Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan - Volume 4 Page 2

  To the junior who was looking up at her, Touka explained the reason for this defeat.

  "You're not quite there yet, Stella-san."

  And she gave a very composed smile.

  Facing that, Stella couldn't help but feel frustrated.

  "Uuu…."

  She uttered a moan that sounded quite regretful.

  Part 3

  "Oh my, the Crimson Princess lost?"

  "Yeah, no way."

  Two girls watching the confrontation from a distance both sighed. On their arms were yellow bands proclaiming them to be newspaper club members; they were the newspaper club of Bunkyoku, who had come to the training camp to cover the news there. The Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival training camp was an opportunity to collect information on other schools' teams that didn't happen often. It was a vital event for newspaper clubs of all the schools, so the two from Bunkyoku had come from faraway Kyushu to write an article about the rumored princess knight, Stella Vermillion, but―

  "It's a little bit disappointing!"

  "Raikiri won so easily! Even though I got hyped about it."

  "So in reality, she's weak! That means there's no story here after all."

  ―they wanted to write news about Stella that would be noteworthy, but her loss would mar the dramatic impact. Bunkyoku's newspaper club was suffering a letdown.

  At their mutterings… Kagami Kusakabe, who was wearing a similar newspaper club armband and had heard them from where she was standing slightly distant, murmured in amazement.

  "Sheesh, where were those Bunkyoku people looking?"

  "I know, right? Being drawn here by the results they themselves wanted, they're clouding their own eyes to actual reality. They're not worthy of being called reporters."

  The one who spoke was Nagi Arisuin, who had watched the mock battle between Raikiri and the Crimson Princess from his place standing next to Kagami. The two of them knew what was going on, because they had watched many of Stella's fights. They knew the outcome of this fight was not a sign of Stella being weak like Bunkyoku's observers had said.

  However―among others different schools, there were also people with discerning eyes there. This referred to the boy and girl who were watching the fight a bit far from where Kagami and Arisuin were standing.

  "Whoa―what an amazing fight! You could totally charge money for it!"

  "Hagun's participants are all excellent this year. Isn't that right, Kusakabe?"

  Kagami smiled at the two people who spoke while approaching.

  "Yagokoro-san and Komiyama-san, you were watching too?"

  "Of course. If there's a mock battle between Raikiri and the Crimson Princess, any reporter would catch wind of it."

  "Entirely so."

  After greeting the two, Kagami's shoulder was poked by Arisuin who was standing aloof behind her.

  Kagami turned her head to ask why, but Arisuin inquired first.

  "Kagamin, who might these two be?"

  Being asked so, Kagami realized that this was the first time Arisuin had met the two.

  "Ah, I should introduce you, huh? This girl is Yagokoro-san of Bukyoku Academy's newspaper club, and this boy is Komiyama-san of Donrou Academy's newspaper club."

  "Pleased to meet you, Arisuin-san."

  "Pleased to meetcha."

  "I see, they're both people in the same business as you."

  "That's how it is. We're wearing the same armbands, after all."

  Certainly. Arisuin nodded in agreement. Yagokoro approached him after the straightforward greeting.

  "Well, there were a lot of rumors, but meeting you in person, you really are a lady-killer, huh? You can seduce just with that face, right?"

  "Yagokoro, that's rude."

  To Yagokoro who said such a thing while staring fixedly at Arisuin's face, Komiyama who was standing next to her poked her with an elbow.

  But Arisuin wasn't very bothered. He smiled.

  "Ahaha. I'm fine with it. Both flowers and women should be loved."

  "W-Women…?"

  At the words Arisuin spoke, Komiyama started shaking as if he could not wholly understand their meaning.

  "Oh, Alice-chan is that kind of person. Don't worry about it, Komiyama-san."

  "I-I'll leave that alone then…."

  "What, Komiyan didn't know that Nagi-san is like that? Your data collection has been shallow, huh?"

