The Greatest Dignity

"Y-You bastard..."

The veins on Toudou Kouichirou's forehead bulged.

Clearly, Azer had infuriated him badly.

Yet when he met Azer's utterly unsmiling gaze, a trace of fear appeared on Toudou Kouichirou's face.

He was merely an ordinary person, not one of the Star Vein Generation. Even if he wanted to do something to Azer, he would most likely be unable to do anything and only humiliate himself instead.

"Heh... hahaha..."

Suddenly, as though he had thought of something, Toudou Kouichirou laughed.

"You think that just because you're partnering up for the Phoenix Star Martial Festival, you actually have a chance of winning?"

Toudou Kouichirou rose to his feet and, relying on his height, looked down at Azer with contempt.

"Don't think being Ranked First means you can defeat the other academies."

"Let me tell you, compared to the powerhouses of the other academies, you're nowhere near their level."

"You don't stand a chance competing against them!"

Toudou Kirin was rendered speechless by Toudou Kouichirou's words.

Even Azer did not speak up to refute that point.

Because he knew very well that the other man was not wrong about this.

Although he and Toudou Kirin were respectively Seidoukan Academy's former Ranked First and current Ranked First, their strength stood at the pinnacle of the academy. But compared with the powerhouses of the other academies, they were not actually that strong.

To say nothing else, just consider Jielong Seventh Academy's Ranked First. Azer, who was familiar with the original work, knew that person was a genuine old monster. Not only among the Six Academies, but across the entire world, that person was one of the absolute strongest. They were on a completely different level from students like them.

Lefevre Black Academy's Ranked First was also a monster. That person had already won the King Dragon Star Martial Festival twice in a row, and many believed a third championship was practically theirs for the taking. They would then achieve three consecutive King Dragon Star Martial Festival titles and go down in history.

Then there was Seidoukan Academy's Ranked First, a swordsman who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship and was considered the strongest swordsman of contemporary Asterisk. Queenveil Girls' Academy's Ranked First had also claimed second place in the previous King Dragon Star Martial Festival, and many considered her the second-strongest student of the current generation.

Compared to those people, Toudou Kirin could not match any of them, and even Azer was not particularly confident.

Even if he disregarded the cost and pushed the Black Furnace Magic Sword's power to its limit, Azer was only confident in facing Seidoukan Academy's and Queenveil Girls' Academy's Ranked First. But if it were the two monsters from Jielong Seventh Academy and Lefevre Black Academy, Azer had no confidence at all.

It was clear from this that, compared with the other academies' Ranked First students, Azer and Toudou Kirin still needed time to grow.

There was no helping it. The Star Martial Festivals of recent years made it plain that, in terms of overall strength, Seidoukan Academy was currently weaker than the other academies. Otherwise, it would not have ended up effectively at the bottom in the overall rankings.

If they wanted to stand on the same stage as the powerhouses of those academies, Azer and Toudou Kirin's current strength made it far too dangerous.

But...

"You think I haven't looked into this year's Phoenix Star Martial Festival?"

Faced with Toudou Kouichirou's mockery, Azer spoke calmly.

"As far as I know, Lefevre Black Academy's top student will only participate in the King Dragon Star Martial Festival and will not appear in the Phoenix Star Martial Festival at all. Seidoukan Academy also places great emphasis on the Gryphon Star Martial Festival, so those at the top of its rankings will hardly participate in the Phoenix Star Martial Festival."

"Jielong Seventh Academy's Ranked First has not yet reached the eligible age to compete. They did have someone take second place in the previous Phoenix Star Martial Festival, but this time, it seems that person is preparing to switch to the Gryphon Star Martial Festival. Queenveil Girls' Academy's Ranked First is likewise focused solely on the King Dragon Star Martial Festival and will not participate in this year's Phoenix Star Martial Festival."

"Even Arle Kant Research Institute, which won the previous Phoenix Star Martial Festival, has seen its champion pair graduate this year."

"So, this year's Phoenix Star Martial Festival will not feature any exceptionally powerful competitors. The only people we need to watch out for are those at each academy on the level of Page One's Twelve."

