[Chapter - 12: Clash Between Two Dragons Part 2]
It was ten days ago.
Stella, who had decided to train herself after losing to Ouma, volunteered to take the special training from Yaksha Princess, Nene Saikyou, who was a temporary lecturer in Hagun Academy, using Kurono Shinguuji's connection.
Saikyou acknowledged her, and the two went to the training camp in Okutama that Hagun Academy owned to begin their special training.
The training with a strong opponent such as the third in the world was meaningful to Stella.
However, just however...
「There is something decisively lacking in Stella-chan's sword.」
The first day of special training. Saikyou pointed out an issue.
Something she lacked. What could it be?
Honestly speaking, she couldn't see it.
It might be conceited for Stella to say it herself, but she was confident in being a balanced Blazer.
There should not be any significant flaws.
On the other hand, she felt that Saikyou's point was a very important matter in her heart.
That's why it was even more weird.
Just like a bone stuck in the throat, Saikyou's point reverberated in Stella's head.
However, time flew by as if mocking the feeling of the impatient Stella, as she could not see the answer. Finally reaching the day before the opening of Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival...
"Now then. Tomorrow is the start of Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, how about it? Did you realize what your sword is lacking?"
In the morning, Stella appealed to Saikyou, who had reached the field in the forest used as a training ground.
"Nene-sensei...! Please! Please at least give me a hint of what I am lacking...!"
However, towards that appeal, Saikyou replied with the same answer as before.
"No."
"Why!?"
"If I taught you, it would have the reverse effect if you don't handle it well. Especially in Stella-chan's case, at that."
A reverse effect in her case?
What did that mean?
It would be different if it was not her? Stella was confused.
"I totally don't get what you're trying to say..."
Towards that lost child-like expression of Stella...
"Is that so? In that case, it can't be helped."
Saikyou sighed...
"Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion's Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival ends here."
And swung her iron fan Device, Beniiro Ageha, in a horizontal line.
In an instant, a shallow cut was on Stella's cheek, and blood drops spewed into air.
"...Ha?"
Stella was stunned for a moment due to the sudden enmity.
The fact that blood flowed meant that she was not holding back.
However, that was...
"W-What is it, tomorrow is the Festival, so as expected, today is...!?"
Stella raised a voice of protest, but she did not finish what she wanted to say.
Because she saw the expression of Saikyou standing before her.
'What's with that face...!'
What was reflected in her pupils was a bloodlust that she had never seen before during their special training.
'She's...serious...!'
"Kuh!"
She did such a thing at such a time, when the next day the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival would start.
Stella could not understand what she was thinking doing that, but she knew just one thing.
She instinctively understood that the current situation was really bad.
Hence, Stella exploded her magic power beneath her feet, and took a large jump backwards.
She took distance from Saikyou. ─However...
"I won't let you es-cape."
"UAAA!?"
Saikyou faced her palm upwards, and curved her index finger.
Right after that, Stella's body was pulled towards Saikyou in the middle of jumping backwards by an invisible force.
Nene Saikyou's ability. The attraction force from Gravity Manipulation.
She did not intend to let Stella go.
She was really serious.
Then she did not have the luxury of feeling confusion or hesitation.
Stella also changed her Device from Illusionary Form to real blade.
And she gathered a few strings of flame onto that blade...
"Katharterio Salamandra...!"
The heated blade that turned into light flashed as it was swung down towards Saikyou who had pulled her in.
The blade of light was racing on the track of a diagonal slash at Saikyou without an err...
...However, it was at the moment when it was around thirty centimeters from Saikyou's skin.
Suddenly, the slash's movement curved and went off the way.
"Nah!?"
What exactly happened?
Stella's head was full of question, but she didn't have the free time to think.
That's because Saikyou, who had drawn her in, swung her iron fan.
"Kokutou Yatagarasu."
Accompanied by a crimson iron fan that tore through the wind, was a black blade of super gravity that pushed away even light.