  "Kuh. I didn't comprehend how far his fetish went…."

  Kagami thought those words were very much like Komiyama. Even as reporters, there was something called preference. Yagokoro and Kagami preferred to write news articles that mixed facts about the contenders with their human sides. In contrast, Komiyama was more objective type who nails down the facts of the news while staying away from dramatization, similar to a government broadcast. That kind of reporter probably wouldn't check up on things like sexual inclination.

  "But Nagi-san, since you're a representative contender, is it okay for you to watch other people fight so casually?"

  "I had a bit of luck, so I made it this far. Originally, I didn't have any interest in the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, you know? Although it's a bit unfair to the people who lost to me. Anyway, I only came to this training camp to chaperone my roommate. That's why I'm taking it easy."

  "Luck, huh? I don't think anyone can win twenty consecutive fights by luck, though."

  "But since I've won, there's nothing we can do about it, right?"

  "Well, people who get into the game come in all sorts, I guess. It's probably good that there's this kind of contender too."

  "Oh my, you're the open-minded type of man, are you?"

  "P-Please forgive me for what I said before…."

  At Arisuin's chaming gaze, Komiyama paled and retreated.

  While watching that strange scene, Kagami suddenly asked the two something that was on her mind.

  "By the way, Yagokoro-san and Komiyama-san. What did you think of the fight just now?"

  "The contest between Raikiri and the Crimson Princess?"

  "Yes."

  "Oh, right. To put it simply―it's at an outrageously high level."

  "Which one?"

  "What do you mean? Both, of course."

  At that response, Kagami giggled. These two understood after all. Yes, Yagokoro and Komiyama had correctly seen through the reason Stella lost that mock battle.

  "The Crimson Princess had power exactly like her rumors said. There's nothing to object about that. The offensive ability to fight blow for blow, explosive power… each and every one of her traits is perfectly first-class. A first-year student like that only comes once a decade. So in that match, the reason for her defeat wasn't because of some weakness. The Crimson Princess isn't weak―rather, Raikiri is just bizarrely strong."

  "I think so too. Komiyan and I are both third-years, so we took data on Raikiri last year, but the beauty and power of her technique can't even be compared to last year's.

  "Perhaps in the last year, she's been polishing her technique for the sake of beating the Seven Stars Sword King. But that's why it's still unbelievable. Even though she's this strong, Raikiri is participating in this training camp not as a representative, but as a volunteer coach. And her place as a representative was snatched away not by the A-rank knight, but an F-rank one."

  Saying so, Komiyama turned his gaze to the edge of the training arena.

  And there―was the man who had defeated Raikiri and stolen her place as representative. The Worst One, Ikki Kurogane.

  As an F-rank knight, despite having the lowest power, he was the man who had mowed through those above him until he reached the position of representative student at the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival.

  "Incidentally, what's he doing all the way at the side like that?"

  "He's going to have a mock battle, I guess? Since he has Intetsu materialized."

  "The ones near him are the Hagure sisters, who are representatives like me."

  "A mock battle… against both of the
m?"

  "For Senpai, something like that's no big deal."

  Kagami's guess was indeed correct. Right in front of the four of them, there and then, Ikki was having a one-versus-two mock battle against the third-year twin sisters Kikyou Hagure and Botan Hagure, who he had invited.

  「You're miiiiine!」

  Kikyou Hagure, who had materialized a spear-shaped Device, used an instant-acceleration Noble Art and attacked with a supersonic charge. But Ikki, with absurd speed against the thrusting spear, showed no panic at that state of affairs.

  「Hup.」

  ―Stamping on the approaching spearhead, he sent it stabbing into the ground.

  「Whoooaaaaah!?」

  Kikyou whose spear had been jammed into the ground flipped upward as if pole-vaulting, her own momentum sending her into the air.

  And when she flew over Ikki…

  「Eh?」

  She crashed into her sister Botan, who had been aiming at Ikki's back with a handgun Device and was about to pull the trigger.