Although winning a Star Martial Festival allowed one to make a wish of the Integrated Enterprise Foundation, the powerhouses of the Six Academies did not enter competitions blindly.

This was because, according to the regulations that applied to all Asterisk students, each student could only participate in the Star Martial Festival three times.

No matter how well or poorly they performed, a person could only participate in the Star Martial Festival three times in total. Once they exceeded that limit, they could no longer register.

Under such circumstances, capable students naturally had to choose carefully and enter the Star Martial Festival most advantageous to them.

Those skilled at fighting alone would focus exclusively on the King Dragon Star Martial Festival.

Those skilled at team combat would focus exclusively on the Gryphon Star Martial Festival.

As a result, some would spend a full nine years participating in the King Dragon Star Martial Festival three times, while others would complete all their Star Martial Festival appearances within just three years.

Lefevre Black Academy's two-time King Dragon Star Martial Festival champion was one such case. Having already participated twice, with only one chance remaining, that person naturally would not give up a third consecutive title that was nearly within reach.

The same was true of Seidoukan Academy. The academy's culture strongly advocated unity, so it had always ranked among the best in the team-based Gryphon Star Martial Festival. It could even be called a perennial champion of the Gryphon Star Martial Festival. The academy had taken first place in the overall rankings last season, so naturally it would place even greater importance on the Gryphon Star Martial Festival.

Queenveil Girls' Academy had never performed particularly well in the Star Martial Festival. Only this generation's Ranked First possessed outstanding strength, taking second place in the previous King Dragon Star Martial Festival. This time, she was again aiming for the King Dragon Star Martial Festival, leaving only a handful of minor fry behind.

Jielong Seventh Academy and Arle Kant Research Institute were somewhat unusual. The powerhouses in these two academies had no obvious preferences and did not consistently participate in any particular Star Martial Festival. However, their strongest students had either graduated or shifted to other Star Martial Festivals, so they would not participate in this year's Phoenix Star Martial Festival.

To sum up...

"Among the powerhouses from each academy participating in this Phoenix Star Martial Festival, we may very well be the only Ranked First students."

Azer spoke flatly.

"Seidoukan Academy's former and current Ranked First are forming a team, while none of the other academies' Ranked First students are our opponents. If we still don't dare to compete under these circumstances, then we might as well forget about the upcoming Gryphon Star Martial Festival and King Dragon Star Martial Festival too."

"This year's Phoenix Star Martial Festival is precisely the one in which we have the best chance of claiming victory."

"The idea that we stand no chance at all, as you said, simply does not exist!"

If that were not the case, why had the audience in the arena been so excited when Toudou Kirin accepted Azer's invitation?

Was it not because they too believed Azer and Toudou Kirin had the greatest chance of winning?

If Seidoukan Academy could produce a championship pair in the first Phoenix Star Martial Festival of the year, then its overall results for the season would not look too bad.

And that was something Claudia, the Student Council President, had personally said.

"Th-This..."

Toudou Kouichirou immediately took a step back.

"Get lost." Azer no longer even bothered with superficial politeness as he said coldly, "When Toudou lost to me and ceased to be Ranked First, your plan was already doomed to fail. Continuing to vent your anger here only makes you look incompetent."

"Leaving now is the greatest dignity you can preserve."

Toudou Kouichirou's expression stiffened, and his entire body began to tremble.

After a long while, he seemed to resign himself to it. His whole person became much more dejected.

Without saying another word, Toudou Kouichirou turned and staggered away.

"Uncle..."

Seeing this, Toudou Kirin's eyes grew slightly moist, and she seemed pained as well.

He was still her uncle, her father's older brother, a blood relative.

Seeing him like that, a kind-hearted girl like her could not possibly feel nothing.

But she had already decided to keep moving forward.

Azer's words had strengthened Toudou Kirin's resolve.

"The Phoenix Star Martial Festival..."

This would surely be the stage closest to her wish.

She had to win and save her father.

She had to...