Stella could not evade it after her posture crumbled from missing her strike.
She couldn't evade it, but ─ reversing her blade to shield herself was a miraculous technique possible due to Stella's high physical ability.
However ─ it could do only so much.
"Kokushichou."
Against Stella, who had received her right hand's iron fan, Saikyou opened the iron fan in her left hand and swung as if fanning wind at her.
Soon, black gravitational energy formed shapes of butterflies, fluttering their wings and flying towards Stella's flank...
"…!?!?"
Immediately after that, Stella was assaulted by a super massive impact, as if a large truck had just rammed into her, blowing away her body.
Stella's body slid past the ground, thrusted into the forest behind her back, knocking down trees along the way, until a huge cliff raised from the ground.
"Ka...ha...!"
Stella's body was about to collapse onto the ground while blood flowed out as she opened her mouth wide.
However, Stella thrusted her sword into the ground to act as a support, and asked the woman in crimson kimono she could see on the other side of the collapsed trees.
"Gu-uuu...! What...are you trying to do!? Why are you...!"
In response, Saikyou answered.
"Nothing in particular. Stella-chan is doing special training for the sake of winning against Ouma-chan and getting a rematch with Kuro-bou, right? But... if you can't see what your sword is lacking even now, that dream is as good as dead. There's no meaning in participating. Rather, if you went all out against Ouma-chan who is the same A-Rank as you, you might die if you're unlucky. Cause a battle between A-Ranks is just that kind of dangerous thing... So consider stopping you a form of love from me, as a teacher being responsible despite our short time together, alright? You can go ahead and sleep in a bed for a day or two. Everything will be over by the time you wake up."
As Saikyou told her such, she activated Jibakujin.
The gravity of the surrounding space increased, applying ten times the normal gravity on Stella's body.
She would not be able to escape easily with that, but...
"T-Thisssss! Stop jooooking!"
That would work at best against a normal Blazer.
Stella pulled out her sword from the ground while bearing the heavy pressure, and stood with her two feet...
"Dragon Faaang!!!!"
The hot flame wrapping around the sword shot out towards Saikyou with the intensity of the swing.
The flame dragons that flew out numbered ten.
They twisted their bodies between the gaps in trees as they assaulted Saikyou to devour her.
However, as they closed in on her, the flame dragons started to show abnormalities.
As if they were escaping from Saikyou, they started to wriggle away in the wrong direction.
'W-Why!? I totally cannot control them...!'
She ordered the flame dragons a few times, but the result was the same even if she changed their tracks.
Not a single one could get close to Saikyou.
She had obstructed the homing ability with some kind of method.
...Wrong. Saikyou's ability was not something that could do that kind of job.
Then as Stella was thinking what could have caused it, she immediately understood the reason.
'I see...! Using super gravity, she twisted the space itself around her and made it like a maze...!'
However, there was nothing she could do even though she understood...
"Know when to quit."
"Ga...fu...!"
As Saikyou strengthened the pressure of Jibakujin, Stella was finally pressed down to the ground.
Her bones were making creaking sounds and her body was being buried into the ground.
Even if she wanted to stand up, she could not even lift her upper body.
'Too...strong...'
However, that was only natural.
Her opponent was the third place in the K.O.K. A-Rank League.
Because she was the third strongest knight within the nations of the League.
Although both were A-Rank Blazers, her opponent was too much for Stella, who was still a student.
If such an opponent was seriously trying to crush her, she had no way of resisting.
...If she remained like that, it would really be the end.
The Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival. The important promise with Ikki.
Anything and everything would be lost.
That mortification was too much for her, causing tears to gather.
'I'm sorry... Ikki... I...'
However, just as Stella was about to apologize to Ikki in her heart, in that instant.
Ba-thump.
She felt her own heartbeat increasing throughout her entire body.
'Eh...?'
Stella's weak heart, that was about to give up, slowly started beating stronger on the contrary.
