The silver-haired girl had completely misunderstood Haruki Aizawa's intentions.
Her expression was a portrait of utter chaos. After a long moment of visible trembling, she let out a frantic squeak. "No! Stay away! Please don't come any closer!!"
Without another word, she frantically patted the dust off her skirt and bolted from the scene as if she were being chased by a demon.
"???"
Seeing the girl flee in genuine terror, a look of profound confusion crossed Haruki's face. He stood there for a moment, wondering what had just happened. He had been praising her form and footwork; he couldn't fathom why she had looked at him like he was a monster.
"Whatever," Haruki sighed, shaking his head. "I've memorized her rhythm and her face. It won't be hard to find her again."
He wasn't giving up. He had finally found a swordsman worthy of his respect, and his obsession with the blade wouldn't allow him to let her slip away. Finding her and challenging her to a duel was now a priority in his mental schedule.
The next day, after Julis had taken a full day of rest to recover from her earlier collapse, she sought out Haruki to resume their training.
Haruki didn't turn her down. The Phoenix Festa was drawing closer with every sunrise, and he had no intention of wasting time. Even if his own strength was peaking, his partner needed to be more than a liability.
They returned to the training grounds. The result was a familiar one: a total defeat for Julis. However, Haruki noted that her movements were becoming more efficient. She was starting to anticipate his pace, even if she couldn't match his power.
In the lounge after the session, Julis sat with her arms crossed, her cheeks puffed out in a sulky pout. "I really thought I'd at least land one hit today..."
"If you think a single day of rest can bridge the gap between us, you're being naive," Haruki replied, cleaning his equipment with a detached calm.
"Yeah, yeah, I know! I'm just a 'weakling' to you... wait, no! I'm not weak! You're just a freak of nature!" She glared at him, though the edge of her anger was missing, replaced by a strange, flickering light in her eyes.
"I'm not that strong," Haruki said, shaking his head. "In every domain, there is always someone higher. There is always a mountain beyond the mountain. That is an eternal truth."
"Are you humble-bragging right now?"
"I'm telling you the reason I'm stronger than you is that I never assume I'm strong enough. I admit my inadequacy every morning, and that drives me to grow. If you stop seeking the peak, you've already started falling."
Julis went quiet, his words sinking in. She looked at the massive black hilt of the weapon strapped to his back. "By the way... you went through all that trouble to claim the Ser-Veresta, but I've never seen you use it. Why?"
"Because I don't want to rely on a tool," Haruki said. "A weapon is an external factor. Unless I possess a power that completely dwarfs the sword itself, I won't use it. Only when I can swing it as easily as a common branch will it truly be mine."
"I don't understand you," Julis sighed. "Most people would kill to have a Pure Stellar Lux. They'd use it for every minor skirmish just to show off."
"And that is why they are weak. True strength is a solitary path."
Haruki stood there, looking as steady and sharp as a blade. Julis stared at him, her heart skipping a beat as she watched the evening light catch his features. She felt a warmth creeping up her neck and quickly looked away.
"Is something wrong?" Haruki asked, stepping closer. "Are you still feeling faint?"
"I-I'm fine!" Julis stammered, waving him off. She didn't actually want him to go away, but she was overwhelmed by the sudden spike in her pulse.
Before the atmosphere could get any more awkward, the arena's AI voice chimed in.
"You have visitors. Would you like to grant them entry?"
Haruki and Julis looked toward the door. Claudia Enfield walked in, but she wasn't alone. Behind her stood two girls in the lab-coat uniforms of Allekant Academy.
"Claudia? What's going on?" Julis asked, immediately going on the defensive.
"I have some guests who insisted on meeting Haruki-kun," Claudia explained with a playful smile. "I'm afraid they were quite persistent."
One of the girls—a brunette with a high ponytail and a mischievous grin—stepped forward. She looked Haruki up and down with an intensity that bordered on hungry.
