Chapter - 17

「This match has become one-sided since that one irrecoverable spear-butt thrust! Kurogane has slowed down significantly—the number of times that he has been unable to dodge Moroboshi's spear have increased! It's a terrible situation—flowering wounds stain him crimson all over in this ring. The referees may even have to call for a stop!」

Outside the Bay Dome, the usually deserted streets were filled with people watching the broadcast on their mobile devices. The Worst One was at a disadvantage, that much was plain to the average person. Those around all seemed to agree.

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Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan Volume 5 Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Showdown - Seven Stars Sword King vs Crownless Sword King[]

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Part 1[]

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「This is already over.」

「Yeah, the Worst One was moving pretty well at first, but he's totally slowed down since. It feels like it's taking all he has just to evade.」

「As expected, Moroboshi is really strong.」

「'Course he is! Moroboshi's the Seven Stars Sword King, y'know? He ain't gonna lose to no F-rank!」

But amidst all this, a single voice made its maverick view heard.

"No. Ikki will win."

"Eh?"

All of them turned to follow the direction of that female voice.

There was no one there—but if one looked closely, one could see a head of flaming red hair dancing in the wind as it disappeared into the Dome.

「Eh, wait… that was… could it be…?」

At that moment, in Hagun Academy….

「Oh dear! Kurogane has finally taken a direct hit from the spear! And it's on his thigh to boot!」

「That's not good. Like this, the Worst One's speed will only keep decreasing. It might be better for the referees to call a halt.」

"This is odd…."

As they watched Ikki be one-sidedly pushed into a corner on the television broadcast, Touka suddenly expressed this doubt.

"Yes, it is. Why would Kurogane's movements suddenly become this poor?"

"…Well, while I am concerned about that too, there's something even stranger going on with Moroboshi-kun."

"Eh? What would that be?"

"By my count, this would be three. Three times now, Moroboshi has had the chance to finish Kurogane-kun, but he hasn't finished this match yet."

"Could he be playing around with him?"

"I don't think he's that sort. But that's exactly why it's incomprehensible."

Glancing at Moroboshi's expression through the broadcast, Touka could not help but think that he looked as though he was afraid of something.

What is he seeing, I wonder?

As though to address Touka's doubts, something big happened. Ikki, who had been fleeing about, fell down.

Part 3[]

"A-gh!"

「Whoa! Having fled from Moroboshi's attacks up till now, Kurogane has lost his footing on the floor he has stained with his own blood and has fallen down! This is a great chance for Moroboshi! Will he end this here!?」

Ikki scrambled to his feet, "shit!" written all over his face.

But it was pointless. In a battle between knights at this level, such a mistake could not be reversed. The match was decided. Or it should have been, but—

「Oh? Somehow, Moroboshi isn't attacking! Does he not intend to strike an opponent while he's down?」

Taking his actions as fair play befitting the Seven Stars Sword King, the audience burst into plaudits.

「Great stuff, Moroboshi! That's Japan's strongest warrior fer ya!」

「But y'can stop playin' around now. It hurts jus' to watch!」

「Go get 'im, Moroboshi-kun—!」

But contrary to the excitement of his fans, Moroboshi himself was beading cold sweat.

This is… the fifth time.

Five times he had had a clear chance to finish the match, but he had let them all slip away before his very eyes—and he himself knew not the reason why.

What's this feeling… it's weird….

The more he attacked, the more he pursued, the more the pressure exuded by this half-dead knight before him increased. This was the reason for his hesitation: the premonition that if he took a step further, he would be trampling the tail of a beast far more frightening than a tiger.

"…Tch!"

But he could not keep avoiding the issue like this.

You coward! Look your opponent in the eye!

Despite being bloodied all over and suffering in the grip of some unknown affliction, the light in Worst One Ikki Kurogane's eyes had not dimmed, his desire to fight undiminished. Ikki had not yet given up on this battle. How could he, who was winning, wish to stop!?

How could you let Koume see you like this!?

Such actions did not befit the Seven Stars Sword King, or an older brother. Pride and dignity drove him. Lowering his stance more deeply than he had all match—

"I'm coming! Kurogane—!"

With a shattering cry, he advanced towards Ikki, preparing to the end the battle.

Part 4[]

As he sprinted forward, faster than he had up till now, Moroboshi activated Sanrensei. His targets were the forehead, throat and abdomen—all fatal strikes. He definitely intended to end this in one move. With this body that would not move as he wanted and his wounded leg, Ikki knew for certain that he could not evade this Sanrensei. He gritted his teeth bitterly.

「I will return that favor in full tomorrow.」

That had been their promise, but he was unable to fulfill it. He had wanted to be able to give his all against an opponent of this caliber, and yet he could not see it through. What a pity—but that was why he refused to throw in the towel to the end. That was the least he could do.

That's why I can't use Ittou Shura here.

To use his limited-time-only ace while still under the effect of this unknown affliction was tantamount to despairing. It was to nip the buds of victory—pointless. Until the moment when his consciousness vanished, he would not give up on winning, no matter how unsightly he might look. Having set his heart to this, he raised his sword, preparing to meet Moroboshi's assault. Covered in wounds, he took his stand against certain defeat.

At that moment, a memory surfaced.

Now that I say it… I had this feeling then, too.

It was a memory of his duel with Edelweiss on the Akatsuki Academy's school grounds. A memory he had been unable to recall well, blinded, dazed and desperate as he had been then. His torn-up state brought him back to that time, suddenly making those memories clearer again.

What did I do then?

To his surprise, the memory came to mind with ease. Facing the incoming strongest knight in the world, he had—

—Ah, that's right. I attempted to use Edelweiss's swordsmanship.

Edelweiss's blade had been so swift that his eyes had failed to even catch its afterimages, but he had just barely been able to read her strokes from her body's movements.

He remembered. No human eye could perceive her overwhelming speed—and the secret to that was that she did not accelerate. Usually, when a blade was swung, it would start out slow. One needed to accelerate the movement in order for it to reach maximum speed. But there was no such thing in any of Edelweiss's movements. The moment she made to step forward, she was already at top speed. As she began to slash, she was already at her maximum. An extreme stop-and-go, racing from zero to a hundred in a flash. But this technique was extremely strong. The extremities of its swiftness and slowness made the blade strokes seem many times faster than they were. It was also incredibly hard to keep an eye on the blade itself, since it had no slow initial speed.

Ikki had seen through that much in their battle. Thus, he had attempted Blade Steal in those final moments. He had not been certain if it would work. But he had done it anyway, if only because that was the strongest swordsmanship known to him at that time.

What he had to do now was the same. Even if he might not manage it in his current state, this was surely the best he knew.

So, at the very least—

As Ikki thought thus, the feelings he had in his battle with Edelweiss returning to him, he gave instructions to his rebelling body.

The world's strongest swordsmanship. It was done like—

"This."

In that instant, his body became light as a feather. Like a rushing wind he weaved through the gaps between Sanrensei's spear strokes—and as he passed he cleaved deeply into Moroboshi's abdomen.

That crossing of swords happened in an instant, a flash. Without even being able to raise so much as a cry of pain, Moroboshi sank to the floor amid a mist of crimson blood.

"Eh…."

It took not a few moments for Ikki to realize that this had all been done by his hand, even as cries filled the stadium at this sudden reversal.

「Whaaaaattttt!?」

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