Chapter 165: Stella Vermilion vs Touka Toudou

Three hours later.

Kurono had received everything she wanted from the trade.

Now both Shizue and Kurono were resting on the sofa, exhausted.

The trade was complete.

At the same time, the climactic moment of the school tournament had arrived.

[Stella Vermillion VS Touka Toudou!]

The tension between the two competitors was palpable. Each regarded the other as their strongest rival—and for good reason.

From the very beginning, the match was a spectacle of ferocity and precision, with every move sharp and decisive. This was a true battle of elites.

Both fighters remained serious as they exchanged blows.

Touka Toudou quickly recognized how troublesome Stella's flames were, while Stella became painfully aware of her own weaknesses compared to Touka's capabilities outside of fire manipulation.

Unlike Ikki Kurogane, who relied purely on swordsmanship, Touka Toudou's Narukami technique used electromagnetic force to launch her blade explosively from its sheath, creating an ultra-electromagnetic iai strike.

Her abilities seamlessly combined swordsmanship and electromagnetism, making her techniques devastatingly powerful.

Stella's relatively weaker sword skills were easily seen through. After cutting through one of Stella's fiery explosions, Touka managed to close the distance between them.

"Damn it!"

For the first time, Stella regretted relying so heavily on her mastery of flames.

"There's no other way…"

Having boasted to Rei Ao earlier, Stella was determined not to lose.

She decided to unleash her trump card: "True Crimson Dragon God Possession!"

"Roar!!!"

A dragon's roar echoed through the arena.

The protective barrier around the duel shattered under the sheer force of the roar.

Boom!

An intense crimson aura ignited around Stella, its mere presence causing anyone who looked at it to feel as if their very soul was burning.

"What is this?!"

Touka Toudou's eyes widened in shock as she instinctively leapt back.

"Oh?"

Rei Ao, observing from the special viewing area, felt the familiar energy and smirked knowingly.

"Looks like I'll have to give Stella a little surprise."

Closing his eyes, a sly grin spread across his face.

"This power… it's so strong. He's so strong…"

As the seemingly infinite energy of Rei Ao's True Crimson Dragon God flowed through her, Stella began to understand the magnitude of her transformation—and just how powerful Rei Ao truly was.

Parts of her body were now covered in crimson dragon scales. Horns sprouted from her head, and a pair of blazing red dragon wings unfurled from her back, lifting her into the air.

Her eyes glowed with a dual red hue, radiating an otherworldly light.

"Ah, are you expressing your admiration for me?"

'Stella' suddenly spoke, her voice laced with a strange arrogance.

"Huh?"

Stella froze. She hadn't intended to say anything.

Even stranger, her left hand moved on its own, waving at the air in front of her—as if greeting someone.

At that moment, Stella realized something horrifying: her left side, including her crimson eye, wasn't under her control.

Someone else was using her body to speak!

"Who's there?!" she shouted in panic.

Across the arena, Touka Toudou, who had been bracing herself for Stella's next move, noticed something odd.

Stella seemed to be… talking to herself?

"Who else? You're using my power right now, so letting me borrow your body isn't too much to ask, is it?"

"What?!"

The realization struck Stella.

It was Rei Ao!

Flustered, she stammered, "Y-you-you! Get out right now!"

"Why the fuss? It's just possession. No need to make such a big deal out of it."

Rei Ao's tone was calm, almost amused.

"You wanted to fight, didn't you? Go ahead and continue."

With that, he relinquished control, leaving Stella to regain full command of her body.

Though she could move again, Stella's face turned bright red.

Having someone else's presence lingering within her made her feel profoundly awkward.

She couldn't shake the unsettling sensation of sharing her body with another person.

"Are you… okay?"

Touka Toudou hesitated before asking. She didn't take advantage of Stella's strange behavior to press her attack.

"Huff…"

Understanding that she needed to focus on the duel, Stella forced herself to suppress the overwhelming shame she felt, as if Rei Ao had stolen control of her entire body.

Gripping the Lævateinn, her expression hardened.

"I'm fine. Let's end this battle here. I will defeat you!"

The crimson flames spiraled and coiled around her sword.

"Apologies, but I won't go down easily either," Touka Toudou replied.

Even as the sight of the flames caused a searing pain in her soul, she refused to admit defeat. Knowing she needed greater strength to match Stella, Touka made her resolve clear.

She removed her glasses, her gaze steely.

"I'll now use my unfinished Blade Art. Be ready."

Crackle!

Electricity buzzed and hissed as Touka lowered her stance.

Golden electromagnetic energy surged around her, flashing like lightning before condensing into her blade.

The energy built up, and the tension in the arena became palpable. Everyone held their breath, knowing the decisive moment was upon them.

When both fighters reached the peak of their intensity, they struck in a flash.

"Takemikazuchi!"

Touka's eyes gleamed as she charged forward, her entire body enveloped in golden lightning, streaking across the battlefield like a thunderbolt.

"Katharterio Salamandra!"

"Roar!!!"

Stella's sword unleashed a crimson inferno, the flames erupting like a dragon's breath.

From the audience's perspective, all they saw was a red and gold collision as the two forces clashed.

Boom!!!

The ground quaked violently. The fiery explosion spread outward, its devastating force capable of consuming the entire Hagun Academy.

Stella's eyes glowed fully crimson.

Rei Ao temporarily took control of her body, shaking his head with a sigh.

"It's just a small match. Was this level of destruction necessary?"

He raised his hand, and the flames racing toward the audience suddenly froze in place.

The spectators in the front rows were so terrified they almost fainted, thinking their lives were over.

Rei Ao stepped forward, approaching the center of the flames.

In the midst of the devastation, Touka Toudou lay collapsed on the ground. Her clothing was scorched, her body bearing severe burns, but her gaze remained steady as she weakly stared at Stella.

The unfamiliar aura in Stella's eyes caught Touka's attention.

"Who… are you?"

Rei Ao smiled faintly.

"You'll find out soon enough."

He lightly tapped his finger, and Touka's injuries rapidly healed. A glowing feathered cloak formed over her body, covering her modestly.

Rei Ao then withdrew all the flames from the arena, revealing both fighters unharmed to the astonished audience.

Kurono Shinguuji, now fully dressed, appeared. As the academy's director, it was her duty to officiate at this moment—even if her stockings were in tatters underneath her skirt.

She raised her voice and announced:

"The winner of this duel is Stella Vermillion, officially the strongest at Hagun Academy!"

"Oooohhh!!!"

The arena erupted into the loudest cheers yet.

"Uh…"

Stella, who had just regained control of her body, stood there dazed.

Rei Ao's voice echoed in her mind.

"You need to learn to control your power. That outburst just now could've destroyed all of Hagun Academy."

Stella's expression shifted to one of alarm and regret. Rei Ao's power was so overwhelming that she couldn't fully control it. Without his intervention, she might have caused a catastrophe.

"Congratulations, you've won."

Touka Toudou, now cloaked in the feathered garment, stood up and looked at Stella.

But her gaze was sharp as she asked, "Who was that person just now?"

Stella hesitated for a moment before replying:

"His name is Rei Ao."

[Ding! You have unlocked a sub-group of the Trading Chat Group. Welcome to this world's group chat!]

Touka Toudou's eyes narrowed as she scanned the newly appeared chat interface.

There, she found a user named "Rei Ao."

She cast Stella a deep, meaningful look before turning and walking away.