ASCC-Chapter 55 Win at All Costs

Kurogane Ikki lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought. His expression was so focused that he didn't even hear Ryoji's voice.

"Hey."

It wasn't until the voice came from beside him that Kurogane Ikki snapped out of his thoughts, noticing Ryoji standing just a foot in front of him.

"Your senses are unusually dull today; that's not like you!" Ryoji remarked, surprised by the startled look on Kurogane Ikki's face.

Kurogane Ikki was a swordsman and a very skilled one at that. His senses were typically extremely sharp. Unless he was fully immersed in thought, it was impossible for him to show such a shocked expression at a simple greeting.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something and got a little too absorbed," Kurogane Ikki said with a wry smile, his expression apologetic. "What did you just say? I didn't catch it."

"I asked why Stella didn't come today."

"Oh, I woke up early and finished my run already. I didn't wake her up," Kurogane Ikki replied, patting his cheek as if trying to focus his wandering attention. His black t-shirt was visibly soaked with sweat, indicating that he had gone through quite an intense workout, considering his physical condition.

"Hm… what's bothering you?" Ryoji pondered for a moment before asking uncertainly.

"Why do you say that?"

"I can still tell when you're distracted. I'm a swordsman too," Ryoji said sincerely.

The level of concentration or distraction is often clearly reflected on a person's face. The most convincing evidence is that teachers can always tell when you're daydreaming in class.

"…It's that obvious?" Kurogane Ikki blinked, clearly taken aback, then smiled helplessly.

"You're right. I do have something on my mind. It's about today's match… But it's fine; I'm sure I can win."

It dawned on Ryoji that Kurogane Ikki's first-round match was this afternoon.

"Feeling a lot of pressure?" Ryoji asked, finally realizing.

"Pretending I'm not under pressure would be a lie," Kurogane Ikki thought for a moment, his expression growing more complex.

"After all, my opponent's abilities are really good at countering mine. I'm expecting a tough battle, but it's alright. I've figured out a strategy to deal with them."

For Kurogane Ikki, this was a fight he absolutely could not lose.

Shinguuji Kurono had promised him that if he became the Seven Stars Sword King, he would be allowed to graduate from Hagun Academy. This was an opportunity he had waited for a long time, and no matter what, he would hold on to it with his life.

He harbored immense ambition, but sometimes, ambition becomes a heavy burden.

In the first battle of the selection, he encountered an overwhelmingly disadvantageous opponent. Their special ability heavily countered his, making him feel uneasy.

The ideal he carried in his heart had now become an enormous weight pressing down on his shoulders.

He must have been thinking so intensely about a strategy to overcome his opponent that he was oblivious to the sound of footsteps, probably absorbed in finding a way to counter the enemy.

According to him, he had already discovered a weakness in his opponent's abilities and found a way to deal with them.

"I see… Then let's both do our best," Ryoji said, knowing Kurogane Ikki was a person with strong willpower. He didn't say much else, just offering his encouragement.

"Do our best?"

"Yeah, didn't you know? My opponent tomorrow has a compatibility that's just as bad as yours," Ryoji said, spreading his hands helplessly, his expression full of concern. "And unlike you, I still haven't figured out a way to counter them."

Totokubara Kanata. She was Ryoji's first opponent.

Ryoji had asked a senior about Kanata's abilities, and upon hearing the details, he was shocked. He immediately felt a massive amount of pressure.

According to the Hagun Academy rankings at the end of last year, Kanata, the rich heiress, was ranked second, only behind Touka. The two of them were the only B-Rank knights in Hagun Academy before this year.

Not only that, but both had also participated in "special enlistment," facing off against terrorists multiple times, gaining experiences that made them far beyond the typical level of other Student Knights.

What was most important, however, was her special ability.

Her special ability was highly effective against a simple close combat swordsman like him, and it was nearly impossible to defend against. Even now, he couldn't think of an effective strategy to counter it.

"So it's Totokubara Senpai, huh? Yeah, if I were to face her, I'd definitely be troubled as well… Against someone like that, I think the only way to win would be to go for a fast attack from the start, right?" Kurogane Ikki said to himself, his voice uncertain.

"That's what I think too, but my instincts tell me it might not be that simple," Ryoji replied, shaking his head.

His instincts were incredibly strong, allowing him to give absolutely correct instructions during battles. It was almost like he could predict the future, akin to the ahoge king from the neighboring TYPE-MOON world.

His intuition told him that relying on a fast attack to defeat Totokubara Kanata was unlikely to work.

"Well, I guess all we can do is give it our best," Kurogane Ikki said with a helpless smile upon hearing this.

He looked at Ryoji with a sense of mutual understanding.

After their conversation, the two went their separate ways.

Kurogane Ikki packed his bag and walked toward the dorm.

Ryoji, on the other hand, began his morning jog alone.

The legal loli preferred to sleep in and couldn't join him for early morning training, so he couldn't borrow Jibakujin. Since he woke up early and couldn't stay idle, Ryoji came out for a run to avoid wasting time.

With each step, his body gradually became drenched in sweat. His lungs were expanding and contracting heavily, and his brain began to feel the lack of oxygen, rapidly approaching its limit.

His cells and bones screamed for rest, an aching pain spreading throughout his body, as if it might give out at any moment. But Ryoji ignored it, relentlessly pushing himself to squeeze out the last bit of energy.

And then that energy surged again, bit by bit, as though there was no limit.

'How can I win?'

His mind turned to mush, yet subconsciously, that thought emerged.

Some say that the first thought that comes to mind when someone is not consciously thinking is what they care about most.

Although he appeared calm in front of Kurogane Ikki, Ryoji's heart was far from that peaceful.

He truly didn't care about the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, but he absolutely hated losing.

Every time he lost to someone, the feeling of weakness reminded him of his childhood— lying in a hospital bed, frail, poor, powerless. A deep unwillingness surged in his chest.

I must win!

I absolutely cannot lose! I must win by any means necessary!

In a dazed state, with that determination emerging within him, his vision began to clear. His legs felt like they had regained their strength, and his once-weak steps now powerfully struck the earth again.

Physical training, after all, was about constantly surpassing one's own limits.

(End of this chapter)

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