and knowledge had gone into Ayato's tough ice defense.
"That's Kurozakuro for you. He can wear down the enemy even when he can't fight! He just might win this!" Ayase, on the other hand, was struck with admiration.
She pumped her fist at the possibility of a comeback, but Stella looked tense.
"I'm not too sure about that."
"Huh? Why not?"
"This battle of endurance was Ayato's last resort; he was overwhelmed even at close range, so he couldn't do anything else.
That's really all there is to it.
Just look at him, he's just as tired as his opponent.
He's been worn down too much.
Rather than Ayato winning, the match ending in a draw due to his injuries is more likely."
It was no surprise that someone like Ayato would force their match all the way to a draw in his desperation.
Neither side had an advantage any longer. Stella could only say one thing for certain
: "No matter who wins here, the next attack will be the last."
That was the only clear truth.
"You can't be stubborn forever, asshole…"
"Haah, haah… Unfortunately for you, I'm way too competitive to just give up. And… It's been such a long time since I've been overwhelmed in swordplay & Magic. It's just too fun… I don't want it to end."
"Haha… Hah… 'Fun'? Hahaha. You're fucked up in the head."
"That makes two of us."
"Yeah, but that's about to come to an end…!"
Kuraudo caught his breath and stood up straight. Then, he brandished Orochimaru.
"This one's gonna finish ya," he declared to the bloody samurai. The next one's going to kill.
Upon that prediction, Ayato's lips curled into a wicked grin.
"Oh, really? I was just thinking the same thing." Ayato held his blade before his eyes, pointing the tip straight toward Kuraudo's forehead.
The two knights swore that they would kill each other and stood face to face.
Before their battle ended, however, Ayato had a question that had been weighing on his mind.
"Can I ask you one last thing?"
"What?"
"Did that great swordsman smile like we're smiling now?" Kuraudo's eyes went wide.
"Hah. Don't be stupid," he spat. "He wouldn't be called the Last Samurai if he couldn't appreciate a good, old-fashioned fight to the death!"
"Is that so?" That was all Ayato needed to know; he had pleaded for it to be true.
"Thank you," he said, then dashed toward the monster baring its fangs at him.
Blood pouring from his countless wounds, Ayato bent low and leaped forward.
His body was dyed red and he had one foot in the grave, but he was just as quick as he'd been at the very start of the battle as he ran
. He's the real deal!
Kuraudo was willing to praise his enemy, so he felt no need to hold back.
Preparing to put all of his spirit into his next attack, he shrunk Orochimaru back down to the size of a one-handed sword.
He'd abandoned reach, prioritizing speed.
His next blow would have all of his power and his speed behind it.
Utilizing Marginal Counter, the Sword Eater would unleash a superhuman feat only he was capable of. "Yamata-no-Orochi!"
He put all of his might into his attack, releasing eight sword slashes almost simultaneously.
The eight snakes, dull white like bone, bared their fangs as they made their way toward the Silver-haired swordsman.
Ayato was sure to be defenseless against it; he hadn't even been able to fight off four heads.
He was sure to be thoroughly butchered. However, the Cold One didn't stop his charge. He didn't even flinch in the face of the eight sets of fangs headed toward him.
He simply held his sword in front of himself, pointed in Kuraudo's direction as he charged forward without the slightest hint of putting up a defense.
Had Ayato surrendered himself to despair? Or had he resolved himself to perform one final suicide attack? No, Kuraudo thought.
That's not it. He's… The tip of Ayato's forward-pointed sword and the daggers his eyes sent a chill shooting through Kuraudo's body. He knew that sensation—he had experienced it just once in the past. It was during the very final moments of his fight with Kaito Ayatsuji.
At the time, Kaito had attempted to do something in his desperation.
Just like Ayato was doing, he had held his sword in front of him and charged forward, abandoning all defense.
Kuraudo never understood quite why he'd felt such a sensation, but he had felt it once more: danger.
A half-dead man who could have been pushed over by a slight breeze had sent shivers up his spine. Not only that, but it was happening again.
Hell yeah! Kuraudo didn't stop swinging his sword. With his Marginal Counter, he still had time to evade, but instead, he pressed on.
This is...! Kuraudo had wanted to see the end of the decisive battle that he'd believed was forever lost to history.
