Who Isn't a Herrscher

Morohoshi continued his previous behavior, quietly eating.

"Little Mio, what do you like..."

Hearing this, Asagi Momiji recalled Luo Mio's comforting words from earlier, her pretty face flushing slightly.

Touka noticed Asagi Momiji's reddened cheeks and shot Luo Mio a dangerous glance.

Upon hearing Shizuku's words, Luo Mio was instantly dumbfounded, looking at her in disbelief.

Damn it! Shizuku, how could you do this to me!

Shizuku, clearly noticing Luo Mio's tearful gaze, gave him an elegant smile like a lady.

"So, Little Mio... what kind of girls do you like?" Asagi Momiji asked Luo Mio in a small voice.

As soon as she said this, everyone at the table turned their gazes to Luo Mio in unison.

"..."

Feeling everyone's eyes on him, Luo Mio swallowed.

In this situation, he didn't dare to speak.

Because Touka and Kanata were staring at him intensely.

He didn't dare to say anything rash.

Just then.

A commotion erupted at the entrance of the restaurant.

"Hey, it's 'Bad Luck' and 'Puppeteer'."

"What bad luck to run into them here."

"Just looking at them makes me uncomfortable..."

"Yeah."

The students' hushed murmurs buzzed around their ears like flies.

This noisy commotion also reached Luo Mio and his companions' corner.

Luo Mio and his group's attention was diverted, and they looked towards the entrance.

"Hoo..." Seeing that everyone's attention had shifted elsewhere, Luo Mio breathed a sigh of relief and then looked in that direction as well.

Two figures walked in through the restaurant's entrance.

A boy, wearing a uniform, small and cute, almost like a girl.

A figure whose clothes, mask, and way of walking were no different from a real clown.

Luo Mio's eyes narrowed slightly as he sharply scanned the two.

These two were Shinomiya Amane, known as 'Bad Luck', and Hiraga Reisen, known as 'Puppeteer', representative students from Akatsuki Academy.

Arisugawa watched the two with cold eyes.

"I didn't expect it to be them..."

"Ah..." Ikki also stared intently at the two, but for some reason, his attention was entirely focused on Shinomiya Amane.

Touka and Stella also looked at the two with cold gazes.

Asagi Momiji added, "My master told me that my senior and you, Little Mio, have clashed with them before."

"That's right..."

Shinomiya Amane and Hiraga Reisen seemed to be looking for someone, scanning the entire restaurant.

Then they spotted Luo Mio and his group.

Shinomiya Amane waved at them with a naive smile.

Hiraga Reisen, however, stared deeply at them.

Under the clown mask, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking, what he was planning to do, or who he was staring at.

"!"

Luo Mio's eyes sharpened.

He... is looking at... me?

Then the two shifted their gaze elsewhere, as if they hadn't found anyone, and left the restaurant.

Luo Mio frowned, his eyes fixed on the closed restaurant door.

"His target was probably you, Toudo," Jonoshiraki Byakuya said slowly, standing beside Luo Mio, his phoenix eyes also looking at the restaurant door.

"Senior Jonoshiraki..." Luo Mio glanced at him, then his thoughts returned to the moment Hiraga Reisen had stared intently at him, and said, "So, you noticed."

"Just observing," Jonoshiraki Byakuya took off his glasses, took out a handkerchief he carried, wiped them, and put them back on.

"You need to be careful... with that 'Clown'..."

"Even though there are only six matches, fighting him..."

Before Jonoshiraki Byakuya could finish speaking, a large screen in the restaurant lit up with blue light.

An electronic female voice announced, "We will now begin releasing the match information for tomorrow's participants. Please check the screen to see if your name is listed. If it is, please be prepared to compete tomorrow. That is all."

Everyone's attention turned to the large screen.

"...!" Luo Mio's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the screen.

Touka also frowned.

"I didn't expect it to be her."

Morohoshi Yudai was slightly surprised when he saw the announcement, then grinned.

"This fight is going to be interesting."

Shizuku's expression also turned serious.

On the large screen, the first match on the first row was...