It was beating crazily and calling out to Stella.
'What a stupid girl, trying to selfishly give up. I, will not lose to anyone', as if it was saying that.
'Aah, speaking of which... in the past, something similar happened as well.'
That voice calling out from her body made Stella remember her past self.
It was the time when she awakened her power as a Blazer, and was able to control it to a certain extent.
Stella was drowned in her power, which would get stronger proportional to the amount of training she did.
Where exactly could her limit be?
That bottomless talent of hers, how strong could she become with it?
She heard that her magic power seemed to be the highest in the entire world.
She felt that it was wonderful.
In that case, she would not lose to anyone.
No matter what enemy she faced...
...She would be able to protect her country, her important citizens.
'Yes. That's right...'
Stella smiled bitterly at herself.
For the sake of becoming strong, she studied the world, watched many things, fought against various kinds of enemies...
And as she gained strength, seriously... she forgot the most important thing.
It was the confidence of being an existence born stronger than anybody else.
She was too strict on herself, and belittled herself before she knew it.
...An opponent too much for her who was still a student?
...If such an opponent was seriously trying to crush her, she had no way of resisting?
What, what a foolish concept.
Magic power was proportional to the destiny the person was carrying.
As the possessor of the world's greatest magic power capacity, she carried an equally great destiny.
She still didn't know what kind of destiny it was, but...
At the very least, it was not something that just the world's number three could stop!
"…"
In that case, she just had to release it.
All the power sleeping in her body that she herself did not know.
That should be in her body for sure.
Right then, just like her body, her soul roaring…!
"Ua-AA-A-AaAAAAAAAAAA…!!!!!!"
The moment Stella resolved herself, her body moved by itself, and stabbed Lævateinn into her chest.
No more hesitation, no more wavering.
It was the same as humans breathing without being conscious of it.
Her body, her cells, knew about it.
Her own power, the real way to use it...
Immediately, an explosion of heat rays came from the center of Stella's body.
A wind of light that mowed everything down in all direction was like a sickle of scorching heat.
The trees in the forest that were hit were disintegrated into ash without even having the time to burn.
While that storm of heat rays made her hair flutter... Saikyou smiled as if she was relieved.
"Good grief, finally awakened. What a troublesome child."
...
「W-What does this mean!? Suddenly, the moment Contender Stella seemed to have made up her mind,
a storm of light so blinding that we couldn't even open our eyes blew from Contender Stella and buried the whole ring! Be it the camera or the naked eyes, we are unable to determine the situation on the ring! What exactly could be happening now!?」
「Hot! So hot!」
「Please do not touch the fence! There is a danger of getting a burn! Please keep your hands away from the fence!」
The heat wave that spread to the audience stand caused groans from the audience and voices from Mage-Knights protecting them to mix around.
Amongst that commotion, seeing the same brilliance as that time, Saikyou murmured "It's fine like this."
'It's fine for Stella-chan to trust in her talents more.'
What she was lacking in.
Simply speaking, it was the pride in her own talent.
Stella possessed talent greater than anyone else, and yet she did not neglect hard work.
She would honor and respect the knights possessing excellent techniques despite them having weaker magic power.
That humbleness was a virtue as a human being.
However, Saikyou thought otherwise.
If it was about Stella, such a thing might not suit her.
It would only be a virtue for those run-of-the-mill people.
It would not do for the out-of-norm genius born as the possessor of the world's greatest magic powercapacity to be acting that way.
There was no need for her to follow the example of others.
What she should have was not humility, but pride.
The confidence that she was an absolute strong existence.
The reason was because she was born as a lion in the world.
In which world would a lion envy a rabbit?
Always be haughty. Be proud. Be greedy.
Be certain that not a single person in the world could be stronger than herself.
If she did that...
Her talent would respond to that haughtiness, pride, greed no matter what...!
'...But well, I never thought that such a monster had been lying dormant.'
