Chapter - 1

"Well folks! The seventh match of today's selection battles will now begin!

"Coming from the blue gate is the one who defeated the C-Rank knight, the 'Hunter' Kirihira Shizuya, who was a representative in last year's Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival. It's the first year F-Rank 'Failure Knight', contender Kurogane Ikki! Till now, he's had eight wins out of eight matches. What's more, except against contender Kirihara, he received no injuries in his matches. But today he'll face an opponent of the same caliber as the Hunter!

"And that is, appearing from the red gate, a member of the Hagun Academy Student Council and a top contender of this year's Festival, second year C-Rank 'Runner's High', Tomaru Renren! Her records are the same as contender Kurogane, eight wins out of eight matches!

"But, Buuut! contender Tomaru was third among the past year's academy ranking! In other words, she is the third strongest knight in this school! Will she show her strength today as her rank states? Or will the Failure Knight win today too with his martial arts powers that defy common sense!? Yanagida-sensei, what do you think?"

"Too long, sleeping."

"Thank you very much! Well then, today's top match… has started!"

The buzzer indicating the start of the match sounded, and loud applause and shouts spontaneously resounded from the audience seats.

As the target of those frenzied echoes, two knights stood in the ring. The boy who stood still while holding the Japanese katana-type Device, Kurogane Ikki. The girl who equipped the knuckle-type Device, Tomaru Renren.

Even though the match had already started, Renren was doing some hops lightly as if she were playing, and called out to Ikki with an affectionate smile.

"Kurogane-kun. I saw your match with the 'Hunter'! That was an awesome match!"

Tomaru's smile was like the light brown color of her tanned skin; it cleared away smoothly. Facing her smile, Ikki also grinned a little in return.

"Thank you very much. Being told that by the third rank Tomaru-san makes me very happy."

"Using honorifics when we're just chatting, you do know we're the same age, right? But still, it's strange. Even though you can fight so well, why did you repeat a grade?"

"…Ahaha, well that's… there were a lot going on and all."

"Fuu~un. Well, I don't know what happened, but it's unfortunate. It would've been more fun if I were in the same grade as someone as strong as Kurogane-kun~"

"If you're talking about strong people, then isn't there Saijou-san who's ranked fourth?"

"That guy's no good. He has crazy physical strength but he can't even touch me with just that. He's just an electric fan… but still, that's the same for Kurogane-kun too. I mean, if you're struggling so much against someone like the 'Hunter', you can't beat me."

Tomaru's gentle smile changed into a ferocious one.

"I'll show you the way the third ranked fights―!"

Suddenly, her figure vanished from Ikki's field of vision.

Was it a stealth skill like Area Invisible? No, that was wrong. There is sound. A sound of the right being kicked, something passing through the wind with unbelievable speed. If he looked carefully, he could catch a glimpse of the after-images.

That's right. Tomaru didn't disappear, she just moved so fast that it seemed like she disappeared. That was Tomaru Renren's Noble Art―

"It's Mach Grid! Contender Renren suddenly dashed with victory in her eyes!"

The true form of that irregularity was the accumulation of speed. By ignoring the natural deceleration put on her body, Tomaru is able to continuously accelerate.

"I've heard of it before, but for it to be this fast…."

"Seeing it on camera and seeing it like this is completely different right?"

"Yeah, I can't catch up to it…. The reason you talked to me when the match already started was for the steps right? You accumulated the initial speed with those hops."

"Bingo! The weakness of this power is the initial speed, you see. But with those preparations, I could bright up my speed to five hundred kilometers per hour instantly. But five hundred is just the beginning. My Mach Grid shows its real powers after crossing the sound barrier!"

Exactly as stated, she continued to speed to the right, using the walls surrounding the ring. Exploiting the ability to ignore the laws that bind this world, she continued to accelerate. 800, 900, 1000, 1100, ―1200! She finally passed the speed of sound, and arrived at the domain of supersonic speed.

Her speed had long passed the level where the human eye could follow it.

"Do you get it? My ability isn't something that lets me disappear like the Hunter. I become both invisible and impossible to catch! Kurogane-kun who was having trouble against such an enemy can't possibly win against me!"

"Then if I can catch Tomaru-san, will you admit defeat?"

"Haha…! Well that's if you can do it! But you can't! There's no way you can! It's unfortunate, but Kurogane-kun's Festival journey will end here! Let's go, with this supersonic speed attack…!"

