Who Isn't a Herrscher?

In the VIP seats, Saikyo Neine held Crimson Wind and used her ability to block the impact generated by the two fighters.

Watching the arena, Saikyo Neine sensed that fleeting burst of "power" from earlier. She then turned her gaze back toward the battlefield, where the two youngsters were relentlessly and mercilessly trading blows. She sighed with a headache.

"You really do know how to make trouble for me."

The white light slowly faded, and Touka, the others, and the spectators in the stands quickly turned their eyes toward the arena.

Two figures gradually emerged atop the shattered battlefield.

Luo Mio's school uniform was covered in tears of varying sizes, while the Eternal Twilight Wolves had already turned into magic particles and returned to Luo Mio's soul.

Luo Mio knelt halfway on the pulverized arena. The sleeve on his left arm had been completely destroyed, reduced to ash. Scalding crimson blood slowly ran down his arm, while beneath the blood, in a spot no one could see, purple patterns covered his entire palm.

After sensing the state of his left arm, Luo Mio endured the pain shooting through it and gave a weak, bitter smile.

If he had not used a tiny amount of Honkai Energy at the very last moment to protect his entire left limb, his whole left hand would probably have been blown away.

Even so, the impact from his clash with Ouma had still shattered the bones in his left arm.

Across from Luo Mio, Ouma was in no better condition. He had driven his dragon claw into the ground to support his half-kneeling body.

Ouma panted heavily. Though he did not look as battered as Luo Mio—

Only he knew that the situation inside his body was far from good.

Luo Mio's punch had not only shattered his Moon Breaking Heavenly Dragon Claw at the end, but a strange force had also traveled through the dragon claw and entered his body. If he had not used the Heavenly Dragon Armor to temporarily suppress that force within him, his internal condition would have been even worse.

But this power...

Like a virus, it was constantly trying to erode his body.

Ouma's gaze flickered as he stared at Luo Mio in thought.

Was this the true power of White Night that the "Clown" had spoken of that day?

Rather than its importance to the world itself, it was more accurate to say that it was important as the power needed to transform the world.

Luo Mio barely managed to stand and asked Ouma, "Still want to continue?"

Hearing Luo Mio's question, Ouma rose as though he had exhausted the last of his strength, leaning on his dragon claw.

"I lost this duel," Ouma said blandly, as though victory and defeat meant nothing to him.

He looked toward the referee and slowly said—

"I lost."

Luo Mio was somewhat surprised upon hearing Ouma surrender.

Ouma paid no attention to Luo Mio's surprised expression and slowly said, "Our next duel will be at the Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival. Don't go losing too easily before then."

After saying that, Ouma dragged himself toward the gate with slow steps.

Seeing this, the referee loudly announced the verdict.

"Winner of this match: Hagun Academy first-year student, Toudo Miohua!"

"Match over!!!"

Iida, the announcer, said excitedly.

"Today! The breathtaking duel between two A-Rank Knights, the intense offense and defense, and the close-range exchange of deadly blows all came to an end after both sides clashed with their final decisive attacks! In today's first match, victory goes to our Thousand Stars White Night, contestant Toudo Miohua!"

Muroto also spoke with slight excitement from beside him.

"Today's match was the most thrilling one I've seen in all these selection tournaments. Its spectacle was enough to rival even a Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival match!"

In the stands, Stella stood up and excitedly said to Ikki, "He won! Miohua won!"

A flush of excitement appeared on Ikki's face as well, and he nodded. "Yeah!"

"Ahhhhhhhhh! Why wasn't it me fighting one of them?!" Morohoshi Yudai rubbed his hands together excitedly, his heart itching with anticipation.

Touka also let out a sigh of relief before happily looking at Luo Mio in the arena.

Everyone celebrated as they looked at Luo Mio, while intense cheers and applause erupted from the stands.

Only after hearing the match result announced and the crowd's cheers did Luo Mio finally relax. He then slowly sat down on the shattered arena.

That evening, after having his left hand healed in the medical room, Luo Mio stretched lazily and said, "Ah! I'm so hungry! I want to eat."

Ikki, who had been keeping him company nearby, smiled wryly. "It's already so late. We can probably only go to the restaurant provided by the hotel."

After the match had been declared over, Luo Mio had been sent straight to the medical room by Saikyo Neine to have his shattered left arm treated. Perhaps because he had expended too much energy and stamina in his battle with Ouma, he had fallen asleep as soon as he lay down in the medical room. As a result, he had not woken until evening, after which Saikyo Neine had forcibly stripped him under the pretext of checking whether there was anything wrong with his body.

"Then let's go already! My stomach's empty. I can't take it anymore!" Luo Mio said to Ikki after hearing that, urging him, "Ikki! Hurry, hurry, hurry! Lead the way, lead the way, lead the way!"

"Huh?! You've never been to the hotel restaurant?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Fine..."

Luo Mio followed Ikki all the way to the restaurant.

Outside the magnificent golden doors, two male waiters standing ramrod straight in butler-like attire saw Luo Mio and Ikki. After giving a slight bow, they opened the restaurant doors for them.

"Woohoo~"

After stepping through the restaurant doors, Luo Mio clicked his tongue at the sight inside.

"As expected of a high-end hotel assigned by the committee. Even the restaurant is this luxurious."

