"Shouldn't you put some clothes on...?"
"Hmm?"
"Um... your clothes..."
Touka lowered her head in confusion, then her face instantly flushed crimson.
Sweat had long since soaked through Touka's clothes. Her dampened shirt and underwear had turned slightly transparent, faintly revealing the perfect contours of her impressive chest.
"Little Mio, you pervert!!!!"
Touka's embarrassed scream rang out through the training room.
That morning, Luo Mio stood before a full-length mirror, looking at himself.
He patted his cheeks, opened his eyes, and smiled.
"Great! Let's go, Ikki!"
Ikki, standing beside him, looked at the fully prepared Luo Mio and smiled. "Let's go!"
The two left their room and stepped out of the hotel. The moment they did, a crowd of reporters and media personnel surged toward them.
"Contestant Todo Reika, the 'Thousand Stars White Night,' how confident are you about facing fellow A-Rank Knight Kurogane Ouma, the 'Gale Sword Emperor,' today?"
"Student Kurogane Ikki, the 'Uncrowned Sword King,' how do you view the match between your close friend contestant Toudo Touka and your elder brother contestant Kurogane Ouma?"
"Contestant Toudo Touka, may I ask..."
"May I ask..."
Faced with the countless questions from the reporters, Luo Mio remained silent.
He then raised his eyes and quietly looked at the reporters surrounding him.
"!"
Every reporter who had stepped forward to ask a question slowly moved aside, as though an icy wind had swept down their backs, clearing a path.
After getting into the car Shinguji Kuroko had arranged to pick them up, the two headed for Arena One!
Inside the car, Shinguji Kuroko looked at Luo Mio. "From the look of things, you're ready."
Understanding that Shinguji Kuroko meant he was mentally and physically prepared, he replied.
"Yeah, completely ready!" Luo Mio gave her a gesture.
Before long, Luo Mio arrived at the entrance to Arena One.
Also arriving at the arena entrance was Luo Mio's opponent for today, Kurogane Ouma.
"Ouma..."
"...Don't lose too easily to me."
"Right back at you!"
The intense fighting spirit and battle intent in their eyes were so strong that even the people around them could clearly feel it.
"See you in the arena."
"..."
With that, the two entered their respective preparation rooms at the same time.
The Fierce Battle of Two A-Rank Knights!
"Thank you for waiting, distinguished guests in the audience! Today's first match is about to begin!"
Announcer Iida's passionate voice echoed throughout the entire dome.
"Coach Muroto, do you know what today's opening heavyweight match is?"
"Ah, of course I do—the battle between the Far East's two genius A-Rank Knights!"
"That's right! Today's match features Kurogane Ouma, the A-Rank Knight known as the 'Gale Sword Emperor,' who became famous after winning the Elementary Cup, against Toudo Touka, the Far East's other hidden A-Rank Knight, the 'Thousand Stars White Night,' who shocked the world in the final match the day before yesterday! What kind of incredible match will these two A-Rank Knights give us?! The match is about to begin!"
Having accompanied Luo Mio in training the previous night—and having been seen by him afterward, which had left her embarrassed—Touka had barely slept. She slowly got out of bed, then hurried toward the arena.
"Touka!" Stella, seated in the audience, waved when she saw Touka.
"Miss Touka, are you all right?" Shizuku asked worriedly when she saw how sleepy Touka looked.
Touka waved her hand. "I'm fine. I'm just a little sleep-deprived."
"Then how about I use my 'Tiger King' to poke you awake?" A voice sounded from the row behind Touka.
Hearing that, Touka turned her tired eyes toward the back. "Morohoshi, that kind of behavior won't make girls like you, you know."
"Is that so?"
Beside Morohoshi Yudai, Asagi Momiji smiled. "Well, A Xing is an idiot, after all."
"Exactly!" Jonoshiraki Byakuya agreed from the side.
"You two!"
"All right, all right..." Ikki played peacemaker, trying to calm everyone down.
After that, Shizuku asked Morohoshi Yudai, "Morohoshi-senpai, what do you think about this match?"
At Shizuku's question, Morohoshi Yudai's gaze froze for a moment. He then fell silent for a while and shook his head.
"Hard to say..."
After all, both sides were heavyweight A-Rank Knights. It was difficult to determine how the match would unfold from one side alone.
"Now then! Let us welcome the competitors for the first match of today's selection battles!"
The spectators immediately erupted in enthusiastic cheers and applause!
