Despite shifting through over twenty different variations of the Linked Cranes, Kirin watched in horror as Haruki Aizawa parried every single one, reflecting her own techniques back at her with terrifying accuracy.
It was a nightmare scenario. He hadn't just copied her; he had understood the fundamental logic of the Toudou Style in minutes.
"Senpai... did you master the Linked Cranes just now?!" Kirin cried out, her offensive rhythm finally breaking. She stood frozen, her sword lowered as she tried to comprehend the impossibility of what she was seeing.
"Not master," Haruki replied, shaking his head. "I've only grasped about sixty percent of the forms. Your style is deep, Kirin. It would take more than a single duel to see all forty-nine chains."
In truth, it wasn't a lack of ability on Haruki's part. It was simply that Kirin hadn't had the time to use all her techniques yet. Had she shown him the full repertoire, he likely would have integrated the entire system by the time the match ended.
"Is such a thing even possible...?" Kirin whispered.
She felt a wave of vertigo. She had always known Haruki was a mountain she had to climb, but she realized now that they weren't even on the same continent. What she had witnessed earlier was merely the tip of the iceberg.
"I can't give up..." Kirin gritted her teeth, forcing her spirit to mend. As a true warrior, she knew that techniques were just tools. What mattered was the accumulation of her own path and her bond with the blade.
She readjusted her grip on Senba-kiri.
"I apologize for taking your style," Haruki said, his voice dropping an octave. "As a sign of respect, let me show you one of mine."
A pale, azure flame suddenly erupted from Haruki's skin.
He wasn't using a technique from this world. He was activating the trump card he had mastered during his time with Ikki Kurogane: Itto Shura (Single Blade Shura).
In this state, Haruki's physical limits were stripped away. The air around him began to distort, the sheer pressure of his presence making Kirin's knees buckle.
"What... what is this energy...?"
In Kirin's eyes, the blue flames began to swirl and darken, bleeding into a viscous, blood-red wave as the Darkin energy within Haruki's blood responded to the surge. A violent, atmospheric storm erupted within the arena, rattling the massive defensive barriers.
"Prepare yourself," Haruki warned.
BOOM!
The strike was faster than sound. To the audience, it was as if a line of absolute destruction had been drawn across reality.
The sword-wave tore through the space, skimming past Kirin's cheek. She didn't even have time to blink before the ground beneath her and the heavy-duty energy shield behind her were pulverized into fine dust.
Absolute force had reduced matter to nothingness.
The duel was over. Haruki Aizawa was the undisputed victor.
The silence in the arena was absolute. The students of Seidokan were in a state of collective shock. Because Haruki's final move had been so blindingly fast, many believed he had used some kind of technical exploit or cheat. They couldn't accept that a student could generate that much power without a Pure Stellar Lux.
Only the elites—the Page One Twelve members watching from the shadows—saw the truth. And even for them, it was a blurred, terrifying image of perfection.
Kirin Toudou remained on the floor, her legs having given out. She knelt in the dust, her breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. She looked down and saw her school crest lying in pieces. The shockwave of Haruki's intent alone had shattered the badge.
"It's over, Toudou-san," Haruki said calmly.
The crimson mist receded. He looked as if he hadn't even exerted himself. His mastery over his "limit-break" states had grown exponentially; he could now sustain the strain with minimal fatigue.
Kirin looked up at him and let out a soft, hollow laugh. Strangely, she felt a sense of liberation.
She had spent years at the top of the academy, a solitary figure with no rivals. Her swordsmanship had hit a plateau, and the crushing expectations of her family had turned her path into a prison. She had been wandering in circles, wondering if she had reached the end of her growth.
Haruki hadn't just beaten her; he had shown her how much further the path went. He had shattered her ceiling.
"I... I lost completely," Kirin said, her eyes burning with a new, fierce light. She didn't see an enemy; she saw a teacher. She bowed her head until it touched the concrete. "That was incredible. Haruki-senpai... please, let me call you Master!"
"Wait, what?" Haruki blinked, caught off guard by the sudden promotion to 'Shifu.'
Before he could answer, a loud commotion erupted at the edge of the ring.
"IMPOSSIBLE! This is a mistake! He cheated! I demand a review!"
Kouichiro Toudou charged onto the stage, his face purple with rage. He had bet everything on Kirin's victory to boost his corporate standing. Seeing her lose to a nameless transfer student was a disaster for his career.
"Sir, please calm down," the referee said, trying to intercept him.
"Calm down?! Kirin is a monster of the blade! She doesn't lose! That brat must have used an illegal modification on his weapon! I'll have him expelled!"
"Enough!"
Kirin stood up, her voice sharp and commanding—a tone her uncle had never heard from her. Kouichiro froze, staring at his niece in shock.
"I lost because he is stronger," Kirin said firmly. "And according to the rules of our duel, I no longer answer to you, Uncle. I am following Master Haruki's lead from now on. I won't be your tool anymore."
"You... you ungrateful brat! Do you have any idea what I've done for you? Without me, your father would be rotting in a hole!"
"Master Haruki told me I need to swing my sword for myself," Kirin said, her hand resting on her hilt. "And that's exactly what I'm going to do."
Kouichiro opened his mouth to scream again, but he caught Haruki's gaze. The "Sword Ghost" was looking at him with eyes that promised a very slow, very painful end if he spoke another word. The executive swallowed his rage and retreated, realizing he had lost his leverage.
Chapter 157: Saving Kirin's Father
After the duel, Kirin told Haruki her story.
Years ago, she and her father had been accosted by armed robbers. To protect Kirin, her father—a Genestella—had used his power to strike back. In the chaos, he had accidentally killed the attacker.
In Asterisk, the laws regarding Genestella "violence" against "Normals" were draconian. Self-defense was rarely recognized, and her father had been sentenced to life in a high-security prison. Her uncle, Kouichiro, had used his influence within the Galaxy Foundation to reduce the sentence, but only on the condition that Kirin become his personal "asset" at Seidokan.
She had been a prisoner of her own talent, fighting to keep her father alive.
Haruki listened in silence. He despised the way the Foundations played with people's lives.
"I can handle this in two ways," Haruki told Kirin. "First, I can pay your uncle a visit and 'convince' him to disappear. Second, I can find a way to pressure the legal system directly."
He decided to do both. He tracked down Kouichiro and delivered a brief, violent ultimatum that left the executive too terrified to leave his house, let alone harass Kirin.
Then, Haruki headed to the Student Council office.
"Congratulations, Haruki-kun," Claudia Enfield greeted him with a flourish. "You are now officially Rank 1 of Seidokan Academy. You've even surpassed my standing in the records."
"I don't care about the rank," Haruki said, sitting down. "I'm here about Kirin's father."
"Oh?" Claudia's smile turned playful. "Are you already protecting your little disciple? Or perhaps... you just can't get that 'intense night' we shared out of your head and wanted to see me again?"
"I'm here for business, Claudia. Don't waste my time."
Haruki's coldness didn't deter her. Claudia leaned forward, her expression turning professional. "The case of Toudou-san's father is complicated. It involves the Foundation's legal arm. But... as the winner of the Phoenix Festa, the Foundation grants a 'Wish.' If you win the tournament, you can literally order his release. It's the most 'legal' way to do it."
Haruki stood up. "Then it's settled. We're winning the Festa."
"We?" Claudia tilted her head. "I thought your partner was Julis?"
"She is. But I'm taking Kirin under my wing too. If I have to win two tournaments to fix this school, then I will."
Haruki walked out, his mind already calculating the next phase of his training. The Phoenix Festa was no longer just a mission—it was a reckoning.
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