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League Branch.
This towering skyscraper, over a hundred meters tall, stood in the heart of Tokyo's bustling metropolis.
"Get out!"
Tenth basement level.
This was where Kurogane Ikki was being held.
Two men in crimson jackets roughly shoved open the cell door, casting disdainful glances at Ikki, who lay on the bed, their expressions dripping with contempt.
Ikki sat up.
The cell was completely sealed off. A bed occupied one corner, while a toilet and sink were crammed into the opposite side.
No sunlight penetrated the room, and no external sounds reached him, isolating him from the world. Prolonged confinement in such conditions would inevitably break a person's mind and spirit.
There was no running water in the toilet or sink. The daily water ration barely kept him alive, and the food was equally meager.
Summoning his last reserves of strength, Ikki dragged himself out of the cell.
For days, he had been interrogated until dawn every night. Even after returning to his cell and falling asleep, loud noises from all directions kept him awake. By the time the morning sun rose, he was dragged back to the interrogation room.
No physical torture was used, but his energy was drained to its limit. His mind, spirit, and body were all pushed to the brink of exhaustion.
"Cough, cough..."
His face was as pale as gold leaf, and an itch in his throat forced him to cough twice.
"Stop faking! Move it! Don't waste the adults' time!"
The two guards behind him shoved him roughly, their faces contorted with impatience.
'Such loyal lapdogs!'
'Who's really wasting whose time here?'
Those Red Foxes had been interrogating him from dawn till dusk, cycling through multiple shifts of interrogators. The only time they were wasting was their own!
And...
Ikki Kurogane covered his mouth and coughed violently again.
He wasn't faking. He was genuinely ill.
His pallor wasn't an act; it was the result of his illness.
It was utterly baffling. Given his rigorous physical conditioning, it should have been nearly impossible for him to fall ill, barring a sudden terminal illness.
There was only one explanation: They had poisoned his food.
They'll stop at nothing!
Interrogation Room
The room was a pitch-black, cavernous space.
Kurogane Ikki was confined in the center like a criminal, surrounded by interrogators in red coats who stood on all sides, exerting psychological pressure on him.
There wasn't even a chair. He was forced to stand for most of the day, and any slight movement drew a barrage of reprimands.
The red-coated interrogators relentlessly deployed linguistic traps, eager to ensnare him.
But Ikki stubbornly maintained that his love for Stella was genuine, refusing to acknowledge any alleged history of promiscuity. Finding no cracks in his defense, the interrogators grew increasingly enraged.
This scene had been repeating for days, and Ikki was thoroughly sick of it.
"Hold on a moment."
Midway through the interrogation, a sly laugh echoed through the room as a short, stout man resembling the god Ebisu waddled into the interrogation room.
"Lord Mamoru Akaza."
"Good afternoon!"
The red-coated guards, who had been arrogantly dismissive toward Kurogane Ikki just moments before, now groveled before Mamoru Akaza like tail-wagging dogs begging for scraps.
"Ikki, Ikki, I never imagined you could be so stubborn. But this stalemate benefits neither of us, so I've decided to give you a chance."
Mamoru Akaza leaned on his cane as he strode to the head of the interrogation room, positioning himself to look down on Kurogane Ikki.
"Tell me more," Kurogane Ikki said cautiously, not immediately accepting the offer.
"What's with that attitude?!"
"Lord Mamoru Akaza is being merciful by giving you this opportunity! Don't be ungrateful!"
The red-coated guards erupted in fury, showering Kurogane Ikki with accusations.
"It's quite alright, quite alright. It seems Ikki hasn't yet grasped the full extent of my personal charm."
Mamoru Akaza tapped his cane rhythmically, his smile unwavering.
The others immediately fell silent, and a satisfied smile spread across Akaza's face.
"Next is the final round of Hagun Academy's selection trials. Since some doubt Ikki's natural talent, why not settle this the traditional knightly way, with a duel?"
Mamoru Akaza grinned like a fox.
"A duel?"
"Exactly. But we'll choose your opponent."
"You'll choose?"
Kurogane Ikki's brow furrowed.
Duels were a knightly tradition. Once a duel's outcome was decided, all knights were bound to respect the final judgment.
Originally a method for resolving disputes among medieval European knights, this tradition had spread throughout the League's member nations in modern times. The League Mainframe Nation, Britain, was precisely regarded as the origin of knights, making this custom particularly prevalent there.
"If you win this duel, we'll release you. But if you lose... well, you know what awaits you!"
This was utterly unfair.
Even if Kurogane Ikki won, he would only regain the freedom that was rightfully his, gaining absolutely no benefit whatsoever.
Therefore, there was no reason for him to agree.
"Oh, by the way," Mamoru Akaza said with a smug grin, "this matter has already been approved by the King of Vermillion."
"Actually, it was a mistake on our part. We sent out the wrong information, saying we were planning such a duel. Our staff really needs to be more careful! But the King of Vermillion was very interested, saying, 'If he can't even pass this level of trial, I'll never give my daughter to him.' Aiya, what a devoted father!"
Ikki's heart sank.
He knew without a doubt that the King of Vermillion's judgment had been clouded by the fabricated news that was spreading like wildfire. That's why he had agreed to settle the matter with a duel.
But this completely cut off any chance of retreat.
His father had abandoned him, his family treated him like he was invisible, and his elder brother refused to acknowledge him.
Even after running away from home and wandering the country, no one recognized him. At Hagun Academy, he faced relentless oppression.
It was as if the entire world had given up on him.
But Stella offered him salvation.
"Ikki will definitely become a powerful knight," she had said. No one could understand how much those words meant to him.
He could tolerate being slandered himself, but he would never allow anyone to tarnish Stella's reputation. He would clear her name at any cost!
"I understand. Who is my opponent?"
"Speaking of which, Ikki, your opponent tomorrow is an E-Rank third-year student? That won't do! Even if you defeat such a weak opponent, it won't prove your natural talent!"
Mamoru Akaza sat in his chair, looking down at Kurogane Ikki standing below. His face was filled with smug satisfaction.
"For this Ethics Committee assignment, we've chosen Hagun Academy's top expert, the Student President, 'Raikiri' Toudou Touka. Thoughtful of us, don't you think?"
Kurogane Ikki's heart jolted.
Toudou Touka!
He was certainly familiar with that name; she was his friend's senior sister and lover.
Her reputation as Hagun Academy's top expert was no exaggeration. Among all Student Knights nationwide, she ranked within the top four, or more accurately, the top two!
"Hmm? Hold on, I need to take this call."
The phone in Mamoru Akaza's pocket suddenly rang. He frowned and answered.
"Yes, this is me... Has the change of opponent been approved? Heh, as expected of the Totokubara Consortium's daughter, truly wise... And the opponent is indeed, What?!"
(End Of This Chapter)