Chapter 462: Ikki's Preparations!
While Luke was receiving treatment at the hospital, his opponent for the next match, Kurogane Ikki, appeared at a private training ground some distance from the hotel.
During the Seven Star Sword Art Festival, this facility was reserved exclusively for competitors.
Now that the tournament had reached its final stage, only Luke and Ikki were still qualified to use it.
And Ikki had come here for one reason.
A mock battle.
His opponent was a tall man with purple hair—Black Sonia, Arisuin Nagi.
Using his Device, Darkness Hermit, Arisuin created countless pools of shadow across the field.
He constantly moved between them, appearing from different directions and launching an endless barrage of attacks at Ikki!
The battle was intense.
But it ended remarkably quickly.
Before long, Ikki found an opening and drove his right foot fiercely into Arisuin.
A tremendous impact tore through his abdomen and sent him flying backward.
Arisuin crashed onto the ground and gasped painfully.
"C-Cough! That was way too cruel!"
"Kicking a girl in the stomach like that? Unbelievable! Morally bankrupt!"
Arisuin struggled to express his outrage between breaths.
Ikki awkwardly scratched his head.
"S-Sorry?"
"Why did that sound like a question?!"
"Uh… Sorry. I couldn't quite convince myself to say it confidently."
"Cough… Fine. Enough joking around."
Arisuin was still coughing, but he nevertheless stood back up.
"Seriously though, I'm completely outmatched by you now."
"I gave that everything I had, yet I couldn't even touch the corner of your clothes."
"You didn't even use Ittou Shura."
"Your growth over this past year has been terrifying."
Seeing that the battle had ended, Shizuku, who had been watching from a distance, hurried over.
A faint glow appeared around the silver-haired girl's hand.
A stream of water emerged and wrapped around Arisuin's injured abdomen.
While treating him, Shizuku smiled and continued from where he left off.
"Onii-sama's strength is obvious to everyone."
"With how strong you are now, the finals will surely—"
Her voice gradually faded.
Because she noticed that both Ikki and Arisuin's smiles had become somewhat strange.
Unlike Shizuku, who wholeheartedly believed her brother was the strongest, Ikki and Arisuin understood just how terrifying Luke was.
Their expressions forced Shizuku to face the reality she had been unwilling to acknowledge.
Her mood fell slightly.
Even so, she handed over the towels she had prepared so Ikki and Arisuin could wipe away their sweat.
It was only then that Arisuin noticed something unusual about Ikki.
"Ikki, you're…"
"Ah… Looks like you noticed."
Ikki sighed.
He was sweating heavily.
Far too heavily for someone who had just defeated Arisuin with relative ease.
"Honestly… I'm a little scared."
Ikki spoke quietly.
It sounded like an explanation to Shizuku and Arisuin, but perhaps it was closer to him admitting the truth to himself.
That sweat had not come from exertion.
Nervousness.
Anxiety.
Hesitation.
Even…
Fear.
It was cold sweat born from those emotions.
Ikki was afraid.
But that was only natural.
Anyone who had witnessed Luke and Stella's semifinal could hardly remain unaffected.
Crimson Princess Stella Vermillion.
The girl who had always been Ikki's rival had now become frighteningly powerful.
Ikki had expected Stella to grow.
After all, he had personally witnessed her dragon transformation.
But the strength she displayed in the semifinal far exceeded anything he had imagined.
Technique.
Power.
Battle strategy.
Stella had undergone a qualitative leap in every aspect.
She had become the embodiment of overwhelming violence—A genuine world-class monster.
And yet—She had still lost.
That fact chilled Ikki to the bone.
Against Stella in that state, even Ikki could not claim to have much chance of winning.
One mistake might have gotten him defeated instantly.
And now he was about to face someone whom even that monster had failed to surpass.
There was no way he could feel no fear.
But at the same time—Fighting spirit burned fiercely within him!
His chances were not zero!
Luke had displayed astonishing strength against Stella.
That battle had unquestionably shown the full extent of what Luke could currently do.
And Ikki's extraordinary insight, almost like a mirror capable of revealing every hidden detail, had recorded all of it.
So he was certain.
No matter how small the possibility—He could defeat Luke!
What he needed to do now was sharpen himself as much as possible.
Even if he could improve by only the tiniest amount, Ikki wanted to become stronger before the final.
Just then—
"Oh? You already started."
A familiar, cheerful voice came from the entrance.
Ikki, Shizuku, and Arisuin turned toward the sound.
Several familiar figures entered their view.
"Moroboshi-senpai! Touka-senpai! Everyone came!"
Leading the group were last year's Seven Stars Sword King, Moroboshi Yuudai, and Raikiri, Todo Touka.
"It was Kurogane-kun's request, so everyone agreed to come."
Touka smiled and walked in first.
Beside her, Moroboshi pointed behind himself.
"We're all losers with nothing better to do now anyway."
"Rather than sitting around the hotel bored, it'd be nice if this gathering of defeated dogs could actually help you somehow."
Standing behind Moroboshi and Touka were several competitors from this year's Festival.
Representing Bukyoku Academy alongside Moroboshi were last year's runner-up, Eye of Heavevn Clairvoyant Jougasaki Byakuya, and third-place finisher, Onibi Asagi Momiji.
There was also Rokuzon Academy's Panzer Grizzly, Kaga Renji, and Donrou Academy's Sword Eater, Kurashiki Kuraudo.
Every one of them was an exceptionally strong fighter.
And they had gathered here for one purpose—To help Ikki train.
Their individual reasons differed slightly, but perhaps more than anything, they wanted to leave some trace of themselves on the tournament's final battle.
"I originally wanted to call the doctor too."
"But apparently she's treating Luke and the princess right now, so she couldn't come."
"Well, with this many people, we should have enough."
As Moroboshi spoke, fierce fighting spirit erupted from his body.
"Kurogane's little sister, support and healing during the fight will be your responsibility."
"Don't start going easy just because you're worried about Ikki."
"What do you mea—"
Shizuku looked confused.
But before she could finish asking, the movements of everyone around her startled her into silence.
Six people simultaneously summoned their Devices.
Then they spread out and surrounded Ikki from every direction.
Seeing the scene, a faint smile flashed through Arisuin's eyes.
With a wave of his hand, he summoned his own Device and joined the formation.
Only then did Shizuku understand what Moroboshi had meant.
Ikki's next training session—Would be an enormous one-versus-eight mock battle!
…
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