He had waited for so long, clinging to some small hope that Kaito would recover or that Ayase would become as skilled as her father and come to take her dojo back.
The realization of that hope was the reason he didn't stop. He had no reason to stop.
"This is what I've been waiting these two whole years for!" Their strikes intersected, sending blood flying through the air.
The high ceilings of the dojo were stained crimson by the blood gushing from Kuraudo. He keeled over in pain after his torso was sliced open diagonally from his right shoulder to the left side of his hip.
Ayato, however, was unhurt. Yamata-no-Orochi's eight strokes moved with such speed that they should have been unavoidable and unblockable.
He should have been torn to shreds. In truth, Ayato had taken every single set of fangs head-on, but he came out uninjured. Only Ayase knew how that was possible.
I-It must be…
She had seen this skill only once in her life, back when Kaito had first shown her the ultimate technique of the Ayatsuji Single-Blade Style.
By her father's urging, Ayase had attacked him with Hizume, putting all of her strength behind the attack.
It had hit him, but he was unscathed. She'd felt only emptiness, as if she had been trying to slice at petals falling through the air.
Kaito explained that when one parried an enemy's attack, their counterattack was slowed. To push away the enemy's weapon, one had to move their own away from a proper attacking position.
Knowing that, how could one counter as quickly as possible? The answer, Kaito revealed, was to fend off the enemy's attack without abandoning one's optimal offensive stance.
The ultimate technique he'd created was what had come of that.
Dispersing one's soul through all of creation while taking in all of creation, resulting in a peerless stance that could ward off any attack with the minimum amount of movement necessary.
"The Ayatsuji style's final, ultimate move: Ten'i Muhou!"
How could Ayato Kurogane have known about that?
It was a secret move that Kaito had never used in front of anyone else.
"Ah…"
As that question swirled within her mind, she remembered something she had heard in the family restaurant:
"It's all your own doing, Ayatsuji. I mean it.
Even if you were studying alone, you would've figured it out someday."
Ayato never said things that he wasn't certain of.
Ayase knew he was reliable because she had received his direct instruction.
"No way! Did he already know…?"
"Blade Steal."
"Huh?"
"Ayato can watch anyone's swordplay and learn everything about it, including their ultimate technique. He did it to me, too."
Back then Ayato had already seen the final summit that Ayase's fledgling swordplay would reach as she followed in her father's footsteps. Stella grinned widely, convinced of that truth. She knew that that was what was truly to be feared about Ayato besides from His Cryo Powers.
For as much strength and skill and Magic as he had unlocked from his seals,it wasn't enough for him. He wrung out every last bit of new strength & magic from every encounter and challenge that came his way, then made use of all of his magic to reach even greater heights. Ayato Kurogane's endless ambition was the very thing that made him Frozen Beast King , the boy the Crimson Princess loved.
"Sheesh. Those are some big footsteps to follow in, huh?" Just as Stella finished softly murmuring that statement, Kuraudo let loose a horrific howl.
"Aaaaargh!"
Everyone there was speechless in disbelief at what they saw unfolding before them. Kuraudo's body, even after sustaining such a clearly fatal wound, refused to fall.
The copious amounts of blood streaming from his body pooled at his feet, but he wouldn't go down even as he toed the line of ultimate defeat. He's still standing? Not even Ayato could hide his shock.
"I get it. So this is what that old geezer was trying to do." Though Kuraudo stood, defying death, his eyes no longer harbored the will to fight.
"Hahah… Not bad." A nostalgic smile crept across his face as he remembered the battle from two years ago. He forced his blood-covered body to stand upright, and looked back at Ayato.
"What's your name, Cryo Gale Sword Emperor?"
Ayato Kurozakuro."
"'Kurozakuro'… We'll finish this at the Seven Stars," he said, turning to walk toward the exit. He no longer seemed interested in fighting inside the dojo.
"Kurashiki," Ayato called out as he walked away, "about the dojo—"
"Do what you want with it," came his answer. "There's no point in me keeping it anymore."
"W-Wait, Kuraudo!"
"Let's get going, boys!"
"Y-Yeah!" Kuraudo's cronies followed behind him, rushing out of the dojo. After all of them had finally disappeared, Ayato and his friends could hear panicked voices in the distance.
"Whoa! G-Get up, Kuraudo!"