Before long, the raging storm of heat rays died down, and it happened the instant their eyes readjusted after being blinded by the heat rays.
「「「...!?」」」
Everyone in the venue drew their breaths.
The positions of Stella and Ouma did not change from before the light enveloped the ring.
However, Stella's appearance was like that of a different person.
Stella stood in the center of the heat wave-like twisted scenery.
The Lævateinn that pierced her chest disappeared somehow, leaving a scar shining like a heated metal.
That scar slowly flickered between bright and dim as if carving out the heartbeat. And as if synchronizing with that, the radiance from the core shone on Stella's skin and bright red hair.
That was like an entirely different thing from the brilliance of magic power Stella released until then.
It was not the brilliance of magic power gushing out, but the glow coming from within her body.
What exactly happened to her body...
In the instant everyone was having that question.
Stella slowly raised her chin up towards the sky and...
"■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■...!!!!!!"
Roared into the sky.
What was released from the lovely lips of a girl was a roar of something obviously non-human.
Like the rumbling of the earth. Like the rumbling of the sea. Or like a deafening thunder.
It was a roar that shook the atmosphere...
"Crimson Princess... You, that voice, is..."
"Defend yourself. You may die."
Right after saying so, Stella crushed the distance of fifty meters between them with a speed similar to a bullet, arriving before Ouma's bosom.
And then she clenched her fist that was shining and then threw it at Ouma as if using her whole body behind it.
"…!"
She broke through.
He could not dodge that fist.
However, to Ouma it was an attack not even on the level of a slash by a Device. He did not need to dodge in the first place.
However ─ the words of warning from Stella to the defending Ouma held some certainty in it.
That certainty triggered Ouma's sense of danger.
Ouma crossed his trained arms before him and prepared for Stella's punch.
Then, Stella's swung fist hit Ouma's guard ─ instantly...
"Gu...ha...aa...AA...!"
The impact that was harder and heavier than Ouma's prediction broke his guard and knocked into his ribs.
Its momentum was not killed after breaking two layers of guard, piercing through the back of Ouma through his ribs, pushing his feet along the ground.
「Contender Stella has blown Contender Ouma away despite his guard! A groan leaked out from Contender Ouma who did not change his expression regardless of any attacks or strikes from Devices! His knees are bent! It was that much of a heavy impact!」
「It's not just heavy. Look at Ouma-chan's arms.」
「Eh?」
Guided by Saikyou, the broadcasting camera zoomed in on Ouma's arms.
There was a shocking image displayed.
「T-This is...! On Contender Ouma's arm, there is a burn mark in the shape of Contender Stella's fist as if it was branded on it...!」
「The punch just now should have burned into his bone, literally. In other words...」
"GuuuaAA...!"
Knees bent, Ouma pressed on the arm that received the punch as he howled in pain.
He could not be blamed.
Stella's punch did not only shatter Ouma's reinforced bones, but also burned them in one strike.
To Ouma, his bone became something like a burning red metal rod.
That intense heat was charring his flesh from the inside, burning his nerves.
「He can be accustomed to external pain, but getting burned from inside is not something you get to experience often. This will be hard on him.」
「That's true...! B-But I don't understand! The current Contender Stella is clearly different from the Contender Stella from before! What exactly is this sudden power up about!?」
The audience also got noisy, as if resonating with the announcer's confusion.
It would be natural if considering whether it was natural or not.
There was the raw power which made Ouma, who could not be injured even once by swords until then, bend his knees. There was the change in her appearance, there was the roar that could not be called human, there were many things they did not understand.
However...
"I see... That is how it is...!"
Ikki, who had been closer to Stella than anyone else for the past few months, had arrived at the answer of that mystery one step faster.
"Kurogane-kun, what is the reason for Stella-chan suddenly becoming stronger?"
Ikki nodded and replied to Touka's question.
"...I believe that most likely, her method of using her power was wrong from the beginning. Surely... in the first place, Stella is not a fire user."
"E-Eeh!? What...does that..."
