"All right, there was still some time before Ikki's match. Let's go check on him."
"Then... all right."
That afternoon, Arisugawa sat in the stands, while Stella and Shizuku beside him had long since risen excitedly to their feet.
They watched Ikki be driven into a corner by Kirimura Seiya's hidden ultimate technique, break free from that desperate situation, then defeat Kirimura Seiya with overwhelming strength before collapsing, drenched in blood, after his victory was announced.
"Just as you said, Miohua... Perfect Vision."
Ikki's true strength was neither his extraordinarily gifted swordsmanship nor One Blade Asura, which drained all his mana and stamina. It was his terrifying powers of observation and insight, capable of seeing through the essence of anything at a glance like a demon-revealing mirror!
They walked down the corridor toward the hotel's medical room.
Luo Mio and Arisugawa spoke as they followed behind Shizuku.
"I didn't expect it to turn out exactly as you said, Miohua," Arisugawa remarked.
Luo Mio shrugged. "If Ikki wanted to master Perfect Mastery, he had to face Kirimura Seiya. He was Ikki's best whetstone."
Shizuku blinked, her emerald eyes fixed on Luo Mio as she asked, "By the way, Miohua, how did you know he had to use Blade Steel to defeat the Hunter?"
Luo Mio glanced at her.
"It was simple. Every one of Ikki's skills, including One Blade Asura, was meant for close-range combat. You just had to eliminate the possibilities one by one."
How could I possibly tell you that I knew most of the plot from the original world?
"Then why did you think of Blade Steel?"
"The foundation of Blade Steel lies in uncovering, studying, and understanding other people's sword techniques through actual combat. But what if Blade Steel were applied to the concept of a person?"
"By observing someone's subtle habits, attack range, and the power of their moves in battle, then gaining insight from them and deducing their actions, emotions, and mentality before imitating and understanding them... Kirimura Seiya would no longer be facing Ikki, but another version of himself—the Hunter."
"Besides, the one who truly helped Ikki in this match wasn't me. It was Stella, wasn't it? If not for Stella's heartfelt words, Ikki's body and mind wouldn't have been in their best condition."
Hearing that, Arisugawa recalled seeing Ikki outside the preparation room earlier that day, his expression slightly gloomy. "That's true."
At those words, Shizuku sighed, sounding somewhat unconvinced. "
They arrived at the medical room door and opened it while still talking.
"I..."
"Ah..."
The three of them fell completely silent at the sight before them.
Moonlight streamed through the transparent glass window and shone upon two figures. As though they were swearing an oath beneath the moonlight, their lips met in a kiss that sealed their promise...
Luo Mio watched the two kiss as if they had forgotten the world, then glanced at Shizuku, whose face had darkened like stormwater, and Arisugawa, who wore a smile as though watching a show.
"Clang..."
Luo Mio knocked on the door.
"!"
The two immediately came to their senses and sprang apart, then looked toward the doorway.
A crimson blush spread across Stella's cheeks. Surprise still lingered in her slightly moist eyes, made so by embarrassment, on that lovely, delicate face.
"Y-You... when did you..." she asked in a tiny, trembling voice.
"Ah... probably about half a minute ago," Arisugawa said, his eyes wandering.
"Shizuku..." Ikki said softly, hardly daring to look at his little sister.
"Hehehe..." Shizuku stared at the two with vacant eyes and laughed.
"Brother, Shizuku knows! This fat dinosaur must have forced you to do something like this! Shizuku will set you free right now!"
"Wait! Shizuku..."
"Shizuku! Calm down!"
The noisy sounds of everyone shouting and fooling around gradually drifted out from the medical room.
"So, you and Stella are dating now, right?" Luo Mio asked Ikki from the sofa in the medical room, looking at Stella beside him. She had her head lowered, her hands resting helplessly on her lap.
Ikki nodded shyly at Luo Mio's question.
"Yeah."
Hearing that, Luo Mio quietly teased Stella, "You moved pretty fast, Stella!"
Stella's lowered face turned even redder, and her bashful eyes seemed as though water might drip from them.
The vein on Shizuku's forehead twitched.
Seeing that, Arisugawa comforted her.
"You all...?"
Touka, who had just opened the door and entered, looked at everyone with a puzzled expression.
"What's wrong, Sis?" Luo Mio asked Touka. "You came in looking so rushed."
Touka looked at Luo Mio solemnly. "Miohua, your opponent for tomorrow's match has been announced!"
"Hm?"
Touka then took out the match schedule on the Student Handbook and showed it to Luo Mio.
Luo Mio's eyes narrowed at a glance.
"Hagun Academy, First Year—Toudo Touka VS Akatsuki Academy, Third Year—Kurogane Ouma"!
That night, Luo Mio left the medical room with Touka.
