Chapter 153: Shionomiya Amane!
Only after Komiyama completely disappeared from sight did Yagokoro from Bukyoku Academy's newspaper club pat her chest.
"I have no idea where that B-Rank knight from Donrou suddenly came from. And then there's Hagun..."
At this point, Yagokoro looked Shiro up and down.
"Two A-Rank knights. Bukyoku's position as the strongest academy is looking rather precarious~"
"Stop pretending. Didn't an A-Rank knight called the [Sword Emperor of Wind] suddenly appear to represent Bukyoku this year?"
"Besides, you don't sound worried about your academy losing at all."
Kagami mercilessly exposed Yagokoro's act.
According to her information, someone had suddenly appeared near the end of Bukyoku Academy's selection period and announced that he would be its final representative.
"[Sword Emperor of Wind]?"
"Mm. You don't know about him, Shiro-san?"
Disbelief appeared in Kagami's eyes.
Shiro was one of Hagun Academy's representatives, yet he had not even paid attention to who his opponents would be?
At that moment, she could not help worrying about Hagun Academy's future.
Perhaps Kagami's stare was too piercing, because Shiro was forced to avert his gaze.
He had never taken the Seven Star Sword Art Festival particularly seriously, so naturally, he had not investigated its contestants.
Regardless of who entered, they would eventually become his opponents.
He merely needed to beat everyone he encountered.
Unless Edelweiss or Nene appeared as opponents, ordinary student knights could no longer make him take the battle seriously.
Seeing his reaction, Kagami could only sigh and explain in a tone that said, 'Honestly, what am I supposed to do with you?'
"The [Sword Emperor of Wind] enrolled at Bukyoku Academy two years ago."
"However, including his time in middle school, he has been missing for five whole years."
"Although he occasionally appears, he hasn't participated in a single Seven Star Sword Art Festival during that period."
"And most importantly—"
As though deliberately emphasizing how important this was, Kagami moved closer and closer to Shiro, attempting to place the slightest pressure upon him.
"He's Ikki's biological older brother, Kurogane Ouma of the Kurogane Family."
"Bukyoku Academy must have gone to considerable lengths to convince him to represent them this year."
However, Yagokoro shook her head.
"That isn't right. The [Sword Emperor of Wind] doesn't care what the academy says."
"He normally never comes to school. When he suddenly appeared and said he would participate, even our academy was shocked."
Her explanation immediately caught Shiro's interest.
Alice had concealed his true Blazer rank while enrolling at Hagun.
Kurogane Ouma rarely appeared, yet suddenly became Bukyoku Academy's representative this year.
Then there was Ta-Ta-Ta-Ta-Tatara, who had appeared from nowhere at Donrou Academy.
That already made three people.
Shiro could faintly sense that he was drawing closer to the truth.
He placed both hands upon Kagami's shoulders.
"Kagami, could you do something for me?"
"Eh?"
Shiro's sudden action startled the girl.
After she calmed down slightly, he continued.
"Investigate whether any of the other academies have representatives who rarely appeared before suddenly joining their teams."
If these people were infiltrators, there was no reason to place them in only three academies.
The other academies should also have mysterious representatives whom no one had previously heard of.
If one academy had none, then it would become the greatest suspect for the organization planting these infiltrators.
...
Kyomon Academy's intensive training camp did not follow a fixed curriculum.
Blazer abilities were incredibly varied, and not everyone could even make use of swordsmanship.
Although professional instructors had been invited, the students decided what they wanted to learn, much like elective courses at an ordinary university.
Therefore, most students separated and trained in different areas.
Even during practice matches, they tried to avoid students from other academies to prevent their abilities from being exposed.
After training ended, Stella still felt unsatisfied and invited Shiro and Ikki to jog into the distant city for dinner.
The city was approximately ten kilometers from the training grounds.
To complete the round trip before dark, they needed to maintain a speed of at least ten kilometers per hour.
Although they called it jogging, the three of them moved so quickly that ordinary pedestrians would have thought they were flying.
"The academy really spent a fortune this time. I can't believe they managed to invite the [God of War]."
Even while moving at high speed, Stella still had enough energy to speak.
After her match against Touka ended, the academy suddenly gathered everyone and announced that a new instructor had been specially invited.
Then a smiling elderly man appeared with a cane.
No knight in this country could possibly be unfamiliar with his name.
The [God of War], Nangou Torajirou.
His appearance delighted many students.
He was a legendary figure. Receiving his guidance might allow them to reach the top in a single step.
Of course, some students worried about Nangou Torajirou's physical condition instead of indulging in fantasies.
He was already elderly and even needed a cane to walk.
Could he truly still participate in an intense battle?
Under Shiro's complicated gaze, Nangou Torajirou kindly drew a sword from his cane.
He then defeated every student knight who questioned his condition with a single move.
Only then did they understand.
The object in his hand was no ordinary cane.
It was clearly the scabbard of his Device, [Mateki].
The mighty [God of War] openly displayed his Device all day and used it as a walking stick while pretending his body was failing.
The students, still unaware of society's cruelty, received a harsh lesson from him.
"That old man probably came because of Ikki."
Shiro curled his lips.
On the fourth day of training, Ikki followed Shiro's example and defeated every professional instructor during the simulated battles.
That left Kyomon Academy thoroughly embarrassed.
They could accept the A-Rank knight defeating their instructors. After all, a monster like him was expected to win.
However, an F-Rank knight overwhelming every instructor was much harder to explain.
If word spread, other academies might believe Kyomon possessed no greater ability than that.
To preserve their reputation, they exhausted every connection available and finally invited the renowned [God of War] before the training camp ended.
"I already stole almost all of the old man's techniques. There's no reason for him to come here and demonstrate them again."
"So he can only be here because of Ikki."
"Stole?"