Touka's voice contained more question to Ikki's answer.
She could not understand the meaning behind Ikki's words.
That was explained by Saikyou, who was at the scene when she awakened.
「Blazers are not able to use magic the moment they are born. They usually awaken abruptly on some day. Things like having the power to let out fire, or the power to control gravity. And then they learn how to use it from their own comprehension, hence there are times where misunderstandings occur. I was like that. The very first time I was aware of my special power was the time when I made toys float in air, I actually believed that my ability was to make things float, but in reality, it was different. It was possible to achieve that from its usage, but it was a completely different ability. Stella-chan is the same. Of course, spewing out fire from an empty space suddenly would make anyone think that they were fire user. Well, most of them would clear their misunderstandings like me
while playing or fighting when they were small... In Stella-chan's case, she was too strong even with the misunderstanding. Due to that, she had come all the way here with that misunderstanding.」
「I-In other words, are you saying that, Contender Stella is not a fire user?」
「That's how it is. Stella-chan's original ability is not nature interference, but concept interference. And everyone should also know. The mythical monster with boiling blood circulating its body, and breathing out burning flame. The concept of the story that is passed down as a symbol of fear and violence which could not be resisted anywhere in this world...!」
"Don't...tell me...!"
According to Saikyou's words, Ouma, who was forced onto one knee by Stella, thought of the worst possibility as he looked up at her.
And that premonition was spot on.
"Concept interference type ─ Dragon. The ability to manifest in one's body the power of a predator that lives at the peak of the food chain in the mythological world. That is mine, Crimson Princess's, Stella Vermillion's true power."
Something like flame was just a portion of her power. It was exactly just a Breath.
Sweltering heat dwelled in her body similar to the mythical monster, allowing her to obtain the raw power of a Dragon.
Manifesting any and all kinds of violence revolved around the concept of Dragon.
That was what the real power was, and the rightful way of utilizing it.
Stella realized it in her battle against Saikyou.
In other words, the dragon that was bound to only using its 「Breath」 so far had torn away its bindings,
and started to wield its full power...
"And I am not used to this power yet, so I cannot control it well. Without a doubt... I will break you. I don't think that I will fight against you another time. That's why I will say this before the end. Thank you, Ouma. Thanks to you, I have remembered myself."
"...!"
...Ouma already understood that he did not have any bit of leeway.
"Tenryuu Gusoku...!!!!"
Against Stella coming for another attack, Ouma wrapped himself in an armor of wind, intercepting the attack with his full power.
Stella was currently barehanded.
If she closed in, she would have an upper hand in maneuverability.
That's why he had to keep her at sword range.
Ouma showered Stella with countless slashes after deciding so. However...
"Slow!"
"...!?"
The slash attacks coming from Ouma like falling rain, that were definitely not lukewarm, were deflected by Stella's two fists.
She caught the flank of Ryuuzume accurately, not leaving a single scratch on her fist.
And everytime she deflected Ryuuzume, Ouma's hand felt a terrible impact.
It was an impact so forceful that if he slackened his strength a little bit, Ryuuzume would be blown far away from him.
Ouma held the handle with all his strength, while preventing Ryuuzume from being deflected away, his forehead was drenched in sweat.
'This is...a dragon's raw power huh...!'
The overwhelming raw power possessed by the monster living in the mythological world.
It was originally supporting the function of arm strength in Stella's body, but that was at best unconsciously. It was like water droplets dripping out from a closed faucet.
However, Stella had realized her own power, and obtained the technique to fully open said faucet.
As such, it was natural that the power output would be different.
Currently, Stella's physical ability was several tens of times greater than before.
And then, with the destructive speed and attack power it gave her, she repelled all of Ouma's slashes, while digging closer towards him.
After deflecting about three more strikes, she would probably close in within fist range.
However...
"Fuu...!"
Ouma also did not easily allow her to accomplish that.
There, he displayed the technique of the Sword Emperor of Wind.
