'Can this even be called a battle?'
'It felt more like a joke!'
Kagami stood there with camera in hand, looking bewildered.
To an outsider, it looked as if the two had exchanged a few symbolic moves before Kikyo lost her ability to fight from a slight knock to her shin.
Was this the level of the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival?
Noah glanced at Kikyo, who had already accepted her defeat, and without a word, crouched down to treat her.
An apology was out of the question.
This was, after all, simulated combat training.
If apologies were offered over minor bumps and bruises, what was the point of participating in competitions?
Better yet, why bother becoming a knight? Just coast through graduation, find a clerical job in the League, and live a peaceful life.
For a Blazer, bloodshed and chaos were inevitable companions. Knights were synonymous with the strongest in an era of turmoil.
It would be laughable to falter over such trivial pain.
For a Blazer, a sturdy body must house a resilient soul.
"Sister, are you alright?"
Botan rushed over, concerned for her sister.
Noah observed the twins, his thoughts drifting.
The selection tournament followed a round-robin format, meaning some of the stronger participants would inevitably face each other, leaving no room for advancement.
In terms of ability, the three he had eliminated earlier were superior to these two.
Kanata, in particular, had single-handedly defeated fifty first-year students in a simulated battle. She could easily take on both sisters at once without breaking a sweat.
Instant Acceleration.
A decent ability.
In martial arts, speed was often the ultimate weapon.
Activating it at will made it all the more formidable. Without encountering bad matchups, they had managed to advance this far.
Wait, come to think of it, perhaps he was the one at fault here.
Interacting with the same group of people, he had overlooked one thing: most of the strong fighters in the academy had already crossed paths with him.
Namely, the top-tier fighters of Hagun Academy.
Beyond them, it was merely the level of the second tier.
These sisters might not be weak in Hagun's overall ranking. As Blazers, they could even be considered high achievers.
But this was their limit.
There was an undeniable gap in ability compared to the first tier.
The sisters weren't weak—they were stronger than ninety percent of Hagun's students, which was why they made it this far.
However, compared to Raikiri, the Another One, or the Lorelai, they were out of their league.
Luck was also part of one's strength, and in the context of the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival, this saying held true.
"Th-thank you," Kikyo said, her face flushed.
She knew her performance had been lackluster. She had seen how intensely others trained and was intimidated by their focus.
That was why she had requested a sparring match, yet her performance had been anything but that of a warrior.
"You lack a foundation in martial arts and have no clear understanding of spear range control. Relying on your ability isn't wrong, but you haven't realized that you should actively work to eliminate your weaknesses."
"Y-yes..."
Seeing the earnest expressions on Kikyo and Botan's faces, Noah didn't even know who was the senior anymore.
Frankly, these two couldn't make it to the end, but he wasn't going to advise them to withdraw so early.
They looked dazed.
Seeing the battle between those two beside them, anyone with some self-awareness should have felt disheartened.
Yet they cheered for the strength of those two. Hadn't they considered that they would eventually have to face them?
The tournament wasn't a team battle but an individual one; only one winner could become the Seven Stars Sword King.
For this victory, some wouldn't hesitate to kill their opponent.
He had thought that anyone participating in the selection should have such resolve, but he was wrong.
The existence of the sisters slapped him in the face.
No wonder Hagun's performance had been getting worse in recent years.
The Chairwoman must be troubled too.
"So you're also skilled with long weapons," Ikki remarked as the battle ended.
Noah dispelled the ice crystal scythe and replied, "I wouldn't say skilled. I'm a bit surprised myself."
He had used a scythe against enemies more than once, even using one to sever an enemy's neck.
The surprise wasn't about being able to wield the weapon, but rather the same feeling he had when he first saw it: a deep sense of wonder.
It was remarkable how many scythe users had provided him with experience.
Among the weapons he had repaired back in Orario, the scythe wasn't the rarest and he had unconsciously gained the experience of dozens of people.
These combat memories existed in his brain even if he didn't actively use them.
"You came just in time."
"Huh?"
"Please take on the role of Kikyo's opponent," Noah patted Ikki on the shoulder. "I'm not good at teaching people, but you're different. With your help, these two should be able to improve in a short time."
Ikki was taken aback.
He hadn't expected to be entrusted with such a task.
"Ikki will guide us? That's great!" Botan seemed delighted when she heard her opponent had changed to Ikki.
Then, realizing she had shown her feelings too openly, she lowered her voice.
Noah paid no attention and left the arena.
Ikki looked at Botan hiding behind her sister. "You two seem a bit..."
Saying they were scared might not be appropriate.
"You don't seem good at dealing with Noah?"
After thinking for a moment, Ikki tried to phrase it as gently as possible.
The sisters didn't pick up on the subtlety and answered directly, "Because Noah is scary. How should I put it? He always seems cold, and he doesn't look at us when he talks. Plus, he treated someone as beautiful as Kanata like that! If we were treated like that, I think I'd faint!"
As they spoke, the sisters hugged each other tightly.
Seeing them shiver, Ikki felt a sense of admiration for Noah, though not in a positive way.
"Ahaha, I see. I don't think that would happen... probably."
Through Perfect Vision, he could sense that Noah had a sense of morality—maybe not much, but it was there.
Stella and Tohka had also finished their match.
Another victory for Tohka.
Noah wasn't surprised. Due to her talent, Stella had always lacked worthy opponents, resulting in a lack of combat experience.
Although hailed as a genius, Raikiri was no pushover.
Tohka was also a genius, with two more years of training than Stella, and she had accumulated practical experience through special League missions.
She had grown well.
Stella, on the other hand, was just getting started.
If their experience had been equal, Stella would have suppressed her opponent. Unfortunately, there were no "ifs."
A genius's opponent would never be someone of the same age from the start.
Noah wasn't a speed type.
The experience gained from sparring wasn't enough to handle an opponent of Raikiri's caliber.
"Ahhh, I'm so frustrated! I still lost!"
Stella had been struck by Tohka's Narukami in its illusion form, which reduced her stamina, leaving her weakened.
Although she could still stay conscious, she could barely stand.
Noah stepped forward to help her up, wrapping one arm around her waist.
"Noah..." The girl gritted her teeth.
So far, she hadn't faced any decent opponents. Even Student Council member Kudou Rai was merely at the bottom of the first tier in Hagun Academy.
The gap in raw strength was too vast; it hadn't done anything to temper Stella's power.
In contrast, Noah had repeatedly faced and defeated strong opponents.
In Stella's eyes, he had transformed to a level different from before the selection battles began.
She worried she would be left behind.
The gap between them would only grow wider.
"Stella, sorry. Even though you must be tired right now, the coach I found for you has arrived. You won't be able to rest." Noah helped the girl to a chair.
"Huh?" The girl was stunned for a moment before asking, "Noah, what are you talking about?"
Noah didn't answer, only looking toward the figure that had appeared nearby.
"It's... it's the Yaksha Princess!"
"That's the Yaksha Princess!"
"Why is she here?"
Nene was still dressed in her flashy outfit—a courtesan's attire with a huge ribbon. No one would guess she was in her mid-twenties.
She walked over slowly, tapping her shoulder with her closed fan. "My, my, I already said taking on a disciple back then was a joke. Yet you want me to accept one."
"You agreed?"
"On the condition that what you said is true." Nene opened her fan to cover her mouth, her eyes turning into vertical pupils like a demon's.
"If you're lying to me, the consequences won't be pleasant."