Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan - Volume 2 Page 5

  "That's the reason I am giving Ayatsuji-sempai a helping hand, and it's definitely not because of something like love. I swear! I mean… the one I love… is you, Stella."

  "…Ikki…."

  With her cheeks dyed red, Stella looked up at Ikki. There was a tint of unease dwelling in her scarlet-colored eyes, which was to be expected. Yes, Stella had already known that. Ikki didn't have any feelings towards Ayase that should make Stella worry. The man she loved wasn't as petty as that. But still… she couldn't help but feel insecure. It was because the only thing that tied that was a verbal promise. They hadn't done anything to show their love but that…

  Stella's lips glossily moved as if desiring something. Those pink lips, it seems like she called his name. Ah! That's right, if he could right now prove that his words that night weren't just some random talk, she should have much more trust in him.

  I…

  Ikki drew near Stella's lips like a bee desiring honey from a flower.

  "Sorry for the wait! I couldn't find my swimsuit so I had to search for it!"

  ""Uwaaaaaaaah!!!""

  "What's wrong? You're screaming like a couple who had their love affair found out on the spot."

  Uwah! Dead on!?

  The both of them sweated like crazy in front of Ayase.

  "I-I-It's nothing! Right, Ikki?"

  "Yeah! We were just surprised because you called out so suddenly!"

  "…?"

  She tilted her head. She didn't look convinced. That's why Ikki dragged the two and left in a hurry in order to change the place.

  That was dangerous. Because of Stella's position, their relationship would be an international scandal. He had to be more careful when he created that steamy mood next time.

  …But that was indeed regrettable. Other than that one night, this was the only time such a mood was created naturally. If Ayase was just a bit later, they could have progressed to the next step. Ikki realized that he had just missed an extremely rare chance, and sighed inwardly.

  Part 2

  Within the gigantic campus of Hagun Academy, there would naturally be swimming pools. More specifically, two 100-meter pools in length. But that day, the first pool was undergoing routine cleaning and the second was being used by Shinguuji Kurono, the former third rank in the King of Knights world and the new director of Hagun Academy, for special training. That was why the three went to the sports gym situated near the academy. They were going to use the indoor pool.

  Boys took less time changing than girls. That was why, after changing into standard black and red trunks, Ikki waited outside for the girls. After a few minutes, he saw Stella and Ayase coming out while wearing their respective swimsuits.

  Ayase, being overly serious and overly shy, wore a sports type swimsuit that could handle light fitness. But since she had a stylishly fit figure which she had trained since childhood, that swimsuit looked charming on her in its own way, despite not having much color.

  But… the one who was really conspicuous was Stella. She wore a different swimsuit than when she barged in Ikki's bathroom, a black-laced bikini. Compared to Ayase's, her bikini obviously exposed way too much skin, and when she walked, those voluptuous, white, peach-like breasts of hers conspicuously bounced rapidly.

  And it wasn't only just her breasts; her hips had enough sexiness to make a zombie gulp. A glamorous hip that leaped up with a *tsun*, something you wouldn't see much among the Japanese. From there, a beautiful leg line extended which was too dazzling to look straight at. Even though she had so much physical strength, how in the world could she maintain such a soft and alluring body? Even with Ikki's dynamic vision, this was a mystery to him. And a deep one at that. He could find nothing but darkness while trying to analyze.

  And finally, the most fascinating thing about her was….the way she walked. Probably because she was trained as royalty, Stella's attitude when walking was truly beautiful, like a model featured by the Paris Collection.

  Yeah… Stella was so pretty. Without noticing, Ikki let out a sigh. Not only him, every customer resting by the poolside, and even the ones swimming on the course had their eyes glued to the foreign beauty that just made her entry.

  Stella showed her face in the media from time to time, so maybe a few of them knew her. So while having all the gazes concentrated on her, Stella―

  "Sorry for the wait. Boys really do change too fast."

  She spoke to Ikki. Instantly, Ikki felt a wave of killing intent, as if he was being pierced by invisible arrows.

  "Huh! Hey hey hey, what!? Those two beauties are with that dude!?"

  "Impossible…. A cute girl like her with a weak looking guy like him…!?"

  "Hey hey! D'you really think the country will forgive you if the balance of a couple is so damn ridiculous?"

  "I'll freaking kill the bastard!"

  I might die an unfortunate death by drowning today.

  While Ikki was sweating cold sweat, Stella was surveying the whole pool with a curious expression. Since they were living together, he might have lost sight of it, but Stella was, in fact, a princess. This might have been the first time she had come to a commoner's pool.

  The pool was only 50 meters long, smaller than the ones at campus. It was divided into two parts, one for the course and one for public. Since it was only June, there weren't many customers yet.

  "It's quite big."

  "Vermillion-san is a princess right? Then there's a pool in your home too, right?"

  "Nope. But if it's our bath then it's about this wide."

  "Wow! Amazing! That's just like a celebrity!"

  "Well actually that one's for our servants to use. The one for us royalty is a little smaller. I mean, it's lonely if there are too little people and the bath's too big."

