Gale Blade Lightning

Comprehensive Arena, rest area.

"Haa..."

After finishing his duel and being assigned here, Azer sat down and let out a breath, relaxing his tense body.

"So this is what fighting feels like?"

Only now did Azer have the presence of mind to savor the feeling of fighting someone for the first time. His blood was racing, and he felt an exhilaration as though every drop of adrenaline in his body had been triggered.

"I was like this before going onstage too. Could I actually be a natural-born fighter?"

Azer began to doubt himself a little.

Still, he had to admit that the feeling was quite good, especially the sensation of defeating an opponent. It was almost intoxicating.

"Thanks, Black Furnace."

Azer held the Activation Device of the Black Furnace Magic Sword and spoke with a smile.

"You did well just now. It also proved that this fighting method is completely viable for us."

Releasing the Black Furnace Magic Sword's heat to create hot wind, using it to propel himself—and even Black Furnace—thereby increasing his movement speed and the speed of his slashes.

Just as Claudia had said, this was a way of using a magic sword that no one had ever conceived of before.

The Four-Colored Magic Swords were all famously difficult to wield. Ordinary people already found it extremely hard just to use them freely. Developing an entirely new fighting style on that basis, one that could further draw out their abilities, was practically impossible.

Only Azer could control the Black Furnace Magic Sword one hundred percent, allowing Black Furnace to become one with him and cooperate with him in perfect harmony. Only then could something like this be achieved.

This was also a method Azer had specifically developed to make up for his currently somewhat insufficient abilities.

Even after absorbing a large amount of Omni-Response Ore, Azer's own abilities had improved greatly, and he was fully qualified to join the ranks of the Inscribed Sacrifice Book. But compared to existences on the level of Page One's Twelve, there was still a gap.

Without the Black Furnace Magic Sword, even if Azer could master a weapon perfectly and instinctively know how to use it in battle, without needing to worry about lacking combat technique or fighting instincts, he would at most be comparable to someone at Arctite's level.

In other words, he still could not threaten those at the level of Page One's Twelve.

It could not be helped. In terms of physical ability and Star Power, he was currently only in the middle ranks of the Inscribed Sacrifice Book, roughly equivalent to those ranked thirtieth to fiftieth. Even if his weapon skills were exceptional, his hardware was insufficient. He still could not threaten the academy's top group.

Even with the Black Furnace Magic Sword, which could burn through all things, it was useless if he could not hit his enemy. That was also why Arctite had dared to make such a bold claim, saying that he would not give Azer another chance to get close.

His opponent was already skilled in close combat, and both his physical abilities and Star Power surpassed Azer's. If he focused solely on evasion, Azer might truly not be able to land a strike on him.

But if others could think of this weakness, Azer naturally could as well.

That was why he had specifically developed this method of using hot wind to accelerate himself: to compensate for that very flaw.

The final result had proven that his idea was entirely feasible.

With this, Azer finally possessed the ability to nearly instantly defeat the thirteenth-ranked fighter, make those ranked above fear him, and threaten Page One's Twelve.

"It's just that if I fight this way, consumption becomes a problem again."

Azer shook his head helplessly.

Releasing the Black Furnace Magic Sword's heat was not difficult. Black Furnace could do it herself; she had done exactly that during the Suitability Rate test at the Equipment Bureau's underground testing ground.

But controlling that heat, shaping it into hot wind, and freely directing it to erupt in whatever direction he wanted in order to propel and accelerate himself—that was difficult.

Azer had managed it through his control over the Black Furnace Magic Sword and Black Furnace's wholehearted cooperation, but it also greatly increased the consumption of Star Power.

Originally, with the Black Furnace Magic Sword operating at normal average output, Azer could use her for more than an hour. But if he used hot wind to assist in battle and accelerate himself, he would likely exhaust his Star Power in at most twenty minutes or so.

"Fortunately, this is only temporary."

Thinking of the heaps upon heaps of Omni-Response Ore in the Underground Vault, Azer's expression eased.