Inside the training room, Luo Mio summoned the Eternal Twilight Wolves and assumed the opening stance of the inch-power Ura-shiki, facing Touka, who held Narukami in her hand.
"Whoosh!"
A golden crescent bolt of lightning shot toward Luo Mio as swiftly as a thunderbolt.
Luo Mio flashed aside to evade it, but Touka immediately rushed before him and slashed horizontally.
Seeing this, Luo Mio raised his left foot and slammed it down onto the floor.
"Style: Moonlit Heron."
"Boom!"
The floor beneath Luo Mio's foot shattered violently, and fragments sent flying by the tremendous force blocked Touka's blade!
Then Luo Mio clenched his right hand into a fist and drove it straight at Touka's forehead.
"Ura-shiki: Entering Cloud Eagle"—straight punch version.
"Bang!"
Sparks of electricity flickered in Touka's eyes. She used the flat of her blade to smack the flying rubble toward Luo Mio's punching path, then golden lightning flowed from the joint of her right hand gripping Narukami. She quickly readjusted her grip and slashed at Luo Mio again.
"Clang!"
Dusk-colored mana intercepted Touka's strike at Luo Mio's waist.
Faced with such a lightning-fast attack, Luo Mio could only use Sun Chasing Shadow to block Touka's surprise assault.
She had gotten in close!
Luo Mio immediately followed with the third strike of Falcon, attacking Touka at high speed.
As if she had anticipated it long ago, Touka withdrew her sword the moment her attack failed and held it before her, blocking Luo Mio's Falcon.
The distance between them widened once again.
Luo Mio looked at Touka and sighed with a headache.
"Lightning Eye is seriously unfair!"
Touka smiled. "It can't be helped. Your big sister was born with it."
Luo Mio looked at Touka's radiant smile.
You have your Lightning Eye, and I have my Mana Vision!
A streak of gold slowly appeared within Luo Mio's pupils.
"Mana Vision."
If Lightning Eye perceived another person's movements by seeing their neural signals, then Mana Vision saw through the essence and flow of mana in the world. It could even see the mana coursing through living beings.
Just like now—in Luo Mio's field of vision, Touka's mana was gathering in her legs.
She was using Gale Thunder to enhance her legs, increase her speed, and close the distance?!
After noticing Touka's intentions, Luo Mio moved first.
Seize the initiative!
He rapidly closed in before Touka, swinging Falcon at her in the form of a hand blade.
Golden lightning spread like a spiderweb, blocking Luo Mio's Falcon hand blade.
The moment his hand blade was blocked, an intense chill suddenly ran down Luo Mio's spine!
He quickly retreated far away from Touka.
Just as I thought! She had calculated the point where she blocked me. I'd been within the cross zone just now!
One look at Touka's stance told him that Narukami had already been sheathed. If he had not retreated in time, her Lightning Cutter would probably have already struck him.
Whew—
Luo Mio let out a breath, grinned, and said,
"Again!"
As time passed, it gradually became the early hours of the morning.
Luo Mio lay on the floor, gasping for breath.
Touka had changed out of her usual student uniform into training clothes. Her braided hairstyle had been replaced with a high ponytail, and sweat trickled down her neck before slowly running over her beautiful collarbones and into the valley between her breasts.
Touka wiped the sweat from her face with a towel, then took out two cups of water and slowly sat down beside Luo Mio.
"Here. You worked hard."
"Thanks." Luo Mio sat up and accepted the cup from Touka.
"How do you feel?"
Luo Mio clenched his hand, confirmed that the sluggishness in his body had disappeared, and nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine now."
Worry showed in Touka's beautiful chestnut-gold eyes as she looked at Luo Mio. "Tomorrow's fight... will you be all right, Miohua?"
Feeling the concern in Touka's tone and gaze, Luo Mio smiled knowingly. "Don't worry, Sis."
"Is that so?" Touka saw Luo Mio's smile and reluctantly put her mind at ease.
Luo Mio took a drink of water and looked out across the training ground. "Actually, when I heard that my opponent was Ouma, I was shocked—but at the same time, I felt excitement rising from deep inside."
"So, for tomorrow—no, today's battle with Ouma—I feel more thrilled than ever before!"
Kurogane Ouma, known to the world as the Gale Sword Emperor! The eldest son of the Kurogane family, Ikki and Shizuku's older brother! He was also an A-Rank Knight, just like Luo Mio and Stella.
Touka looked at Luo Mio's shining eyes and said gently, "Well, you and Kurogane Ouma are both A-Rank Knights, after all."
"But I believe that Miohua will be the one who wins in the end!"
Touka's warm, gentle smile reflected in Luo Mio's eyes.
"Sis."
"Hm? What is it?"
Before you continue