Chapter 380 - The Reappearing Kusanagi!

Chapter 380: The Reappearing Kusanagi!

"You and I aren't familiar enough to need a pre-battle conversation, and neither of us has that kind of personality…"

While the commentator praised the two of them to heat up the atmosphere, Luke and Ouma also exchanged a few words.

The one who spoke was Ouma.

In Luke's eyes, the current him was completely different from the person he had seen back at Hagun.

Although he was still just as cold, his aura was entirely different.

"Originally, there was no need for us to communicate too much… but I still have to say thank you."

Hearing Ouma's words, and sensing his current realm, Luke could not help feeling slightly surprised.

But immediately afterward, he smiled.

"You arranged this match?"

Luke did not believe the match arrangements for such a large tournament were purely random.

If they really used random draws, the operating committee and sponsors would be the first ones to jump out and stop it.

Not only would that make them lose money terribly, it would also worsen the audience's viewing experience.

Whether emotionally or logically, randomness was impossible.

Moreover, the audience was not stupid either.

In modern society, anyone who had received a normal education could see through this much.

So Ouma did not hide it either and directly nodded in admission.

"I asked Minister Tsukikage. He arranged it for me."

Ouma's explanation was within Luke's expectations, and Luke also knew why Tsukikage would help Ouma.

Among those who attacked Hagun, even Edelweiss had connections to Rebellion.

Only Ouma did not.

In truth, he did not have much of a relationship with Rebellion.

Aside from having once been beaten up by Tyrant and saved by Edelweiss, Ouma had no other connection to Rebellion.

He was actually Minister Tsukikage's man.

The mastermind behind this incident had been Tsukikage from the beginning.

Rebellion was merely the hired muscle he had brought in.

Ouma had participated in the plan as combat support from Tsukikage's side.

He looked at Luke, thought briefly, then used the gap while the commentator was building up the atmosphere to explain why he had done this.

"I originally participated in this plan only to fight Crimson Princess. As for why… you should know."

"Now, my problem has been resolved. And the result even surpassed my imagination."

"No matter what, I wanted to thank you face-to-face."

"By fighting me?"

Luke raised an eyebrow.

"I think that method suits people like us better."

Ouma responded without backing down, wearing a provocative smile.

In that smile, the trace of fear that had once been hidden extremely deeply had now disappeared.

What replaced it was a power familiar to Luke.

"Originally, after achieving my goal, I no longer had any reason to stay."

"I'm not interested in Rebellion or Minister Tsukikage's plan. I didn't actually need to participate in this so-called Sword Art Festival anymore."

At this point, Ouma's smile grew even wider.

Luke himself might not know it, but among the audience, anyone familiar with Luke had seen a similar smile before.

It was the fanatical smile of a swordsman facing an approaching battle.

"But if I left just like that, I probably wouldn't be satisfied."

"Do you still remember what you said to me?"

Ouma's fighting spirit gradually infected Luke, and a similar smile began to appear on his face.

At some point, the commentator's voice vanished.

The cheers of the audience vanished as well.

Two towering sword intents collided wildly in the air, and enormous pressure swept across the entire Bay Dome arena.

Sharp sword energy was like blades and swords dancing through the sky.

Although the audience could not possibly be harmed thanks to the protection of many strong fighters led by Kurono, even so, they were so tense they could not speak.

Everyone felt as though a blade had been placed directly against their necks.

'I hope that the next time we meet, you'll be able to ignite my fighting spirit.'

That was the final sentence Luke had left Ouma at the time.

And now…

"I'm here!"

Boom—!

With Ouma's final words, the stage centered around the two of them shattered with a thunderous crash.

Just the clash of their auras caused large-scale cracks to appear across the stage floor, which was sturdy enough to withstand a full-force bombardment from professional Mage-Knights.

The appearance of this phenomenon made the spectators, including the commentator, hold their breath.

And after that, Ouma moved first!

He knew he could not defeat Luke in terms of aura, so he chose to seize the initiative without hesitation.

The odachi-shaped Device, Ryuuzume, instantly manifested in his hand.

Wild winds coiled around the blade, and a faint glow flickered along it.

Then—

Whoosh—!

Ouma held Ryuuzume and swung a horizontal slash toward Luke with all his strength!

At this moment, Luke and Ouma were each standing at their starting positions.

With the length of the blade in Ouma's hand, he could not possibly reach Luke from that distance.

But in the next moment—

Shhh—!

An invisible blade of wind cut through the air and rushed toward Luke at extreme speed.

Shinkuuha or Vacuum Blade.

This Noble Art was the most basic attack method for wind users.

It had long attack range, considerable destructive power, and as an invisible attack, its slashing trajectory could not be directly observed.

Although it was basic, it was very effective.

Moreover, when this technique was used by Ouma, it had a completely different level of power compared to ordinary wind users.

With the support of sword energy, sword intent, and even other abilities, that simple strike contained terrifying might.

However…

To the current Luke, this could not even be considered a probe.

Bang—!

With a muffled sound, the incoming Vacuum Blade was directly crushed to pieces by Luke's left hand, which was wrapped in Prana.

If this strike truly had been a probing method Ouma intended to use, then there would probably be no need to continue this battle.

So naturally, Ouma had another purpose.

This strike was not actually a declaration of battle, but the ending to the conversation between the two of them.

Because from that simple strike, Luke sensed Ouma's meaning.

He felt that trace.

No, it could not even be called a trace, but it was still a power that barely existed.

Wind Sword Domain!

Ouma had used this strike to ask Luke a question in return.

'Do I, as I am now, have the qualifications to ignite your fighting spirit?'

"Interesting."

Luke looked at the stance Ouma had taken and smiled as he summoned Starfall Sword.

At the same time, Ouma, who received Luke's response, fully released his fighting spirit.

A storm that reached heaven and earth gathered upon Ryuuzume.

The air trembled.

The ground shook.

The sword of hurricane that devoured all things appeared once again.

And this time, Ouma, who had retrieved all his power from fear and even taken another step forward, swung out a strike far stronger than any he had ever used before!

"Kusanagi!"

…

Chapter 381: The Gap in Power!

Boom—!

The violent sword of hurricane roared toward Luke with an unmatched force.

Even before the attack landed, the raging winds had already caused serious destruction across the entire arena.

If several professional Mage-Knights had not worked together to block the aftermath, the spectators in the stands would probably have suffered heavy casualties.

From the very beginning, a full-power secret technique!

Ouma had no intention of probing at all.

The moment he struck, it shook heaven and earth.

This strike had already far surpassed the proper level of the Seven Star Sword Art Festival.

Among this year's competitors, there were only a handful of people capable of taking this strike without losing.

Before a natural disaster, humans seemed so small.

Many spectators had already determined in their hearts that with this single Kusanagi, Ouma was fully capable of defeating Luke.

Then, in the next instant, a shocking scene appeared.

Whoosh—!

Sword light flashed like a blue shooting star cutting across the sky.

That hurricane sword reaching from earth to heaven was split in two in an instant, turning into scattered wind blades that vanished into the air.

Clack—!

The sword returned to its sheath.

The sound of Starfall Sword sliding back into its sheath was not loud, but to the surrounding audience, it was incredibly clear.

The current Luke, under the dual enhancement of mana and Prana, could unleash enough power with just an ordinary iai slash to crush someone else's secret technique.

Under the effect of his severing ability, large-range attacks that had once been rather troublesome for him were no longer a threat.

A shocking Noble Art.

An astonishing iai slash.

Luke and Ouma's opening clash was even grander than the final confrontations of other competitors.

However, while the audience was stunned, Luke was not.

Starfall Sword, which had just returned to its sheath, was drawn once again, using the impact from the blade's release to scatter the wild winds around him.

Then, with his left foot as the axis, Luke spun his entire body halfway around and suddenly slashed behind him!

And appearing in front of the trajectory of his sword strike was Ouma, who should have still been standing opposite him at some distance!

Perhaps in the eyes of the audience, the Kusanagi released by Ouma had been terrifyingly powerful.

But before he even attacked, Ouma himself had understood that this strike could not possibly harm Luke.

He knew how powerful Luke was.

So the moment he swung out Kusanagi, he had already prepared his next strike.

Ouma's ability was to control "wind."

His development of his own ability was also extremely deep.

Eliminating air resistance was easy for him.

Even while holding an odachi, a weapon far heavier than ordinary swords, Ouma could still display astonishing speed.

And then came…

A full-power strike!

Boom—!

The instant Luke and Ouma's blades clashed, a massive explosion rang directly into the sky!

