Chapter - 3

An aurora shined forth to create a zone of heat in the chairman's room, and a long sword clad in flames appeared in Stella's hand. It was a Device made from a Blazer's soul.

Holy Sword―

Demon Bow―

Cursed Tool―

Blessed Tool―

Passed down through legends with various forms and shapes, a Device was a magic staff. By using that tool as a medium, a Blazer could use her abilities, her Noble Arts.

And the Crimson Princess's ability produced incandescent flames that burn any target to nothing―!

"Prepare yourself, you degenerate! I'll erase you from this world without leaving a speck behind!"

"A-Are you serious!?"

"Excuses are useless―!"

The sword of flame swung downwards. Facing that, Ikki also took a defensive stance.

"Come forth, Intetsu!"

It was a Japanese long sword made of raven-black steel. The F-Rank Knight, Ikki Kurogane, used his Device Intetsu to block Stella's downward swing.

But―

"A flimsy defense!"

"Hot!"

"Of course it's hot! My Lævateinn, clad in the flames of my Noble Art Dragon Breath, goes up to three thousand degrees centigrade! Even if you block, I can burn my enemies with the might of the dragon empress alone!"

"What a ridiculous ability…!"

Feeling vexed from being so close, Ikki used all his strength to put some distance between them. But―

"Ha, hahaha…. stupid boy. There's no way I'd let you escape in a small room like this. I'll disintegrate you soon enough, and with that I'll erase the villain who ruined my purity before marriage!"

"Wait, wait! Please calm down a little! You call it 'ruined', but I haven't actually done anything that scandalous, right!?"

"Liar! Even though you were ravishing my bare body with i-i-indecent eyes!"

"Certainly, I was staring, but that was… that was, erm… that wasn't because I was thinking lecherous things! It's just, how do I say this―I was mesmerized because you were so beautiful!"

"Fueh!?"

In an instant, Stella's boiling-mad face blushed far redder. Ikki thought that he had needlessly angered her more, and he started to sweat, but―

"W-W-What are you s-saying, idiot! C-Calling an unmarried maiden b-beautiful. Th-This is exactly why commoners with no delicacy are so…!"

Lævateinn suddenly lost its raging flames and dimmed to small flickering sparks. The girl who was filled with so much enmity just a moment ago now started to fidget, looking uncomfortable but also a little happy. When he examined her face, her brow that had been standing up now hung down powerlessly, and her eyes were moist from bewilderment. She seemed to be embarrassed.

That's surprising. I thought someone as beautiful as Stella-san would be used to praise.

Anyhow, Stella's fervor collapsing was a good opportunity. Taking the initiative, he tried to calm Stella down.

"Setting that aside, this happened in the first place because you mistook your room and started changing clothes in mine, so please spare me from committing harakiri."

But at Ikki's argument, Stella's face went grim once more.

"What kind of irrational justification is that!? You were the one who entered my room of your own accord! I opened that room with the key I received properly from Madam Chairman, so it couldn't have been my mistake!"

"…Eh?"

Wait a minute. Now that he thought about it, Ikki had definitely locked his room before he went out. Even if Stella made a mistake, there was no way she could enter, but she had been inside. Why?

Stella uttered the reason just now. Kurono had given her a key.

"What's the meaning of this, Chairman?"

"Ha, hahahaha…."

"…Madam Chairman?"

When both of them looked at her in unison, Kurono started laughing as if she couldn't hold it anymore―

"Heh, no, sorry about that. This turned into something so interesting that I felt a little impish. Well, you don't have to ask, because it's exactly how it sounds. Hagun Academy's dormitories place two people per room. Kurogane should already know that. In other words, neither one of you mistook your rooms. Simply put… you two are roommates."

―and she said something incredible.

"EEEEEEEEEHHH!?"