"Heh heh, this was actually pretty interesting!" After glancing at tomorrow's opponent, Luo Mio's lips curled slightly as he looked toward a certain spot.
Tomorrow's match, the final match of the afternoon!
"Hagun Academy First Year Miohua VS Hagun Academy Second Year Seiya"!!!
After attending the banquet, Luo Mio and Ikki returned to Room 44.
"Miohua, are you confident about tomorrow's match?"
Facing Ikki's question, Luo Mio lay on the bed and rolled his eyes. "Do you think that little of me?"
Ikki smiled wryly. "Not at all. It's just that Kirimura is, after all, a competitor capable of reaching the top eight of the Sword Dance Festival!"
"Yeah. Even though that guy is certainly irritating, his strength is right there for everyone to see."
"You'd better not lose before you get to fight Brother, or I'll deal with you."
Stella and Shizuku, who had entered the room together with Luo Mio and Ikki, sat on the sofa as they spoke.
There was no doubt that Kirimura Seiya's Device and ability lived up to his title of "Hunter." Unless he encountered an opponent who countered him too severely and forced him to forfeit, he was someone who could contend for the title of Seven Stars Sword King.
Recalling Kirimura Seiya's abilities, Luo Mio said calmly, "Although his ability is indeed troublesome for others, believe it or not, tomorrow I won't need to take even a single step from where I stand to defeat him."
After hearing Luo Mio speak with such confidence, Ikki and the other two had nothing more to say.
Tomorrow's match...
A glint flickered in Luo Mio's eyes.
Mission Reward Progress: 0/11
That afternoon, outside a dome venue in Tokyo!
Among the sea of spectators, students from various academies steadily made their way toward the stands inside the dome.
"A Xing, A Cheng, over here!" Asagi Momiji sat in a section of the stands that had not yet filled up, waving energetically at Morohoshi Yudai and Jonoshiraki Byakuya.
Morohoshi Yudai, who had no matches scheduled today, had watched his classmate and friend Jonoshiraki Byakuya's match before coming to watch the day's final match—Toudo Miohua's match!
"Ah, today has been unbearable!" Morohoshi Yudai said boredly after taking his seat beside the two.
"Seriously, my hands are itching to fight!"
Jonoshiraki Byakuya, seated beside him, said, "Don't you have a match tomorrow?"
"But there's still half a day to get through, isn't there?" Morohoshi Yudai said miserably, then asked Jonoshiraki Byakuya, "Say, A Cheng, who do you think will win today's match?"
Jonoshiraki Byakuya looked up at the screen displaying Toudo Miohua VS Kirimura Seiya.
"Judging from their previous match results, abilities, and Devices, Hagun Academy's 'Hunter' has better odds," Jonoshiraki Byakuya analyzed.
"Hey! A Cheng!" Asagi Momiji glared at Jonoshiraki Byakuya from beside him.
"That was merely an objective analysis." Jonoshiraki Byakuya pushed up his glasses, then added, "But judging from the aura I sensed from Toudo Miohua yesterday, his strength definitely won't be inferior to ours!"
"That's right. From the aura between him and that Kurogane guy yesterday, those two are definitely top-tier!" Morohoshi Yudai said.
If any nearby spectators had heard what Jonoshiraki Byakuya and Morohoshi Yudai said, they would have been utterly shocked.
Being able to stand shoulder to shoulder with last year's Sword Dance Festival runner-up and champion Morohoshi Yudai was rare even among the eight academies!
"Hehe! Little Mio is really strong!" Hearing Jonoshiraki Byakuya's words, Asagi Momiji said proudly, as though he had been praising her instead.
"That's why the top figures from every academy have come to watch this match today." Jonoshiraki Byakuya looked toward another section of the stands.
Asagi Momiji followed his gaze.
"I remember that person. He's one of Greedy Wolf's top-eight competitors, right?"
"Mm, the 'Sword Eater,' Kurashiki Kurato."
"Not just him. Iron Bear Kaoga Renji, who finished his first match today, Lianzhen Academy's 'White Knight,' and Jumen Academy's 'Frosty Laugh'! Top-eight and even semifinal-level competitors have all come!"
"And Akatsuki Academy as well..."
He then looked toward another area, where Akatsuki Academy's "Gale Sword Emperor" Kurogane Ouma and "Beast Tamer" Kazari Rinna were seated.
Inside the match preparation room, Saikyo Neine looked at Luo Mio, who was ready to enter the arena at any moment.
"How's your body, Little Mio?"
Luo Mio sensed his fully warmed-up body and replied, "Don't worry, I'm fine!"
Saikyo Neine teased, "Don't lose in your very first match and disgrace me."
"Don't worry. You know my strength. I've survived Lady Yashahime's fists, after all." Luo Mio said with a half-joking smile.
"Then I'll head back to the stands."
"Mm."
Luo Mio looked toward the passage leading into the arena.
His first official public match in this world!
This was truly exciting!
World's First Battle! Victory!
Tokyo Dome, Arena No. 13.
"Attention, esteemed guests. Ten minutes remain before today's final round of matches. Spectators who have not yet taken their seats, please enter quickly. Only ten minutes remain before the match begins!"
In one section of the stands.
"Huff, huff, huff... Slow down, you idiot princess!" Shizuku said breathlessly as she followed behind Stella.
"Hurry up, Shizuku! If we don't get to our seats now, it'll be too late!" Stella urged her.
They finally jogged all the way to a section of the stands.