It was a thunderous impact that could no longer be described as a mere "sound."

Produced by the collision of their blades, it was a true "shockwave"!

A tremendous roar accompanied by a violent physical impact swept across the entire dome in an instant.

This time, even those professional Mage-Knights failed to block the aftermath.

They, along with the spectators pressed against the railings at the front of the stands, were directly sent flying by the "loud sound."

The scene was extremely tragic.

For a moment, countless people flew through the air.

If Kurono had not acted in time and stopped time, quite a few people would likely have been injured.

However, Luke and Ouma's exchange had not ended yet!

Boom—!

With the first strike, the two blew away the professional Mage-Knights and spectators around the arena.

Boom—!

With the second strike, they shattered the entire stage, forcing the audience as a whole to retreat backward.

Boom—!

With the third strike, crushed stone flew through the air, the earth churned, the entire venue seemed to tremble, and all the glass shattered in response.

Boom—!

The fourth strike was also the grandest strike of them all!

And it was also the final strike of this round of exchanges between the two!

Bang—!

Rumble—!

Along with a muffled sound like thunder, Ouma was directly sent flying backward, smashing hard into the wall in front of the audience stands.

Luke, meanwhile, stood at the center of the explosion from just now and did not move a single step.

"T-Too intense!"

Only then did the commentator finally return to his senses.

He barely managed to fulfill his duty in a trembling voice.

"Is this really a sound that can be produced by clashing blades?!"

"That tremendous roar, that impact—it was practically like a missile exploding!"

As long as the commentator recalled that apocalyptic scene just now, he could not help trembling.

He no longer knew how to continue the commentary.

Because he discovered that he simply could not use language to describe his current feelings.

At this moment, Ouma also climbed out from the collapsed wall ruins.

He shook his somewhat numb right hand, picked up his Device again, and walked back.

Like Luke, he was completely unharmed.

However, Ouma understood in his heart that this was only because Luke had held back.

He had understood the size of the gap between their realms the instant they exchanged blows.

Luke had given him a chance to show himself.

Or perhaps, he intended to enjoy the battle between swordsmen, so he had suppressed a considerable portion of his strength.

Even so, Ouma was still at an absolute disadvantage.

Feeling the Noble Art Tenryuu Armor, which had been almost completely shattered around him, Ouma finally understood what a true monster was.

He had already anticipated Luke's strength, so Ouma had worn Tenryuu Armor normally, instead of using it as he usually did to reverse-pressure himself.

Combined with his "abnormal" physical ability, Ouma's defense could no longer be described with the word terrifying.

One had to know that even Stella after Dragonification could only shatter his defense by relying on her over-standard mana quantity and the conceptual reinforcement of a dragon.

But what had Luke done just now?

Luke had actually only used a C-rank amount of mana, then relied on brute strength to smash through Ouma's defense and even sent him flying.

"This is simply… a monster even beyond Crimson Princess…"

"Without massive mana, without the so-called weight of fate, can a person still become this powerful?"

Ouma smiled.

He suppressed the thoughts that had appeared in his mind, reapplied Tenryuu Armor, and once again charged fearlessly toward Luke!

Luke, meanwhile, still stood in place, wearing a smile similar to Ouma's.

He had indeed held back.

During their exchange just now, Luke actually had no need to drag things out until the fourth sword before sending Ouma flying.

Whether it was Prana, the Sword Sheath of Tranquility, or even if he had used his severing ability, he could have ended the battle with the very first strike.

However, Luke had no intention of doing that.

After all, this was not a life-and-death slaughter, nor was it a battle that required him to use all his strength.

In Luke's eyes, this was a swordsman issuing a challenge to him.

So he decided to answer that challenge.

Just like how Edelweiss had once done for him, he would allow the challenger to fully display everything he had.

…

Chapter 382: The Gap in Swordsmanship!

Looking at Ouma charging over once again, Luke received his sword strike head-on just like before.

Boom—!

A heaven-shaking roar rang out once again!

However, this time, Ouma had no intention of repeating his earlier mistake.

This time, he changed from his previous two-handed grip and crossed swords with Luke using only his right hand, freeing his left hand.

Ouma's change also made Luke slightly surprised, but losing the strength of one hand also meant Ouma could no longer hold out against him for four whole strikes like before.

Two strikes, or perhaps even just one, would be enough for Luke to send him flying again.

Ouma was naturally not stupid.

Of course, he knew what using one hand meant.

So he did not hesitate in the slightest.

At the same moment Luke exerted strength to blow him away, Ouma clenched his left hand and slammed his fist heavily into the back of his Device, Ryuuzume!

Boom—!

A tremendous roar rang out like exploding thunder.

And this time, the one who retreated was finally Luke!

The secret art of the prestigious Kurogane Family, a national-protecting sword style passed down through generations.

Kyokujitsu Isshin-Ryuu: Extreme of Hardness: Honoikazuchi!

Feeling the tremendous force transmitted into his hand, even Luke felt no small amount of shock at this moment.

That was not pure brute force.

It was a unique method of exerting power that Luke had never seen before.

His right foot suddenly stomped backward with force.

At the same time he retreated one step, Luke guided the power Ouma had applied into the ground through transmission.

This secret-technique-level sword skill was easily neutralized by Luke at the cost of taking one step back.

However, Ouma's attack had not ended!

He seized the opportunity created by Luke's retreat.

While Luke's stance was slightly unstable because the ground had shattered beneath him, the Device in Ouma's hand turned into streaks of blade light that slashed at him continuously.

As though refusing to give Luke any chance to adjust his posture again, Ouma's offensive showed no sign of stopping.

One, five, fifteen, twenty.

Rapid and continuous, without breath, without pause, without end.

Kyokujitsu Isshin-Ryuu: Extreme of Ferocity: Amatsukaze!

A continuous attack formed by a cycle of one hundred and eight sword strikes.

By repeating this process countless times until it was carved into instinct, one could reach the highest speed.

It was a secret technique that suppressed the opponent through overwhelming attack density.

Clang—!

Clang, clang, clang, clang—!

A series of crisp sounds echoed continuously across the arena.

At a glance, it seemed as though Ouma held the advantage.

However, as the number of blade clashes increased, Ouma gradually began to feel pressure.

Luke's posture was wrong, his force was not flowing smoothly, and because of Ouma's chain attacks, he had even lost the initiative.

No matter how one looked at it, Luke should have been at a disadvantage.

But…

Not a single strike succeeded!

That was right.

Even with such a massive advantage, not a single one of Ouma's sword strikes successfully landed on Luke.

Starfall Sword was like a satellite orbiting around Luke, intercepting every single incoming blade without missing even one.

From left hand to right hand, then from right hand back to left hand.

Ouma stared at Luke's movement, and cold sweat could not help flowing down.

There was clearly only one sword.

But in Ouma's senses, Luke seemed as though he held a Starfall Sword in both his left and right hands.

One-handed dual wielding!

The trajectories of Luke's sword swings all followed specific routes, leaving not the slightest gap as Starfall Sword alternated between his two hands.

His movements were as beautiful as a sword dance.

The flowing sword light was like real stars orbiting around him.

Of course, Luke was not merely defending passively.

The sword technique Ouma used, Amatsukaze, was indeed extremely excellent.

But no matter what kind of sword technique it was, no matter how many years it had accumulated over, in the end, it was still a move woven by humans.

Within it, perfection did not exist!

Whoosh—!

As a flash of sword light passed, the situation suddenly changed under Luke's abruptly shifting sword momentum.

The instant Ouma's thirty-first Amatsukaze strike ended, Starfall Sword in Luke's right hand suddenly tapped Ryuuzume's blade from a strange angle.

Ding—!

This strike instantly destroyed the connection between Ouma's sword moves!

Immediately afterward, Luke did not hesitate in the slightest.

Under Ouma's shocked gaze, he directly slammed Starfall Sword into the Tenryuu Armor on Ouma's abdomen!

Boom—!

Because the strike landed directly on his body, without the obstruction of weapon force to block it, Ouma's entire body flew out like a cannonball!

Just like before, the flying Ouma slammed into the protective wall in front of the audience stands.

But unlike before, this time, the wall did not stop him.

Rumble—!

Accompanied by a series of thunderous crashes, Ouma directly smashed through the wall.

Then, without the slightest sign of stopping, he destroyed reinforced concrete and steel structures all the way through, ultimately flying out of the venue!

This time, it was not a victory of strength.

It was crushing domination through swordsmanship.

And this astonishing scene completely made the audience boil over.