"Hagun Academy First Year - 'Thousand Stars White Night' Toudo Touka VS Lianzhen Academy Third Year - 'White Knight' Yakushi Kiriko"

Forty-ninth: Training

Luo Mio's heart grew heavy upon seeing the announced match-ups.

Touka looked at Luo Mio.

"Little Mio..."

"Ah, I know, Sis." Luo Mio turned to glance at Touka before replying. He then looked back at the screen and said in a low voice, "Yakushi Kiriko..."

'White Knight' Yakushi Kiriko.

A third-year student at Lianzhen Academy. Although a Knight, she has always claimed to be a doctor.

Therefore, Yakushi Kiriko can be considered the most skilled doctor in the Far East, and like Shizuku, she is a 'Water Mage' Knight.

She is also the only 'Water Mage' in the country whom Shizuku has to admit is stronger than her.

She had given up participating in the Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival for the past two years, only agreeing to compete this year, her third year, after being persuaded by her teacher.

Despite always calling herself a doctor, her potential as a Knight is extremely high. Because she hasn't participated in any Knight activities, her Blazer rank is rated as B-rank.

However, if she were to get serious, her rating could be on par with Stella, Ouma, and himself, making her an A-Rank Knight.

She is capable of contending for the title of 'Seven Stars Sword King' at the Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival.

Thus, her strength can be considered quite formidable.

Someone like that... is my opponent tomorrow...

This is going to be tough...

"Heh heh, I can't miss this match-up."

Morohoshi Yudai chuckled as he looked at the screen.

Although Stella didn't know who Yakushi Kiriko was, she could tell from the serious expressions on everyone else's faces that her opponent was a formidable one.

"Hoo—." Luo Mio let out a breath and said to the group, "I'm going to go prepare myself."

Touka was about to say something but stopped.

Her chestnut-gold eyes looked at Luo Mio.

"Good luck!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Mio's lips curved into a smile.

"Yeah!"

Then, Luo Mio bid farewell to everyone and left the restaurant alone, heading towards the single training room provided by the hotel.

Luo Mio stood on the right side of the training room.

"Teacher, please."

As Luo Mio called out.

A red light flickered in the training room.

When the light dissipated, Fu Hua's pure white and crimson figure appeared, accompanied by the red and white feathers of 'Feather of the Dust'.

Her crimson eyes glanced at Luo Mio. Without a word, flames ignited on her arms, and a pair of gauntlets in gold, red, and dark red appeared on Fu Hua's arms, with a pale blue jewel embedded on the back of each gauntlet.

She then adopted a stance for a short-range strike, facing Luo Mio, and said in a clear, melodious voice.

"Let's begin."

Seeing Fu Hua ready, Luo Mio said, "Come on, 'Eternal Twilight Wolves'."

A bright silver flame appeared.

A new pair of Eternal Twilight Wolves, different from the previous ones, appeared on Luo Mio's arms.

The silver-purple gauntlets, shimmering with silver radiance, had their dark purple butterfly-like patterns on the back of the hands transformed into silver.

This was the evolved form of the Eternal Twilight Wolves after the battle with Ouma.

Full Stars: ★★★★★

"Eternal Twilight Wolves" Level: 50.

In the previous few matches, the opponents were too weak, so he hadn't shown their evolved form.

Luo Mio let out a breath.

Like Fu Hua, it was the same starting stance for the inch punch.

"Swish—!"

Luo Mio charged forward first, his left hand forming a palm.

"Iron Strike: Falcon" second strike.

A sharp, deadly palm strike swiftly shot towards Fu Hua.

Fu Hua, seeing the fierce palm strike, showed no panic on his face.

He raised his left arm, sidestepped slightly, and used his elbow to deflect Luo Mio's Falcon.

"Iron Strike: Falcon" third strike.

After deflecting Luo Mio's left palm, Fu Hua raised his right hand, adopting the same move as Luo Mio had just used, and quickly struck towards Luo Mio.

"Falcon" second strike.

Seeing Fu Hua's palm strike, Luo Mio reacted instantly. He used the force from Fu Hua deflecting his left hand with the third strike of Falcon to shift his body to the side, raising his right arm to meet Fu Hua's Falcon head-on with his elbow.

Palm against elbow, the same move, reflecting each of their understanding and application of techniques.