Chapter 163: Stella's Anger, Stella Won!

On the glass platform, Shizue Izawa and Kurono Shinguuji sat watching the match, with Rei Ao positioned right behind Shizue.

All three maintained an outwardly serious demeanor, their focus seemingly on the duel below.

Meanwhile, the chat group was in complete chaos.

Frieren: "Rei Ao, your desires truly know no bounds. You're watching a match, but you're also…"

Rei Ao: "You don't understand. This is a battle."

Rei Ao: "Fighting and spectating at the same time—isn't it thrilling?"

Rei Ao: "If you don't believe me, ask Shizue."

Shizue Izawa: "Ah! S-strange… it's such a strange experience."

Mai Sakurajima: "I… I give up. I don't even want to comment anymore. This guy is just a shameless pervert."

Tohru: "Ughhh, how unfair! If I'd known, I would've asked to join the travel too!"

Tohru: "I just learned a new position I wanted to try out. I bet Rei Ao would love it."

Rei Ao: "Oh? Well, we'll save that for later. I'll be looking forward to it."

Tohru: "Deal!"

Rei Ao: "By the way, Mai, did you learn it too?"

Tohru: "She was very eager to practice, you know~"

Mai Sakurajima: "Shut up, Tohru!"

Tohru: "Hehe."

Megumi Kato: "Hmm, this feels oddly normal now."

Megumi Kato: "But Shizue wasn't even Rei Ao's girlfriend not too long ago, right?"

Rei Ao: "She confessed to me just recently, so I accepted. Simple as that."

Akame: "Not surprising."

Frieren: "Yeah, it's Rei Ao. Nothing surprising about that."

Frieren: "But Shizue looks like she's in pain. Were you too rough with her?"

Rei Ao: "First, I'm not violent. Second, being 'rough' is just an unchangeable characteristic."

Shizue Izawa: "Ah!"

Shizue's face flushed so deeply it seemed like blood might spill.

Her heated body pressed tightly against the cool glass, and the knowledge that this was all being live streamed only deepened her overwhelming shame.

The livestream wasn't limited to just the main chatroom.

In Rei Ao's world's chat group:

Yui Yuigahama: "Um… is Rei Ao-kun always like this?"

Yui no longer knew how to describe her feelings. She had heard stories about Rei Ao before, but now, witnessing his interactions with Shizue and Kurono firsthand, her heart felt like it couldn't take it.

Yukino Yukinoshita: "At least since I joined the group, yes, this has been the norm."

Yumiko Miura: "Ugh, he's always been like this. Yui, now that you've seen the truth, you should steer clear of him if you can't handle it."

Yui Yuigahama: "Eh?!"

Yui felt like her best friend's advice wasn't out of concern for her but rather an attempt to push her away from Rei Ao.

Yui Yuigahama: "Yumiko, are you planning to leave him?"

Yumiko Miura: "Of course not! I… I'll make sure to rein him in! Yes, I'll stop him from bullying other girls!"

She said this with righteous conviction.

Sonoko Machida: "Hmm… Yumiko sounds like she just wants to keep him all to herself."

Kobayashi: "Ah, this chat group is so chaotic."

Little Saint: "Hehe, Mommy should hurry and join the family too! Then I can call Rei Ao my daddy without hesitation."

Hiromi Kato: "I don't even know where to begin critiquing this…"

Hiromi felt utterly drained.

Her younger sister's boyfriend was far too bold, and it was almost too much to bear!

"This kind of double act? I haven't even seen it in movies!"

A coworker in Hiromi's office noticed her flushed face and asked with concern:

"Hiromi, are you feeling unwell? Your face is so red."

Hiromi forced a strained smile and waved it off.

"No, no, it's just a bit warm in here. Haha… ha…"

Kasumigaoka Utaha: "…"

The relationships between the people in the chat group seemed so complicated.

Meanwhile, in the art club, Eriri involuntarily squeezed her legs together, her breathing quickening.

What had she seen?

It was a scene strikingly similar to the poses in her doujin illustrations!

For a moment, she didn't even feel embarrassed. Instead, her mind raced with realization.

"So… so that's how it is…"

She finally understood why some poses were hard to draw. The flow of the muscle lines—this was how they moved!

"Huh?!"

In the arena, Stella suddenly hesitated mid-action.

Ikki Kurogane, who had been under relentless pressure, keenly seized the opening and unleashed a secret sword technique.

"!!!"

Stella's pupils shrank as she hastily raised her sword to block, but the sheer force sent her flying.

Though she managed to stabilize herself, her gaze, flushed red with embarrassment and fury, locked onto the darkened glass of the special observation deck.

"How dare you—how dare you do such a thing during my match!!"

Watching the livestream, Stella was incensed. Her anger and shame boiled over.

Naturally, her opponent, Ikki Kurogane, bore the brunt of this fury.

"You bastard!!!"

She screamed—not at Ikki, but at Rei Ao.

Simultaneously, a massive burst of flame erupted into the air, forming a scorching dragon that roared across the arena without hesitation, charging straight at Ikki.

"Guh?! She's taking it this far?!"

Ikki was dumbfounded.

This was an indiscriminate attack that engulfed the entire arena. The magical barrier protecting the audience automatically activated to shield them.

"Roar!!!"

The flame dragon bellowed.

In the next instant—

"Boom!!!"

The arena shook violently as blinding flames consumed the battlefield. The interior of the barrier was filled with searing heat and light.

When the flames finally subsided, the audience was greeted by the sight of a scorched battlefield.

Stella stood proudly amidst the devastation.

Ikki Kurogane, though alive, was in a pitiful state. His body heaved with labored breaths as he leaned on his sword, its blade scraping the ground to support him.

"Surrender," Stella said, her eyes narrowing.

Ikki struggled to rise. He didn't want to admit defeat.

But Stella, impatient, added:

"You might still have some tricks up your sleeve, but so do I. And let me remind you, this isn't the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival—there's no need to expose everything here."

Ikki froze.

She was right. This was merely an intra-school match, not the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival to determine the Seven Stars Sword King.

All he needed to do was secure his qualification for the festival.

After a moment of thought, Ikki let out a bitter laugh.

"I concede."

[Congratulations to Stella Vermillion for winning this duel!]

"Oooohhh!!!"

The arena erupted into cheers.

"The Crimson Princess!"

The crowd shouted Stella's title in celebration.

Even so, Ikki's performance had left an impression. Many spectators began to see him in a new light.

After all, for an F-rank Blazer to hold his ground against an A-rank for so long—it was no small feat.