"That bastard!" Stella fumed, her face flushing with anger. "Does he really think these leftovers are enough to take on us?"
They were all elites of the underworld, each possessing exceptional skills, and their side was no pushover either. He was severely underestimating them!
"Hmph. Truth be told, I never considered you to be my rivals in the first place," Hiraga Reisen scoffed, tossing his head back with arrogant disdain. "After all, our ultimate goal is to win the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival. The Hagun Academy can't possibly stand in our way! With that said, I'll be taking my leave!"
With that, he turned and strode up the mountain path with Arisuin Nagi slung over his shoulder.
"Stop right there!" Kurogane Shizuku called out, chasing after him.
Though her appearance was dishevelled and her white stockings were torn to shreds, her fierce gaze remained fixed on Hiraga Reisen.
"Give Alice back!"
Hiraga Reisen completely ignored her furious shouting, humming a cheerful tune as he left Hagun Academy.
"Wait...!"
Kurogane Shizuku's expression became more urgent, and she took a step forward to chase after him.
But suddenly, a towering figure blocked her path.
"As the representative contestant of Hagun Academy, I cannot allow you to pass."
Kurogane Ouma stared coldly at his little sister, then drew the terrifyingly long ōdachi from his chest. Without hesitation, he swung the blade down at Kurogane Shizuku with ruthless force!
Gale-force winds swirled around the blade and transformed into invisible sickle blades that carved deep fissures into the concrete ground.
Kurogane Shizuku's expression tightened instantly, and she instinctively raised her silver Kodachi.
"Dragon Princess's Jaws!"
But suddenly, a massive dragon's head, fangs bared, lunged between them.
Forged from raging flames, the dragon's head roared as it opened its maw and lunged straight into the swirling gale. The two titans clashed in a fiery maelstrom.
"As you wish! I am your opponent!" Stella charged between them, her eyes blazing with determination.
"Hmph!" Kurogane Ouma snorted coldly and summoned another whirlwind to coil around his blade. He struck at Stella with deadly precision.
In an instant, the wind and flames intertwined, turning the area around them into a deadly zone. Scorching heat waves and razor-sharp blades filled the air, making it a no-go area for life itself.
"Woah, what a spectacle!"
The pink-haired loli Kazamatsuri Rinna watched the forbidden zone with distaste.
This was the first time she had witnessed Kurogane Ouma's full power. She hadn't expected him to be so formidable, capable of facing the wielder of the world's strongest magic power head-on. But she simply couldn't stand such grand displays.
Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught sight of Kurogane Shizuku.
"My beloved familiar!" Kazamatsuri Rinna roared.
"Roooaar!"
The jet-black lion that she was sitting on unleashed a thunderous roar. The violent sound waves coalesced into a tangible gale that swept towards Kurogane Shizuku's feet as she advanced.
Kurogane Shizuku was forced to halt and could only watch helplessly as Arisuin Nagi vanished before her eyes.
"Hum, hum, you won't escape me, my enemy!" Kazamatsuri Rinna cackled triumphantly.
Clang!
Suddenly, the metallic clang of colliding weapons startled Kazamatsuri Rinna.
"You won't harm Ojou-sama!"
Dressed in her maid attire, Charlotte Cordé leapt off the black lion and positioned herself between Kazamatsuri Rinna and the approaching Kurogane Ikki.
Ikki had somehow closed the distance, his spiritual item, Intetsu, slashing forward with merciless force.
But...
"Just a finger?" Kurogane Ikki stared in disbelief at the maid.
She had blocked his full-force strike head-on with nothing but a single finger from her left hand!
"No, look closely. There's a centimeter of space between her finger and the blade. Could it be some kind of airborne defensive ability?"
Kurogane Ikki narrowed his eyes.
His extraordinary observational skills allowed him to grasp the truth in an instant.
It appeared as if Charlotte Cordé was blocking the attack with her finger, but in reality, her finger was covered with a special substance that deflected his slash from a distance.
Nevertheless, the fact that she was able to withstand his full-powered slash without moving an inch meant that her defensive power was undeniably formidable!
With Ittou Shura, he might still not be able to break through her defenses.
"This is troublesome. A penetrating energy like Dokuga no Tachi (Poisonous Moth Long Sword) requires a close-range release..."
Kurogane Ikki secretly felt that his situation was becoming difficult.
If she maintained her airborne defense, the Poisonous Moth Long Sword wouldn't be able to reach her.
"If that's the case, I need to make her drop her defenses or trick her into an offensive stance!"
In a split second, he formulated his strategy and engaged Charlotte Cordé in close combat.
However, relying solely on sword techniques, he found it impossible to break through her impenetrable defenses in the short term, and the battle between them descended into a stalemate.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Ryoji exploded into action the moment the fighting began in earnest.
The Spiritual Item (Device), the Vring Blade, instantly materialized in his hand. Moving like a gust of wind, he covered over ten meters in the blink of an eye, closing in on the golden-haired young girl.
Sara's vision blurred as the silver blade flashed before her eyes.
"Such divine speed! I'm completely caught off guard!'
That's right! Ryoji's primary target was Sara!
Having fought her in a night-time battle on a long street before, Ryoji knew that if given enough time, Sara could unleash an incredibly powerful formation.
Therefore, he planned to eliminate her the instant the battle began.
"...Steel Bronze!"
Clang!
The blade fell.
As expected, the blade landed squarely on Sara's neck.
Yet, rather than the sensation of cutting through flesh, Ryoji's hands felt as though they had struck steel. A violent tremor ran through his arms, and he released the force behind the strike instinctively.
Sara remained expressionless, but her eyes burned with fanatical intensity as she gazed at Ryoji; her gaze radiated unwavering determination.
"So tough!" Ryoji exclaimed in surprise.
How could her body, which seemed so fragile that it would crumble at the slightest touch, feel as though he had struck a temple bell when he struck it, producing a resonant, bell-like chime?
His gaze locked onto Sara's body, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Unnoticed by him, a layer of cyan had enveloped Sara's skin, transforming her into a bronze work of art.
"The concept of color... so that's how it works!" Ryoji realized with sudden clarity.
The intelligence report had mentioned Sara's ability to manipulate the concept of color; this must be what it meant!
By using the corresponding color, she could gain the power represented by that color's concept.
For example, by using cyan paint, she could give an object incredibly strong defensive powers.
This was probably something she had prepared before the battle, knowing that her physical frailty meant she needed to protect herself.
"If that's the case, I'll aim for her vital organs! I absolutely can't let her wield her brush and create more Blazers!"
Ryoji lunged forward again!
''...Pure White Guidance!"
But Sara had already reacted.
She raised her brush, her wrist flicking with astonishing speed. Her focus was intense, her brushstrokes nearly matching the speed of Ryoji's sword swings!
In an instant, a horizontal white line materialized before her.
(End Of This Chapter)
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