Chapter - 15

"Sensei says we can just go home today."

The first homeroom of the year ended with Ikki delivering that message.

Guess I'll go look for Shizuku? I shouldn't remain here much longer anyway.

He had been feeling confused gazes since the class started, from people wondering how to deal with him. Oreki had collapsed before the students could share introductions, but no doubt they already knew he was repeating this grade level.

Maybe I acted more openly than I should've.

Minding his classmates' feelings, Ikki turned to leave, but―

"Senpai!"

"Whoa!"

―one of his female classmates grabbed onto him. It caught Stella's attention immediately.

"Wha―!? W-Wait a minute! What's going on here, Ikki!"

"That's what I want to know! H-Hey, what are you doing so suddenly?"

"Ah, when I realized I finally had a chance to speak to Senpai properly, I got too excited and… please excuse me."

The cute peach-blonde girl apologizing to him was the same girl who had agreed to clean up. Licking her lips cutely, she separated from Ikki.

"I'm Kagami Kusakabe. I'm a huuuuge fan of yours~!"

"Fan?"

The world held Blazers in high regard, and mage-knights were always at the center of attention. This included student knights, and there were even those like Stella who the media watched with interest. In addition, the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, the highest battle for students, was broadcast all over the country via the Net. It wasn't rare for students to enroll into the academy after becoming a fan of one of those celebrities.

But… that had nothing to do with Ikki, so he tilted his head in confusion after hearing this response.

"I don't think I've done anything to deserve fans. Maybe you're confusing me with someone else?"

"Oh please, Senpai! Trying to play dumb, you~. I'm talking about this, you know?"

Ikki wasn't trying to play dumb, but when he saw the datapad Kagami presented, his tongue got stuck in his throat. Stella, who was also looking at the display, cried out in surprise.

"Hey, isn't that our duel!?"

"Could it be that Senpai and Stella-chan actually didn't know? Neither of you look on the Net at all?"

"Yeah, I'm not good with machines and stuff."

"I don't keep up with that. And I don't have a computer either."

"Huh, oh well. This was uploaded to a video sharing site immediately after you two finished your duel. It caused quite a stir. Everyone knows about it, right?"

All the classmates who were listening to their conversation nodded.

"Yep, I saw that video."

"And a ton of articles got posted. Shouldn't most people know of it?"

"I saw it too. I wanted to ask about a lot of things, but you're a year older, so it was hard to speak out. Hahaha…."

So that's the real reason for the gazes I felt before?

"Ah… I'm sorry for troubling you. But it's okay to talk to me normally, since we're classmates and all."

"Really!?"

All the girls in the class approached him instantly.

"Thank goodness! Thank you very much, Kurogane-san!"

"I've been wanting to talk to Kurogane-san ever since I saw that match!"

"Me too! I mean, you were so cool!"

"Erm, Kurogane-senpai. If it's not a bother, could you teach me swordsmanship? I want to be stronger like you!"

"Ah! That's unfair! I wanted to ask that!"

Ikki pleaded with the cheering girls whose eyes all glowed with affection and respect.

"W-Wait a minute. I did say it was okay to talk freely, but it's confusing if you all come at me like that."

Since Ikki spent all his leisure time training instead of interacting with the opposite sex, of course he'd be uncomfortable. Girls his age had never approached him like this, and the admiration sparkling in their eyes made it all the more embarrassing.

Kagami giggled at his expression.

"Is being popular that surprising? Senpai, you're seriously the center of attention right now. Especially from the female population, according to my data!"

"Eh? W-Why?"

"I mean, aren't you like, su~per strong? Girls who aim to be mage-knights all love strong guys. And even though you're that strong, you're called a Failed Knight. Something so mysterious sends the heart racing. But most importantly, Senpai, you have such an adorable face―"

"I-I don't really think that's true though."

"And that troubled face also pushes a girl's maternal instincts hard―"

At Kagami's words, the girls surrounding him all cheered "Right! Right!" and "Even though he's older, he's so cute!"

C-Cute? I know my face isn't too manly, but being labeled cute by girls younger than me… as a guy, that gives me complicated feelings!

Well, being liked was way better than being hated. Ikki thought that with a smile, when Kagami suddenly grabbed his right hand.

"Ka-Kagami-san!?"

After latching on, Kagami came to point-blank range and pleaded with teary eyes.

"So, Senpai. I have a big favor to ask my super popular senior. Won't you listen to your cute junior's request~?"

"W-What is it? If I can help… then I'll try to…?"