"Oh my, you're here." Arisugawa and Ikki, who had already been waiting there for quite some time, greeted them.
"How did your match go, Shizuku?" Ikki asked Shizuku.
As it happened, Shizuku had a match scheduled today, according to yesterday's announcement. Her venue was far from Luo Mio's, so Stella had gone to watch Shizuku's match. Once Shizuku finished, the two hurried over.
"A complete victory! Don't worry." Shizuku reassured Ikki.
Arisugawa motioned for them to sit down quickly. "Hurry and take your seats, the match is about to begin!"
"By the way, where's Touka?" Stella asked as she took her seat and looked around.
"Behind you..." A voice suddenly sounded from behind Stella.
"Eek!"
Stella immediately turned around.
"Touka..."
Touka, who had no match scheduled today, was dressed extremely plainly. With chestnut-colored twin braided pigtails and large-framed glasses, she was practically unrecognizable.
Beside her stood Hagun Academy's student council vice president, Mibarai Awa.
"Touka, aren't you going to the preparation room?" Shizuku asked.
After all, as Luo Mio's sister, shouldn't Touka have gone to the preparation room to see him as family?
"Neine is in the preparation room." Touka shook her head.
Mibarai Awa, standing beside Touka, teased, "She clearly wanted to go to the preparation room, but she kept getting lost on the way. If not for me, Touka, it seemed like you wouldn't have been able to find your way back either!"
"Guh..." Touka's face gradually flushed red, and she glared at Mibarai Awa.
"Haha..." Stella, seated in the front row, laughed awkwardly.
Arisugawa suddenly said, "The match is about to start!"
At the entrance connecting the preparation room to the arena, blue machinery glowed atop a counter, followed by an electronic female voice!
"Since this is your first match, I will explain the rules! The selection matches will use the same practical combat rules as the Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival: one-on-one duels! There is no time limit, and forfeiture is allowed! Devices will take practical combat form, and fantasy form cannot be used, so combat may involve danger to life. If you understand the rules and still wish to participate, please press 'Agree' on the screen. If you do not wish to parti—"
Before the rules were finished, Luo Mio pressed "Agree" first!
He then calmed his racing heart and walked toward the gate.
At the commentator's booth.
"All right! We've kept everyone waiting!"
"I'm Iida, today's announcer for the final match!"
"I'm the commentator, Muroto!"
"Now that introductions are out of the way, let's place all our expectations on today's final match! Please welcome both competitors into the arena!!!!"
Then, the gates on both sides of the arena opened, and two figures walked out!
"First to emerge from the blue gate is last year's Hagun Academy representative, Hagun Academy's second-year student—Kirimura Seiya!"
"He was Hagun Academy's top first-year student last year! As a first-year, he earned the right to participate in the Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival! In his very first Sword Dance Festival match, he defeated a third-year student from Literary Curve Academy, someone qualified to contend for the Seven Stars Sword King title, with overwhelming strength! His combat philosophy and fighting style have allowed him to emerge unscathed from every match and exchange meet so far! Thus, he earned the name 'Hunter'!"
As the announcer read his introduction, Kirimura Seiya cooperated with Iida's broadcast by narcissistically brushing back his hair and waving to the stands.
"Ahhh~ Lord Seiya~!"
"Kirimura! Good luck~!"
"Send your enemy flying~!"
"Kirimura, you're the coolest! The best!"
In an instant, intoxicated female cries rang out throughout the entire venue!
"It seems our competitor Kirimura is incredibly popular! The girls throughout the arena are screaming at his appearance!"
Listening to the girls screaming endlessly around her, Stella's face looked as though she had been disgusted.
"People actually like that disgusting guy?"
"Apparently, I think the same way you do!" Shizuku agreed from beside her.
"Next is the competitor emerging from our red gate! He has no title, no public match records, and was even completely unremarkable when he entered the academy! Yet this unremarkable student actually fought a mock battle against Raikiri upon enrollment! From that, we learned that he is the younger brother of Raikiri herself, competitor Toudo Touka! And he is Hagun Academy's first-year student—Toudo Miohua!"
But what followed was silence throughout the arena. There were no cheers at all.
After all, Luo Mio had yet to draw attention with any remarkable matches, so it was only natural that he had no reputation.
However, Stella and someone else seated in the stands could no longer stand it.
Stella stood up and drew in a breath.
"Miohua! Good luck!!!"
"Little Mio! Send him flying!!!"
The shouts of the two girls reached the arena.
Morohoshi Yudai covered his ears as he looked at the shouting Asagi Momiji beside him!
Jonoshiraki Byakuya also felt somewhat embarrassed and sighed.
Hearing the encouragement from the two girls, Luo Mio could not help but smile before waving back at them.
"You really are pitiful. Hardly anyone is cheering for you," Kirimura Seiya mocked as he looked at Luo Mio.
Hearing Kirimura Seiya's sarcastic tone, Luo Mio shrugged. "But those two are worth more than your entire crowd of unpopular girls."
Kirimura Seiya's eyelid twitched.
Indeed, the two girls cheering for Luo Mio were truly popular—far more popular than him, even!
Iida at the commentator's booth was also a little awkward. After all, he had read so many lines and received almost no response. Yet the professionalism of a veteran announcer allowed him to recover immediately.
"Then now, today's final match, the match that has drawn the attention of countless people, officially begins!"
"It's time to hunt, Obscure Moon!"
Before you continue