"Wh-What just happened?!"

"You've got to be kidding! His whole body flew out?!"

It was not only the spectators inside the dome who were shocked.

The same was true outside the dome.

Because this Sword Emperor duel was simply too explosive, many spectators had failed to buy tickets.

These spectators could only watch the large screen outside the dome and listen to the live broadcast.

And then…

They personally saw the scene of Ouma smashing through the wall and flying out.

"H-Holy crap!!!"

"Th-This is way too exaggerated! Is he still alive after that?!"

Feeling the intense emotions inside and outside the venue, the commentator finally recovered from that shocking scene.

No longer suppressing his excitement, he shouted loudly through the broadcast.

"Too shocking!!!"

"Competitor Ouma didn't just fly out of the stage. He flew straight out of the dome!"

"Ah… oh, pardon me. The stage disappeared a long time ago."

"I have worked as a commentator for A-rank League events for over ten years, but even I have only seen such a spectacular scene once before!"

"I never imagined that I would see it for a second time in a student competition!"

"This is a battle between Sword Emperors! This is a battle between A-ranks! I can no longer find the perfect words to describe the current situation!"

"However, judging from the distance he flew, can competitor Ouma return to the battle zone within the countdown?!"

The victory conditions of the Seven Star Sword Art Festival were not limited to defeating one's opponent.

If an opponent was knocked out of the battle zone and failed to return within ten seconds, that would also count as victory.

The commentator's emotions were excited, and the audience's shouts were extremely heated.

But at this moment, Ouma, who was lying outside, had no mind to care about those things.

He merely gazed silently up at the sky, quietly listening to the surrounding noise.

'This really is… completely impossible to win.'

Ouma recalled his current state.

This seemed to be the third time.

The first time was when he faced Tyrant.

That defeat carved the mark known as fear into him.

The second time was when he faced Dragonified Stella.

That time allowed him to successfully overcome his fear.

And the third time… was now.

Thinking of this, Ouma smiled.

Listening to the faint countdown coming from the distant venue, a storm began to coil around him once again.

…

Chapter 383: The Twin-Wings Sword Style That Shocked the Entire Arena!

"Three! Four! Five!"

The countdown echoed throughout the arena.

However, Luke, who was inside the battle zone, turned a deaf ear to it.

He merely stood there quietly, looking in the direction where he had blasted Ouma away.

Until a gust of wild wind blew over.

Watching Ouma being launched back from the distance by a storm, Luke smiled.

Ouma was not unharmed.

Luke's strike just now had directly shattered his Tenryuu Armor and mana armor.

So Ouma, who had been thrown all the way out of the arena with only his bare body, looked extremely miserable on the outside.

The clothes on his upper body had already disappeared, and wounds of all sizes covered him.

However, although he looked miserable, the actual damage to Ouma was not too serious.

This kind of impact might have been fatal to others, but to people like Luke and Ouma, whose physical abilities were far beyond ordinary humans, it was not much.

As Ouma returned to the battle zone, the countdown also stopped at seven seconds.

Luke looked at Ouma as he firmly walked toward him, then suddenly asked,

"What is your reason for returning to the battlefield now?"

Luke's question made Ouma pause.

He fell silent for several seconds, then answered,

"…In truth, it isn't some reason worth mentioning."

"When I was little, I participated in a competition held within the Kurogane Family. The first time I won, I was very happy."

"So I thought, if I could become the strongest person in the world… that would definitely be extremely enjoyable."

"To put it directly, victory… no, becoming stronger itself is what makes me happy."

"My reason is just that simple."

Ouma himself did not think this was anything worth bragging about.

It was selfish, small, and not noble at all.

But what had supported him all the way to today was precisely this tiny wish.

Listening to Ouma's answer, an indescribable emotion flashed through Luke's eyes.

Only after a long while did he sigh with emotion.

"It really does feel nice… to have someone walking the same path."

Although they were not exactly the same, Ouma and Luke truly were very similar.

Luke smiled, then raised Starfall Sword again and pointed it at Ouma.

"You once wondered how I could contend with Edelweiss, right?"

Luke had not actually intended to use the Twin-Wings Sword Style in this match.

First, there was no need.

Second, it was a bit too conspicuous.

Unlike Hagun Academy's internal matches, among those who came to watch the Seven Star Sword Art Festival, there was no shortage of well-informed professional Mage-Knights.

Although not many people had seen Edelweiss's swordsmanship, it would inevitably be recognized here.

Better to avoid trouble when possible.

Luke had originally intended to keep a somewhat low profile before the semifinals.

Although he was already used to being investigated and watched, it was still not a good thing.

It might even disturb his time with Edelweiss.

But now, he had changed his mind slightly.

Ouma's words had touched him.

So Luke decided to answer his doubt.

"Prepare yourself."

There was no need for Luke to say more.

The instant he opened his mouth, Ouma had already made his preparations.

The immense pressure rushing toward him was more useful than any verbal warning.

At this moment, Luke seemed to have become a different person.

The sharp sword intent radiating from him was completely different from before.

So Ouma, having sensed this, focused his entire mind and prepared to defend.

However…

It had no effect.

Pfft—!

A huge wound appeared across Ouma's chest.

And Luke's figure impossibly appeared behind him.

Invisible to the eye.

Soundless and traceless.

No need to accelerate.

Extreme motion and stillness, rising directly from zero to one hundred.

It was precisely the Twin-Wings Sword Style!

…

"Wh-What exactly just happened?!"

The sudden change on the field shocked every spectator, and even the announcer at the commentary desk could not help crying out.

"When I saw competitor Ouma return to the battle zone, I thought I would see another exceptionally intense exchange like before."

"B-But… competitor Luke suddenly appeared behind competitor Ouma, and that wound…"

"D-Did competitor Luke launch an attack?!"

"I'm ashamed to say it, but his speed was simply too fast. I couldn't see what happened at all!!!"

Although this announcer's own strength could not be considered powerful, he was a regular announcer for the KOK A-rank League.

His experience could genuinely be called world-class.

And the commentary booth he was in was located in midair.

Not only did it have a good field of view, but it also gave him an overhead perspective on the match.

Even so, he had completely failed to see Luke's movements.

There had not even been a sound.

Luke had simply vanished from where he stood.

By the time the announcer reacted, the wound had already appeared on Ouma's body.

"What on earth is going on… The speed of competitor Luke's strike has completely surpassed my understanding!"

However, while the announcer was shocked, the other person beside him was even more shocked.

The Seven Star Sword Art Festival's commentary booth consisted of two people.

One was the announcer, who was responsible for most of the speaking.

The other was a professional Mage-Knight.

The purpose was to make up for scenes the announcer could not see through because of insufficient strength.

However, the current situation was a little different.

Because this professional Mage-Knight, this powerful Blazer who had once fought in the A-rank League, also could not see Luke's movements clearly.

But although he could not see clearly, he recognized it!

"B-But how is that possible… That swordsmanship is clearly…"

His shocked muttering was quickly noticed by the announcer beside him.

"Coach Muroto, do you know something?"

Muroto stared blankly at Luke on the field.

Only after several seconds did he barely suppress the shock in his heart.

He could confirm it.

That swordsmanship, that posture…

"Although there are some differences between two-sword style and one-sword style, that soundless movement, that absurd acceleration method beyond understanding—I once saw it before."

"Where did you see it? C-Could it have been in the A-rank League?!"

Facing the announcer's question, Muroto shook his head.

"You could never see it in those so-called matches."

"Because… she is the world's most vicious criminal, as well as the strongest swordsman in the world… Twin-Wings Edelweiss!"

His words spread throughout the entire venue through the broadcast.

For a moment, both inside and outside the dome fell into deathly silence.

At that moment, no one knew who said it, but a quiet question broke the pin-drop silence.

"I-In other words, has his swordsmanship already reached the same realm as that Twin-Wings?"

Those words ignited the atmosphere of the entire venue.

And at that moment, everyone's gaze gathered on Luke.

…

Chapter 384: The Final Strike!

Luke's attack was not limited to a single sword.

He had not shown Ouma the Twin-Wings Sword Style out of pity or superiority. He truly intended to end this match and draw a conclusion to Ouma's challenge.

So Luke did not stop.

One sword, two swords, three swords.

Three full strikes slashed down on Ouma without hesitation.

Facing Luke, who had used the Twin-Wings Sword Style, forget counterattacking, Ouma could not even defend.

His body, vision, reactions, and consciousness could not keep up with Luke's movements at all.