"Aw, shit! He's out like a light!"
"Let's call an ambulance!"
"We can't wait for that! Let's get him to the school in my car!"
"Kuraudo! Hang in there!"
Ayato dematerialized Ryuuzetsu with a sigh, expressing a mixture of exasperation and admiration.
"He won't show weakness to his opponents. That's one stubborn guy."
"You're not much different."
"Whoa!" Suddenly, his legs were swept out from under him, leading to him falling on his backside.
"Wh-What are you doing, Stella?"
"Don't talk big when you don't even have it in you to stand up."
"Ugh." Far from being able to walk, Ayato wasn't in a condition to even stand back up. He turned away sheepishly.
"So you noticed."
"Of course I did. How is it that you let people mess you up like this every day?! If you've got a crazy hidden technique like that, break it out sooner!"
"Don't be silly. Above all else, that's the Last Samurai's ultimate technique; no matter how you look at it, I can't just whip it out flawlessly on my first try. If I didn't tire Kurashiki out first and slow down his swordplay, he would've chopped me right up."
"At least fight so you don't get hurt as much next time. Jeez…" Stella sighed and handed her bag over to Ayase.
"I brought an emergency first-aid kit. Would you mind stopping the bleeding, Ayatsuji? This kind of thing is better left to the lady of the dojo. While you do that, I'll call a teacher to come meet us. There's no way Ayato's getting on a train looking like that."
"O-Okay! I'll take care of it!" Ayase gladly took the bag. Inside, there were general first-aid items such as bandages and antiseptics she could use to perform some amount of treatment.
"Thank you, Kurogane." Ayase tightly grasped his hand and expressed her heartfelt thanks as she patched him up
.
"Thanks to you, I finally understand my father's true feelings. I thought I knew him better than anyone, but I actually didn't understand him at all."
"I disagree."
"Huh?"
"The only reason I won was because you have every last detail of your father's style memorized. Nobody knows Kaito as well as you do, Ayatsuji. You're the one who most deserves to carry on his spirit."
Was that true? Ayase didn't know, but she certainly wished it to be.
"Then I'd better get stronger. That way, I can take pride in myself as his successor.
Once I do, maybe… I'll be able to defeat that boy myself one day." Her eyes were resolute. Ayase would never lose herself again; she had rediscovered her pride once and for all.
Ayato smiled, relieved, as he looked upon her.
"I look forward to that day."Ayato smiled, relieved, as he looked upon her. He, too, prayed that the future she spoke of would become reality.
…
While leaving the Dojo, Ayato saw a glint of silver which was at the dojo gate to see a foreign young woman with silver hair who looked to be slightly older than him if he had to guess.
The young man was looking up at the school building before realising Ayato's presence as she turned to look at him with blue transparent eyes. she smiled as she spoke to Ayato,
"Hey, Hagun's a good school you have for a blazer school."
"Yeah…" Ayato replied with slight smile, something was off as he spoke
"I am Valerica. The Hakuryuukou- Vanishing dragon."
"And I am Ayato Kurozakuro Sparda." Ayato followed suit, also casual. "The Sekiryuutei— Welsh Dragon."
"This is the second time we have met here in years, huh, Welsh Dragon— Sekiryuutei. Ayato Kurozakuro." Vali noted.
"I know, I knew you were here because I remembered your presence from the first time I saw you, Vanishing Dragon— Hakuryuukou. Valerica, my old friend." Ayato informed him.
Small talk. That way you could describe their words. Their conversation was like two acquaintances chatting after a while. But their expressions were that of two predators preparing themselves to strike. Valerica decided to slowly approach him, still wearing his cold smile.
"I'm sure I don't need to explain why I'm here." Valerica told him.
"I'm sure I don't need to explain why I came to where I knew I'd find you." Ayato said back.
"There can be only one answer. It's the destiny of both the Red and White Dragons to fight after they have met." Valerica added.
"And this time around it's our turn." Ayato added.
"So it would seem." Valerica finished, stopping once he was right in front of him.
At the moment when Valerica stopped, he reached out his hand. "You're more vulnerable than I expected, that could cost you your life you know?" His hand was closing in and stopped as she pointed towards Ayato's forehead, stopping only after it was less than an inch away from contact. "That's right. For example, if I begin to do something magical to you here—"
The moment Valerica's hand was close to Ayato's nose two swords were thrust towards the young woman's neck.
