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Representatives from not only Hagun Academy but also Kyomon Academy were present at the arena.
Every one of them had been stunned by the aftershocks of the two girls' clash, dropping their weapons and staring numbly at the fierce battle unfolding before them.
"Hey, do you think you could beat them?"
"Are you kidding?! It'd be a miracle if I even survived an instant kill!"
The speaker felt a chill run down his spine, waving his hands frantically, his face pale with fear.
He was one of Kyomon Academy's representatives and had previously been quite confident in his abilities, believing he could at least make it to the quarterfinals this year.
But Stella and Toudou Touka's battle had utterly shattered his confidence. He now realized they operated on an entirely different level; his self-assurance was shattered beyond repair.
"It's one thing for Raikiri to be so strong; she was a top-four finalist last year and even had the potential to place second. But for Crimson Princess to lose to Rakudai Kishi? I thought she was just overhyped... This is beyond absurd!"
He let out a near-hysterical yell.
"You people always think that if a famous figure loses to some unknown nobody, it must mean the famous person was just a paper tiger, not as strong as rumored. Have you ever considered that the underdog might actually be stronger than you imagined?"
Kusakabe Kagami shook her head, her expression filled with pity.
The kid looked completely shaken. The sheer power of those two girls had shattered his confidence; if he faced them in the arena, he might not even be able to muster half his strength.
That's how Student Knights who haven't experienced true combat are.
Especially within the Seven Stars Academies, only Martial Star and Broken Army Academies selected their representative contestants through competitive trials. The remaining five academies, including Giant Gate, designated their representatives based on Blazer Rank.
These contestants, chosen solely for their high Blazer Rank, had rarely engaged in real combat with actual blades and spears beyond routine simulations. When faced with a true expert, their mental fortitude often crumbled.
"The Crimson Princess can hold her own against Raikiri, yet she lost to the Rakudai Kishi, who in turn lost to the Aurora Swordsman... What kind of demonic hierarchy is this?!"
One by one, the Giant Gate contestants nearly lost their minds.
"How is every contestant at Hagun Academy this year more insane than the last?"
"Do they even have a chance at the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, given how Kyomon Academy is performing?"
"This match isn't over yet?"
As they were discussing this, the two protagonists of their conversation approached.
"Ryoji-kun, are you and Ikki-san finished sparring?"
Kusakabe Kagami spotted the newcomers and leaped over with a joyful expression.
The newcomers were precisely Ryoji and Kurogane Ikki, both drenched in sweat from what must have been an intense spar. Ryoji's particularly drenched appearance left the watching girls struggling to contain their excitement.
"Just finished," Ryoji replied, his gaze sweeping over the two dueling girls on the field.
"How long have they been fighting?"
"Twenty minutes already, and still no clear winner."
"...They have way too much Magic Power, don't they?"
Ryoji had initially been quite satisfied with his upgraded D-Rank Magic Power. But after witnessing the two girls recklessly unleashing their Magic Power in their attacks, he couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
"How did your spar with Ikki-san go, Ryoji-kun?" Kagami asked, her interest piqued.
"It was alright," Ryoji replied nonchalantly.
"I lost again," Kurogane Ikki said with a wry smile, shaking his head. "I can't find any way to counter Harmonizing Light with Dust."
Ryoji's newly created technique was utterly flawless. Any force applied to his body could be completely neutralized with a few simple movements. Even blows that sent him airborne were useless. Whether it was close-range, concentrated force or penetrating energy, all attacks vanished silently, like rivers flowing into the sea.
Kurogane Ikki racked his brains but couldn't figure out how to counter this move, leaving him constantly at a disadvantage during their sparring sessions.
He had temporarily hit a bottleneck.
Of course, he wasn't completely stagnant. After several sparring sessions with Ryoji, he could feel his sword technique improving significantly.
However, while he was improving, Ryoji's progress far outpaced his own. It felt like Ryoji was climbing to a new level every day, an endless abyss that could never be filled.
When facing him in combat, Ikki would sometimes get the unsettling feeling that the gap between them was widening.
"Um! Nangou-san, excuse me, may I interview you?"
As the group was talking, an excited girlish voice called out from the side.
It was a girl holding a video camera, her appearance quite striking, though her personality left something to be desired, and she was currently gazing at Ryoji with undisguised adoration.
"Who's this?"
"She's an Eight Hearts student from Bukyoku Academy's journalism club. She's a huge fan of yours, Ryoji-kun!"
Kagami enthusiastically introduced herself to Ryoji.
After the televised final battle of the selection tournament, Ryoji's fan base had spread nationwide.
"Bukyoku Academy?" Ryoji exclaimed in surprise. "Can news clubs from other schools really come here? Isn't that basically leaking information about the representative contestants?"
"Well, there's no explicit rule prohibiting students from other schools from visiting Ma!" Kagami Kusakabe grinned mischievously.
"Investigating the representative contestants at their training camps in other schools is an annual tradition for the Seven Stars Academies' news clubs. By the way, I've done my own investigation too, so I have a complete list of all the current representative contestants!"
"Impressive!"
Ryoji suddenly understood.
"Get me a copy later!"
"Sign one for me!"
"Deal!"
Kagami Kusakabe beamed.
Ryoji's signed photos were currently selling like hotcakes, each fetching at least a million credits. Even his notoriously sloppy handwriting was highly coveted; Kagami herself collected a complete set.
"So, you're from Eight Hearts Academy? The interview's fine, but I have one condition!"
Ryoji gazed sternly at the vibrant young woman beside him.
"W-what condition?" The girl swallowed nervously.
'Could he be asking me to offer myself in marriage? Aiya, this is too good to be true... no, too embarrassing!'
'Should I book a hotel later? Or just head to his dorm? It's not like we can just stay in the wilderness, right?'
"In the article, you must use the nickname 'Aurora Swordsman'! No 'Broken-Winged Angel' or any other chaotic nickname!"
Ryoji's expression was resolute, as if he wouldn't grant the interview unless she agreed to his condition.
"Just this?" Eight Hearts asked, her face falling in disappointment.
"?"
"I mean, that's so easy!"
"Good to know," Ryoji replied, nodding inwardly.
Over the past few days, numerous news outlets had interviewed him, including even a Tokyo television station.
His condition for each interview was to change his nickname. Thanks to the widespread media coverage, "Broken-Winged Angel" had now become the exclusive moniker of the Hagun Academy fan club. The general public, having witnessed his extraordinary swordsmanship, preferred to call him "Aurora Swordsman."
As his strength continued to grow, this nickname could evolve further, Sword Saint, Sword God, he was eagerly anticipating such upgrades!
(End Of This Chapter)