He could only stand in place and silently take Luke's attacks.

Then, he collapsed.

Luke looked at Ouma, who had fallen to the ground and could not get up.

This match had satisfied him quite a bit, but in the end, there was still a little regret.

Ouma was strong.

Extremely strong compared to other Mage-Knights.

But… he was still not strong enough.

Luke put away Starfall Sword and turned toward the gate, because he knew Ouma could no longer stand up.

Although it had only been three strikes, the sword energy attached to Luke's blade had already been driven into Ouma's body.

The current Ouma had lost control over his body.

Ouma lay on the ground, gazing up at the sky with somewhat blurry vision.

Luke's three strikes had not only stripped him of control over his body, but had also left three genuine wounds on him.

The blood flowing outward carried away his stamina, and even his consciousness had become hazy.

The vastness of the world.

The smallness of himself.

Ouma once again tasted the bitter fruit of defeat.

'This should be enough.'

'Your opponent is not someone the current you can defeat.'

'You have already seized glory fitting your level.'

In his heart, there seemed to be a voice telling him that this was already enough.

But!

"…Hey!"

The voice from behind made Luke stop in surprise.

He turned around and looked at Ouma again.

Then, an astonishing scene appeared in his eyes.

Ouma used all the strength in his body to barely turn himself over, changing from lying on his back to lying face-down.

Afterward, violent winds began to coil around him.

Experiencing the vastness of the world several times had caused Ouma's confidence and pride to disappear little by little.

Even if he was unwilling, he had to admit that countless people in this world were stronger than him and more talented than him.

But that was not a reason for him to give up moving forward.

And the one who had taught him this principle was precisely the figure before him, the one who had turned to leave.

Ouma did not hope to reach Luke's realm right now.

But at the very least, he hoped he could repay him.

Yet what had he just seen?

At the instant Luke turned away, he had actually seen that fleeting regret.

"You've got to be kidding…"

"You've got to be kidding meeeeeee—!"

He forcibly fixed his body in place with air pressure.

He used endless violent winds as power.

Borrowing external force, Ouma once again drove a body that should have been impossible to control.

"Luke!"

"I can still stand!"

"The Twin-Wings Sword Style… watch me surpass it!"

Luke looked at Ouma, looking at the resolve in his eyes.

The gap between them was so great that it could not be made up with momentum alone, and Ouma himself surely understood that better than anyone.

So Luke smiled.

This Ouma reminded him of Touka when she had challenged him, as well as himself when he had challenged Edelweiss.

Was it reckless?

Perhaps.

But…

"Honestly, there are unexpectedly many good swordsmen in this world."

Luke smiled and summoned Starfall Sword once more.

"If you die, don't blame me."

This time, the stance Luke took was an iai stance!

Their gazes crossed, and neither Luke nor Ouma spoke again.

And in the next moment, Luke vanished!

It was like a repeat of the previous scene.

Another wound was carved into Ouma's body.

There was nothing that could be done about this.

Even when he had been in good condition, Ouma had been unable to capture the trajectory of Luke's sword.

Now that he was at the end of his strength, it was even more impossible.

But was Ouma truly helpless?

Of course… not!

The instant Starfall Sword cut into his flesh, Ouma used the power of "wind" to lock it tightly against his own body!

Trading injury for injury!

This was precisely the fighting style Luke was good at, and it was also Ouma's final decision at this moment!

Then, Wind Sword Emperor Kurogane Ouma swung the final strike of this match at Luke, whom he had bound beside him!

This was a strike where he wagered everything.

It was the godspeed sword secretly passed down by the Kurogane Family.

This secret technique was a true full-power strike. After using it, Ouma would fall into rigidity, unable to defend or dodge.

Speed as its purpose.

Cutting as its principle.

This was…

"Asahi Isshin-Ryu: Extreme of Swiftness: Amaterasu!"

Pfft—!

Sword light flashed, and blood scattered.

The match finally ended.

…

The one lying on the ground was Ouma.

His idea of locking Starfall Sword in place had not been wrong, but he did not know that Starfall Sword's true ability was "severing."

His method of trading injury for injury had not been wrong either.

Unfortunately, that was also what Luke was good at.

The enormous gap between the two determined that there would be no accident in this match.

However…

"That final strike was quite beautiful."

Luke looked with some emotion at Ouma, who had lost consciousness on the ground, and at the fragments of cloth drifting in the wind.

One slash.

Although it had only been one slash.

And although its flaws were extremely severe, to the point that he would fall into rigidity after using it.

Even so, that slash had indeed touched the realm of "Twin-Wings."

Even if it was only a casual sword strike released by Luke and Edelweiss, touching it was still touching it.

It had not even caused damage, only slicing through a bit of clothing.

However, this had already surpassed Ouma's own limits.

In pure swordsmanship, the gap between Luke and Edelweiss was not large.

In some aspects, he might even be slightly superior.

So if Ouma had been facing Edelweiss, theoretically, he could have done the same thing.

After many years, Ouma, who had broken free from fear, already had the qualifications to take revenge on one of the Three Great Desperados, Tyrant.

Although the hope of success was almost zero, at least, it was no longer zero.

At this moment, the referee finally returned to his senses and loudly announced the result of the match.

"Winner, Hagun Academy's Falling Star Sword Emperor, Luke Ashburn!"

…

After leaving the battle zone and passing through the gate, Luke intended to meet up with Edelweiss.

However, when he arrived at the audience seating, someone blocked his path.

Clap, clap, clap—!

The red-haired girl clapped her hands and congratulated him.

"Congratulations on breaking through the first match… Well, thinking about it, that was only natural."

"But that was really exaggerated. Why do I feel like you've gotten stronger again? Honestly, you don't consider the feelings of those of us chasing after you at all."

Crimson hair like burning flames, and eyes like red gemstones.

The one walking toward Luke was Stella, who had just arrived at the venue.

…

Chapter 385: I Object!!

Facing Stella's greeting, Luke did not respond immediately.

Instead, he narrowed his eyes and carefully looked the girl up and down.

Mm… this was not Luke admiring Stella's wonderful body.

Rather, it was because he felt pressure from Stella.

That was right.

Luke, who had just crushed Ouma without taking any damage, actually felt pressure from Stella!

Although it was only a faint trace, barely there, it was still quite shocking.

A simple comparison made it clear.

All this time, who were the people capable of bringing Luke pressure?

Former League world rank three, Director Kurono, World Clock, counted as one.

Current League world rank three, Nene, Yaksha Princess, counted as one.

Aside from them, only God of War Nangou and Twin-Wings Edelweiss remained.

These four were all world-renowned powerhouses.

And after not seeing her for only a short time, Stella had already climbed to this level?

More importantly, there was the girl's high-spirited appearance.

That was the expression of someone extremely confident in her own strength.

To be honest, at first glance, Luke almost thought this was someone else disguised as her.

"You've completely mastered Dragonification?"

"Hmph, hmph. It's not called that anymore, and I didn't merely 'master' it either."

Hearing Luke's question, Stella immediately raised her head proudly.

But immediately afterward, as though she had thought of something, she shook her head hard and said,

"I can't tell you the details now. When we fight, you'll naturally know."

"In Nene-sensei's words, 'I'll definitely shock you!'"

"Oh? Then I'll look forward to it."

Luke raised an eyebrow.

He did not doubt Stella's words.

After all, that faint pressure coming from her was the best proof.

"However, we still don't know how the semifinals will be grouped. When the time comes, don't fail to get past Ikki first."

The Seven Star Sword Art Festival's semifinals would be regrouped.

The winners of the four blocks would be randomly paired together.

Of course, how much water there was in that "randomness" was another matter entirely.

Luke believed Ikki and Stella would definitely enter the semifinals, and he also believed he would definitely enter the finals.

But who his opponent in the finals would be was hard to say.

A-rank versus A-rank, or A-rank versus F-rank.

A battle between exchange students, or an exchange between domestic and foreign competitors.

Which one the operating committee would choose, Luke could not say for certain.

After all, both could be used as promotional gimmicks.

There were too many factors involved, and Luke was too lazy to think too much about it.

However, if Ikki and Stella truly met, it was hard to say who would win.

One had to know that Ikki possessed extraordinary observation ability and an understanding of swordsmanship.

After watching Luke and Ouma's match, even Luke could not accurately predict how much growth Ikki had gained.

It had to be said that the strength growth of the male and female protagonists of the Chivalry of a Failed Knight world really did not make sense.

Stella's growth came in exaggerated step-like leaps.

Ikki's strength, on the other hand, increased inexplicably.