"Yeah. When I trained under him, he helped me establish my foundation."
"I learned everything else by secretly watching while he taught Touka. He never seemed to care, though."
Even now, Shiro could not understand what Nangou Torajirou had been thinking.
If he truly did not want Shiro learning those techniques, he could simply have forbidden him from watching while Touka trained.
Why did he refuse to explain the principles, yet never make Shiro leave while he taught her?
What kind of awkward mentality would produce such contradictory behavior?
"But it doesn't matter. As long as you can listen nearby, there isn't much difference from being personally taught."
"Right, Ikki?"
Ikki's childhood experience had been far worse than Shiro's.
At least Shiro had been allowed to observe openly from the side.
Ikki could only watch in secret and learn whatever fragments he managed to see.
However, Shiro received no response when he attempted to gain Ikki's agreement.
When he sensed something strange and looked back, he discovered that Ikki, who had been following behind them moments ago, had vanished.
"Where's Ikki? Wasn't he right behind us?"
Stella stopped and looked around in confusion.
Ikki was a fully grown person.
Even if something suddenly required him to leave, he should have told them first.
How had he disappeared from their perception without making a sound?
"Wait. I'll find him."
Shiro activated his power over fate and sensed Ikki's location.
They did not know when Ikki had disappeared.
Trying to locate him among this sea of people without using fate would be like searching for a needle in the ocean.
Only at times like this did Shiro feel that his power over fate was unexpectedly convenient for strange little matters.
Perhaps he was the only Desperado in the world who used the power of fate for such peculiar purposes.
Within his perception, a force extremely similar to his own power over fate was drawing Ikki away from them.
He had to admit that the opponent was using the ability very cleverly.
If the force had been applied directly to Shiro, he would have noticed instantly and traced it back to its source.
Therefore, the opponent had chosen the outcome, "Ikki moves away from those two," rather than, "Ikki becomes separated from those two."
Still, before Shiro, who had become a Desperado, the force appeared extremely immature.
It resembled a water-soaked tissue that would tear apart at the slightest touch.
After dispersing its influence, Shiro casually selected a road.
With his power over fate activated, the path he chose no longer mattered.
Every road would eventually lead him to Ikki.
As expected, after running along it for approximately two minutes, Shiro and Stella discovered Ikki at an intersection.
At that moment, a delicate-looking, yellow-haired "girl" wearing Kyomon Academy's male uniform was tightly embracing him.
Ikki did not know where to place his arms, so he could only wave them helplessly in the air.
"Hey, Ikki. Where did you run off to?"
Stella approached with obvious displeasure.
She had worried that something had happened to him because he disappeared without warning.
Yet he had apparently been flirting with a girl over here?
Ever since Stella discovered the true nature of her ability, her appetite had increased every day until she practically became a glutton.
Anyone with a gluttonous friend knew how dangerous it was to interrupt their meal because of someone of the opposite sex.
"No, wait! It isn't what you think!"
"Then what exactly is it?"
"I suggest you think carefully before answering, or I'll definitely kill you."
To prevent the furious Stella from murdering him, Ikki hurriedly explained what had happened.
While running earlier, he suddenly noticed a hooded man whose eyes were filled with bloodshot veins.
Ikki also spotted an "object" inside the man's pocket.
Judging from the folds of his clothing, it was most likely a knife.
Sensing danger, Ikki had no time to inform Shiro.
Thinking he could apologize properly if it turned out to be a misunderstanding, he immediately rushed forward.
However, someone else acted even faster.
The moment Ikki moved, the "girl" had already grabbed the suspect's arm and shouted.
"Mister, you can't do this! Even if your company fired you and left you buried in debt, you can't drag innocent people into hell with you!"
The "girl's" cries rapidly attracted the attention of the surrounding pedestrians.
Although the knife had not been drawn, anyone looking carefully could still see the blade hidden in the suspect's right pocket.
The scene immediately descended into chaos.
The crowd scattered in every direction, desperately fleeing the intersection.
Only the "girl" remained, tightly holding the suspect's arm.
"You damn brat!!! Die!!!"
The "girl's" actions undoubtedly enraged the suspect.
He violently threw her to the ground, pulled the blade from his pocket, and swung it down.
At the critical moment, Ikki kicked a tube of lipstick someone had dropped while fleeing directly at the suspect.
When the pain caused him to release the knife, Ikki stepped forward and knocked him unconscious with one punch, saving the "girl."
However, once the police took the suspect away, the "girl" suddenly screamed—
"Uwaa! He's real! It's the real Kurogane Ikki!"
Then he threw himself onto Ikki.
...
"Ehehe. Anyway, that's what happened~"
The "girl" scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
The four of them had moved to a restaurant in the city.
Shiro had originally planned to keep his distance from this "girl" and let Ikki explain everything while they ate.
However, the "girl" followed them, insisting upon buying their meal to repay Ikki.
Along the way, they also discovered that this so-called "girl" was actually male and merely possessed a delicate appearance.
The revelation caused Stella to question her entire life.
Why did everyone they met lately either claim to be a girl despite being male or simply look like one?
Was she the problem?
Was the world the problem?
Or were people like this simply common in this country?
Furthermore, why did Ikki encounter one every time?
Did he possess some special charm that attracted these "unusual people"?
"So, since you're a boy, why did you keep hugging Ikki in the middle of the street...?"
Once their food arrived, Stella asked the crucial question.
To her surprise, the boy, who had only recently calmed down, immediately became excited again.
He nervously rose from his seat and pressed both hands tightly against the sides of his thighs.
Then he closed his eyes and loudly introduced himself.
"It's nice to meet you! I'm Kyomon Academy's first-year representative, Shionomiya Amane!"
"To tell you the truth, I'm actually an enormous fan of Ikki!"
…
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