Who Isn't a Herrscher?

Stella nodded.

Whether it was the split-second decisions made between offense and defense, the final setup, or the power of Raikiri in the end.

"I don't quite understand."

Stella stared at Luo Mio in the video and asked in confusion, "Miohua, how should I put this... I feel like you've been deliberately holding back your use of magic power?"

"Both when attacking and when moving."

After hearing Stella's words, Luo Mio said, "Yeah... for certain reasons, I guess."

"Reasons?"

"When Miohua was young, there was an accident."

"An accident?"

"Yeah, that accident caused his magic power to go berserk."

"Berserk..."

Luo Mio shrugged and said to Stella, "Stella, coat your finger with your magic power."

Then, a small spherical mass of white liquid magic power appeared in Luo Mio's palm.

"Touch it."

Stella looked at the magic power in Luo Mio's hand, then touched it with a finger coated in magic power.

When her red phosphorescent magic power came into contact with the white magic power.

Negative emotions such as death, despair, hatred, and anger flowed through Stella's finger into her mind.

The instant she received those emotions, Stella pulled her finger back.

"This..." Stella stared at that cluster of white magic power.

Seeing Stella withdraw her hand, Luo Mio solidified the spherical white liquid magic power in his hand.

"Then..." Luo Mio raised his other hand.

Slap!

With a sharp smack, Luo Mio's other hand viciously struck the solidified magic power.

The struck magic power suddenly became violent. Spikes of varying lengths gradually emerged from its solid surface.

"This..." Stella stared in shock at the magic power that seemed to possess life.

Clearly, what she was seeing had shattered her common sense.

"Is this why you went berserk?"

"More or less. Think about it—what would happen if all this magic power of mine went berserk in a crowd?"

Stella's expression gradually darkened.

"Then how did that accident happen?"

"Human intervention."

"Although I didn't know how I went berserk at the time, there was one thing I did know: that accident..."

"Someone deliberately made me go berserk."

Ikki, standing nearby, added, "After the accident, Miohua's A-Rank Knight status was revoked, and all information concerning him was sealed away. Only a handful of the higher-ups and close friends knew."

"After that, Miohua was placed in the care of Teacher Saikyo Neine, the 'Yashahime,' and Teacher Nango, the 'War God.'"

"And your magic power now..." Stella looked at the magic power in Luo Mio's hand, which could erupt at any moment.

"This? It's fine."

After saying that, he smacked the magic power again.

As if it knew exactly who had hit it, the magic power settled down aggrievedly, then retreated into Luo Mio's body.

"See?"

Stella stared at the scene, which was so absurd it felt theatrical, in disbelief.

After clearing away the dishes and chopsticks, Luo Mio returned to his room.

Soaking in the bathtub, Luo Mio let out a satisfied sigh.

Then, he silently opened the system interface.

Eternal Twilight Wolves

Level 45.

Looking at the leveled-up Eternal Twilight Wolves, Luo Mio thought of the mission issued by the system.

Fight once with "all his heart," regardless of victory or defeat.

That was right. Fight wholeheartedly once, use all his strength, and even if he lost, he would understand his own flaws and shortcomings.

A Device transformed one's soul into a tangible form; it was also the manifestation of one's soul.

Eternal Twilight Wolves and I.

Was this what it meant to grow as one...

Luo Mio shook his head.

After finishing his bath, Luo Mio changed into his pajamas and was just about to get into bed.

"Miohua."

Ikki called out to Luo Mio.

"What is it, Ikki?"

Ikki scratched his cheek, then played a voice message.

"Is this Ikki? It's Touka. Um, could I ask you for a favor? I heard from Senior Sister Ning Yin that you go out to train every morning, right? Senior Sister Ning Yin said that ever since Miohua left Teacher Nango, he's gotten a little slack. Could you please bring Miohua along to train with you?"

Upon hearing his own sister's voice in the recording, Luo Mio's mouth twitched.

"That damn old hag!"

Luo Mio roared inwardly.

A spring morning.

Standing at the finish line, Luo Mio drank water as he watched Ikki approach from behind, with Stella already unconscious on his back.

"Good work."

Luo Mio handed Ikki a water bottle.

After taking a drink, Ikki looked at the unconscious Stella and said, "Was the training too intense?"

Luo Mio rolled his eyes at Ikki's words.

"For the two of us, we're already used to this kind of training."

"For anyone else, your twenty-kilometer full-speed sprint followed by jogging might be more than they can handle."

"But for her, she'll be fine after getting used to it for a day or two."

"Is that so?"

Luo Mio looked at the frowning Ikki and teased, "Feeling protective of a girl?"

Ikki's expression immediately turned flustered at Luo Mio's teasing.

"Stop making excuses."

Luo Mio cut off what Ikki was about to say, then walked over to Stella, who was slumped against a stone bench.

"Tyrannosaurus Rex, wake up. We're at the finish line."

The next day, Stella was still training, but she threw up when she reached a point near the finish line.

On the third day, Stella finally staggered across the finish line, panting heavily.

"H-how was that...?"

Seeing Stella panting while still trying to show off in front of him.

Luo Mio said speechlessly, "All right, all right. You're already like this and you still want to talk? Aren't you tired?"

He placed a water bottle in Stella's hand.

"Ikki just drank from it. Here."

"..."

Stella's face flushed.

"T-this... isn't this an indirect kiss?"

Stella said softly.

"He's already seen your body, and you still care about something like this? How are you going to marry into his family later?"

Boom...

Stella's face instantly turned scarlet, and a puff of steam burst from her head in embarrassment.

"What are you two talking about?"

Ikki took a towel from his backpack and looked at them.

Wiping away his sweat, Luo Mio said, "By the way, Ikki, Shizuku is enrolling tomorrow."

"Yeah."

Stella looked at Ikki.

"I feel like you seem really happy, Ikki? About that Shizuku?"

"Yeah. Shizuku is my younger sister, and one of the few family members willing to be close to me."

"Heh... your little sister isn't one of those without a blood relation, is she?"

"No, they're actual biological siblings."

Luo Mio added from the side as he drank water.

"Is that so?"

Stella looked at Luo Mio again, not quite understanding why he had that air of someone watching a show.

"Hm?"

Ikki also looked at Luo Mio in confusion.

A Farce

After the entrance ceremony ended, Luo Mio, Ikki, and Stella headed toward their classroom.

Inside the first-year Class One classroom.

Luo Mio sat at his desk, with Ikki to his left and Stella to Ikki's left.

The three of them were seated in perfectly ordinary places, but beside Ikki sat Stella, the Crimson Lotus Princess.

"That's the Crimson Lotus Princess?"

"I'm so jealous. She was born an A-Rank Knight."

"Who's the guy beside her?"

"I heard from the upperclassmen that he's F-Rank, and he's even a repeat student."

"Pfft, F-Rank..."

"As expected of an A-Rank Knight. She's really broad-minded, hanging around with an F-Rank."

The other first-year students in the classroom whispered among themselves as they looked at Ikki and Stella.