Both of them were like this.

Clearly, there had not been any huge change, yet their strength increased sharply.

Luke's own growth in strength was already extremely fast.

But at the start of school, he had been able to steadily suppress both of them, and now Stella was faintly catching up to him.

Looking at it this way, Ikki's next burst of strength was probably not far off either.

'This is really… amazing!'

The corners of Luke's lips rose into an uncontrollable smile.

To him, the more opponents there were, the better.

The stronger they were, the better.

Because only this could push him to grow even stronger.

And he also had confidence that he could once again firmly press down the two who had caught up.

In this tense chase, all three of them would obtain exaggerated progress.

…

Because of Luke's shocking performance in the match just now, even after leaving the battle zone, he was still the focus of attention.

As for Stella, there was even less need to mention her.

The late competitor caused great attention the moment she appeared at the venue.

So when the two met and chatted, the surrounding area was also filled with other people's discussions.

"Isn't that Falling Star Sword Emperor? He came out."

"That match just now was too exaggerated. That was actually Twin-Wings's swordsmanship. Just how strong is he?"

"And he really is completely unharmed… he's way too cool!"

"Eh? Look! Isn't that Crimson Princess?"

"Wow! A living princess herself!"

"Her hair is so beautiful. Natural bright crimson… I heard that even dyeing can't create that kind of glossy red."

"Yeah… she really is beautiful. And her figure is amazing too. Her legs are so long, and that part is huge."

The audience's discussions quickly attracted the operating committee's attention.

After a brief discussion, the entire venue's large screens switched to a unified image.

After a cough, everyone's attention was drawn over.

It was a bald old man.

"Look, it's Thunder of Judgement, Kaieda Yuzo!"

Any spectator over the age of forty became extremely excited when they saw the bald old man.

Because in that era, during this old man's prime, he had been the hero of Japan.

He had once won the KOK League A-rank tournament under the title Thunder of Judgement.

This old man had been ranked first in the entire League at the time.

And now, after retiring, he was the chairman of the Seven Star Sword Art Festival operating committee.

He would represent the committee and announce the result of their consultation.

"The handling of competitor Stella Vermillion's lateness has already been discussed. Please allow me to announce the result now."

"Considering that the previous match caused… extremely serious damage to the stage, the following matches will be slightly postponed and will resume after the stage is repaired."

"The already postponed fourth match of Block B will be held immediately after the stage repairs are complete."

"Competitor Stella Vermillion, do you have any objections?"

This decision was practically the same as not punishing Stella at all.

The only slight influence might be that she would have to participate in the match right after arriving at the venue, with a little stamina loss.

However, to Stella, that degree could not be considered a punishment at all.

So she answered without hesitation.

"No objections."

The match had been delayed because she was late in the first place.

Stella had long since mentally prepared herself to accept any punishment.

However, just as this topic was about to end, another voice sounded nearby.

"She has no objections, but I have plenty."

The voice, cold as ice, sounded especially clear under the effect of magic power.

At the same time, the dissatisfaction in the owner's words was expressed very clearly.

Walking over along with the voice was a woman with ash-blond hair.

She was Stella's opponent, Kyomon Academy's Icy Laughter, Tsuruya Mikoto.

"Chairman, I'm quite troubled here. Why did you decide directly while leaving me out?"

"No, no. Of course, I intended to confirm with you as well."

Although Kaieda's figure appeared on the large screen, he could still hear Stella and Tsuruya Mikoto's voices.

"This matter itself was not your fault, so the committee is naturally willing to flexibly listen to your requests."

"If you are unwilling to compete immediately, then arranging this match as the final match today is also possible."

However, facing Kaieda's question, Tsuruya silently shook her head.

He did not understand at all.

From beginning to end, the committee had not understood what Tsuruya meant.

As one of last year's top eight competitors, Tsuruya had undergone a qualitative leap this year.

Even facing powerhouses like Touka and Moroboshi, she was confident she could win.

But precisely because she was outstanding, she could sense Stella's strength.

Do not forget what Tsuruya's title was.

From the title Icy Laughter, one could tell what ability she was good at.

During the joint training, Tsuruya had personally witnessed Stella's exaggerated amount of mana.

Ice against fire.

And the opponent was a monster like Stella, who could turn the entire stage into a sea of flames while chatting and laughing.

Was this a joke?

Making her fight Stella fairly like this—what was the difference from seeking death?

Bullying people should have limits!

…

Chapter 386: Four Against One!

Tsuruya had hesitated as well.

However, after another competitor from the same block came to her and explained a similar thought, she made up her mind.

Thinking about her conversation with that clown-dressed person, Tsuruya silently steeled her resolve.

"I have no objection to the match time. However, I cannot accept the tournament not giving any punishment to a late competitor!"

"I hope the committee will punish competitor Stella for being late!"

Tsuruya's sudden attack immediately caused discussion among the surrounding spectators.

"What kind of demand is that?"

"That's so unsportsmanlike. Fight fair and square!"

This was the opinion of most spectators.

What they hoped to see was a proper, full-power duel between young competitors.

Of course, there were also people who supported Tsuruya, and their voices were not completely drowned out.

"I think… competitor Tsuruya isn't wrong, at least."

"Being late is a mistake in itself. It's reasonable to have some kind of punishment."

No matter how fiercely the audience discussed it, Tsuruya Mikoto did not care.

Her demands for the tournament really were not high.

She had already been very satisfied with her top-eight ranking last year.

At the same time, she had not given up on training.

On the contrary, she had trained very hard, to the point where she had achieved a qualitative leap this year.

Although she was confident in defeating powerhouses like Touka and Moroboshi, Tsuruya's demand for her ranking was really not high.

Last year, she had reached the top eight.

This year, as long as she could enter the top four, she would be perfectly satisfied.

After learning that this year was packed with strong competitors, Tsuruya had even quietly lowered her goal to maintaining her top-eight position.

At worst, reaching the top sixteen would be fine too.

That way, after returning to school, she could at least sigh and say, "There were too many strong competitors this year."

No matter what, losing in the very first match was too much!

There were only thirty-two competitors in total, and she would not even get one win?!

In terms of strength and ability, this year's Tsuruya Mikoto was even stronger than some of Akatsuki Academy's students.

Her absolute zero, which ignored distance and could be instantly activated through her gaze, could make even Ikki lose if he was careless.

It might even injure Luke.

However, among all the competitors, there was only one person it would not work on.

Facing a monster like Stella, whose body would be covered in undying flames the moment she stood on the stage, "helpless" was the best description of Tsuruya.

But to be honest, her argument was somewhat unsteady.

There were precedents for punishing late competitors, but those had all been cases of malicious behavior.

Stella's situation this time had been confirmed as an accident.

The committee unanimously believed that making her compete immediately after arriving was already enough punishment.

Unless…

"I agree with Tsuruya-senpai's statement."

Unless Stella herself personally requested punishment!

Stella ignored the audience, who were shocked by her words, and continued speaking on her own.

"Tsuruya-senpai's argument is very reasonable. Even if I was late because of an accident, the fact that I was late itself cannot be ignored."

"So there should be some punishment."

Forget the audience.

Even the committee, Luke, and Tsuruya herself, the one who had raised the issue, were stunned.

However, after being stunned for an instant, Luke reacted.

After thinking about the situation in Block B, he had faintly realized Stella's purpose.

And Stella's next proposal directly confirmed this point for him.

"If the match is held directly like this, it would be too unfair to Tsuruya-senpai, who was not late."

"I propose that in the next match, all Block B competitors, including Tsuruya-senpai, fight me together."

"A special four-against-one match!"

Hearing this, Luke was already certain of the girl's goal.

Although he had not looked at the tournament schedule, so he did not know the later match combinations, he still knew who had won the already completed matches.

Each block had eight competitors and four matches.

Stella's match was the fourth match, meaning the final match.

And before this, the three victorious competitors from Block B were, respectively—

Pierrot, Hiraga Reisen.

Unturning, Tatara Yui.

Beast Tamer, Kazamatsuri Rinna.

That was right.

They were all members of Akatsuki Academy!

Thinking of this, Luke, who had originally planned to speak up and slightly stop the situation from escalating, withdrew that thought.

Because he knew this combination of competitors turned this seemingly absurd proposal into something that would absolutely pass.

The competitors unanimously approved it, Minister Tsukikage above would also apply pressure at the same time, and this was Stella's own proposal.

There was no reason it would not be approved.

So Luke turned and quietly left the audience seating.

To him, there was no need to listen to what happened afterward.

