"How was it, Xiao Bai?"
In a corner of the hall, a girl with a high ponytail, a Band-Aid on her cheek, and a boyish glint of mischief in her eyes stood with her hands behind her back, looking curiously at the boy beside her.
—Asagi Momiji, a third-year student at Wuqu Academy, third place in the previous Seven Star Sword Martial Festival, and a disciple of the God of Combat.
The boy called "Xiao Bai" adjusted his glasses, and a wise white gleam, straight out of a manga, flashed across his lenses.
"I can't tell at all. Their opponents in the open matches were too weak to reveal anything. Limited by the available information, I can't judge their strength either."
"Hahaha!"
A hearty laugh rang out.
—The previous champion, the "Star of Naniwa," a third-year student at Wuqu Academy: Morohoshi Yudai!
At six feet tall with a heavily muscled build, he looked as powerfully built as a tiger.
He reached out and clapped the boy on the shoulder with great force. "I told you, Jozaki. White Night is very strong."
"You know them, A-Xing?" Jozaki Byakuya immediately shot Morohoshi Yudai an inquisitive look.
"Of course I do."
As he spoke, Morohoshi Yudai strode forward, his unparalleled presence drawing everyone's eyes.
He stretched out a hand, made a fist, and bumped it against White Night's wrist. His voice brimmed with delight. "No wonder I didn't see you over at Lianzhen. You went to Broken Blade, White Night."
"Yeah. It's been a long time, Morohoshi."
The Past
Without a doubt, Yakushi Kiriko was a genius.
At only around twelve years old, Yakushi Kiriko could already freely rearrange human cells, kneading living beings into any shape she pleased.
—She was too powerful!
Because of that, she lacked respect for life. Back then, she looked at nearly everyone with cold indifference, as though they were little white mice in a scientific experiment.
Well, White Night was the sole exception. Counting the Yin-Yang split, Bronya had to be added to that list as well.
But that was all.
Throughout that time, White Night had continually tried to persuade Kiriko, hoping she would recognize the value of life. But unfortunately... words alone did not mean much.
Until that incident.
It was a massive train accident.
The train derailed, killing over a hundred people, including Morohoshi Yudai's entire family.
During that incident, Morohoshi Yudai had been very close to the center of the accident. His parents and younger sister had been with him.
In the end, nearly everyone in that area died. Only four people miraculously survived—Morohoshi Yudai, his parents, and his younger sister, Morohoshi Komei.
But the price was that Morohoshi Yudai suffered injuries that were nearly impossible to recover from with the medical conditions of that era.
In truth, with Morohoshi Yudai's strength at the time, he could have escaped even an accident like that.
But for his family...
—Both his legs had been almost completely mangled into pulp!
With the medical technology of the Chivalry of a Failed Knight world, at most they could reconnect severed limbs. They could not help someone grow new ones.
Morohoshi Yudai was practically crippled.
No matter how unwilling he was, unable to walk, he could only give up the path of a Magic Knight.
Even so, Morohoshi Yudai remained strong and optimistic. He quickly adjusted his mindset and prepared to move on with his life.
But there was someone who could not do that.
—His younger sister, Morohoshi Komei.
On the day of the accident, Koume had begged her family, saying, "I want to go to the Amusement Park."
Morohoshi Yudai had been a genius since childhood. Among people his age, only Kurogane Ouya could best him. No one else was his match. He should have had a better future.
But all of it had been destroyed by that accident.
Koume felt deeply guilty over it, and in the end, a mental disorder caused her to lose her voice.
Mental illnesses could not be cured with medicine. One could only work through them oneself.
Morohoshi Komei's condition reignited Morohoshi Yudai's resolve.
—He would reclaim everything he had lost in that accident—his legs, strength, reputation, and future—without missing a single thing! Then he would tell Koume:
He was fine now!
Naturally, Yakushi Kiriko handled that treatment. It was only after Morohoshi Yudai came to her that White Night learned the accident had already happened.
Though he had mostly watched anime and fanworks, White Night still knew of Morohoshi Yudai.
Unfortunately... he had not truly foreseen the future and had no way to change that accident.
At the time, Yakushi Kiriko was also in a state where she believed herself capable of anything. After informing White Night, she agreed without hesitation.
But in Yakushi Kiriko's eyes, Morohoshi Yudai was not a person at all. He was merely experimental material.
Yakushi Kiriko took tissue from Morohoshi Yudai's other body parts and easily molded him a new pair of legs. Only...
—The legs made up no small portion of the human body. And to take material from the whole body...
Morohoshi Yudai had nearly died several times, only to be pulled back from the brink.
Moreover, to create leg bones, the bone density throughout his body would inevitably decrease. Yet Morohoshi Yudai wanted to become a knight! He needed high-intensity training.
So what awaited him was a cruel, destructive training regimen. Even minor exercise would cause his fragile body to collapse, forcing Kiriko to treat him again.