Yuuto and Xenovia were the ones who appeared in that instant, holding their swords of choice towards Valerica, Ayato more shocked at not feeling their presence at all beforehand.
Both Knight's eyes were pointed, to the point of being scary as Yuuto spoke first "I don't know what you plan to do but don't you think your joke went too far?"
"I can't let you start your rival showdown with the Sekiryuutei here, Hakuryuukou." Xenovia added
"It's fine to boast. But not knowing the difference between your opponent's strength is strong evidence. —Between me and you, there is a decisive difference in power. You who couldn't win against the likes of Kokabiel wouldn't stand a chance against me." Valerica warned them. "Interfering in a fight between a Dragon often leads to a quick death."
"You two." Ayato spoke out, getting their attention. "Not that I don't appreciate the thought, but this guy is out of your league. Lower your weapons or you'll be dead before you'll know which direction he hit you from."
Deciding to heed his warning, the two knights took their Swords away from Valerica's neck and stepped back.
"Kurogane Ayato, what rank do you think your strength is in this world?
"Counting from the top in your best condition while using your complete Balance Breaker & Long sought metamorphosis enduring being bound by high-pressure frozen air for six years, it would be a 2 digit number- between 250 to 50. No, with your power being so inconsistent for the spiritually strong owner and descendant of Sparda, it should be much higher?"
"There are a lot of strong people in this world. Even the Crimson Satan, Sirzechs Lucifer won't fit in the top ten." Valerica added as he raised one finger as he continued "However, the first place is decided. -It's a fixed existence."
"Are you saying you met the top ranker?" Ayato question, interested.
Valerica smiles coyly at his question. "Indeed I have. You'll meet them before long as well, I'm sure of it. After all, Ayato Kurozakuro, you're a valuable existence. Not only as the Welsh Dragon but because you're the heir to Three strong bloodlines that is the Kurogane,Kuchiki & Sparda." She then looks in the direction behind Ayato. "Don't you think so too, Stella Vermillion Gremory?"
Looking behind him Ayato saw that Valerica had been looking at Stella who was displeased, Akeno, Asia and Koneko standing around her, Asia looking troubled while the other two looked ready for a fight.
"Hakuryuukou, what's the meaning of this? If you're having ties with the fallen angels then contact more than required is-"
" -'The two heavenly dragons,' the dragons called that way. Welsh Dragon and Vanishing Dragon. In the past those related didn't live a satisfactory life. -How will you end up?"
Upon Vali's words Stella' was stopped, Ayato noting the concern on her face as Vali continued "I didn't come here to fight today. I just wanted to see the school I visited last time. I came to Japan while escorting Azazel, but I was bored. I won't fight the Welsh dragon here, not to mention- I have a lot of work to do."
"Hold it." Ayato called him out. "I just have one question; you're not a Human, are you?"
Valerica stopped but didn't turn around.
"Ayato, What do you mean?" Stella asked, concerned.
"The thing that first drew me to you was your insanely high magic power, it was easily one of the biggest I've ever felt and that's saying a lot." Ayato elaborated. "There's no way an ordinary Human that's around my age could be that strong, even with a Longinus."
"Actually, there is one." Valerica corrected him, amused. "But it's not me."
"What?" Ayato thought, unnerved by what Vali was implying.
"You're right though. I'm only half Human, as for the other half though…" Valerica turned her head and grinned. "That's really none of your business."
After that the Vanishing Dragon turned on her heels and left but the thread of nervousness still hung in the air. Yuuto and Xenovia sheathed their swords but there was no relief to their expression.
…
The Cryo Gale Sword Emperor Uses Magic Sword Games to Defeat Ace of Donrou, Sword Eater!
The next day, the Hagun Academy Bulletin proudly published the event.
Kagami Kusakabe had written the article, complete with pictures taken from a hidden vantage point.
She had happened to catch the scent of a scoop when she'd heard Ayato and Ayase talking during their match, so she'd kept her eye on them for the rest of the day, even following them and Stella to the dojo the day after.
"A journalist is indistinguishable from a professional stalker!" she claimed. Ayato was astonished that she'd exposed everything that had happened without him even beginning to sense her presence.
The article made waves throughout Hagun, which was to be expected considering his opponent was a school's ace.
