Chapter 124: The Only Pair of Desperados in the World!
"In the end, why are you so obsessed with my ability?"
Stella looked at Shiro strangely.
Aside from having a massive amount of magic power, she did not think she had anything special. They knew many nature-interference Blazers, so why did he only suspect her?
So Shiro told Stella about Desperados, as well as the fact that she was one herself. After listening, Stella lowered her head, making it impossible to see her expression.
"Why?"
"Hm?"
"Why is the international world keeping silent about this?!"
Stella shouted, somewhat losing control.
As Vermillion's princess, Stella had known almost nothing about Desperados before Shiro told her.
So when she learned that international organizations might have hidden something from her country, she was naturally furious.
A person's magic limit was fixed from birth. That was common sense in this world.
But now, Shiro had told her that if one reached the realm of [Desperado], that common sense could be broken.
This forced Stella to suspect whether the League had hidden this from her country.
Or perhaps only certain powerful countries could obtain this information. Without a doubt, that would be a betrayal of the other allied nations.
If she truly confirmed that the League had deliberately concealed it from small countries, then Vermillion would have to consider declaring its withdrawal from the League.
"I think it's probably because it's too dangerous."
Remembering Torajirou Nangou's explanation about Desperados, Shiro spoke to Stella.
"Dangerous?"
"Leaving aside rare cases like us, for other people to step into this realm, they must first see where their limits truly are. Then, after reaching that limit, they must still intend to climb higher. That alone is enough to make countless people give up."
Seeing one's own limit already cut off countless possibilities. Let alone continuing forward even after knowing they could no longer grow.
"Once this realm becomes known to the world, the international position of Blazers will become extremely dangerous."
For example, if a country caught in war gained one more Desperado, that single person could completely reverse the war situation.
At that point, would the leaders of those countries force Blazers to undergo training they could not endure?
Even if every Desperado in the world came forward and told them that they could not reach this realm through a third party forcing growth, people in crisis would only think it was a lie.
They would believe Desperados wanted to monopolize the way to reach that realm.
What if it worked?
Besides, if a country was on the verge of destruction, who would still talk about humanity with Blazers?
Humanity, morality, and ethics were things only victors had the right to define.
What those leaders had to do was bring victory to their countries.
"...Is that so? If that's really the case, then I can understand."
Stella was not some evil person. After learning how dangerous it would be to reveal Desperados to the public, she nodded slightly in understanding.
Still, she kept some suspicion toward the League in her heart. After all, Shiro was not an insider of the League. These were only his guesses.
Until she met League staff directly, everything was still unknown.
"But why do you know so much about Desperados?"
After putting aside her dissatisfaction with the League, Stella finally noticed something.
The League even hid this from national leaders, so why did Shiro, a student knight, know about it?
Could it be—
Before Stella could say that possibility aloud, Shiro spoke first.
"Because just like you, I'm one of the only two natural-born [Desperados] currently discovered in the world."
"Eh? Eh?!!"
Stella was badly startled by Shiro's words.
She had guessed that Shiro might also be a Desperado, but she had not expected him to be natural-born like her.
There were currently only two natural-born Desperados discovered in this world.
Didn't that mean they were a matched pair from birth?!!
She had not even stayed serious for three seconds before her head full of dirty thoughts led her astray again.
...
The next day, right after lunch, the audience seats in Hagun Academy's training field were already packed.
Because today was the first match of the Seven Star Sword Art Festival selection battles.
It was also the first battle of the [Demon King], whose name was passed from mouth to mouth among the student knights.
"Thank you all for waiting! The long-awaited Seven Star Sword Art Festival selection battles have finally begun! Opening our first match is the A-Rank knight who entered with the highest score and broke Hagun's all-time record—Torajirou Shiro!"
A student from Hagun Academy's [Broadcast Club] acted as the host for this match, shouting into the microphone from the commentary booth and igniting the audience's excitement.
"And today, his opponent is the student who achieved a sweeping victory over Donrou Academy's Seven Star Sword Art Festival representatives in last winter's joint training match—Azuchiyama Michiyuki!"
On the training field, Shiro was still thinking about why Stella had acted so strangely after learning she was a Desperado yesterday.
Opposite him, Azuchiyama swung the twin-sword-shaped Device in his hands. Lightning crackled around him.
Facing Shiro, Azuchiyama felt no fear. On the contrary, he felt this was his chance to rise.
He did not know what had happened among the students during the days he had taken leave, nor did he know why his classmates looked at him with pity.
But today—
He, Azuchiyama Michiyuki, would step over the man called [Demon King] by the students and climb higher!
He looked at Shiro, who was lost in thought far away, and slowly spoke.
"Shiro-kouhai, I'm honored to fight you this time. To be honest, as a C-Rank knight, I've always been looked down upon by those B-Rank knights in the League."
Azuchiyama's words pulled Shiro's attention back.
'Is he also a talent like Ikki?'
Shiro slapped his cheeks and raised his focus slightly.
"But can rank really decide everything about a knight? Why should we C-Rank knights be looked down on by those B-Ranks and A-Ranks?"
Azuchiyama pinched the air lightly between his thumb and index finger. Between those two fingers, Shiro seemed to see a galaxy.
"I've always held one tiny question in my heart. Are you A-Rank student knights truly stronger than me?"
The bell announcing the start of the match rang.
Azuchiyama immediately shifted into a battle stance. As he roared and charged at Shiro, two bolts of lightning on his left and right locked onto Shiro like starving wolves and flew toward him.
"Today, I'll prove to everyone that I'm the strongest!"
"Oh! Azuchiyama has launched the first attack! How will Shiro respond?!"
Under the excited and disdainful gazes of the audience, Shiro extended his right hand.
Then he waved it forward.
Smack—
One slap.
The lightning vanished.
…
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