By the time Ikki could no longer even grasp the after-images… Tomaru came forward with victory in mind while putting power into her fists. Moving to Ikki's blind spot, she released a strike filled with the highest amount of energy…!

"Black Bird!"

While creating a sonic boom, Tomaru aimed her fist at Ikki's back and let loose a supersonic strike.

In speed, it really surpassed Mach 2. It was truly a one shot kill strike that far surpassed the level where it could be seen with one's eyes. Forget about blocking, it was no longer possible to evade, or even react in time.

Tomaru had no doubt about her victory. However―

"That girl's an idiot."

A small-built silver-haired girl stood there, sighing as if making fun of someone.

This adorable girl who reminded you of a bisque doll was Kurogane Shizuku. A B-Rank knight who was called "LorelieWitch of the Deep Sea" because of her peculiar method of winning, by drowning her opponents. She was Kurogane Ikki's younger sister.

"The reason Onii-sama had a hard time with that person wasn't because he couldn't see him."

But of course, her words didn't reach Tomaru currently reflected on her pupils. It didn't reach, but Tomaru immediately understood the meaning.

Eh?

Tomaru sensed something on her field of vision that couldn't possibly be there. A gaze. In the thin juncture of time, she felt something that stuck her gaze. It was the gaze of Ikki's eyes, which had caught her movements even though she was in supersonic speed!

N-No way!? He reacted!?

The next moment, Ikki's figure vanished from in front of the fist Tomaru struck out. The supersonic punch hit the air, and their figures intersected. With them passing by each other, Ikki grabbed the scuff of Tomaru's windbreaker and by using her supersonic propulsion, he rotated her with one full swing―

And with that momentum, he slammed Tomaru on the stone surface of the ring.

"Kuh-ugh―"

And a black tip was pointed towards Tomaru, who lost her breath after that impact on her back.

"It's my win."

"…."

Tomaru, who had collapsed, could not understand what had just happened. She could not understand how she was caught.

But she understood that she had lost. If Tomaru's Mach Grid was stopped, its propulsion speed would be completely reset. She has to be constantly on the move. She could not bring up her speed from scratch again. The person before her would not allow it.

That's why…Tomaru nodded lightly, and surrendered.

"I-It's oveeeer! It's over too easily! contender Ikki won it by easily bringing down Runner's High, the third rank of Hagun Academy! It's his ninth victory! Finally the historic moment when someone lower than E-Rank passing the selection for the festival is near!"

"Hey hey, seriously!?"

"For that Tomaru to not even be able to touch him…."

"What the heck is with that F-Rank? Why the heck did that monster repeat a grade!?"

"C-Cool!"

"As expected of Ikki. A match without even a shred of danger."

Among the spectators who were shouting and cheering, one slender man, Arisuin Nagi stood next to Shizuku and clapped for Ikki who was standing in the light.

"In the end, he didn't use Ittou Shura."

"The result was obvious. The reason why Onii-sama had a hard time against that Hunter had nothing to do with whether or not he could see him. It was because he had a long ranged bow in addition to his perfect stealth. It doesn't matter how fast she is, or if he can't see her. There's no way she will be unharmed after stepping into the field of Onii-sama's unique swordsmanship."

For someone of Ikki's level of skill, it was already a close ranged barrier of sword strikes. If there was something close by, a samurai's sharpened sixth sense will definitely react to it, no matter if it is visible or invisible, fast or slow. Failing to read that was the reason why Tomaru lost.

"Good job, Ikki."

Ikki, who was leaving the arena saw a vividly red-haired girl standing next to the blue gate as she welcomed him back.

"My right hand only feels a bit disjointed; I didn't fight so hard that I would feel tired. Stella, do your best too."

"There's no need to try my best though."

After replying with a voice filled with confidence, the girl entered the arena.

"Folks, with the lingering feelings of excitement remaining from before, it's time to start today's eighth selection match! Entering the arena with her blazing red hair swaying is Hagun academy's only A-Rank knight! The 'Crimson Princess', contender Stella Vermillion! Like her roommate the Failure Knight, she also has eight wins with no losses! All of those matches ended with her opponents withdrawing! The sensational supernova who won through with just her pressure, going through all the matches without any decent battles. Buuut! Today her opponent is the Hanaiki Baffalo―!"