  「Eek!」

  「Noooo!」

  And the two were sent rolling across the sandy surface of the ground. Worried, Ikki called and chased after them.

  「Are you two alright?」

  「Ow ow ow… yeah. I'm fine. How about you, Botan-chan?」

  「Uuu… I think I skinned my knee.」

  「Shizuku.」

  「Yes, leave it to me, Onii-sama.」

  At Ikki's voice, Shizuku who was waiting at the side patched up Botan's skinned knee with healing magic. And at the same time, Ikki spoke to the Hagure sisters.

  「Kikyou-senpai, you use speed, but there's not much advantage in doing so when you're wielding a spear against me, who has less reach. Doing so relinquished your own reach advantage. I think you should consider offensive tactics a little more. Also, entering your own ally Botan-senpai's line of fire is―」

  He pointed out the problems in the fight just now, saying what Arisuin, who watched the situation from a distance, was thinking.

  "This mock battle, it feels like Ikki is training the two of them."

  Because the mock battle had been far too one-sided. Well in reality, this mock battle had been training that the Hagure sisters had asked Ikki for from the beginning, so Arisuin's discernment was correct.

  "…Training, huh? At any rate, he was overwhelming. The Worst One isn't just good at waving a sword."

  "Kagami-chan, are those Hagure sisters weak?"

  At Yagokoro's question, Kagami shook her head in disagreement.

  "No way. Certainly you could say that the Hagure sisters were lucky they didn't have to face superior fighters like Senpai or Stella-chan, but there's no way they're weak. Both of them took down the members of the academy's top ten ranking who were stronger than them, and they're knights who scored twenty undefeated matches. If they were compared to Raikiri or Runner's High, I think they would lose out, but they definitely have real ability."

  "We've really been treating them like children, huh? They're a bigger deal than expected."

  "At any rate, they're really calm about it. Training steadily at the precious training camp."

  "Senpai likes to poke his nose into other people's business, so it's kind of refreshing, right?"

  "Besides, in three days Ikki took down all the coaches that Kyomon brought, you know?"

  The words Arisuin had uttered were true. It was the fourth day of the training camp, but Ikki had already defeated in mock battles every one of the professional coaches that Kymon had hired.

  That was why he had no opponents to do mock battles with. Even Raikiri who was the strongest coach in the training camp right now had already been defeated by Ikki in a real match.

  "Well, I suppose in this situation where the honor of the sponsor, Kyomon, has been affected, they're calling for a special coach for the Worst One, huh?"

  "I wonder who will come? Chairman Shinguuji and Saikyou-sensei would probably rush over here, but since it's both time for Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival preparations and the KOK championship match, it's probably impossible for the two of them to come from Osaka. On the other hand, the coaches who've been beaten are all ranking members of the Japanese national league, so there's no point to calling up ordinary knights."

  "If they summoned people of that class, it would be an unusual instance where the opponents wouldn't be fit for the participants' level, right?"

  "Yeah, really. Hagun is amazing this year. Everyone in Bukyoku is in danger too."

  Yagokoro praised Hagun's representatives in a lamenting voice. But in response, Kagami gave a wry laugh of disagreement.

  "Once again, you're playing around, pretending like you're already going to lose. Miss Bukyoku, don't you have some unreasonable people entering the Festival?"

  Bukyoku was prestigious even among the prestigious schools, having monopolized the winner's podium for multiple years in a row. The strength of the team that included the current Seven Stars Sword King, representative Yuudai Moroboshi, was renowned not only in Japan but also overseas.

  However―leaving aside that one member of the renowned representative team, there was a man who had announced himself as a Bukyoku representative suddenly by submitting his entry at the last minute. That man was the only A-rank knight among Japan's students, who held the nickname "Sword Emperor of Wind", Ouma Kurogane.

  "That A-rank knight entered the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival as a third-year even though he didn't participate during his first or second year. Bukyoku's representatives were really surprised at seeing this for the first time."

