"Why don't we settle this right here, right now? The loser automatically withdraws," Noah suddenly proposed.
Though this wasn't a designated arena and lacked proper medical facilities, those were irrelevant for the two of them.
All that mattered was determining who was stronger.
Kanata Totokubara paused, slightly taken aback.
'Here?'
After a moment of silence, she replied with a graceful smile, "I'm sorry, but if my opponent is you, I don't think I'm sufficiently prepared right now."
"I see." Noah wasn't disappointed.
To be honest, he believed the 'Scharlach Frau's' strength deserved his full attention.
Within Hagun Academy, aside from Student Council President Tohka Todo, she was likely the strongest Knight there.
Moreover, she had personally killed enemies—more than once.
Having fought against hordes of terrorists in the League's dark underbelly, her actual combat experience far surpassed that of ordinary Student Knights.
"Then let's fight properly in three days."
...
That night at the Training Camp Center, Noah felt slightly out of place.
Normally back in their dorm, he could hear Stella's steady breathing even with his eyes closed.
But now, he was alone in his assigned room, and the excellent soundproofing made the mountain night exceptionally quiet.
Utsutsu Mibu was sleeping next door, while the girls, wanting to experience the classic feeling of a training camp sleepover, had chosen a massive multi-person room and were having a pajama party.
At that very moment, Stella was being interrogated.
"Hey, Stella, are you and Noah-kun dating?" Renren Tomaru jumped straight into the romance topic.
This caught the Princess completely off guard.
Though embarrassed, she didn't deny it.
She didn't want to deny her relationship with the boy. Blushing fiercely, she could only nod, burying her face almost completely in her pillow.
"Gasp."
"Ooh!!"
The three older girls, none of whom had ever had boyfriends, erupted into a chorus of exclamations.
Stella's status in their eyes instantly soared!
"Tch, I'm so jealous," Renren muttered.
"Then just get a boyfriend too!" Tohka said.
"Huh? Ah, no, no, I meant I'm jealous of Noah-kun."
"Why?"
"Because I want a girlfriend as hot as that too!"
'And she's a princess, damn it! What's that guy playing at?! Why does he get to have all the happiness?!' Renren thought.
"You... you're a girl, you idiot!" Kanata sighed.
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter! Seeing Stella looking so beautiful makes me think gender doesn't really need to be so rigid!" Renren, a fairly cute girl herself, was acting more like a lecherous old man, causing her Student Council colleagues to roll their eyes.
"So, how far have you and Noah-kun gone? Have you kissed yet?"
"E-eh... w-we k-kissed..." Stella stammered, tapping her chest with two fingers, steam practically rising from her red hair.
"You kissed! And then... did you go further?" Renren's excitement surged.
As the conversation turned to this explicit topic, Tohka suddenly remembered what had happened when she visited Noah's dorm room that day.
She quickly shouted, "Renren you dummy, what are you even asking about?!"
"President..." Stella glanced at Tohka, grateful.
She thought the President was helping her out of a tight spot.
But... who could have imagined...
Tohka blurted out, "They've definitely reached first base by now! Is that even a question?!"
Pfft!
'First... first base?!' Stella screamed in her mind.
'Damn it! Why can't I instantly grasp math instead of this kind of topic?!'
Kanata grabbed a pillow and sprawled out next to Stella while whispering, "Hey, Stella, you're a princess, right? Don't you have to do arranged political marriages or something?"
"Huh?"
Stella blinked, bewildered. 'What the hell is a "political marriage"?'
She explained, "I don't really know about other royal families, but mine's kind of... different. If anyone dared to forcefully propose to me, they'd probably become the Vermillion Empire's most wanted criminal overnight."
'Ah. Sirius Vermillion.'
Noah had lost count of how many times he'd been secretly threatened by that man over the phone.
'Playing together as kids was fine, but if anyone dared to harbor improper thoughts about Stella... Haaah.'
The term "overprotective father" was definitely invented for guys like him.
To make matters worse, this guy was the ruler of an entire country!
"So, Stella is deeply loved."
A flicker of unreadable emotion stirred in Kanata's eyes.
Though the Totokubara Family wasn't royalty, in a capitalist nation like Japan, conglomerates wield power akin to nobility—sometimes even surpassing the authority of nobles.
As the daughter of the Totokubara Conglomerate, Kanata had no say in her own marriage; her future had been predetermined by her family long ago.
All she could do was walk the path laid out for her. Living a life devoid of turmoil or choice.
Fate had made her the daughter of the Totokubara Conglomerate, and she couldn't defy her destiny.
...
The next day, the group boarded the bus together to return to Hagun Academy.
