Shizue Izawa: "It's just I'm not very experienced, and I'm afraid afraid I won't be able to satisfy you."
In this area, Shizue felt a bit insecure.
After forming a contract with the flame spirit, her human desires had diminished to nearly nothing. She had no experience in such matters, not even the ability to relax herself.
Rei Ao smiled confidently.
"Don't worry. I'll teach you everything. The goal isn't just to satisfy meit's to make sure you're fulfilled."
"Ah!"
Shizue felt a gentle push and found herself pressed against the one-way glass. From this vantage point, she could perfectly see the scene below.
In the arena, Stella, dressed in a striking red gown, walked to the center. Opposite her stood the person she found most annoyingIkki Kurogane.
Ikki, for his part, felt awkward but quickly composed himself.
Though he was looked down upon at the academy for his F-rank Blazer classification, he firmly believed in his swordsmanship.
Stella, however, paid him no attention. Her gaze shifted upward toward the special observation deck that only the academy director could access. Although she couldn't see inside, she knew Rei Ao was there watching her.
Just to be sure, she sent a message in the chat group.
Stella: "@Rei Ao, watch closely. I'll show you my strength!"
Rei Ao: "Heh, I'm looking forward to it. But don't underestimate your opponent. While he may lack magical power, his swordsmanship is far superior to yours."
Even though Stella had recently improved, Rei Ao reminded her not to let arrogance cloud her judgment.
[Profile]: Stella Vermillion
[Level]: 23
[Abilities]: "Redacted"
Stella's strength came from a combination of physical prowess, magic, abilities, and her Inherent Device.
[Profile]: Ikki Kurogane
[Level]: 18
[Abilities]: "Seven Secret Swords", "Ittou Shura", "Ittou Rasetsu", "Mimic Swordsmanship", "Complete Mastery", "Twin Wings Style", "Inherent Device: Intetsu"
Ikki's abilities were entirely rooted in swordsmanship, making him a prodigy among prodigies.
Notably, his techniques allowed him to enhance his physical capabilities dramatically:
"Ittou Shura" amplified his physical limits dozens of times in an instant.
"Ittou Rasetsu" increased his strength hundreds of times in a single moment.
Even for someone as strong as Stella, underestimating him could easily result in defeat.
Stella: "Hmph! I won't lose!"
Saeko Busujima: "Rei Ao is reminding you not to let your guard down. You should always take every opponent seriously."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Even a lion uses all its strength to hunt a rabbit."
Rei Ao: "See? They understand me better than you do."
Stella: "Hmph, fine! I'll give it my all, okay?"
Tohru: "Where's the fight footage? I thought I could sit back and enjoy the show."
Akame: "Live broadcast."
Frieren: "Yes, someone set up a stream!"
Rei Ao: "Fine, I'll handle it."
[Ding! Rei Ao has started a livestream!]
The room quickly filled with viewers.
Mai Sakurajima: "So many people! These are all students from Stella's academy?"
Saeko Busujima: "Who's Stella's opponent?"
Stella: "Hmph, it's that peeping Ikki Kurogane. This time, I'll make sure he regrets it!"
Tohru: "Does anyone else hear something strange?"
Akame: "Yeah, I do."
Frieren: "Me too. Rei Ao, is there something near you?"
Rei Ao: "Yes, Shizue's here eating something."
Mabel: "What is it?"
Rei Ao: "A popsicle."
Mabel: "Popsicle?! I've had those! They're amazing!"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Haha, you ate all the popsicles in the freezer within half an hour, and you're still proud?"
Mabel: "Ugh"
Next to Rei Ao, Shizue shyly looked up, her face flushed.
Shizue: "Rei Ao am I doing this right?"
Rei Ao smiled.
"You're doing just fine. Just keep going."
[The Duel Begins!]
At the same time, Stella and Ikki's battle commenced.
Though she remained prideful outwardly, Stella took Rei Ao's warning to heart. Anyone worthy of Kurono Shinguji's respect and Rei Ao's attention was unlikely to be as weak as they appeared.
Whoosh!
A fiery tornado erupted, and from within, a brilliant golden sword materialized in Stella's handher Inherent Device, Laevateinn.
Ikki's expression grew serious as he silently drew his katana-like blade, his Inherent Device, Intetsu.
To the audience, the scene seemed laughable.