After meeting up with Edelweiss, the two continued the date that had just been interrupted by the match.

…

The development of events did not exceed Luke's expectations.

After a round of discussion, the operating committee ultimately approved Stella's proposal.

"You really are reckless. Was there a need to go this far?"

Before the competitors entered the waiting rooms, Luke found Stella.

Facing Luke's question, Stella did not answer him immediately.

Instead, she first complained with a mutter.

"Where did you run off to just now? I was going to find you and Ikki to eat something together while the stage was being repaired."

However, she seemed to only mention it once and had no intention of digging deeper.

Immediately afterward, she answered Luke's question.

"You know this too, right? The other three competitors who won in Block B are all Akatsuki Academy members."

"If I don't do this, then by the second round, one of them will definitely negotiate and withdraw."

"Isn't that fine? As long as they can't win the championship, that's enough, right?"

Luke's words earned him a big eye roll from Stella.

The girl spoke in annoyance.

"They destroyed the school that badly. If I don't beat them up, there's no way I can feel relieved!"

"I don't plan to let even one of them go!"

'...Actually, the school was basically destroyed by you.'

Luke hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he did not dare say this out loud.

So he changed to another way of saying it.

"Didn't you already beat all of them up during the attack?"

"…I wasn't conscious at the time!"

Stella clearly understood Luke's implication, so an awkward look immediately appeared on the girl's face.

Seeing this, Luke could only shake his head and silently sigh in his heart.

Judging from her reaction, even though she was embarrassed, she had no intention of changing her mind.

Clearly, she was determined to vent her anger on the Akatsuki Academy group.

Luke did not intend to stop her, and there was no need to stop her.

However, the necessary reminder could not be omitted.

"Be careful during the match."

"They saw your Dragonification that day. Since they still dare to make a move against you, that means they have a trump card capable of dealing with that state."

"Be careful not to overturn."

Facing Luke's reminder, Stella was no longer embarrassed.

She smiled brilliantly, like a child looking forward to a festival.

"Don't worry. The match will end in an instant…"

Deep within that smile, Luke seemed to see a volcano about to erupt.

…

Chapter 387: Kurono: I Have One Damn Thing I Absolutely Must Say Today!

Boom—!

Flames shot into the sky… no, it should be called a pillar of light soaring upward.

A scorching storm of light seemed to sweep across the entire world.

And along with the light and heat came a roar that did not belong to a human.

"Roooooooooar—!"

Color vanished, leaving only the light that brought endless heat.

Sound vanished, leaving only that soul-shaking dragon roar.

Bahamut Howl.

It was the Noble Art Stella had once unconsciously used during the Hagun attack.

The power and range of this move had left a deep impression on everyone who experienced that incident.

Now that Stella had become stronger, this move had also become even more terrifying.

If used at full power, it could even melt an entire city in an instant.

Therefore, theoretically, this move could not be used in a match, even with Illusionary Form activated.

A Device's Illusionary Form did indeed have the effect of not causing physical damage, but that effect only worked on the human body.

Or rather, it only worked on flesh.

Facilities, earth, the environment, plants, and so on were all outside the range of Illusionary Form's effect.

Destructive power of this level would completely destroy the Seven Star Sword Art Festival itself, so it absolutely could not be used.

That was how it should have been in theory, but…

When the light scattered and the roar ended, what appeared before everyone's eyes was an extremely tragic battle zone.

There was already nothing left on the field.

The red earth was charred black, making one think of a barren primordial planet.

And this apocalyptic scene stopped precisely at the very outer edge of the battle zone, without harming even the slightest bit of the audience seating.

From the looks of it, it was almost as though the field skin had simply been changed.

If not for the four opponents who had been blown out of the field and smashed into the audience seating, there might really have been spectators who thought so.

Just as Stella had told Luke before the match began, the match ended in an instant.

However, no one was paying attention to that now.

Without exception, everyone raised their heads and looked up at the sky, staring at that enormous shadow that covered the heavens.

No, that was no longer some shadow.

The two massive footprints pressed into the ground by the crimson dragon that had appeared behind Stella told everyone the truth.

It was real!

…

"Oh my… this… really was… a miscalculation…"

As Stella's opponent, Pierrot was the only one among the four who remained conscious.

The reason was naturally his body.

This mechanical doll made of steel and resin was not afraid of injuries at all, but because of that, the non-flesh doll was not protected by Illusionary Form.

Therefore, at this moment, although he retained consciousness, Pierrot actually only had less than half of his head left.

The rest had melted the instant it came into contact with the roar.

If Stella's goal had not been to blast them out of the field, Pierrot probably would not even have that half-head remaining.

He was now regretting his insufficient consideration.

"I… didn't… expect… she would become… this strong…"

Pierrot's ability, Marionette, could control humans.

He had originally planned to control Tsuruya Mikoto as a hostage, then use Stella's kindness to force her to give up the match.

Who would have thought Stella's growth had far exceeded his expectations?

She could even freely control this kind of large-scale Noble Art.

Clearly, the girl's mana control, which had originally been B-rank, had unknowingly risen to A-rank.

"Forget it… the rest… I'll leave… to Sara…"

At this point, Pierrot's consciousness completely cut off.

As the focus of Pierrot's attention, Stella did not even look at him once.

After defeating all her opponents in a single strike, the girl stood in the center of the field and pointed her sword toward a certain direction in the audience seating.

Her meaning went without saying!

Luke looked at the monster in the arena, and at the tip of the sword the girl pointed toward him.

Feeling the power inside his body suddenly increase, a faint, indescribable smile appeared on the corners of his lips.

"So she is Crimson Princess?"

At this moment, Edelweiss's voice came from beside Luke.

"This is my first time seeing her, but… I see. She truly is an unimaginable genius."

"Her mana quantity isn't something someone like me can compare with."

Edelweiss's remark surprised Luke even more than Stella's declaration of war.

He raised an eyebrow, turned his head, and asked,

"Even you, as a Desperado, can't compare to her?"

"Mm. It's not merely that I can't compare. The difference between our mana quantities is like heaven and earth."

Edelweiss gently nodded.

She was not originally the type with especially high mana.

At most, she was at the level of an ordinary genius.

Even after more than ten years as a Desperado and over ten years of increasing her mana, there was still no way for her to compare with a monster like Stella, whose mana surpassed ordinary Blazers by more than thirty times.

"Without a doubt, she will be a child of heaven who carries the core of the world in the future."

"By the way, she's declaring war on you. Don't you plan to respond?"

"Hm? If I respond to her, won't you get jealous?"

Luke spoke teasingly with a wicked smile.

Edelweiss rolled her eyes at him in annoyance.

"Do I look like the kind of woman who gets jealous over nothing?!"

"It's just a response to a declaration of war. How did your mind jump to me getting jealous?"

"Heh. I wonder who it was that got jealous and gave her body to—hiss!!!"

Before Luke could finish speaking, Edelweiss cut him off with a red face.

The Valkyrie wrapped mana around her right foot, which was covered in white stockings, then kicked Luke hard in the shin.

"You only know how to be glib. Crimson Princess's growth this time is not simple. You haven't entered the Desperado realm yet, so be careful not to overturn unexpectedly."

"Hiss… you really don't hold back when you kick… But do you really think I'll lose?"

"Hmph!"

Edelweiss turned her head away and refused to answer that question.

However, her attitude, which did not show even the slightest worry, had already told Luke the answer.

Luke smiled and did not mind Edelweiss's dishonest reaction.

He spoke.

"Since you won't get jealous, then I'll respond."

After saying that, Luke summoned Starfall Sword, and a sharp sword intent shot into the sky!

At this moment, Stella also saw Luke's response.

The girl revealed a fearless smile, and the crimson dragon behind her seemed to sense something as it once again raised its head and roared toward the heavens!

"Roooooooooar—!"

The two auras spiraled through the air.

Just as they were about to collide violently—

Click—!

Along with the sound of a bullet being loaded beside his ear, Luke suddenly felt a cold, hard object press against his head.

"If you dare make another move and increase my workload, even if Twin-Wings is protecting you, I'll shoot you dead, you little brat."

Kurono's face was dark as she pressed the gun in her hand hard against Luke's head and spoke through gritted teeth.

…

Chapter 388: A Date with Edelweiss!

The match was suspended once again.

Mm… the reason was still field repairs.

Kurono arrived with a dark face, then left with a dark face.

However, Luke had a feeling that at the final moment before she left, she seemed to be considering from what angle she should shoot him.