"Yay~♪ Thank you so much! Actually, I was thinking of starting a newspaper club, the Hagun High School Wall Newspaper, and I wanted to put everything about you in the first issue! The title would be… that's right, how about 『The Menacing Ambush! The Rumored Supernova Conquered!』, or something like that?"

She wanted to write this terrible story even with Stella standing right here? Ikki broke into a sweat and looked to his side.

"Oo~h. Isn't it great? Being so popular. That story, why not help her with it? Senpai."

Stella had an incredibly sour expression, but of course she wouldn't be happy about her defeat becoming a news article. Ikki didn't have the courage to accept after seeing her face.

"I'm really sorry, but I'm not used to that kind of thing."

But Kagami didn't retreat one step, and grabbed Ikki's arm even more tightly.

"It's fine! I'll gently lead you through it~"

*Squish* She pressed Ikki's arm against her breasts, and a sweet feeling immediately ran through his body.

"Wha… erm… Kusakabe-san."

"Please don't treat me like a stranger. Kagami is fine. Isn't our relationship like that~?"

What kind of relationship do we suddenly have? Didn't we just meet?

"Kagami-san, err, let go a little. It's touching."

"Oh really? Touching? What is?"

Did Kagami not realize it? She blinked, but after realizing Ikki's arm was on her chest, she grasped the situation and revealed her deepest thoughts with an amazingly evil grin.

"No way, I won't let go until you agree to an interview~"

She pressed herself against him even harder.

"Waaah!"

"Tell me all… about… you…♡"

A sweet voice murmuring, a warm sigh brushing his ear―these were both to bait Ikki, and he knew it.

…C-Cute!

But Ikki was a man after all. How could he stay calm with a cute young girl approaching him so aggressively? Even though he knew she was leading him on, her assertive appeal overwhelmed him.

Stella's patience finally hit rock bottom after seeing Ikki in that state.

"Hey Ikki―!"

What was he acting so lovestruck for!? This miserable person! She tried to rebuke Ikki like that.

"Hey Senpai, we also want a chat with you."

But before she could, an insolent voice like that of a ferocious beast erupted without trying to hide its hostility.

Five wild-eyed boys pushed through the ring of girls to stand before Ikki, and one conspicuously tall boy among them spoke with the overpowering voice from before.

"You seem to be quite popular, but don't you think flirting with all the chicks in class is going too far?"

Ikki's monopoly over the girls was apparently getting on the guy's nerves, if the vein popping on his temple was any sign. Their classmates didn't take to that attitude, though.

"What's with you, Manabe!? Are you jealous?"

"Don't start sulking just because you're not popular! You're the worst!"

Their words seemed to set off the rest of the guy's group.

"Whore, what did you just say!? Don't go spouting shit at Ma-kun!"

Manabe's followers were now threatening the girls, but if they wanted to pick a fight, Ikki thought it was best if he remained their target. He bowed before them slightly, trying to calm them down.

"If I bothered you, I'm sorry about that. Causing a racket after school certainly isn't appropriate, like you said."

"The hell is this? Are you trying to play decent, you fraud?"

"Fraud? What do you mean?"

"Even if you can trick these idiot girls, you can't trick me. There's no way an F-Rank can beat an A-Rank. That match was probably fake, to get popular like this."

"Err, I haven't tricked anyone. And you're being rude to Stella."

"So you're still saying you beat an A-Rank? That's pretty shameless. If you're so strong, then let's spar a little right now and see."

At his words, the five boys started to circle Ikki like hyenas surrounding prey, and the four with Manabe summoned their Devices. Kagami yelled out at that sight.

"Hey wait! Are you guys serious!? You'll be suspended if you use Devices here!"

"Shut up, bitch! Get back if you don't wanna get hurt."

Manabe's four followers ignored her warning and brandished their weapons. Judging from their ferocious expressions, they weren't using illusionary form. But even in this situation, Ikki held his composure and tried to control the situation.

"No, we can't do this here. As Kusakabe-san said, fighting in the classroom is against school rules. Our powers as student knights are restricted in this academy, and we're not allowed to use them outside of designated zones. If you'd like to fight, let's go somewhere else. I'll play along with you until evening in one of the practice fields."

Ikki was saying he could spar at one of the training arenas. He would accompany these boys even though they weren't worth fighting and he'd rather go find his sister. He was acting as a senior, indulging his juniors.

"You bastard…."

Yet another vein popped on Manabe's temple, because Ikki had made a blunder. What Manabe and his followers wanted wasn't to spar, but to see an F-Rank coward crawl at their feet and beg forgiveness for using deceit to make himself popular with girls. Instead, this F-Rank said he wanted to fight after switching locations? That was pure insult.

