"Maybe so," Haruki Aizawa said flatly.
He truly didn't believe Seidokan Academy held many threats to him, with the possible exception of Claudia herself—though she seemed to have no intention of entering the Phoenix Festa as a combatant.
"That said, there is one duo worth noting," Claudia said, her lips curving into a knowing smirk as if she were revealing a secret. "Besides you, Haruki-kun, another Special Cadet has entered the tournament. His name is Ayato Amagiri, and he's partnered with Saya Sasamiya."
"Never heard of them," Julis said skeptically. "What's their rank?"
"Unfortunately, both of them have shown zero interest in the academy's ranking duels. They are currently 'unranked' participants."
"Unranked? Then they're just small fry," Julis dismissed them with a wave of her hand. She placed a high value on the Page One Twelve hierarchy; if someone wasn't on the list, they weren't on her radar.
Haruki, however, didn't share her dismissal. He remembered Ayato Amagiri from the synchronization test. He had detected a jagged, unnatural edge to the boy's energy—a seal of some kind.
"Well, outside of Seidokan, the other academies haven't sent many surprises," Claudia continued. "A quick glance at the rosters shows the usual suspects. Most are Page One members we've already accounted for."
"What about Allekant Academy?" Haruki asked, thinking of the mischievous Ernesta and the stoic Camilla.
"No intel yet," Claudia said, shaking her head. "But they are in a different block. The probability of encountering them before the finals is statistically low."
"Understood."
Haruki nodded. Aside from Allekant and the unranked Ayato, he had no interest in anyone else. He wanted to get back to his training.
Claudia handed them a comprehensive data dump—heights, weights, battle records, and weapon preferences for every major candidate. For those using Pure Stellar Luxes, she had even included recorded footage of their duels.
"The opening ceremony is tomorrow," Claudia warned. "Use the remaining time to refine your coordination. We'll handle the intelligence gathering, but rest assured, the other schools are studying your data as we speak."
"Mm."
Haruki nodded, but his eyes were already closing. Dossiers were fine, but the only thing that would win the Festa was the perfection of his own blade.
The Phoenix Festa took place in the central district of Asterisk, inside a massive complex composed of eleven different arenas. The centerpiece was the Sirius Dome, where the opening ceremony was held.
Haruki and Julis stood among the hundreds of participants, waiting for the official start.
"There are a lot of people here," Haruki noted.
"Do you have a problem with crowds?" Julis asked.
"Something like that."
He disliked the noise. The thousands of voices and the wandering gazes of the audience were like static, making it difficult for him to maintain his meditation or extend his Sense of Fluctuation.
As they waited, a man stepped onto the central podium high above the arena floor.
"—Good morning, everyone. It is a pleasure to see the elite of our six academies gathered here once again. To the freshmen who have just arrived in Asterisk, I welcome you. I am Madiath Mesa, Chairman of the Festa Executive Committee."
Haruki's eyes sharpened. He sensed an enormous amount of Star Pulse radiating from the man—more than anyone he had encountered at Seidokan.
"Who is that?" Haruki asked.
"Madiath Mesa is a Seidokan alum," Julis whispered. "He's not even forty yet, but he's already a high-ranking executive in the Foundation. In his student days, he dominated the Phoenix Festa. He was the legend of his era."
Haruki felt a tingle of battle-lust. He wanted to test the Chairman's edge, but he suppressed the urge. He had a mission to complete and a debt to pay for Kirin.
Chairman Mesa continued his speech, eventually reaching the final announcement.
"Finally, I wish to announce a significant rule change for this year's tournament. Historically, autonomous mobile machines were restricted. However, given the rapid advancement of technology, those old regulations have become obsolete."
"Therefore, starting with this Phoenix Festa, the committee will permit the use of autonomous combat units. Participants may even choose to remain outside the arena, allowing their machines to fight on their behalf."
The stadium erupted into a roar of mixed reactions. The audience cheered for the "new entertainment," but the participants looked grim. This change was a massive advantage for Allekant Academy, allowing them to field puppets without the weakness of a human controller being targeted.
Haruki remained unbothered. Whether the enemy was meat or metal made no difference to his blade.
The first round of the prelims began shortly after. Because of the sheer volume of contestants, the early matches were "lightning rounds" designed to thin the herd quickly.
Haruki and Julis walked onto their designated stage. The crowd roared, recognizing the Seidokan Rank 1 and Rank 5. Cameras swiveled, and the stadium lights danced across the platform.
Haruki didn't even draw his sword. He stood in the center of the ring and closed his eyes, immediately sinking into his meditation.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Julis hissed, taking a defensive stance.
Haruki didn't answer. He was already "gone."
Their opponents—two older students from a minor academy—saw Haruki's closed eyes as a sign of arrogance. They activated their Luxes and charged, determined to take down a Page One member and make a name for themselves.
"Die, transfer student!"
As they reached the ten-meter mark, Haruki's "rhythm" changed. He didn't move a muscle, but he released a sudden, violent pulse of Killing Intent.
It wasn't a technique; it was a pure discharge of his Asura-path fluctuation.
VROOOM!
The two students stopped dead. Their eyes rolled back in their heads, and their legs gave out. They collapsed into the dirt, their bladders failing them as the primitive fear of death overwhelmed their nervous systems.
Snap! Snap!
The school crests on their chests shattered simultaneously, overwhelmed by the spiritual pressure Haruki had exerted.
"What... what just happened!?"
The crowd, which had been expecting a flashy display of fire and steel, was left in a stunned, confused silence. The match was over before the timer had even reached five seconds.
The referee stood frozen for a long heartbeat before raising his hand.
"Match over! Winners: Haruki Aizawa & Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld!"
The mechanical announcement echoed through the silent dome. The audience began to murmur. Many suspected a glitch in the equipment; others shouted that Haruki must be cheating. How could two fighters be defeated without being touched?
Haruki opened his eyes, the violet glow fading. He turned and walked off the stage without a word. Julis, still in her combat stance, scrambled to catch up with him.
"Aizawa! How did you do that? You didn't even draw your blade!"
"They were weak," Haruki replied simply. "Their spirits were fragile. I just showed them the end of the path."
"You... are you a Strega?" she asked, her eyes searching his. "Was that some kind of mental magic?"
"No. It was just a greeting."
Julis let out a long sigh, realizing she would never get a straight answer out of him. But she felt a surge of excitement. With Haruki's power, the championship wasn't just a goal—it was an inevitability.
However, their triumph was short-lived.
As they entered the lounge to wait for their next bracket assignment, they found Claudia and Kirin waiting for them. Their expressions were anything but celebratory.
"Haruki-kun, Julis-san," Claudia said, her voice unusually grave. "We have a problem. The brackets have been... rearranged."
"Rearranged?" Julis frowned. "By who?"
"The Executive Committee," Claudia replied, showing them the updated tablet. "Due to the 'unprecedented' speed of your win, they've reclassified your duo as a high-threat seed. You've been moved into the same block as the Allekant autonomous units. And your next match... is against them."
Haruki looked at the screen. He saw the icons for Ernesta's Al-D units.
"Good," Haruki said, his hand resting on the hilt of Onikiri. "I was starting to get bored."
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