  Now that Ikki recalled, Stella's style of living wasn't really that different from a normal person's. Well, other than the fact that she was surprised by instant coffee. The Vermillion Empire wasn't that big of a country. Maybe the royalty there lived quite the humble life.

  "But still, I'm relieved. I was worried about what I would have to do if I had difficulties with the rumored Japanese rudeness, but since there aren't too many people I'm not worried anymore."

  "Well, that's because it isn't really the season for pools and all."

  "Then we can have fun playing without worrying too much right!?"

  Saying that, Stella brought out a beach ball with an excited expression.

  "No. We didn't come here to play you know."

  "Eeh! Then why the heck did you come to the pool?"

  "Why did Stella come?"

  "U-ooh! And after I went through all that trouble to bring it…"

  "…'Kay. We'll play after we finish training. But no balls for now."

  "Guess I don't have a choice…. But you absolutely have to play with me later!"

  Stella passed the ball over to Ikki. It seems like she really did come to play today. Strange. He had already told Stella that they were coming to train today.

  "By the way Kurogane-kun, what kind of training are we doing today? Swimming?"

  At Ayase's question, Ikki shook his head.

  "No, well, we've been talking about training this and training that for a while, but today we're not going to something so heavy as to be called that. Your body's almost at its limit too, right?"

  "Then what will we do?"

  "Frankly speaking, we aren't going to do anything."

  "Eh?"

  "You're going to float and drift through the pool like a jellyfish."

  "I-Is that going to be of any use?"

  "It will."

  Ikki guaranteed it.

  "Firstly, it'll raise your lung capacity. In a sudden fight, this is very important. This will do for anaerobic training. That's because the one with the least lung capacity will make the sound first and lose. For us swordsmen, this is something just as important as physical exercise and strength…. Well, for today, this is just an extra benefit."

 
There was actually a deeper meaning behind this training.

  "I think you'll understand after going through it once, but when you're underwater, you will feel much closer to yourself."

  "?"

  Ayase probably didn't understand what Ikki meant. She tilted her head, which was a bit cute for her.

  "When you're underwater, you won't be using your strength to stand up, nor will you be concentrating to understand what you see. Simply turn all your consciousness to yourself, and try to hear your own echo."

  "…I don't quite get it but… I'll give it a try."

  She didn't quite understand why Ikki was making her do this, but she didn't have any reason to doubt him. Following his words without complain, she held her breath and submerged her body underwater. If it was someone proficient like Ayase-san, then she should be able to understand its meaning with just one try. Ayase could probably hold for three minutes like that underwater.

  "Then I guess I should go put this ball back in the locker. It will be bothersome to leave it here anyways."

  With that, Ikki put away the ball Stella had brought.

  Part 3

  After Ikki left, it started to become boring for Stella.

  It was not like she had any bad blood with Ayase. It was that she didn't really understand much about Ayase and her swordsmanship, so there wasn't anything to talk about. Moreover, she didn't want to disturb her training with useless chatter.

  Bo~ring…

  Because she had time, she had also tried to do that training Ikki mentioned. She had held her breath, and had entrusted her body to the water.

  It wasn't painful. Stella's lung capacity actually surpassed that of even Ikki's. If she tried, she could even stay underwater for 10 minutes. She was already on a superhuman level.

  …It's so quiet.

  It wasn't as if there weren't any people at all. There were other customers who were swimming, and the merry voices of the children echoed around. But underwater, there was nothing, When she looked up, the surface of the water felt far… as if the world itself was in a faraway place.

  On the other hand… she could hear her own pulse. The sound of her pulse that she couldn't hear outside because of all the noise and racket, the flow of her blood, her neural tracts; she could grasp all these much clearer now that she had shut out the random thoughts and noises.

  「When you're underwater, you will feel much closer to yourself.」

  This was what Ikki had meant. And for a knight as strong as Stella, she could understand this even without him saying it. To be able to understand this sensation, being able to feel your consciousness pass.

  For example, the action of swinging a sword. That would be a combination of swinging the hand that was holding the sword, connecting the movements with the fingers, signals in the neural tracts, the expending of physical strength, swinging the sword is the same of ‘willing' all of these. In other words, this could make a huge difference. If she couldn't control these minutes… no, nano-seconds worth of details and actions of her body, then she wouldn't be able to use them in real battles.

  But Ayase couldn't do it. If she could, then she wouldn't have forcefully tried to use that artificial form in the first place. That was obvious. She would have realized where the stress was born from, and where the loss occurred. Before, the reason why her condition got better was because Ikki had corrected her form. However, the condition of one's body changes every day. When that happens, the only thing that can be done is to assimilate with that properly. When one is able to do that, only then can they reach their true potential.

  For that reason, this training was certainly productive for Ayase. But for Stella, it was unnecessary, because she was at a level where all of that would be done automatically by her subconscious. That's the reason why all her swings were adjusted to the very best possible form the other day, even though she was purposely trying to mess up.

  But… I'm still too naïve.

  Splashing onto the surface, Stella muttered.

