Chapter 245: Saikyo Nene!
The robbery incident was over.
When Smile ordered to open fire on the hostages, Luke did not intend to play along anymore.
The stars surrounding the entire venue turned into streaks of sword light, instantly disarming the members of the Rebellion.
Of course, he didn't deliver a killing blow; including Smile, Luke at most just knocked them unconscious.
And that sword technique, which looked like the descent of the stars, was deeply etched into the hearts of Stella, Ikki, and the others present at the time.
...
The end of this weekend heralded the start of the representative selection matches.
The schedule for the selection matches was not one match a day, and it didn't even have a regular timeframe.
The only certainty was that there would be a match about every three days.
The first matches for Luke and the others were all on the first day; only Ikki's match was scheduled for the second day.
Every participating contestant had to register before their first match.
At this moment, Luke came to the counter outside the preparation room to register.
"Year One Class One, student Luke... Alright, confirmation is complete. Take your student handbook back."
The staff member in charge of registration scanned Luke's student handbook on the machine next to them before handing it back to him.
"This match is your first battle, so let me first explain the rules of the 'selection matches'."
"The representative selection matches adopt the same actual combat format as the 'Seven Stars Sword Art Festival'."
"It is a one-on-one duel, with no time limit, and contestants are allowed to forfeit."
"During the match, contestants are not strictly required to use the illusionary form of their Device, so depending on the actual situation, there may be life-threatening situations."
"Of course, just in case, there will be multiple teachers and staff members around the arena, and depending on the situation, the referee may also forcibly terminate the match."
"Even so, it is impossible to one-hundred percent guarantee the safety of the participating contestants, and situations of accidental death still exist."
"If you fully understand what I have just said and are willing to bear the consequences yourself, please click 'Confirm' on the screen."
After listening to the staff member's explanation, Luke looked at the contract on the machine's screen in front of him, which resembled a life-and-death waiver, and chose 'Confirm' without hesitation.
Originally, there was nothing to hesitate about in this kind of matter; he wouldn't shrink back because of a life-and-death waiver.
The selection matches stipulated that contestants had to enter the preparation room twenty minutes in advance to standby, so Luke intended to go straight into the preparation room after completing all the registration procedures.
Right at this moment, a childish voice came from behind him.
"My, my~ No hesitation at all, how truly manly~ Well... for you, this is only natural, isn't it~"
"Hm? Oh... It's Nene-sensei."
Turning his head, Luke immediately saw that petite figure.
Luke naturally recognized Saikyo Nene, this world-renowned powerhouse, and this was not the first time she had come looking for him.
Ever since discovering at the beginning of the school year that her master's wish had been traded for such a little monster, Saikyo Nene had taken an interest in the boy.
Subjected to the other party's harassment every other day, Luke had come to gain a certain understanding of this Miss "Yaksha Princess" who, from the outside, looked completely like a loli.
"My, my, although I originally thought it was unlikely, I was quite looking forward to you hesitating a bit."
"Without the restriction of forcing the use of the Illusionary Form, the number of students who hesitate here is surprisingly large~"
Watching Nene shaking her head as if she genuinely felt regret, Luke said exasperatedly:
"If you want to see hesitation, go find someone else. There are so many participating students, enough for you to watch for a whole afternoon."
"Fufu, b~u~t, I just want to see yours~" Accompanied by a coquettish tone, Nene instantly disappeared from her spot.
"How about it, are you interested in coming to my room tonight for a special lesson~"
Instantly arriving in front of the boy, Nene leaned directly into his embrace.
She nestled against his chest like a little bird, her phoenix eyes glancing slightly upward at the boy as she voiced her temptation:
"I also want to taste the flavor of youth while I'm at it~"
However, Luke, who had prepared early on, shifted his footing and spun behind her, while his right hand swiftly grabbed toward the kimono sash at Nene's waist.
"Waaahhhh, what are you doing?!"
Luke's action gave Nene a fright. She disappeared from the spot again, instantly pulling a distance away from the boy.
"This is a kimono! There's nothing underneath! What if you really pulled the sash off!!!"
Looking at her somewhat panicked expression and slightly reddened cheeks, Luke sighed somewhat helplessly and said:
"If you get shy, then don't pretend to be someone who's 'seen it all before.'"
"At first, I really thought you were that type, but later I realized every move you make to seduce others is just an act."
"Just now too—although it looked like you were leaning against me, in reality only your hand was touching me."
"If you didn't have to stay alert to make sure I didn't actually take advantage of you, how could I have so easily gotten behind you?"
After being harassed by her over the past few days, Luke had already noticed that this seemingly uninhibited 'Yaksha Princess' was actually quite conservative.
After all, whenever she teased others, she was always very careful not to let them touch her—basically, "I can touch you, but you can't touch me."
"Put simply, you just want to see people blush from being teased by you."
"Or rather, you want to see their reaction after they take your words seriously and then realize you were just messing with them, right?"
"You're a teacher, after all… is it really okay to do something this perverted to your students?"
"Ugh… that's not true at all!"
Hearing Luke's words, Nene waved her little fists in dissatisfaction.
"I'm famous for having a messy private life! Gossip shows talk about it all the time!"
"…That's not exactly something to be proud of, is it?"
Luke rubbed his forehead helplessly, almost too tired to even comment.
"Honestly, you're the one who spread those rumors yourself, aren't you?"
"For someone as strong as you to get followed and have gossip dug up… forget me, anyone with a brain wouldn't believe that."
"Guh… you're really not cute at all."
Having been exposed by the boy, Nene puffed up her cheeks in annoyance.
Combined with her petite figure and youthful appearance, she really did give off the vibe of a cute little girl.
"Anyway, even if I was just pretending to seduce you, your reaction is way too cold!"
"A cute little girl throwing herself into your arms, and you can still calmly analyze the situation—how?!"
"Are you even a man?!"
Hearing Nene's exasperated questioning, Luke blinked innocently and replied:
"But you weren't actually planning to do anything with me, were you?"