Even if his Magic sword games were the only reason he'd won, nobody could call Ayato's victory against a quarterfinalist a fluke.
Those who were still prejudiced against him were left without a leg to stand on; nobody in Hagun could question his strength any longer.
"Who's stronger? The student council president, Raikiri, or the Cryo Sword Emperor?"
No one knew who had first asked that question, but it had piqued the curiosity of all the students at Hagun Academy. Raikiri—Touka Toudou—had been a semifinalist; she must have been stronger. But if anyone would be able to beat her, it was the Cryo Gale Sword Emperor.
"No, he wouldn't."
"Yes, he would."
"No."
"Yes."
The debate was heated enough that within a week, everyone had grown desperate to see them fight.
One evening, about a week after Ayato's fight with the Sword Eater, he and Stella sat down on a bench together, resting after having finished their daily training in the forest clearing. As they sat down, Ayato received an email from Ayase in his student handbook. Amazingly, her father, Kaito Ayatsuji, had finally woken up.
"Huh? Ayatsuji's dad woke up?!"
"Sounds like it."
"That's great timing!"
"Yeah. She's just as surprised as we are. Look at this." Ayato showed Stella the email.
"Dad woke up!"
"Wow, you weren't kidding," Stella said.
"Just look at all those exclamation marks. There are almost as many of those as there are episodes of Dragon Orb."
"Well, as long as she's happy, right?" Ayato and the gang hadn't seen Ayase since the day of the fight. After she'd returned to school that day, she said,
"I put way too much weight on your shoulders, Kurozakuro.
I should at least take responsibility for what I did to you." She gave herself up to the Selection Battle Committee, confessing to having cheated during her battle with Ayato.
She wasn't expelled thanks to Ms. Oreki's intervention and the fact that she had admitted to it on her own, but she was removed from the selection pool and suspended from school for ten days.
Nonetheless, Ayato and Stella appreciated the email, as it confirmed she was doing well.
"But now that her dad's awake, it'll be hard for her to come back."
"Yeah…" Kaito had been comatose for two whole years, his body deteriorating all the while; his rehabilitation was sure to be a difficult process. Plus, he still had his heart condition. Ayase most likely wanted to spend time with him while she could.
"Guess we won't see her in our training sessions anymore," Ayato sighed.
"It's kinda sad."
"That's just how it is, though." It was a miracle in itself that Kaito had woken up after the doctors told her he wouldn't make it past winter.
"They may not have much longer together, but I hope they make the most of the time they have."
"Yeah. Ooh, a phone call." As Stella looked up at the evening sky, making a wish for Ayase and Kaito's happiness, Ayato's handbook suddenly started ringing. The caller happened to be the subject of their conversation, Ayase Ayatsuji.
"Hello?"
"Is this Ayato Kurozakuro? Ayase told me about you. Get over here, marry my daughter, and inherit my dojo!"
Wham!
"You wake up after two whole years and this is how you act?! Sorry for the pointless phone call, Kurozakuro! I let him do it because he said he was just going to thank you!"
"Hahaha! There's no need to hide it, Ayase. You love this boy! A father can tell; trust me. When you talked about him, you sounded just like your mother when she was head-over-heels for me!"
"Aaah! Aaaaah! Shut up, shut up! You've got it all wrong!"
"Don't be embarrassed. Now that I'm awake, I have to make up for two lost years of matchmaking—"
"How about you sleep for two more years?!"
"Urfgh! Gah…"
"K-K-Kurogane! Forget he said anything! Bye!
" Click. Beep. Beep.
"I get the feeling Kaito won't be dying anytime soon," Ayato sighed again. "I was just thinking the same thing," Stella replied. "Still, it seems like things wrapped up pretty well, didn't they?"
"Yep!" The dojo was Ayase's again, and Kaito was finally awake. It was a shame that Ayase wouldn't come to train anymore, but that didn't mean they would never see her again.
The whole affair with the Ayatsuji Dojo had been their sole concern since the assault at the family restaurant, so it was nice that things had calmed down.
"Things are a lot quieter with one less person around," Ayato noted. "Well," Stella began, "we're actually three people short today."
"True, I guess." Not only was Ayase gone, but Shizuku and Alisuin hadn't shown up to training sessions either.