During the journey, they learned that Ikki had secured another victory, achieving the extraordinary feat of defeating eight consecutive opponents despite being an F-Rank Blazer.
The information came from a text from Kagami Kusakabe.
In a private message, Noah also inquired about Nagi Arisuin's battle record and discovered that he, too, had won all eight of his matches.
This came as no surprise.
After all, aside from Stella, Alice was the only A-Rank Blazer at the academy.
Until they actually fought, Noah couldn't be certain he could surpass the spy.
To defeat them...
Since they were from Rebellion, it meant their true opponents were terrorists who had shed countless lives.
Their actual combat strength likely surpassed even the Student Council's Raikiri and Scharlach Frau.
For Student Knights, accumulating combat experience early was a boon.
But they were, after all, people who lived in the sunlight.
Even if they had tasted blood in anti-terrorist raids, it was merely a fleeting experience. Compared to desperate criminals who dwelled in a world of bloodshed and slaughter, they were still worlds apart.
This gap wasn't primarily one of raw magic power, but rather of psychological ruthlessness and a willingness to use any means necessary.
Only when facing an enemy with murderous intent from the start could one truly understand that resolve outweighed strength.
A moment's hesitation could lead to irreversible consequences.
Some people might be willing to sacrifice themselves, but lack the resolve to kill their opponent.
Such individuals were destined to fall.
Noah knew he wasn't one of them, and he was certain Kanata wasn't either.
...
On the day of the match.
The arena roared with the clamor of the crowd.
The Calamity versus Scharlach Frau.
Since the start of the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival's selection battles, this was arguably the most highly anticipated battle of the tournament.
While the Lorelei's performance had been awe-inspiring, Kanata, as a third-year student, had a far greater impact on the students.
This was a respect born from deepening understanding over time.
Noah stood calmly opposite Kanata, his expression was calm.
The two locked eyes, their gazes burning with battle intent. For Kanata, only when standing on the battlefield could she truly be herself.
As a Blazer, as a Mage-Knight—no, more accurately, as an Executioner—she could fully unleash her true nature.
"...I'll give it my all, Noah-kun. I hope you will too, so we both leave with no regrets."
The girl's words deepened Noah's solemn expression.
He could sense that the girl before him had arrived like a storm of blood and carnage.
"Let's go!"
"Awaken, Raven Feather!"
"Follow me, Francesca!"
Kanata's Device was a Western-style rapier.
The sword, with its finely crafted, slender blade, featured a golden handguard wrapped around the hilt.
She took a step, lifted the hem of her pure white dress, and extended her long, elegant leg forward.
Her body leaned slightly, adopting a classic fencing stance.
In the next instant, she launched a sudden, lightning-fast assault.
This was a burst of Magic Power. She had unleashed a technique that amplified her leg muscles exponentially.
For Kanata, whose Magic Power reserve was B-Rank, this technique was a standard maneuver.
Had Ikki attempted it, he would have been completely drained after a single use.
Facing his charging opponent, Noah subtly furrowed his brow.
His Truth Seeker skill revealed that her Device wasn't designed for this type of aggressive, lunging advance.
Yet she was defying convention by rushing forward into close-quarters.
Though Noah was thinking, his physical movements remained seamless.
He instantly summoned two ice-crystal longswords from the ambient moisture, crossed the blades, and directly parried Kanata's thrust.
A sharp shriek pierced the air as Kanata's rapier sliced through the air, unleashing immense kinetic force that pressed heavily on Noah's dual-sword defense.
Even Noah, who was parrying with enhanced strength, felt immense pressure.
'Such immense force!'
'Did she channel Magic Power through her blade as she thrust?'
Seeing heavy cracks spiderweb across his ice-crystal longswords, Noah detonated them instantly.
A frigid blast of icy air erupted between them.
Using the cover of the ice mist, Noah swiftly retreated.
Yet Kanata didn't retreat.
Instead, she bent her knees, adopting an offensive stance.
The feeling of being targeted sent a chill down Noah's spine.
As he ducked swiftly, a silver flash streaked overhead, slicing cleanly through the tips of his hair.
The ice mist had been cleaved in two, leaving a gaping hole.
'At this distance? Did her weapon extend?'
Noah frowned, scanning the surroundings.
'No, her Device doesn't possess such a physical function. Then it must be her innate Ability—she's using that.'
Seeing her barrage of attacks fail to land, Kanata tapped her foot lightly and leisurely widened the distance between them.
"As expected, it was naive of me to think I could take you down with a surprise close-quarters attack, Noah-kun. The warm-up's over. Now it's time to get serious."