Then a piercing sound rang out between the two of them.
At some point, Tadara Yui had gripped a dinner knife and viciously stabbed it toward Luo Mio.
And at some point, Luo Mio had raised a fork and blocked the incoming knife.
"How thrilling, Classmate Tadara. Could you rein in that killing intent of yours?" Luo Mio said with narrowed eyes.
Seeing that her sneak attack had failed, Tadara Yui clicked her tongue.
"Come back, Utena," Kurogane Ouma, already seated, said flatly.
"Boring." With that, Tadara Yui tossed the dinner knife in her hand at Luo Mio.
Luo Mio expressionlessly knocked the thrown knife to the ground and said, "Classmate Tadara, shouldn't you at least pick the right moment to poison someone?"
Then Luo Mio turned his head back.
Tadara Yui glanced at the poisoned dinner knife, then at Luo Mio, before taking her seat in the Akatsuki Academy section.
"Are you alright, Miohua?" Ikki asked Luo Mio worriedly.
Luo Mio shook his head.
"Your reflexes are pretty impressive."
A loud male voice rang out.
Luo Mio looked over and instantly recognized the man before him.
A third-year student of Buku Academy.
Last year's Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival champion.
The "Seven Stars Sword King," Morohoshi Yudai.
The First Battle of the Public Matches!
The man before him was about the same height as Arisugawa. His gaze was sharp, and even beneath his suit, the solid muscles of his body were apparent. Simply standing there, he radiated intimidation, like a predatory beast.
"It's nothing much. I'm sure Morohoshi-senpai could do even better than I did." Luo Mio shrugged.
"You're being too modest, Little Mio." A girl's voice came from behind Morohoshi Yudai.
"Long time no see, Momiji." Luo Mio looked toward the girl in the formal dress. She was Asagi Momiji, Touka and Ning Yin's fellow disciple and, in a sense, Luo Mio's childhood friend.
Asagi Momiji's smile brimmed with energy as she beamed at Luo Mio. "Long time no see, Little Mio."
"But I heard from Master that you were supposed to come to Buku." Asagi Momiji looked at Luo Mio with puzzled eyes.
"Well..." Faced with Asagi Momiji's gaze, Luo Mio awkwardly looked away.
"Long time no see, Momiji." Ikki stepped in from the side to rescue Luo Mio.
Upon hearing Ikki's greeting, Asagi Momiji blinked, then her lively eyes lit up.
"Isn't this Ikki?!" Asagi Momiji said in surprise.
You only just noticed?
Luo Mio grumbled inwardly.
"Wait, could it be that Ikki is at Hagun too, just like Little Mio?" Having noticed something, Asagi Momiji narrowed her eyes and looked back and forth between Ikki and Luo Mio.
"Uh..."
"Alright, Momiji." Touka stepped forward and rescued the two of them.
"Senior Sister." Asagi Momiji called out to Touka.
Though they were the same age, Touka had entered the tutelage of the "War God," Nangou Torajiro, before Asagi Momiji. Thus, after joining the school, Asagi Momiji had always addressed Touka as Senior Sister.
"Long time no see, Morohoshi. Since last year." Touka looked at Morohoshi Yudai with fighting spirit blazing in her eyes.
Sensing the burning battle intent in Touka's gaze and tone, Morohoshi Yudai was briefly stunned. Then, as though a beast's territory had been challenged, he grinned fearlessly. "Don't lose before you get to face me this year!"
As the "Seven Stars Sword King," standing above the students of the other six academies in the Far East and at the very pinnacle, he feared no student's intimidation—not even "Raikiri," who could rival him!
"Of course not."
Feeling the dense battle intent and pressure between them, a man from the Buku Academy seating area behind Morohoshi Yudai walked over.
"Yudai, this is a banquet. Put that pressure away."
The bespectacled boy wore an immaculate suit. Even his posture and movements were exceptionally neat and precise.
He was Jonoshiraki Byakuya, last year's Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival runner-up, the "Heavenly Eye."
"And you too, Momiji! What kind of behavior is all this shouting and commotion at a banquet?"
Faced with Jonoshiraki Byakuya's reprimand, Asagi Momiji playfully made a face at him.
"Little Shiro is no fun at all."
"Yeah, yeah." Morohoshi Yudai, who was still exchanging challenges with Touka, chimed in.
Jonoshiraki Byakuya sighed at the two of them as though he had become their mother.
Jonoshiraki Byakuya adjusted his glasses and looked at Luo Mio. "So you're the little brother of Toudo Touka, the one Momiji talks about so often."
The moment Jonoshiraki Byakuya said that, the surrounding students were stunned.
"Little brother?! The president's?!..."
"I can't believe he's 'Raikiri's' little brother?!"
"First-year student of Hagun Academy, Toudo Miohua."
"I never expected one of this year's first-years to be 'Raikiri's' little brother."
"I wonder how much of 'Raikiri's' strength her little brother has inherited."
For a moment, all the surrounding students looked toward Luo Mio.
"Hoho, it seems you're not flustered at all under so many eyes." Morohoshi Yudai said when he saw this.
Luo Mio shrugged, his expression calm and unconcerned. "Well, my sister is the great 'Raikiri,' after all. As her little brother, I can't disgrace her."