"So, you're Haruki Aizawa?" she chirped. "My name is Ernesta Kuhne. If you're free, would you like to try dating me?"
"???"
Ernesta's sudden declaration of interest left the room in a stunned silence. Haruki remained impassive, but Julis and Claudia were staring at the Allekant student as if she had grown a second head.
"Dating?" Haruki asked, his gaze as cold and flat as ever. "Do you think you have the qualifications to stand beside me?"
He looked her straight in the eye, his tone entirely devoid of romantic interest. "If you think your appearance is enough to make a man revolve around you, you're mistaken. I have no use for distractions."
"Wow!" Ernesta laughed, her eyes sparkling with delight instead of being insulted. "I've never had a boy talk to me like that. I think I like you even more now, Haruki!"
"What are you actually here for?" Julis snapped, her hand moving toward her Lux.
Claudia stepped in to explain. "Our academies are entering a joint development project for a new Lux prototype. This is Camilla Pareto," she gestured to the quiet, dark-skinned girl beside Ernesta. "She is the lead researcher. They are here to finalize the contracts."
Camilla gave a stiff, professional nod. She was the polar opposite of the bubbly Ernesta.
"Joint development? I see," Julis muttered. She knew this was likely the "hush money" Allekant was paying for the Silas incident. But she still looked at Ernesta with suspicion. "If she's the lead, what is her role? And why did she come here just to... to harass Haruki?!"
"I'm his partner for the Festa! I won't allow anyone to disrupt his focus!" Julis added, her face heating up.
"A partner, huh?" Ernesta giggled, her white lab coat fluttering as she bounced on her heels. "I'm here because I was curious. Those Al-D units Silas used were my creations. Seeing them sliced apart by a physical blade... I just had to see the swordsman responsible for such 'inefficient' beauty."
"So you're the one behind those toys," Haruki said, his aura sharpening.
Julis tensed, but Ernesta completely ignored the threat. She skipped up to Haruki, circling him like he was a museum exhibit.
"Perfect proportions... well-trained physique... and that face," she whispered. She stopped directly in front of him, looking up into his eyes. Suddenly, she stood on her tiptoes.
Before Haruki could process the "vibration" of her movement, she pressed her lips against his cheek in a light, teasing peck.
"!!!"
The room went cold. Haruki stood frozen, more confused than anything.
"Consider that revenge for my broken dolls," Ernesta whispered with a wink. "But don't expect things to be so easy during the Festa."
She skipped back toward Camilla as Julis practically exploded.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Julis shrieked, her flames beginning to flicker around her fingertips.
"Mya-haha! So scary!" Ernesta hid behind the stoic Camilla, poking her head out with a grin. "It was just a greeting, Rose Princess! Don't be so sensitive. We'll see you both at the tournament. Don't go losing before we get a chance to play with you properly."
"I'll incinerate you..." Julis hissed.
Haruki, meanwhile, had already wiped his cheek. He didn't look angry; he looked bored. "The feeling is mutual. I look forward to dismantling your next batch of scrap metal."
The two Allekant students left shortly after, leaving a very irritable Julis and a thoughtful Claudia behind.
"What a bunch of weirdos," Julis muttered, aggressively drinking her bottled water.
"They claimed they were researchers, but they're entering the Phoenix Festa?" Haruki asked Claudia. "Can scientists even fight in the arena?"
"Allekant does things differently," Claudia sighed. "I suspect they'll be fielding their latest autonomous units instead of fighting themselves."
Haruki nodded, then turned his attention back to his personal quest. "Claudia. You're the Student Council President. You have access to the student records for the whole academy, right?"
"I do. Why?"
"I met someone yesterday. A silver-haired girl from the middle school. She carried a real blade and had the foundation of a master. I want her name."
The moment Haruki finished his description, the expressions on both Claudia and Julis's faces shifted to one of pure shock.
"Aizawa-kun..." Claudia said slowly. "Are you talking about the current Rank 1 of Seidokan? Kirin Toudou?"
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