Chapter 146: Preparations Before the Final!
Relax, my ass!!!
Kanata and the other student council members huddled in a corner, trembling as they watched Touka's terrifying expression.
If time could be reversed, Kanata would gladly return to the moment she handed over the student handbook and slap herself.
The instant Shiro left the student council office, Touka's expression changed as swiftly as an actor switching masks.
Kanata had only ever seen that look when Touka entered battle.
At some point, [Narukami] had also appeared in her hand.
A razor-sharp aura radiated from her entire body. Merely looking at Touka made Kanata feel a faint stabbing pain across her skin.
'Were all those scenes of harmony and friendship merely an act?!'
'If Touka is already like this, will she try to kill Shiro during the match?!'
"U-Um..."
Out of humanitarian concern and worry for her friend's mental state, Kanata gathered her courage and raised her right hand despite Touka's frightening appearance.
"Touka, are you all right...?"
"I'm fine."
Touka shook her head.
Lightning leaking from [Narukami]'s scabbard reflected across her lenses. Those glasses might have been the only proof Kanata had that she was not already in battle mode.
'No, you don't look fine at all! Even your way of speaking has become as brief as it is during battle!'
Kanata shouted internally after hearing her response.
Still, she tried to keep her voice gentle.
"Then why did you summon [Narukami] inside the student council office?"
"You mean this?"
Touka held out the sword while forcing herself to show her usual smile.
However, no matter how she smiled now, she only gave off a chilling impression.
Rather than warmth, her expression made everyone wonder whether the sword would appear against their necks in the next instant.
"This is preparation for my upcoming battle."
After saying that, Touka remained alone inside the student council office, silently preparing for the match.
Apart from eating and sleeping, she never came out.
During this period, the student council members noticed something unusual.
As time passed, the piercing Sword Intent around Touka did not grow stronger. Instead, it gradually withdrew into her body.
This apparent regression made them worry about her condition.
Yet whenever they approached to ask, Touka only gave them a mysterious smile.
"You'll understand once the match begins."
After leaving those words, she refused to explain further.
...
"Your opponent is the student council president?!" ×4
After returning, Shiro also told Stella and the others what had happened.
Naturally, they were astonished to learn that the director truly allowed the system to assign opponents completely at random.
Stella had grown up in the Vermillion Empire.
Although she disdained using manipulation to gain fame, she still understood that special circumstances required special treatment.
Besides, if a genuine dark horse appeared, they could still defeat the seeded contestants through their own strength and advance.
Shizuku, who was lying in a hospital bed, understood such matters even better.
Stella was only Vermillion's second princess, but Shizuku had genuinely been raised as the future head of the Kurogane Family.
She was thoroughly familiar with the calculations involved.
Even she felt conflicted upon learning the truth.
She had assumed this generation of Hagun simply possessed too many powerful students, forcing even a B-Rank knight like her to compete with the student council president for a place.
According to Shizuku's calculations, Hagun had six places available for the Seven Star Sword Art Festival.
Everyone in their group was roughly strong enough to claim one, while the final place would go to Touka, a semifinalist from the previous Festival.
Even if another strong contender appeared, they could only displace one of those six.
However, with Kurono's unreasonable assignment method, only one of Shiro and Touka was now guaranteed to attend.
Everyone else might eliminate one another through internal competition.
In the worst case, Stella, Ikki, and Alice might all be assigned to the same bracket.
Then only one of the three could advance.
Hagun's reputation among the major academies was already nearing rock bottom, yet its director still dared choose the most controversial possible method of selecting representatives.
It was difficult to decide whether Kurono was excessively reckless or simply far too confident in this year's students.
The room fell silent.
"Why has everyone stopped talking? Isn't facing an opponent this strong something worth celebrating?"
Among them, only the honest Ikki believed the director's method was perfectly reasonable.
Ikki had suffered from unfair treatment since childhood.
The director's attitude of treating everyone equally was precisely what he needed most now.
"Exactly. I came here to become stronger. If I meet a powerful opponent, I only need to defeat them."
With Ikki speaking first, Stella refused to appear weaker.
She tossed her crimson hair aside, fully displaying the pride ingrained within her as a princess.
Perhaps this arrogance was the attitude Stella had always been meant to possess as a [Dragon].
"From now on, whether I encounter Alice or Ikki, I absolutely won't hold back against either of you."
Stella made her declaration.
Recently, she had begun to faintly grasp the true way to use her Blazer ability.
As long as it made her stronger, she would not mind being eliminated by someone powerful.
In fact, Stella desperately wanted to meet an opponent strong enough to let her unleash everything once.
Most opponents she encountered now shattered with the slightest touch.
Whenever she attacked, she had to be careful not to accidentally kill a classmate.
The restraint had left her frustrated for days.
"I may not enjoy fighting, but even if I meet one of you, I won't deliberately throw the match~"
"Unfortunately, I've already been eliminated. But I'll cheer for all of you from the audience."
Alice and Shizuku then stated their positions.
Everyone's gaze immediately gathered upon Shiro.
"Why are you all staring at me? My match against Touka is already the final battle of my selections."
"There's still the official Seven Star Sword Art Festival."
"Come to think of it, you're clearly the boss we should be trying to defeat most."
Stella spoke gloomily.
During training, Shiro could fight two of them at once without even summoning his Device.
If this were a game and becoming the Seven Stars Sword King counted as clearing it, Shiro would unquestionably be the final boss blocking the path.
"Don't worry. Even during the official tournament, I'll give all of you a thorough beating."
Facing the four people eager to fight, Shiro made that declaration.
…
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