He abandoned the number of strikes, and swung Ryuuzume widely.
He wrung his muscles to the limit, squeezed, adding a force to the point of twisting the joints on his spine, to the point of twisting his body to face away from his opponent.
Of course, Stella would further close in during that gap, he understood it.
She would probably deflect away any amount of those slashes with no weight behind anyway.
In that case, he would bet everything on the fastest single strike he had.
Preparing his sword from the limit of his swing was for that sake.
What he was about to release was the godspeed sword passed down in Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu.
Naturally, every muscle in his entire body was used, it even used the rebound of the joints and bones in his body by returning his posture from its twisted position to the original one to accelerate, it was exactly a sword released with his entire body and spirit.
There was no preparation or counter after releasing that one strike.
It was just speed alone was principle. Cut alone was justice.
That was truly...
"Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu・Jin no Kyoku. —Amaterasu!"
"...!"
The white blade swung from the position after his body twisted to the limit fell onto Stella without a sound.
Despite just one strike, different from Ikki's Blade Steal, Ouma's Amaterasu, which had truly reached Twin-Wings's territory, exceeded the limit of reaction even for Stella with dragon's power dwelling inside her, Ryuuzume cut Stella's body diagonally.
Blood sprayed into the air.
He felt the feedback of Ryuuzume cutting flesh and bones squarely.
It did not reach the organs, but it was probably a sufficient strike to dull her movements.
It was supposed to be so...
"There!"
"Gu...u!"
Let alone retreating, Stella stepped forward despite receiving Amaterasu, her long leg lashed out like a whip and kicked Ouma's right chin.
Stella's low kick made a sound like something popped, broke through Tenryuu Gusoku and crushed Ouma's chin bone with just one strike.
Ouma wobbled in pain while being confused at what happened.
Certainly, although Amaterasu did not cause a fatal wound, it should have dealt sufficient damage to rob Stella of her mobility.
Ouma immediately noticed the answer.
'This is...!'
That large cut wound on Stella.
There was not a single drop of blood from there.
No, on the contrary, the wound was being stitched up at an unbelievable speed in front of his eyes.
That was the strength of vitality possessed by the creature known as dragon.
...Since ancient times, it was common sense to decapitate a dragon to subjugate it.
To a creature such as dragon, a wound that was not fatal could not be considered a wound.
Stella had just recreated the vitality of a dragon that could be said to be immortal with a human body through inheritance.
...An indecisive wound could not be considered a wound anymore.
"Tch!"
The versatility of that ability was even wider than his imagination.
Ouma judged that he had to observe the situation and let go of his left hand from Ryuuzume and gathered the air on his palm.
What he created was a explosive bullet of wind made from air.
He threw it and intended to take distance by blowing Stella's body away.
That was the most appropriate action Ouma judged in that instant.
...However...
"Out of the way!"
Even that most appropriate action was useless against the ferocious dragon.
The released explosive bullet of wind was scattered by Stella's back hand punch.
Ouma's expression froze at that outcome.
'Like steel crushing rock, the hardness of her magic power crushed my magic...!'
And with that move, Stella had caught Ouma within fist range.
Ouma immediately pulled back his empty-handed left arm to guard...
"Ugh...!"
That punch crushed the bone of the guarding arm like a matter of course, and the impact pierced into his organs.
Ouma's body wobbled back greatly and his knees bent.
He could not stop it. He could not stop Stella's fierce attack.
Not his trained muscles, not his sharpened speed, not technique, not magic...
Everything that he had accumulated was meaningless.
He would be trampled on. By pure violence that could knock down everything.
And that helplessness caused Ouma to get a flashback on the memory of his first loss and frustration.
He, who was covered in blood miserably, and that pair of pupils glaring at him while sitting on a chair like it was a throne.
Nothing went through no matter what he did.
Despite him challenged again and again, he could even not touch the seated Tyrant, he could not even protect his own body, and was just single-sidedly beaten up.