"Stella was clearly the one who destroyed the field this time. Why is it being counted against me…"

As Luke sighed, he used a toothpick to pick up a takoyaki and fed it to Edelweiss.

Edelweiss was still not quite used to this kind of intimate behavior, but she could not withstand Luke's insistence. In the end, she could only accept Luke feeding her with a red face.

After eating the takoyaki, Edelweiss even carefully looked left and right, as though checking whether her behavior had drawn attention.

Looking at her cute appearance with amusement, Luke could not help commenting.

"The ability I placed on you to hide your identity hasn't disappeared yet. Even if people see you, ordinary people won't recognize you as the famous Twin-Wings."

"Just relax and eat. Come on, ahhh~~~"

"Ah~ mm…"

Edelweiss, whose attention was still on observing her surroundings and feeling embarrassed, subconsciously opened her mouth and accepted Luke's second feeding.

Then, after realizing what she had done, Edelweiss's small face turned even redder.

She lightly punched Luke, then snatched the box of takoyaki from his hand.

The embarrassed Edelweiss decided to eat by herself and no longer give Luke any chance to continue his feeding play.

However, when she picked up a takoyaki with the toothpick and had yet to put it into her mouth, Luke, who had already prepared beside her, leaned over and snatched it away with his mouth.

This time, it became Edelweiss feeding Luke.

Edelweiss stared blankly at the now-empty toothpick in her hand, unable to react for a moment.

However, while she failed to react, the "audience" around them did.

The area near the Seven Star Sword Art Festival venue was extremely lively. Various stalls filled the inside and outside, making it feel like walking through a temple fair.

There were also plenty of couples and married pairs walking together, so under the cover of Seisenjutsu, Luke and Edelweiss did not stand out much.

Even when Luke fed Edelweiss, it was the same.

After all, more than one couple was doing this. There was even a couple not far away playing around even more boldly, feeding each other mouth-to-mouth.

It was only because Edelweiss was thin-skinned that she became this shy.

However, while a man feeding a woman was not rare, a woman feeding a man was somewhat less common.

Although it did not attract as much attention as the couple feeding each other mouth-to-mouth not far away, it still more or less drew the gazes of the people around them.

Their gazes swept back and forth, and one or two comments could be heard.

And so, Edelweiss, who was staring at the toothpick, blushed more and more.

Finally…

She pulled Luke and ran away.

…

After passing through more than a dozen stalls in a row, Edelweiss, who had finally managed to suppress her embarrassment and regain her calm, stopped.

This distance was nothing to either Edelweiss or Luke, who was being pulled by her, so neither of them was out of breath.

At this moment, Edelweiss could finally calm down and taste the food properly.

She ate the final takoyaki in her hand, and this time, she finally managed to taste it.

There were only four takoyaki in one box.

Because of the feeding play, Edelweiss, who had been in a tense and embarrassed state, had not paid attention to the taste of the first two at all.

The third had been snatched away by Luke.

Fortunately, she finally ate the last one normally.

Just as Edelweiss was thinking that, a click suddenly sounded beside her.

Turning her head, she saw Luke raising his student handbook toward her.

Combined with the sound she had just heard, Edelweiss instantly understood the situation.

She rolled her eyes at Luke in annoyance, then…

Silently made a cute peace sign beside her face.

For the rest of the time, Luke and Edelweiss both had a very enjoyable time.

Edelweiss was happy because she was on a date with Luke. Although many things made her, a beginner who had never dated before, very shy, she was also extremely happy beyond that shyness.

As for Luke, the biggest reason he was happy was because he had obtained two "limited edition" photos.

One was Edelweiss's happy expression right after she had eaten the takoyaki, with her cheeks puffed out.

The other was Edelweiss, still puffing out her cheeks, making a peace sign at the camera.

That was right. Edelweiss had completely failed to realize that when Luke took the photo, she still had a takoyaki in her mouth.

The round takoyaki had puffed up half her face, making it look very amusing.

Especially since she herself had not realized it at all, and had even made a peace sign.

Luke had already begun looking forward to Edelweiss's reaction after the two of them returned to the room and she saw those two photos.

Of course, there were also some regrets.

Namely…

"Come on, ahhh~~~"

"…N-No!"

"Come on, be good. Open your mouth. Ahhh~~~"

"Uu… I-I really still can't do it!"

Edelweiss's thin skin exceeded Luke's imagination a little.

Putting down the dango in his hand, Luke looked at his girlfriend with a strange gaze.

"You're way too easy to embarrass. I thought that with your personality, you wouldn't react this much."

"I usually couldn't tell you had this side at all."

Edelweiss's behavior during the date could be said to have completely overturned Luke's impression of her.

Whether in battle, during the time they spent together on Sword Peak, or even these past few days after arriving at the Seven Star Sword Art Festival venue, Edelweiss had never been this nervous and shy when interacting with Luke.

Although she had been relatively easy to blush and feel embarrassed, overall, she had still been composed and graceful.

Mm… except in bed.

Whether it was due to her natural constitution or because her senses were too strong, Edelweiss was super sensitive… ahem.

Luke had always thought that her blushing and shyness were caused by never having been in love before.

That was not hard to understand.

Edelweiss, who did not even have friends, naturally had little chance to interact with the opposite sex.

Moreover, her identity as a criminal also meant she had to remain vigilant toward anyone who approached her.

So it was understandable that she would appear especially easy to embarrass when having intimate contact with Luke.

Originally, that was what Luke had thought.

But judging from her reaction during today's date, it seemed that was not all.

Luke had originally believed Edelweiss's personality was strong, dignified, kind, and graceful, and that her occasional timid behavior was caused by lack of experience and embarrassment.

Now, it seemed that his understanding of Edelweiss was still not thorough enough.

Thinking this, Luke made up his mind to test her a little.

…

Chapter 389: Edelweiss, an Ordinary Girl!

Looking at Luke's increasingly strange gaze, Edelweiss unconsciously shifted her eyes away.

Even she herself did not know why, but as long as she thought there might be people watching nearby, every intimate action made her feel extremely shy.

Even something as ordinary as the two of them holding hands, which they had already gotten used to, made her heart beat faster and her face turn red.

Moreover, she could not reject things she disliked or could not do as calmly as when they were normally alone together.

Edelweiss in this state was even soft and timid when refusing.

She was basically a gentle girl, and her usual heroic air had vanished to who knew where.

But to be honest, Edelweiss herself somewhat enjoyed this state.

Although she was shy, it felt warm.

Her usual strong style had never been something Edelweiss herself had deliberately chosen.

She had merely followed her environment and experiences, naturally becoming that way.

Perhaps she really did want to become an ordinary girl…

The instant she thought this, Edelweiss suddenly stiffened.

At some point, Luke had already let go of the hand they had been holding, and instead wrapped his arm around Edelweiss's waist.

Feeling the hand moving behind her, Edelweiss nervously glared at Luke, then hurriedly and subtly checked whether anyone around had noticed her.

But immediately afterward, she widened her eyes and looked at him in disbelief.

She realized that even after receiving her "stop it" look, Luke showed no signs of stopping. Instead, he grew even bolder, his hand drifting down past her waist.

This terrified Edelweiss, and she immediately reached out to stop him.

However, before her hand could even reach him, Edelweiss lost all strength to resist under Luke's "surprise attack," slumping weakly into his waiting arms.

"You... don't, don't do this here... we're outside!"

"Hmm? Don't do what? Aren't we just out for a stroll?"

"You... ngh... I—I mean your hand."

"Hmm? What's wrong with my hand?"

"Please stop... mmm... just... ngh... stop messing around! Someone's going to see us!"

Looking at Edelweiss's shimmering, watery eyes, Luke thoughtfully increased the pace of his movements.

He hadn't told Edelweiss that he had secretly used Seisenjutsu to set up an illusion earlier. In this world of magic, external Seisenjutsu possessed a massive advantage in terms of isolation and concealment.

No one would be able to see the state Edelweiss was in as Luke toyed with her.

To Edelweiss, however, it didn't feel that way at all.

The two were indeed by a wall, and while the location was relatively secluded for now, they would still be discovered eventually if this continued. Most importantly, she was reaching the point where she could no longer hold back her voice.

Thus, she immediately slapped at her "crazed" lover, trying to break free from his embrace.

Edelweiss's struggle was within Luke's expectations. He had even prepared himself for the possibility of the Valkyrie in his arms drawing her sword and slashing at him directly.

However, the strength of this struggle...

'It's even weaker than I imagined.'