"The Crimson Princess versus the Fallen Knight? What kind of ridiculous match is this?"
"This fight isn't worth watching."
The spectators' reactions were unsurprising. Both combatants were well-known within Hagun Academybut for very different reasons.
The Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion, was a name synonymous with honor. A princess of the Vermillion Kingdom and an A-rank Blazer, her reputation was unmatched.
On the other hand, the Fallen Knight, Ikki Kurogane, was a derisive nickname stemming from his repeated failures and low magical aptitude. Considered the weakest of F-rank Blazers, he was looked down upon by most of the academy.
To the audience, the outcome seemed inevitable:
The Crimson Princess would win, without question.
~~~
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Chapter 162: Ittou Shura, Desperado, Fate, Vampires, Magicians...
"You sneaky little scoundrel, this time I'll make sure you're properly punished!"
Stella glared furiously, her eyes burning with anger.
Boom!
Violent flames roared like a dragon's breath, surging along the blade of her sword as she thrust it forward.
"!!!"
Ikki Kurogane's expression changed drastically.
He hadn't expected Stella to go all out right from the start.
Originally, he had planned to test her with his swordsmanship, but it seemed he couldn't even get close to her now.
Gritting his teeth, he was forced to play his trump card: Ittou Shura!
This was Ikki's ultimate pseudo-sword technique, created to help him overcome overwhelming enemies with all his strength.
However, it could only be used once per day.
The technique compressed all of his power into a single minute, forcibly concentrating his magical energy to enhance his physical abilities tenfold.
As Stella's fiery attack closed in, Ikki's entire body flared with a blue, flame-like aurahis magical energy so dense that it became visible to the naked eye.
Though his body became significantly stronger, the price was steep: once the technique ended, his body would rapidly weaken.
Stella suddenly noticed a flash of light.
Her dragon's breath flames were cleaved apart with a single slash.
Emerging from the dissipating fire, Ikki Kurogane stood tall and composed, his figure sharp and resolute.
"Hm?"
Stella immediately sensed a change in his aura.
Ikki, his gaze icy and focused, began to murmur to himself:
"Humans are living beings, driven by an instinct to survive. Even if one forces themselves to push their limits, their instincts will always hold back enough strength to preserve life."
"Instinct separates and safeguards the energy needed to maintain vital functions."
"But I"
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"have used my willpower to break free from those instincts."
He explained how he concentrated all of his remaining strength into a single minute, draining himself entirely to achieve explosive power in that fleeting window.
By using Ittou Shura, Ikki's magical energy increased. However, this wasn't a technique designed to enhance magicit forcibly drew out latent energy that a living being's soul was never meant to access.
In this world, magical energy was considered the power of one's will and destiny. Aside from individuals who became "Desperado," everyone's magical capacity was fixed at birth.
To acquire greater magical power, one had to surpass their own destiny and step into the realm of the Desperado.
Though Ikki hadn't yet crossed that threshold, he was undeniably on the path to defying fate itself.
Stella didn't fully understand the meaning behind his words, but she could clearly feel that Ikki had grown stronger. She also began to grasp why Rei Ao had warned her.
If she let her guard down, there was a real possibility of losing.
"Hmph, looks like I underestimated you. From now on, I'll take you seriously and defeat you!"
Her expression turned solemn.
The flames around her grew even fiercer, transforming her long hair into blazing fire. The very air in the arena seemed to heat up as her power intensified.
Ikki's eyelid twitches.
He suddenly regretted provoking Stella in the first place.
"She's not even giving me a chance to get close!"
The moment this thought crossed his mind, a massive blast of fire surged toward him. He had no choice but to evade.
In the observation deck's adjacent room
Hijiri Kasuga and Shinoa Hiragi, who had been placed there, were watching the battle unfold.
Hijiri Kasuga was astonished.
"They're using magical energy, but it's not like the magic I know. There are no magic circles, no incantations it's as if Stella's magic naturally takes the form of whatever she wants it to be."
Shinoa Hiragi, having recovered from the earlier revelations about Shikama Dji and the First Progenitor, was no longer preoccupied with those matters.
Shikama Dji was dead, and her cursed weapon was still functional. She had also gained a clearer understanding of Rei Ao's strength.
Now, as she watched Stella and Ikki's fierce battle below, a hint of envy arose in her heart.
It was a yearning for powerstrength that didn't rely on experiments or cursed weapons.