"First, entering from the red gate is Kurogane Ouma, the 'Gale Sword Emperor'! Those familiar with him know that he won the Elementary Cup and is also an A-Rank Knight, hailed as a rising star after the 'Yashahime'!"
The moment Ouma appeared, a terrifying pressure radiated from him, like a blade sheath ready at any moment to draw and cut down its enemy.
Even the audience in the stands could not help holding their breath.
"Entering from the blue gate is the Far East's second A-Rank Knight after the Gale Sword Emperor, Toudo Touka, the 'Thousand Stars White Night'! What fierce sparks will fly in today's clash between two A-Rank Knights?!"
When Luo Mio entered the arena and saw Ouma's body brimming with killing intent, he could not help smiling.
"Other than that encounter before, the last time we faced each other like this was at the Kurogane family dinner, wasn't it?"
Ouma stared straight at Luo Mio. "You didn't participate in the Elementary Cup. That disappointed me for quite a while back then."
"Then this time, let's have a proper fight!"
"It's time for us to take the stage, Eternal Twilight Wolves!"
Two dark silver phantom wolves howled toward the sky, then transformed into particles that swirled around Luo Mio's arms and formed dark silver two-toned gauntlets.
"Let loose your roar, Dragon Claw!"
Ouma's Device appeared in his right hand. It was several degrees longer than an ordinary katana, falling into the category of a nodachi.
"Both competitors are ready!"
"Let's go ahead—!"
The signal for the match sounded!
"Let me see whether you've really gotten stronger!"
Ouma lowered his body, tilted Dragon Claw, and charged at Luo Mio!
Luo Mio grinned at the approaching Ouma, then charged toward him as well.
"Whoa! The moment the match began, both competitors charged straight at each other!"
Holding Dragon Claw, Ouma swung horizontally at Luo Mio.
Luo Mio formed a hand blade and chopped toward Ouma.
Then their Devices collided!
"Clang!"
A shocking impact burst outward between them!
The tremendous noise generated by the collision between the two A-Rank Knights' Devices instantly spread throughout the entire dome!
"Uwah!"
"My ears!"
"That's incredible!"
After the first clash between sword and fist—
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Silver-gray fist shadows and emerald blade-like gusts collided again and again with deafening force! With every exchange, cracks and craters spread across the arena beneath them!
At times, a wind blade capable of easily slicing through flesh swept past Luo Mio's side, while countless bone-shattering fist strikes brushed past Ouma's ears!
"Clang!!!"
After the final thunderous collision echoed through the dome, the two were knocked back to their starting positions.
Luo Mio clenched his hands, feeling numb soreness in all ten fingers. Likewise, Ouma moved his arms, working out the lingering numbness.
"What an intense battle! The collisions between these two A-Rank Knights have nearly deafened me! Their duel is the most thrilling and anticipated battle since the competition began!"
In the audience, Stella said, "They're evenly matched."
"Yeah." Ikki nodded beside her.
Luo Mio rolled his arms and looked at Ouma. "Continue?"
Ouma said nothing, but his slightly lowered stance and the way he gripped Dragon Claw already made his answer clear.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Several jade-colored crescent wind blades flew toward Luo Mio at the speed of sound.
Vacuum Blade!
Ouma's ability was conceptual interference—wind. The Vacuum Blades he had unleashed were the most common wind technique among wind mages: wind blades!
The advantage of this Blade Dance Technique lay in its exceptional killing power and speed! And Ouma's Vacuum Blades were even stronger than those of other wind mages.
Facing the incoming wind blades, Luo Mio remained calm and swept both hands.
Six moon-white crescents resembling claws met the emerald crescent wind blades!
Moon Smasher's Fang: Crescent Moon!
"Boom—boom..."
Explosions rang out as the crescents collided with the wind blades, and dust spread between the two.
Several emerald streaks flashed through the smoke once more.
Luo Mio dodged them with a sudden burst of speed.
Ouma raised Dragon Claw and fiercely slashed down toward Luo Mio's position!
The sword energy split apart the smoke and shot straight toward Luo Mio.
Luo Mio could not even be bothered to dodge. He raised his left hand, and a sun-chasing phantom like a star at dusk appeared over it.
Sun Chasing Shadow.
He clenched his left hand, and the sword energy shattered like glass with a crack.
After the sword energy broke apart, Luo Mio stomped heavily and rushed into Ouma's range.
He drew back his left fist at his waist, then drove it straight toward Ouma's head.
Cloud Piercer Straight Punch!
Before you continue