  "I was surprised too. I also thought that man would definitely not participate this year either. I guess his entry is Bukyoku trying to put as much power as possible into the tournament?"

  The Crimson Princess, an A-rank knight, had come from a foreign country.

  The Worst One had defeated Raikiri with one slash.

  From other academies as well, this year had an abnormal ratio of unknown first-years.

  Before the competition had even started, it seemed to already be in an uproar. It looked like there was no choice but to field Ouma, who was an even higher class of knight than Moroboshi, the Seven Stars Sword King. Wasn't that the reason the entry was made? This was what Komiyama and Kagami conjectured.

  But Yagokoro shook her head.

  "No, no. The Sword Emperor of Wind isn't the type to listen to the school, you know? To begin with, he doesn't come to school, so who would know how to contact him? Entering was the decision of the Sword Emperor of Wind himself. Because of that, we were also completely surprised."

  "Then it wasn't at the academy's direction?"

  "Nope."

  "Is that how it is? Well, even if it was his own decision, it was probably what the academy wanted too."

  "That's likely. So they hurriedly arranged a selection battle with the sixth-ranked Shibata-kun, to see who would be the representative."

  "And Ouma-san won that?"

  "I honestly can't call it a match. If we say the opponent was a bad fit, we can leave it at that."

  Yagokoro's face was colored in grief as she answered. Shibata had probably suffered a cruel defeat. However―

  "It may have been bad for Shibata-san, but the whimsy of the Sword Emperor of Wind is good news for us news clubs, right?"

  "Entirely. To honor that, we'll give extravagant space to the story."

  "There are a lot of voices on the Net who're looking forward to a confrontation between the Crimson Princess and the Sword Emperor of Wind."

  "That's understandable. Anyone would want to see a match from the A-rank student brought up by World Clock and the Yaksha Princess.

  A legendary fight between those two had already become a hot topic. That fight was strangely being billed as a confrontation between Hagun and Bukyoku, east versus west Japan, and was already rousing the public mind.

  "…Well, it's a shameful story for us Donrou who are also in Tokyo."

  "But I'm also interested i
n the matter of the Worst One's rematch with Sword Eater, you know?"

  "Honestly, that's my only saving grace. We're also putting our expectations on him this year. His behavior is problematic, but the Sword Eater's close-ranged combat sense is top notch. …But based on that, this year's competition is focus on… the Worst One, after all."

  Though he had anticipation for how his fellow schoolmate Sword Eater would perform, Komiyama's reporter senses told him that the dark horse of the competition this year wasn't Sword Eater but Ikki, and he said so.

  "With the rumors of a private relationship after his confrontation with the Crimson Princess, and distinguishing himself more and more on the center stage with his victory of Raikiri, one wonders what other national champions this famous F-rank will cut through. …Those kinds of thoughts, anyone might indulge in similar ideas. Off the record, it seems there's a lot of people who want to put together a special report on the Worst One before the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival begins."

  "The younger brother of the Sword Emperor of Wind, who defeated the Crimson Princess and laid low Raikiri with one slash…. Well, that might be natural treatment."

  Yagokoro agreed.

  Near her, Kagami smiled secretly. She was happy for the person she had recognized, who she had always been following around and observing. It was confirmation that she had a good eye, but more than that, she know the circumstances of the knight called Ikki Kurogane who had surmounted all kinds of obstacles to reach this point, so it made her extra happy.

  Well, it's not good to push other team members aside."

  But Kagami decided it couldn't be helped, given her connection to Ikki.

  After all, there's no girl who wouldn't cheer for a boy that sincere and earnest."

  So it couldn't be helped. Yeah.

  "Hmm?"

  Suddenly, when she returned her gaze to Ikki, Kagami saw someone at the edge of her peripheral vision. It was an ash-blonde young lady, who was watching Ikki from the sidelines like they were.