Expensive Athenian chandeliers hung from the glittering crystal ceiling. Colorless crystal chains dangling from above shimmered faintly beneath the gentle lighting. The classical wooden walls were decorated with elegant Western-style patterns and carvings, while clean, neat gold-trimmed tablecloths covered the vivid red dining tables.

In one corner of the restaurant, a group of beautiful women dressed in service uniforms were undergoing training.

The person instructing the waitresses was a neat and capable-looking woman in her early thirties.

When she saw Luo Mio and Ikki enter the restaurant, she walked over and politely asked, "Will the two of you be dining here?"

Luo Mio nodded.

"Very well. Please wait a moment. For now, please choose your seats." She then made a welcoming gesture.

As Luo Mio looked for a seat, he turned back and whispered to Ikki, "I kind of feel like this place doesn't suit us."

Ikki nodded with a wry smile.

"Agreed."

"I just feel really uncomfortable. Like I have to be extra careful even when talking," Luo Mio muttered as he looked around the restaurant.

After all, ever since he was little, he had either been attending school or dragged off by Saikyo Neine and Nangou Torajiro for training. He had hardly ever had the chance to visit luxurious restaurants or parties.

"Hm?"

Luo Mio suddenly let out a sound of surprise and looked toward a corner of the restaurant.

Ikki followed Luo Mio's gaze.

A tall, upright figure was seated there.

"Isn't that..."

Luo Mio walked over and patted the figure sitting in the corner.

"Yo! Ouma!"

The figure turned to look at them. That was right—the person seated in the restaurant corner was Kurogane Ouma, who had just fought Luo Mio in today's match.

Ouma wore the same black kimono he had worn when they previously met and before today's match.

When Ouma's eternally icy poker face saw the two of them, he said flatly, "...Why are you two here?"

"Looking at you, didn't you just get treated too and then come here to eat?" Luo Mio said, stroking his chin with his right hand as he glanced Ouma over.

After looking at the two of them, Ouma shifted his gaze back to the food on the table.

"Don't be so cold~"

Luo Mio called over Ikki, whose expression was complicated, and had him sit beside Ouma before calling for a waiter.

"Two bowls of rice, one serving of twice-cooked pork, one serving of fish-fragrant eggplant, and one bowl of vegetable and sliced pork soup."

Luo Mio simply ordered three ordinary dishes.

Hearing Luo Mio's order, the waitress was slightly surprised. Still, she gave a polite bow before leaving.

"Why did Big Brother join the Rebel Army?"

The moment the waitress left, Ikki coldly questioned Ouma.

In Ikki's memories, Ouma had always been stricter with himself than anyone else. Carrying the expectations of so many clan members, he had never let them down.

Even when Ouma was young, Ikki had learned much by secretly watching him train from the sidelines.

From the bottom of his heart, Ikki deeply respected and admired his older brother. He had longed for Ouma's distant, unreachable back.

Yet that very back he had admired had joined the Rebel Army, become a terrorist, and even appeared before him during a terrorist attack.

Facing Ikki's question, Ouma raised his head and gave him a cold look before replying.

"First, let me correct one thing. I did not join the Rebel Army. I merely hold the status of a 'guest student.'"

"Hm?"

Ouma glanced at Ikki.

"Slow-witted."

Luo Mio, meanwhile, rested his right arm on the table and propped his right cheek against it as he slowly explained.

"What he means is that Akatsuki Academy was established by Uncle Tsukikage in order to accomplish something, and he used the Rebel Army's strength in the process. So there are currently two factions within Akatsuki Academy. One is led by the underground elites of the Rebel Army, while the other is led by Uncle Tsukikage."

"That meeting at the beach before was probably because he joined that operation due to shared interests."

After hearing Luo Mio's explanation, Ikki lowered his eyes in thought.

"I see."

Luo Mio slowly added, "And the reason Ouma joined Uncle Tsukikage's faction was probably because Old Yan entrusted him with it."

"Huh?!"

Ikki froze upon hearing that.

"F-Father?"

"But why? Father should know Akatsuki Academy's origins. Why would he still..."

Seeing that the dishes had not arrived yet, Luo Mio continued, "It's simple. The political party led by Uncle Tsukikage wants to break free from the League's control and reclaim the Far East's sovereignty. Meanwhile, the Far East branch of the International Mage-Knight League led by Old Yan was originally the Samurai Bureau. The Samurai Bureau once possessed the authority to control every Blazer in the country, but that authority was stripped away by the League. Looking at their overall interests, both sides stand against the League, and their interests align. That's why Old Yan entrusted Ouma to join Akatsuki Academy."

"So that's how it is..."

After hearing Luo Mio's words, Ikki was deeply surprised. But what surprised him even more was—

"Still, it's unexpected that Big Brother would actually listen to Father's instructions."

Ouma looked at him, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Don't be stupid! If Toudo Miohua weren't participating in this Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival, I never would have accepted Yan's request."

Ikki's expression became somewhat strange as he quietly asked, "Big Brother, are you... embarrassed?"

The corner of Ouma's eye twitched slightly.

At that moment, the dishes Luo Mio had ordered were brought over.

After giving the waitress a polite nod, Luo Mio picked up his chopsticks and put a steaming slice of twice-cooked pork into his mouth.

"Awesome~"

Luo Mio glanced at the small amount of food Ouma had ordered and said, "Want to eat together?"

Ouma did not refuse Luo Mio's invitation, and the three of them began eating together.

Outside the restaurant entrance, Luo Mio patted his stomach.

"Well then, I'll be heading off first."