His body suffered burning pain. His heart felt helplessness.
As he linked everything to the fear that shook him at that time in the past, his whole body started to tremble.
"Ku...O...OoOoOoo...!"
Even so, Ouma struggled to raise his trauma-carved body and counter attacked.
He aimed to stab at Stella's heart as she chased after him for further attacks after he collapsed backward.
However, with his crushed right leg and battered body he could not aim accurately as he wanted...
The stab was ─ blocked.
Stella purposely pushed out her left hand at the incoming Ryuuzume, letting it pierce through her palm as she advanced, and grabbed hold of the sword guard of Ryuuzume after it pierced through to the base.
"I caught you, Ouma."
'Shi—'
It was too late by the time he thought so.
Stella punched her superheated right fist into Ouma's upper body that was full of openings.
"HAAaAa…!!!!"
She also did not end it with one strike.
She had the intention of determining the outcome and rained down consecutive punches.
With Ryuuzume caught, Ouma could not even escape backwards with the impact from the hits.
If he were to let go of Ryuuzume once, Stella would probably not even give him the time to reconstruct his Device.
He must not let go. If he were to let go, he would lose. Hence, he could not escape.
He could not escape, he could not even defend, he could only let the consecutive punches that were like cannon shots shower on him.
And that storm-like punches that fell onto him burnt his skin, grilled his flesh, crushed his bones...
"…Ka...ha!!!!"
The instant Ouma's chin finally lowered.
An uppercut that came from the ground level thrusted upwards at his chin, hitting the four hundred kilo body of Ouma into the air.
His body flew through the air in a big parabola, and fell onto the stone disk with his back without any protection.
In that match, no, in that Festival, Sword Emperor of Wind sank onto the ground for the first time.
「Contender Ouma...down! He is lying down in a '大' position and looking at the sky without moving! No he can't move!」
「H-How intense...」
「This...already determined the match, right?」
「This is... the Blazer possessing the world's strongest magic power huh...!」
A big reversal from the eventful out of the ring.
The strength of Stella, who had displayed her true power, caused a big commotion in the venue.
However, even that commotion did not reach Ouma who had fallen on the ring.
It was no wonder. His right leg fractured from the shin, left wrist dislocated, his rib cage did not have a single bone uninjured. The jawbone that received an uppercut was smashed from the root of his teeth, that crack reached even his skull. And the heat from those shattered bones were burning his flesh from inside currently.
The injuries were so severe that it wouldn't be strange if he had lost his consciousness.
There was no way he could hear the surrounding voices.
Ouma simply looked at the sky with his clouded pupils, and once again recalled within his spaced-out consciousness.
Similar to the day of frustration five years ago.
How vast the world was.
How tiny he was.
...Certainly, Ouma had an out-of-norm talent like that of gold.
However... his talent was like golden sand.
There were people who possessed similar golden talent but that of a gold ingot.
There was a world where only such kind of chosen existences could stand in.
The summit was that kind of place.
...Shouldn't it be about the time for him to recognize his lack of ability?
If he recognized his lack of ability, he would probably receive the honor worthy of him.
Reality had always been persuading him so.
'But...even so...'
"...U...oo."
「C-Contender Ouma flipped his body around and is trying to raise his body with his arms! He is trying to stand up! Contender Stella is also showing a shocked expression!」
'...I have ambition to continue even if my chest is burned.'
No matter how many times he realized the vastness of the world...
No matter how many times his accumulated confidence and pride were shattered...
His unwithering desire to continue remained unchanged.
...He would wish for any and everything.
It was fine if he did not have a comfortable life.
It was fine to just have one thing.
...He wanted to be number one.
To stand at the summit of the world he loved.
It was a wish he held since the day he obtained his first victory.
Compared to Stella's wish of protecting her country, it would only be called a selfish and childish wish.
By being able to throw a ball a little faster than others, one would want to become a baseball player.
