Official Ranking Battle

Within Seidoukan Academy, there was a Comprehensive Arena.

This Comprehensive Arena was enormous. Its central, largest stage was especially vast, and even the spectator stands were lavishly furnished at a glance, clearly built at great expense.

A defensive barrier had also been installed around the stage. Once activated, it enclosed the entire stage. Not only could it defend against Huang-style Armament attacks, but it could also reliably withstand bombardment from long-range firepower, ensuring the spectators' safety and keeping them from being caught up in overly intense duels.

This defensive barrier was no ordinary thing. Activating it consumed a tremendous amount of energy, and it required massive equipment to generate it. As a result, only three stages in the arena had such barriers.

Normally, this largest stage was not casually opened to the public.

But today, it was open.

Students in uniform filed inside one after another, visibly excited as they packed the stands around the largest stage until there was no room left.

Their purpose for coming here today was obvious.

They had come to watch.

Today, this stage would host Seidoukan Academy's Official Ranking Battle, held only once a month.

At the Official Ranking Battle, they could not only witness the Page One's Twelve, who rarely dueled others in private, but also see many powerful ranked fighters display their skills. It was an opportunity not to be missed.

For that reason, every monthly Official Ranking Battle drew an enormous number of students. Sometimes, even high-ranking academy officials and special figures from other schools came to watch. In particular, reporters who handled coverage throughout Asterisk arrived punctually every time, like sharks that had caught the scent of blood.

After all, Asterisk was a Duel City, and the students of the Six Academies were all participants in the Star Martial Festival. If they could uncover new information about famous and capable contestants, it was bound to draw plenty of attention.

Because of this, it was not only Seidoukan Academy. Whenever any academy held a similar ranking battle, the venue would be packed to overflowing.

At that moment, the spectators in the stands eagerly discussed the upcoming ranking battle as they waited for it to begin.

"The second ranking battle of the year is finally starting. I wonder which duel will be the most exciting?"

"Isn't that obvious? The final duel today, of course."

"The Ranked First duel?"

"That's right. This year's Ranked First is pretty special. I heard that when she successfully rose to first place, even the other academies were shaken."

"The one who challenged her by name this time seems to be the tenth-ranked Dusk Deep Witch, right?"

"The only two Middle School Department students in Page One's Twelve—and they're both girls. They're actually going to duel here?"

"...Why am I suddenly even more excited?"

"There's something wrong with you!"

Conversations like these sprang up throughout the stands, filling the entire stage with a noisy atmosphere.

Amid that atmosphere, a girl sat in a private seat that resembled a VIP box.

She looked around sixteen or seventeen, apparently a student of the Senior High Department. Her pale aquamarine eyes resembled fresh leaves, her nose was straight, her skin fair, and her features exquisitely refined.

Without question, the most striking thing about her was her gorgeous waist-length hair.

Its color was exceptionally vivid—not red, nor peach, but a distinctive rose color.

Before the appearance of the Star Vein Generation, such a vibrant hair color could almost only be seen through dyeing. But after the Star Vein Generation emerged, more and more people had begun to be born with exceptionally eye-catching hair colors. Among the Star Vein Generation in particular, conspicuous hair colors were fairly common.

The rose-haired girl sat there with a sharp, serious gaze and an aura that kept people at arm's length, making no one dare sit beside her.

Until...

"Oh? So you're here too, Yulis."

With that lightly amused voice, tinged with surprise, the cold atmosphere around the rose-haired girl was instantly shattered.

"...Claudia."

Yulis looked as though she had seen someone she did not want to see, turning toward the side with a trace of displeasure on her face.

There, Claudia approached slowly, her dazzling golden hair swaying. She possessed beauty that was in no way inferior to Yulis's, yet she looked more mature and alluring.

"I never thought you'd come to watch too, Yulis." Claudia greeted her as though she had met a familiar friend. "If I remember correctly, you don't have a designated challenge today, do you?"

"Aren't you the same?" Yulis frowned as she stared at Claudia. "I don't think the Thousand Sight Alliance Master, the person most feared in our academy, would be challenged by name. Or have you finally decided to make a run at the Ranked First position?"

"Ranked First...?" Claudia did not answer Yulis's question. Instead, as though she had just realized something, she said, "So you came to watch because of Gale Blade Lightning?"

"...You're as perceptive as ever." The displeasure on Yulis's face deepened, but she still said in a low voice, "What else could I do? She had only been enrolled for a month, yet in her first Official Ranking Battle, she defeated the previous Ranked First and successfully took Seidoukan's strongest position. And she's only a first-year Middle School Department student. Anyone would be curious whether she can hold onto her position in the second Official Ranking Battle, wouldn't they?"

"Besides that, plenty of people probably want to know whether that girl is really as strong as they say." Claudia sat down beside Yulis as she spoke. "Especially outsiders. Many of them surely refuse to believe that a first-year Middle School Department student—a new student who only enrolled this year—could actually claim the Ranked First position."

"She's only thirteen, after all." Yulis crossed her arms and snorted softly. "Even though videos of her duels have already spread, many people still refuse to believe that could be the true strength of a thirteen-year-old child."

"Is that so?" Claudia tilted her head and smiled lightly. "Does that include you?"

"...Then what about you?" Yulis shot Claudia a sideways glance instead of answering. "Don't tell me that the Student Council President, who is usually so busy, came here specifically today for anything other than the Ranked First duel."

"Well..." Claudia neither denied nor confirmed it, giving an ambiguous response.

"What?" Yulis knew her well enough that Claudia's reaction immediately surprised her. "Don't tell me you really didn't come for the Ranked First duel?"

"It would be a lie to say I'm not interested." Claudia smiled faintly. "But compared to that girl, there's another duel today that I want to see more."

Claudia's words immediately piqued Yulis's curiosity.

"There's another duel worth the attention of someone like you? Its priority is even above the Ranked First duel?" Yulis asked bluntly. "Who is it?"

Claudia did not answer. She merely chuckled softly.

"Hmph."

Yulis snorted and turned her head away, muttering inwardly.

I'd like to see just who it is that has caught your special attention.

In the arena, a mechanical announcement sounded.

"The Official Ranking Battle is about to begin. Spectators, please do not leave your seats at will."

"Please have the participants of the first duel enter the stage."

Guided by the announcement, two figures emerged from the passageways on either side of the arena stage.

A thunderous cheer instantly rose from the stands, formally declaring the start of the Official Ranking Battle.

Meanwhile, Azer waited in the competitors' area of the arena.

He was not alone there. Everyone preparing to duel was gathered there, quietly awaiting their turn.

Azer leaned in a corner, speaking with no one as he rested with his eyes closed.

Before long—

"Please have the participants of the next duel enter the stage."

A school emblem pinned to Azer's right chest immediately lit up, causing him to open his eyes.

"Is it my turn?"

An indescribable gleam filled Azer's eyes.

He did not feel nervous.

On the contrary, he was... exhilarated.

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