"If humans could wield such power, they could surely defeat vampires," she thought.
Hijiri Kasuga noticed her thoughtful expression and decided to initiate a conversation.
"Um my name is Hijiri Kasuga," she said, introducing herself.
Shinoa Hiragi turned to her and responded with a polite smile.
"Hello, I'm Shinoa Hiragi."
Seeing that Shinoa was willing to converse, Hijiri felt a sense of relief and began to relax.
"I overheard your conversation earlier. It sounds like humans in your world are in a pretty dire situation," Hijiri Kasuga remarked.
"Yes."
Shinoa Hiragi sighed with resignation.
"The conflict between humans and vampires is inevitable."
She turned to Hijiri and asked, "By the way, do you know about vampires?"
"I do," Hijiri replied with a nod, but then immediately shook her head.
"Though I'm not sure if the vampires I know are the same as the ones you're talking about."
This piqued Shinoa's curiosity.
"What are vampires like in your world?"
"Well, I've never seen a real vampire," Hijiri admitted.
"In my world, there's an 'Outer World' and an 'Inner World.'"
She proceeded to explain the basic structure of her world.
The Outer World was where ordinary people lived, oblivious to the existence of magic.
The Inner World, on the other hand, was a mysterious realm filled with magic and mystery.
In most cases, the two worlds didn't interfere with or overlap each other. Ordinary people rarely came into contact with the magical aspects of the Inner World.
"What a strange world. So, since you know all this, does that mean you're a magician?"
"That's correct!"
Hijiri spread her right hand, and in the blink of an eye, a small, intricate book appeared in her palm.
"This is my grimoire, Astil Manuscript. Magicians record spells into their grimoires, and once inscribed, the spells can be cast by reciting them."
"That simple?" Shinoa's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
This was a completely different power from the cursed weapons of her world.
"Can I learn it?"
Hijiri hesitated, her expression apologetic.
"I'm sorry, but only those who possess grimoires can use magic."
"And it's not something to be taken lightlymagic can backfire if you underestimate it."
She explained that magic wasn't an easy power to control. On the contrary, it was inherently dangerous. Many magicians, driven by curiosity, had become lost in the labyrinth of magic and could never return.
These unfortunate souls fell into madness, consumed by their power.
"I see that's unfortunate," Shinoa said, her disappointment evident.
Hijiri put away her grimoire and returned to their earlier topic.
"Back to vampires, then."
"Vampires don't actually exist in my world. They're more like creatures from folklore and stories."
She described them:
"They're pale-skinned monsters that can only move at night. Sunlight kills them, and they feed on human blood."
"Only active at night, afraid of sunlight"
Shinoa was stunned by this description.
In her world, vampires had no such weakness to sunlight.
"Are the vampires in your world like this? The First Progenitor didn't seem to have those traits," Hijiri asked, curious.
"If only that were the case," Shinoa replied with a bitter smile.
If sunlight could kill vampires, humanity might have had better methods to fight against them.
"In our world, vampires are less like monsters and more like a race of beings with unique origins."
"They have civilizations, hierarchies, societies, and cities, just like humans."
This was the biggest difference between the vampires of her world and the monsters Hijiri described.
They weren't simple beasts. They were intelligent, organized, and culturedwhile also being far stronger than humans.
To Shinoa, humanity often felt like the inferior race.
"What?!"
Hijiri was taken aback.
"Civilizations and cities doesn't that mean your conflict is a full-blown racial war?"
"Yes, it is," Shinoa admitted.
War was far more terrifying than a mere struggle against monsters. It meant more death, more destruction, and potentially the annihilation of both sides.
"Sigh I suppose that's just the fate of our world," Shinoa said wearily.
No matter what, she would fight against the vampires, just as her sister had. But now, there was something else she needed to uncoverthe truth behind the forbidden experiments known as "Seraph of the End," carried out by both vampires and humans.
The mention of "fate" sparked a thought in Hijiri.
"Could it also be fate that brought you into this Trading Chat Group?"
"Hm?"
Shinoa froze, her expression thoughtful.
Trading
Hijiri's words reminded her of something.
The man they had just encounteredRei Aowas undoubtedly the chat group's leader. He had allowed them to travel between worlds and had effortlessly destroyed the First Progenitor's soul.
That meant he was stronger than the First Progenitor!