"And besides..." Luo Mio looked at the chattering crowd, his eyes narrowing slightly as the corner of his mouth lifted. "So far, I haven't met anyone who could truly beat me into submission."
System: Have you forgotten how many times your teacher beat you until you begged for mercy in the Consciousness Space?
Luo Mio: Can't you keep quiet at a time like this?
System: I'm happy, so I'll say what I want.
Luo Mio:...
"!"
The many students in the crowd felt that heavy, razor-sharp pressure and their expressions hardened as they stared solemnly at Luo Mio.
Morohoshi Yudai, standing nearby, also sensed Luo Mio's aura and smiled. "I like that attitude of yours."
"I hope I'll get the chance to cross blades with Morohoshi-senpai in the arena this year, regardless of who wins." Luo Mio extended his fist toward Morohoshi Yudai.
Seeing the offered fist, Morohoshi Yudai extended his own and bumped it against Luo Mio's.
"Just don't lose before you face me."
"Of course not. Before I meet my destined rival—my best friend—I won't be leaving the stage halfway through." After saying that, Luo Mio fixed Ikki beside him with a blazing, battle-hungry gaze.
Feeling the pressure radiating from Luo Mio and the fighting spirit in his eyes, Ikki looked back at Luo Mio with eyes as sharp as drawn swords.
The people who knew Luo Mio and Ikki, standing beside them, smiled knowingly at the sight.
Feeling the clashing pressure between the two, Morohoshi Yudai burst into laughter. "Then you two had better put on an absolutely spectacular fight for me!"
Afterward, Morohoshi Yudai, Asagi Momiji, and Jonoshiraki Byakuya bade farewell to Luo Mio's group and returned to the Buku Academy seating area.
"I didn't expect there to be so many opponents among this year's first-years who could make my blood race!" Morohoshi Yudai laughed.
Jonoshiraki Byakuya, beside him, agreed. "Yes. There really are many astonishing new students this year."
Toudo Miohua, "Raikiri's" little brother. Aside from the simulated battle with Raikiri that had spread online when he enrolled, his performance in it and his astonishing magical power already placed him on par with Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival semifinalists.
The Crimson Lotus Princess, Stella Vermillion—the A-Rank Knight who ranked first in the world in magical power and drew the attention of countless people.
Kurogane Shizuku, descendant of the once-famous Samurai Ryoma and Hagun Academy's second-ranked new student, surpassed only by the Crimson Lotus Princess.
And...
Jonoshiraki Byakuya could not help glancing toward Ikki in the Hagun Academy section.
Though he was an F-Rank Knight, he possessed that chillingly sharp sword aura, and Toudo Miohua even called him his destined rival.
In the Hagun Academy section, Ikki seemed to sense something. He looked toward Jonoshiraki Byakuya, then smiled shyly.
Jonoshiraki Byakuya returned the gesture, then turned away as the corners of his mouth gradually rose.
And then there was his astonishing observation and perception...
But speaking of astonishing students...
Jonoshiraki Byakuya looked toward the Akatsuki Academy seating area.
Among them, only one person stood out as particularly familiar.
He had the same appearance as Kurogane Ikki, yet lacked Ikki's gentle air. Instead, his entire body radiated overwhelming strength.
The "Gale Sword Emperor," Kurogane Ouma...
One of the Far East's two genius A-Rank Knights.
Who would have thought that he, having vanished without a trace since middle school, would reappear this year!
And he had been Yudai's fierce rival since childhood...
Jonoshiraki Byakuya glanced at Morohoshi Yudai ahead of him.
"Good afternoon, representatives from all the academies!"
At that moment, a middle-aged figure appeared on the banquet stage.
While Luo Mio and the others sat in their section talking, a voice came from the stage.
Tsukikage Bakuga, the current Far East cabinet minister and chairman of Akatsuki Academy, stood on the stage and addressed the students from the eight academies.
"Welcome, everyone."
"I presume everyone here is already very familiar with the rules and format of this year's Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival selection matches!"
"Therefore, today, we will formally announce tomorrow's match information—the opponents, times, and locations!"
"!"
Tsukikage Bakuga's words were like a stone striking water, stirring up waves of discussion among the students of the eight academies.
"Now, it is time for the announcement!"
Snap! Tsukikage Bakuga snapped his fingers.
The curtain behind the stage was drawn aside, revealing a massive display screen before everyone!
Bzzzt!
Then blue light flared, and the screen displayed the match information for numerous students!
"Hahahahahaha!"
A hearty, booming laugh rang out from one corner of the banquet hall.
The man was easily over two meters tall, nearly a meter wide, and his bearded face made him seem nothing like a student.
He was Kaoga Renji, a third-year student of Rokuson Academy and one of last year's Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival quarterfinalists—the "Iron Bear."
"I didn't expect the very first match to be mine!" Kaoga Renji said as he looked at the first name on the screen.
After glancing toward Kaoga Renji, Luo Mio continued looking downward.
"Looks like I don't have a match tomorrow..." Luo Mio was about to finish scanning the schedule and look away when his eyes landed on the final match scheduled for tomorrow.
Before you continue