He had already found a way to improve himself quickly. As long as he could ensure that his power did not spiral out of control, both his physical fitness and Star Power would surge at an astonishing rate.

"There are still nearly two months until the first competition of this season's Star Martial Festival—the official start of the Phoenix Star Martial Festival."

Azer thought to himself.

"Even if I can't absorb all the Omni-Response Ore in that warehouse within two months, my strength will definitely be completely different from what it is now."

By Azer's estimate, after each absorption of Omni-Response Ore, it would be best to spend around a week adapting to his increased power before absorbing more.

In other words, in one month, Azer could probably absorb Omni-Response Ore four times and complete four rounds of improvement.

"One month should be enough for me to reach the point where I can defeat an ordinary member of Page One's Twelve without using Black Furnace."

Azer silently calculated.

"By the time the Phoenix Star Martial Festival begins, I'll be even stronger. Even among all the students of Seidoukan Academy, I should rank near the top."

With the Black Furnace Magic Sword under his complete control then, Azer was confident he could win the Phoenix Star Martial Festival.

"Still, the Phoenix Star Martial Festival is a two-person team event..."

At that thought, Azer fell into contemplation.

"Waaaah—"

Suddenly, cheers loud enough to shake the arena erupted, startling Azer from his thoughts.

"What happened?"

Azer was initially surprised, then remembered something. He opened his window, entered the Seidoukan Academy Official Ranking Battle livestream channel, and watched the match venue.

There, one of the most highly anticipated matches was about to begin.

Both competitors had already entered the arena. They were unexpectedly two girls.

Moreover, they were two very young girls, young enough to be called children.

Both girls were quite attractive, especially one of them, whose appearance could absolutely be described as exquisitely cute.

She wore the girls' uniform of the Middle School Department. Her face was slightly childish, and her large, watery eyes were adorable. Though her whole body gave off a delicate, frail air, a scabbard containing a real blade hung at her waist.

The girl also had beautiful silver hair tied into two flowing tails behind her. Though she was short enough to be called petite, her figure was remarkably well-developed. Along her slender curves hung a pair of fruits so abundant that even her clothes could barely restrain them, enough to make ninety-nine percent of adult women lose all confidence.

"...What kind of anime physique is that?"

Azer could hardly believe that such a child-faced giant—cough, cough—actually existed in reality.

What? This was a fantasy world?

Never mind, then!

"She's Toudou Kirin?"

Azer stared at her timid-looking face.

Toudou Kirin, a first-year student in the Middle School Department, was thirteen years old this year.

That was right, thirteen.

That kind of figure at thirteen... could anyone believe it?

Yet even more unbelievable was that this thirteen-year-old girl, who had only just reached the age to enroll at Seidoukan Academy, was the current Ranked First!

That was right!

She was Seidoukan Academy's Ranked First!

She had enrolled only two months ago, yet upon entering the academy, she had defeated the eleventh-ranked fighter in a duel and become one of Page One's Twelve. Then, during the first Official Ranking Battle one month ago, she had challenged Ranked First by name, successfully defeated her opponent, taken their place, and become Seidoukan Academy's current strongest student!

Today, she was no longer standing here as a challenger, but as the person who had been challenged by name.

The one who had challenged her was ranked tenth among Page One's Twelve, a genius who, like her, had become one of Page One's Twelve while still a Middle School Department student.

These two were the only Middle School Department students among Page One's Twelve. The rest were either from the Senior High Department or the University Department.

That was why, when the two entered the arena and stepped onto the stage together, the cheers from the spectator stands were loud enough for Azer to hear even from the rest area.

In the end, however, this highly anticipated duel was over in less than a minute.

Watching the silver-haired girl unleash astonishing swordsmanship amid the audience's cries of shock, instantly corner her opponent, sever her school emblem with a single slash, and claim victory, Azer's eyes flickered.

"Gale Blade Lightning...?"

Azer fell into thought once more.