Afterward, Morohoshi continued training with that frail body, cycling endlessly between destruction and recovery.
—It was like a living hell!
Kiriko could no longer bear to watch and ran away. She fled to the place that made her feel safest: White Night's side.
"It's okay, Kiko. I'm here. I'll always be by your side."
White Night embraced Yakushi Kiriko, silently giving her support. Bronya also moved closer from behind and wrapped Kiriko in her arms.
After that, every time she went to treat him, White Night or Bronya would accompany her.
Five years! A full five years!
Morohoshi Yudai composed a hymn to life through a symphony of suffering. During that time, Kiriko came to understand the preciousness of life, and her personality gradually softened.
And then there were her feelings.
Before this, though Kiriko liked White Night, it had at least remained on the level of familial affection. Afterward...
Five years together quietly elevated those feelings.
"Your efforts paid off, Morohoshi."
After greeting him, White Night stepped closer and slung an arm around Morohoshi Yudai. "So? Has Koume gotten better since you won the championship last time?"
"She's become much more cheerful."
Though he said that, Morohoshi Yudai scratched his head, looking somewhat troubled. "But maybe because she went so long without speaking, she got used to it. She carries a writing board around all day."
"Oh, I get it. I get it. You just want to hear Koume call you 'big bro' again, don't you?"
White Night patted Morohoshi Yudai's broad shoulder and found it far sturdier than that of most Blade Dancers.
"H-how could that be?"
As if White Night had hit the mark, Morohoshi Yudai's eyes darted around before he pulled someone over. "Bronya, be fair. I'm definitely not that kind of person, right?"
Seeing this, Bronya gently shook her head and ignored him. "The two of you should stop fooling around here. Let's sit somewhere else."
At Bronya's suggestion, White Night and Morohoshi Yudai picked a place to sit.
"A-Xing, you and them are...?"
"You didn't know, Asagi? Yakushi Kiriko was the attending physician for what happened to A-Xing."
Jozaki Byakuya adjusted his glasses as he answered Asagi Momiji. Then he shifted his gaze, his tone carrying an indescribable undertone. "This is White Night, right? I'm Jozaki, A-Xing's friend."
Because White Night had claimed that name first, Jozaki was simply "Jozaki."
Emmm...
White Night could not recall him for a moment. Fortunately, Bronya had specifically collected information on the contestants. "Jozaki Byakuya, right? We really do have quite a bit of fate between us."
"Eh? You're also called White Night?" Asagi Momiji looked from side to side, her voice full of energy.
"Right, right, I'm—"
"Bronya knows. You're Asagi Momiji, right? Girls should all like desserts, shouldn't they?"
Bronya sat in her seat, loading some desserts onto a plate with one hand and passing it to Asagi Momiji. A gentle smile rested on her delicate face.
Before long, the group was chatting together.
"So you were all here~"
A gentle voice sounded behind White Night. A pair of slender arms looped around his neck as Yakushi Kiriko pressed herself against him. "Big sister isn't late, is she?"
Commotion and Calm
"Of course not."
White Night's tone was gentle. Naturally picking up a dessert from the table, he held it out to Kiriko. "You'll never be late."
"Xiao Bai really knows how to talk."
Kiriko revealed a tender smile. Without any reservations, she parted her moist lips and elegantly took a bite. "It's delicious. As expected, did Xiao Bai pick what big sister likes?"
Since there were others present, Kiriko did not act overly intimate. She quickly released White Night and sat beside him. "Bronya, let big sister have a look~"
"Kiko."
Bronya had no way of dealing with Kiriko. After all, they were both girls, so being a little affectionate was nothing.
Emmm...
Beside them, a white light reflected off Jozaki's glasses—he alone seemed to have noticed something. But intelligent people naturally made wise choices.
After a brief silence, he quietly turned away and chatted with Asagi Momiji and Morohoshi Yudai about trivial matters.
Contestants came and went in the elegant banquet hall. But suddenly...
"Seems like someone's causing trouble?"
White Night and Morohoshi Yudai exchanged a glance, silently rose to their feet, and led the others over.
Not long ago, Sarah Labudrili had approached Ikki and demanded that he become her nude model, causing quite a commotion.
—The obsession unique to an artist.
In reality, however, White Night's physique surpassed Ikki's. But unfortunately... Sarah had missed him and never seen him.
During the earlier attack on Broken Blade Academy, Shinomiya Amane had made a wish for everything to go as she wanted. But that interference was ineffective against White Night and could only affect Sarah:
Sarah had become distracted by certain thoughts and failed to notice White Night's exceptional qualities. Thus, she had not held him back and let the perfect model slip away.
This time was the same.
—Because of her extremely frail constitution, Sarah had been carried away before White Night arrived.
The source of the incident was someone else: Tadara Yui, a former assassin with an overwhelming killing intent.
Before you continue