Chapter 148: A Device Used the Wrong Way!
"Oh, here they come! Thank you for waiting, everyone! The final match of the Seven Star Sword Art Festival representative selections is about to begin!"
Shiro passed through the dark tunnel and emerged from the blue gate.
Standing opposite him was Touka, her figure dignified and imposing.
"This is..."
The instant he saw her, his pupils widened slightly.
He knew that state all too well.
Touka had achieved complete control over her body, allowing her mind to become as still as water during battle.
Among student knights, Shiro had only seen two people enter this state before.
One was himself, and the other was Ikki.
He had never expected a third student knight to master it.
It seemed Touka had also been growing rapidly while he was not watching.
Realizing this, Shiro's lips curved upward. A trace of delight unconsciously entered his voice.
"You didn't use your full strength against Shizuku either?"
"That's right. I planned to surprise you by combining this with [Raikiri: Second Strike]."
"Unfortunately, you noticed it ahead of time, so I'll have to try another technique that I haven't completed yet."
"Then I'll look forward to seeing it."
"First survive the moves that come before it."
As soon as she finished speaking, Touka charged.
Alongside [Narukami] leaving its sheath, the enormous Sword Intent she had compressed to its limit erupted outward.
The spectators only felt their vision blur as a bolt of lightning crossed their sight.
Then—
Clang—
The blades collided.
Shiro's sword firmly locked [Narukami] in place, preventing it from advancing another inch.
"You're using Sword Intent to suppress your opponent? Not a bad idea, but it won't work on me."
However, this strike was merely the beginning of Touka's assault.
While Shiro spoke, she used the force he exerted against [Narukami] to rotate her body and slash again.
At the same time, endless lightning erupted around her, threatening to swallow the man before her.
A dazzling battle of offense and defense unfolded across the training field.
Their figures repeatedly crossed through the storm of lightning, and every collision released a piercing metallic cry.
"As expected of Hagun Academy's student council president!"
"She forced Shiro to summon the Device he had never used throughout the entire selection tournament from the very beginning!"
Without her instructor beside her, the announcer could not understand the current situation.
She could only describe what she was capable of recognizing.
However, the spectators did not care about such details.
Merely following the movements of the two fighters consumed all their attention.
For student knights their age, the swordsmanship displayed in the arena was already the finest they had ever witnessed.
Many of them might never see anything greater during their entire lives.
Swordsmanship beyond this level was no longer something people of their ability could even understand.
Simply witnessing it was already a tremendous gain.
If they managed to secretly learn even a small part of it, they would have enough reason to celebrate.
The only place that did not match the atmosphere was the highest section of the stands.
There, Nangou Torajirou watched the two figures crossing blades below with his brows deeply furrowed.
His expression confused both Nene and Kurono.
Kurono was the first to ask.
"Nangou-sensei, are you dissatisfied with Shiro's performance?"
In Kurono's eyes, both fighters' swordsmanship had already reached a level that could earn them executive positions within the League.
Torajirou should have been extremely pleased.
When he taught Kurono and Nene in the past, he had never been this demanding.
"I merely regret that Shiro still hasn't discovered the true purpose of his Device."
"Its true purpose?"
"What does a Device mean to the two of you?"
Torajirou's question caused them to think.
To them, a Device was the manifestation of a Blazer's soul.
It was also the weapon they used upon the battlefield.
Yet Torajirou claimed Shiro had not discovered the true use of his own Device.
"Do you truly believe something resembling a plastic toy was meant to be used as a weapon?"
Torajirou's next words awakened them.
Although Shiro had always treated his Device like a sword, the plastic-looking object was not sharp at all.
It only gained the effects of a blade after he coated it with magic.
A Device served as a medium for activating Noble Arts, much like a staff in the hands of a magician.
However, Blazers could still use their abilities without summoning one.
As long as someone understood their power deeply enough, even Nene, whose magic control was only E-Rank, could use [Hadou Tensei] without summoning her Device.
Therefore, Shiro could pick up any wooden stick and still display his current combat strength.
Apart from being slightly more convenient, his Device seemed to provide him with no other benefit.
It had even given him an additional weakness.
If his Device were broken, Shiro would lose consciousness.
Then what meaning did its existence hold for him?
"A Device's appearance changes according to its Blazer."
"Shiro's Device only took the shape of a Tang-style sword because that was the weapon he sincerely desired when he first summoned it."
"Then why didn't you tell him this before he left home?"
Nene immediately pointed out the flaw in his explanation.
Before she left, Torajirou had specifically warned her not to tell Shiro the true nature of his ability.
Nene, who had wanted an excuse to provide Shiro with some "special guidance," had naturally agreed without hesitation.
She had also believed it was too early for Shiro to study an ability that could harm him before establishing a solid foundation.
But now, it appeared the old man had possessed other concerns.
Under the women's gazes, Torajirou released a long sigh before slowly answering.
"Because even this old man cannot understand that Device's true nature..."
"How could that be? Even you...?"
His words caused enormous waves within Nene and Kurono's hearts.
The man before them was the legendary [God of War], even within the League.
Could something truly exist in this world that even he could not understand?
Torajirou's next words horrified them even further.
"More importantly... this old man is afraid."
…
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