Feeling Edelweiss's slaps, which were more akin to "caresses," Luke's gaze became increasingly strange.

It was impossible that she had truly run out of strength. No matter how sensitive she might be, Edelweiss's physical constitution was far superior to that of an ordinary person; she wouldn't lose her composure and surrender so easily.

Could it be...?

Luke raised an eyebrow. Feeling the sensation in his hand... after a brief thought, he intensified his movements once more.

At the same time, he softly blew a breath into Edelweiss's ear as she lay in his arms, then said:

"If you don't like it, then refuse me firmly. Don't worry, I've already used my ability to block out the sound; others won't hear us."

Hearing Luke say that he had blocked the sound, Edelweiss felt a sudden sense of relief, and her mind relaxed accordingly.

With that lapse...

"Mgh!"

Edelweiss almost couldn't hold back a cry.

Knowing that she would succumb if this continued, Edelweiss made up her mind to refuse him firmly, just as Luke had said!

"Don't... not here... L-let's go... mgh... go back and..."

It was a truly firm refusal.

Edelweiss's voice was so small that even at Luke's distance, he could barely make out what she was saying.

However, this reaction, combined with the understanding of Edelweiss he had gained from their time together, allowed him to judge the state of the uncharacteristically submissive Valkyrie in his arms.

Having obtained the answer he wanted, Luke no longer needed to conduct any so-called 'probing.'

And so, he looked down at Edelweiss, and seeing the pleading look in her eyes, his heart softened... as he further quickened the movements of his hands.

"Eh?! I already refused... mgh... D-don't be so intens—ah!"

…

Luke held Edelweiss, who had completely lost strength, in his arms while thinking about the issue of her current state.

The reason Edelweiss had become so timid was not because she had some special hobby, nor because Luke had taught her some strange habit.

The reason she became like this was because Edelweiss in this state was an ordinary girl.

This did not mean she had lost her power, nor was it some kind of split personality.

It was simply a wish she had buried deep inside her heart.

Edelweiss had once been an ordinary girl too.

She had once enjoyed the happiness of ordinary people.

But now, she was not ordinary anymore, and it was impossible for her to enjoy that life again.

Toward her own life, toward the path she had chosen, and toward the choice that had caused the result she now faced, she had no shame and no regret.

Although she had no shame and no regret, deep within her heart, Edelweiss still wished even more that she could be an ordinary girl.

She deeply missed those once-blurry, ordinary happinesses.

Originally, she no longer had that chance.

In this world, it was impossible for anyone to grant ordinary happiness to her, who stood at the peak of the world.

However, Luke appeared.

By defeating her head-on, Luke pulled her down from the throne at the summit of the world.

Although he had not comprehensively surpassed her in the truest sense, this state where "you are stronger than me, and I am also stronger than you" moved Edelweiss even more.

Especially after the two officially became lovers, Edelweiss vaguely felt that when she stayed beside him, perhaps she could be an ordinary girl.

This thought was not strong.

It was only a beautiful wish from the depths of her heart.

However, it had subtly influenced her.

As a result, deep in her subconscious, Edelweiss hoped that when she and Luke behaved like ordinary lovers, she could do so as an ordinary girl.

So, Edelweiss during a date became an ordinary girl.

It was not that she could not use mana.

She simply did not want to.

It was not that she could not use the power of fate.

She simply did not want to.

It was not that she did not struggle or resist.

As an ordinary girl, she struggled in an ordinary way.

Naturally, it was impossible for her to escape Luke's clutches.

Mm… sure enough, this was still a special kind of preference, wasn't it?

…

Chapter 390: No Licking!

The sensation came fast and left just as quickly.

Soon, Edelweiss came to a stop.

Luke wasn't in a hurry to withdraw his hand... silently feeling...

Luke intended to wait for Edelweiss to recover her strength and come to her senses; he was already prepared to be pummeled.

However, though he waited and waited, Edelweiss showed no sign of raising her head. Instead, she buried her face even deeper into Luke's chest.

Edelweiss felt she could no longer face anyone. Feeling the... on her pants, she just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

What made her feel the most ashamed was that, deep down, she actually found it quite thrilling...

'Ugh... have I... have I become that kind of strange woman?'

Her violently throbbing sense of shame made it impossible for her heart to settle for a long time.

And so, the two of them just embraced quietly like that, leaning against the wall to rest for a while.

He looked at his hand, which was "imprisoned" against Edelweiss's chest, and fell into deep thought.

…

After a round of slight "messing around," Luke and Edelweiss, who had calmed down, needed to solve the most important problem at the moment.

Namely… changing clothes.

After all, they could not let Edelweiss walk through the street in her current state.

That would not be shame play. It would be a punishment game.

So before undoing the Seisenjutsu, they first needed to tidy up her outfit.

"It's all your fault. What do we do now…"

Edelweiss looked at Luke resentfully.

The two of them had not planned to go shopping.

They had simply intended to stroll around the street and eat and drink a little, so Edelweiss naturally could not have brought spare clothes with her.

Besides, who would specifically bring a spare outfit just to do this kind of thing?

Honestly.

The more Edelweiss thought about it, the angrier she became, but there was nothing she could really do to Luke.

She could not bear to hit him, and she also did not want to use mana.

So she could only stare at him like this, trying to make Luke feel guilty with her gaze.

"All right, don't be angry. You know I have spatial storage. I'm used to carrying spare clothes."

Hearing that there were clothes to change into, Edelweiss, who felt extremely uncomfortable, visibly relaxed.

However, she did not plan to simply let the topic go.

She wanted Luke to know that she had a small temper now.

"I'm not angry!"

Looking at Edelweiss turning her head aside, wearing a cute expression that practically said, "I'm upset and need to be coaxed," Luke nearly laughed out loud.

It was truly hard to imagine that Twin-Wings Edelweiss would actually make this kind of almost spoiled gesture.

However, this also showed that all this time, there were probably very few people who had truly understood her.

Looking at such a cute Edelweiss, Luke could not help wanting to tease her.

So he continued along with Edelweiss's words.

"So you're not angry. That's great. I was worried you'd be unhappy."

"Hm? Not angry?"

"Then that means you don't object to this kind of thing, right?"

"Oh~ I couldn't tell. So you're actually this type…"

"Hmph, now I understand. Since you don't object, let's continue!"

"Eh?! Y-Y-Y-You wait a second! S-Stop!"

"Wait… mm… I said don't… uu… f-fine! I get it! I'm not angry… no, I really am angry, all right?!"

Luke's complete refusal to follow the usual pattern scared Edelweiss badly.

She was truly afraid that Luke would do it again.

Edelweiss actually knew a little about her sensitive constitution, but it had always been an advantage.

Whether comprehending realms or sensing the environment, this constitution had improved both.

It even helped when she made desserts.

But she truly had not expected that this constitution she had always been so proud of would create such a large "negative effect" in this kind of matter.

Mm… to Edelweiss, it was indeed a negative effect.

But to Luke, it was actually rather fun.

"All right, I won't tease you anymore. I apologize and request the great Twin-Wings-sama to forgive my offense."

"Uu… you only know how to bully me."

"Get up. Change your clothes, and we'll continue walking around."

Luke lightly patted Edelweiss, signaling her to come out of his arms.

Edelweiss obediently stood up.

Since it had only been once, it was not enough to make her legs go weak.

However, when she stood up and prepared to change clothes, she once again fell into hesitation.

Her hand rested at her waist, but after hesitating for a long time, she still could not make up her mind.

In the end, Edelweiss, who truly felt too embarrassed, could only ask her lover for help.

"D-Do I really have to change here…"

"Don't worry. No one will see."

"B-But changing clothes on the street… it feels so shameful. Uu… W-Why do I have to do this?"

"It's fine. We're in a corner."

"A corner is still on the street!"

"Then are you planning to walk back to the inn like this?"

"…I don't want that either."

"Then accept your fate and obediently change. Your clothes too. I left marks on them earlier. Don't worry, I won't record you."

"You were actually planning to r-r-record it?!"

"I said I won't. Come on, hurry up."

"Uu… Th-Then come closer and help block me. I-I'm still a little shy. Also, no recording!"

Luke obediently walked over and used his body to block Edelweiss inside the corner.

Like this, forget having Seisenjutsu. Even if Seisenjutsu failed, it would still be difficult for passing pedestrians nearby to see Edelweiss's movements.

However, doing this also had one drawback.

Luke looked at Edelweiss in front of him, her face flushed with shyness, and watched her awkwardly start changing.

Suddenly, he felt his throat go a little dry.

…

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