"It's not all that rare for Alice to be absent," Stella noted, "but even Shizuku is missing today."
"Yeah. Maybe she's not feeling well." "I guess that means we're alone, huh?" Stella silently wrapped her hands around Ayato's.
She turned her wet ruby eyes up toward him, gazing into his eyes.
After their trip to the public pool, their relationship was… still rather platonic, but both of them had started showing their affection through small gestures, so it was gradually making progress.
Beneath the setting sun, the couple's shadows slowly came closer and closer.
"Stella…"
"Ayato…"
"Ayato… " The pair let out a "Huh?" as they turned their heads toward the third voice. Alisuin was trying to get in on their kiss from the side.
"Mwah… Oh? You're not going to kiss?"
"AaaaaaaaAAAAaaaAAH!" Stella and Ayato both fell off the bench in shock.
"A-Alice?! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Whoopsie! I figured maybe you two would be into a three-way kiss."
"We would not!" they cried in unison. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! You're both so cute when you're this red. Ahaha!" The couple's reaction was so funny to Alice that tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.
"But my, oh my, am I surprised. You used to be two prickly little hedgehogs, and now you're going at it like rabbi—"
"W-W-W-W-We haven't gone that far!"
"Oh, really? Well, you're still making big progress, considering you're used to public displays of affection now."
"Alice, did you really notice that we were dating?"
"Well, I had a hunch. This just confirmed it!"
"Ngh." Stella's expression soured. She must have thought that Alice, who was very well-connected—she was friends with boys and girls from all over the school— knowing their secret wouldn't end well. Her eyes seemed to plead,
"Do you think it's too late to trick her?!" Yes, it was clearly way too late. Even so, Ayato believed that if they calmly explained their circumstances, Alice wouldn't spread the news all over the school. Thus, he forced himself to talk, telling himself that he had to spill the beans right then and there.
"Hey, Alice. Could you keep this—"
"I know, I know. Don't worry. I can keep my mouth shut." Alice put her index finger to her lips and winked, promising her silence. She really was a great person; she'd gotten even Shizuku to like her, after all.
"I'll just enjoy the show from my front-row seat, if you don't mind." Or maybe she wasn't so great. Maybe the world would have been better off if she were to get kicked square in the face by a horse.
"Ugh…" Stella groaned. "We messed up by letting you see us like this, but the silver lining is that at least Shizuku isn't here."
"Seriously. By the way, Alice, is Shizuku not with you?"
"Right. I got too caught up playing ONE with my fans, so I just got here a little late. Shizuku, however, has been planning to train alone."
"Train alone"?
"Huh. It's unusual for Shizuku to leave Ayato alone. And by choice, even."
"Well, considering her next opponent, she's probably bracing herself for what's to come."
"Oh? Has her next opponent already been revealed?"
"My, my. You two don't know yet?" Ayato looked over to Stella with a questioning glance, to which she shook her head. He didn't know either, of course.
"Alice, who's her next opponent?" Ayato asked, slightly concerned.
"You said 'considering her next opponent', so they must be pretty tough." In response, Alice frowned, deep in thought.
"'Tough' doesn't begin to describe her. She's the strongest student in this academy, after all."
Meanwhile, at the sixth training field… From noon to 5:00 p.m., the grounds were used for Seven Stars Battle Festival selection battles. After that, they were used as individual arenas for free-to-fight battle royales.
The fights were carried out with Devices in Phantom Form, but there were no other concrete rules, allowing students to fight freely, unlike in class.
Students who opted out of the selection battles were the first to join in, of course.
That was why the training fields were usually bustling with battle later in the evenings.
That, however, was not the case.
There was no bustle, and the heat of battle was absent.
Freezing cold seemed to envelop the sixth training field, but that came as no surprise; all of the student knights in the arena had been turned into ice sculptures.
"Wh-What's with her?"
"She's a monster…"
"That one girl really took out fifty people…?" The students in the audience spoke with quivering voices, discussing the events that had started only ten minutes prior.
A single first-year student had entered the arena and spoken to every knight present.
"I want you all to fight me right now," she'd told them. They'd accepted her challenge, ready to rake the cocky first-year over the coals, but it resulted in their complete destruction.
Not a single one of them was able to even touch the girl occupying the very center of the ring: Shizuku Kurogane, the girl known as Lorelei.
...