  Until now, Stella had been training herself more earnestly and sternly than anyone. She thought that she had pushed herself to the limit. But that was not true. Ikki's Ittou Shura, that was the absolute limit. She had not yet reached that place. Bringing out her all, and using it up within one minute, that was impossible for her. And that's exactly why she lost to Ikki in technique. Stella had better lung capacity than Ikki, of course, her strength, mana, firepower; everything was far above Ikki's. But she was still pushed back and beaten. Because their way of living was also different. Even though Ikki was now standing on the earth, he was in a place even deeper than the water where Stella was, a deep dark sea where even the light could not reach.

  And that was Ikki's world…. If she could reach that place, then she might be able to see something she has yet to discover.

  Stella closed her eyes slowly. She was submerged underwater and all light vanished. Only the burning fire within her remained. Only she was there. She was within the darkness and the silence, on the receiving end of the vision of herself. But that was not even near the end of it, that depth was far from enough. Deeper…. Even deeper…, towards the great depths of consciousness where the 'Crownless Sword King' resided.

  "By the way, is Vermillion-san dating Kurogane-kun?"

  "Guehghgh. *Cough*Cough*"

  Stella drowned.

  Part 4

  "It hurthsh, it hurts, my nose, it went *tsun*…*cough*cough*!"

  While pressing down her nose, Stella cursed her incompetence. Even though she dived so deep in her consciousness, she could still hear voices. That was enough proof that her training wasn't nearly enough.

  Ikki could block his sense of sight and hearing with his sheer will.

  Rather, if she could control herself to that extent, Ittou Shura would just be a joke. Once again, Stella realized how far the place she was aiming for was.

  "S-Sorry Vermillion-san. Are you okay?"

  "Y-Yeah. I'm alright…."

  "But that exaggerated reaction… as I thought…."

  "T-That's! N-N-No that's not it! The second imperial princess of the Vermillion Empire dating that commoner! That's impossible…!"

  "You're really not going out?"

  "Of course not!"

  "Then you wouldn't mind even if I deepen my friendship with Kurogane-kun?"

  "Come again?"

  Her reply automatically turned into a question.

  "W-W-Wait a goddamn minute! Didn't Sempai say that you only wanted him to teach you swordsmanship!? And that there weren't any mushy feelings!?"

  "That was in the beginning. But hey, you know how Kurogane-kun is like a warrior, somewhat cool. He even listened to the request of a stalker like me…. Even though he's younger, he's like an adult, right? He's also very kind when giving lessons, oh, and precise too. For me, he's like the ideal man. And recently, I've gotten used to talking to him. If he's single, maybe I should tell him that I lo―"

  "N-Nooooo!"

  Stella screamed unconsciously and interrupted Ayase's proclamation.

  "No! No! Neveeeeeeer!!! Ikki's my boyfriend! So nooo!!!"

  She waved her hands around in the water like a kid throwing a tantrum. She didn't want to hear someone other than herself say they ‘loved' Ikki. That's why, with eyes moist with tears, she drowned out Ayase's words with the ruckus and glared at her.

  "As I thought…."

  Seeing Ayase grinning with an amused expression, Stella finally realized that she had been tricked.

  I-I messed up big time!

  "I had a hunch that the mood at the appointment place was a little too lovey-dovey, but for it to be actually true…!"

  "Ugh… uuu… Sempai, using such underhanded methods. I thought you were supposed to be more stupid."

  "Vermillion-san, that was quite rude."

  "Saying that after tricking me that way… you're definitely going to have to keep this a secret! It this gets out then it's going to be a nightmare."

  "I know, b
ecause Vermillion-san is famous."

  "…But, that stuff before… was it all a joke?"

  Ayase nodded without indecision.

  "I truly think he is wonderful as a man, but I definitely don't see Kurogane-kun like that. That would be a great betrayal towards Kurogane-kun who is teaching me the sword with such devotion. I had a hunch but…. Ahh! I'm jealous! I want to fall in love too~"

  Ayase touched her blushing cheeks with a *pon* and her eyes glittered, as if she were a maiden having a dream. Stella found it quite unexpected to see her like that.

  "I thought Sempai hated boys."

  "That's a horrible misunderstanding. I love boys."

  "Sempai. You shouldn't say stuff like that in a place like this. Just now, about six people had some light reaction."

  "Anyway, I don't hate boys. Rather, I'm just too conscious of them all. That's why I get embarrassed. My roommate says that I seem gloomy."

  This is the first time I've seen a person who said that without hesitation.

  "Ahh~ But that's so lovely. I wanna fall in love too…"

  "Then why don't you?"

  "I-Impossible! Definitely impossible. If a virgin like me dates a boy… ahh! It's so embarrassing I'll die just thinking about it. So I just have to be satisfied with manga and light novels."

  "What an awkward inclination."

  "By the way, do you guys do naughty things when you're alone?"

  "Koghku!"

  Stella choked at that sudden fastball.

  "W-W-What the hell are you asking so suddenly!"

  "I really want to know how it feels like to be a real couple!"

  The image of Ayase with her insanely sparkling eyes overlapped with the image of one of those media girls. Stella's image of Ayase being a stiff kendo girl shattered with a clattering noise. The girl in front of her was no different from any other girl, a monster with an interest for sensual love affairs.

  "We haven't done it. Moreover, I haven't even registered in his family so that's way too soon."