"Don't be cocky, you damn repeater! Get him, guys!"

Huh? Did I say something wrong?

It was too late to wonder. The boys could no longer be stopped from trying to cut Ikki down, and the girls screamed at the unfolding scene. This was no longer a mess he could resolve peacefully. Ikki sighed. He had to use force now.

"Senpai! I'll vouch for your legitimate self-defense, so stomp them good!"

Kagami urged him to fight and promised to absolve him if the school authorities investigated. That was a nice proposal, but―

"No, there's no need."

No need, because he wouldn't wield his Device in this scuffle.

In an instant, Ikki focused his sight. He didn't need color, so Ikki cut off that detail, and seeing the world moving in gray, he transferred the acuity of his color sense to his motion perception. As he did so, the movements of the world around him slowed. This was no special power, just the boost in cognition that even regular people would receive from danger, except that Ikki could activate it consciously since, obviously, he couldn't reach the level of concentration needed to win a fight in under a minute without this sort of ability.

The gray world around him slowed and dimmed as if sinking to the bottom of the sea, and Ikki analyzed his surroundings. There were four enemies to his left, right, front and back.

The fastest would be the one wielding a Japanese sword and coming directly from the front.

Seeing that, Ikki gently used the back of his empty right hand to hit the center of the sword, and with a completely relaxed motion, he changed the trajectory of the swing.

"Eh―?"

Surprise emerged on the face of the boy who swung the sword. His blade flew horizontally past Ikki, and at the same time, Ikki used one leg to trip him.

"Waaah!"

As he tripped, he crashed into his compatriot coming at Ikki from behind with a longsword-shaped Device, and they both tumbled crashing into some nearby desks.

Two down.

"You son of a biiiiitch!"

"Diiieeeee!"

Two boys on his left and right attacked him simultaneously with axes. They were both aiming for Ikki's head, so responding was simple.

"Hup―"

Ikki folded his knees and ducked. A second later, the clear sound of steel on steel rang above him. That was the sound of a clash between two parties giving their full strength.

"Gaaaaaaaah!"

Both boys fell screaming. The jolt of impact had completely numbed their arms.

One left.

"Sh-Shit!"

Manabe's haughtiness was nowhere to be found. He couldn't comprehend how his friends were defeated so easily, so he summoned his Device in confusion. It was a large-caliber revolver, an unusual Device for an Easterner, and he aimed the muzzle at Ikki. He could fire a magic bullet with just a squeeze of the trigger.

Ikki was already moving. He grabbed a eraser from someone's desk close by and flicked it upward with his thumb. The piece of rubber hit the ceiling, bounced down, and―wedged itself in the space between the gun's hammer and percussion cap.

Manabe raised a voiceless scream as if he saw a ghost. Ikki had disabled the gun in a totally unimaginable way.

Ikki stepped into the now defenseless Manabe's blind side, and―

*Bam!*

―clapped his palms together before Manabe's eyes.

"Hii―"

But that was enough. Though Ikki had only clapped once, Manabe fell down on his back and stared at Ikki with trembling eyes. And why not? Right before those eyes, an empty-handed F-Rank had defeated five Device-wielding Blazers like it was nothing. There was no way Manabe would have any fight left in him, so Ikki didn't need to give a finishing blow. No battle using Devices had happened. No combat had even occurred.

At that outcome, Ikki looked downwards with a smile that according to Kusakabe was sure to spark a girl's feminine instincts.

"Let's get along, since we're going to be classmates for a whole year."

Manabe could only nod his trembling head. The classmates around them also stood stunned after seeing Ikki disable five Blazers without injury.

"E-Eh? Stella, isn't the mood a bit too cold?"

"Naturally! What do you think happens when you show off so much power?"

"Show off? I thought I held back enough not to hurt them though."

"Isn't that exactly what everyone's so surprised about?"

Stella sighed in amazement. But at that moment―

*Clap clap clap*

Applause came from the classroom entrance. Everyone turned, wondering who it was, and saw a small girl standing in the hall. She had short silver hair and jade-green eyes, showing enough charm to fascinate everyone, and she wore a light smile on her flower bud-like pink lips.

"Overwhelming strength that never lets weaklings approach. That's just like you, Onii-sama."

Her refined voice resounded like song.

Onii-sama. At that word, Ikki's eyes widened.

"You can't be…."

No, he didn't need to ask. The tone, features, hairstyle, and everything else about her had changed so much, but only one person in the world called him so. She was the sole resident of the vast Kurogane estate who put him at ease, his one and only little sister that followed him around with small steps.

"Shizu…ku?"

"Yes. It's been so long, Onii-sama."