By being able to draw a little better than others, one would want to become a manga artist.
It could only be seen as a typical future wish of a child.
However, even after losing his confidence and pride, Ouma still moved with the desire to push forward.
It was just his desire.
In that case, no matter how childish it was, how selfish it was...
'That is...for a person such as me...a wish that is worth betting a lifetime on!'
That's why ─ just that alone, he would not concede!
"OOOooOooOoooaAaAAAAA…!!!!"
「H-He stood up! Contender Ouma, while letting out a roar as if spitting out his blood, he raised his battered body and stood up! U-Unbelievable! Even though his arms and legs were smashed...!」
「He used atmospheric pressure as a cast to maintain his bone structure forcefully... Ouma-chan has not given up yet!」
Before he knew it, the trembling of his body had stopped.
What was boiling in his marrows was not fear, but boundless competitiveness.
His flesh was, blood was, bone was, soul was...
Everything that made up the shape of a man known as Ouma Kurogane stirred up for one thing.
He would surpass her, that was.
Facing the despair that rose up in the past, he did not feel a tiny bit of resignation.
Ever since he was defeated by the Tyrant, he had gone through that one thousand five hundred days as he thought of challenging that territory once again, it was reckless but definitely not useless.
It was because of those days that he could stand up again.
It was because of those days that he could fight again.
Then he just had to move on. Just as his heart desired so.
"It's showdown. ─Crimson Princess."
Ouma injected all his remaining magic power into Ryuuzume, wrapping it in a tornado.
The tornado increased in density as it swallowed the surrounding air, becoming a sword of storm from thousands of wind blades in due time.
The claw of the heavenly dragon that would tear everything upon contact.
It was the trump card of the Sword Emperor of Wind, Ouma Kurogane, which had defeated Stella before.
Ouma raised it towards the sky, and pleaded at Stella with his eyes.
—Draw your blade.
It was the figure that would take on the full power of his enemy despite knowing the difference in strength.
To the world that he loved, he would not compromise, not deceive himself, such was his spirit.
Seeing that, Stella comprehended as she remembered the side profile of Ikki as he talked about Ouma.
「Well, just that from my impression as far as I know, he is a seriously stoic person.」
─When she was talking with Ikki about Ouma, he praised him as such.
She could understand a bit of that feeling currently.
He definitely... respected his brother.
Only moving for his own sake.
He was a knight who held onto his dream from when he was young, and continued to face it more sincerely than anyone.
In that case...
"I will take you on. ─Sword Emperor of Wind."
Stella also responded with the magic boasting the greatest attack power amongst her Noble Arts.
What took shape in her palm that was raised towards the sky was a sword of light made from binding the heat that could only be seen as an unwavering flame.
Magic power was the power to open up destiny.
In other words ─ willpower.
Binding her willpower, holding her willpower, Stella faced off against the enemy before her eyes.
There was no more conversation between their intersecting gazes.
No, there was no need to.
As things had come to that far, they understood that they only had to cross swords.
And then, the flame and wind knights released their killing techniques...
"Kusanagiiii!!!!"
"Katharterio Salamandraaaa!!!!"
Both of them swung down with all of their strength.
The sword of storm and sword of heat crossed.
That was similar to the fight before, a storm of heat bursted out in the moment of contact...
However ─ it was not evenly matched currently.
Because Sword Emperor of Wind was swallowed into it just like that.
The Katharterio Salamandra that Stella had released did not stop at subjugating Sword Emperor of Wind, it had also slashed apart the Bay Dome, as well as the Osaka Bay beyond.
The audience stand and the huge screen in the dome were burned. A deep trench was carved on the seabed.
Along with the extraordinary destruction and dramatic closure, the announcer raised an excited voice.
「A-Amazing! Contender Stella, she has cut Sword Emperor along with the sea!」
「S-SSS-SCARYyyYYY!」
「If World Clock had not stopped the time for evacuation, I would've been cut along with that... What an outrageous princess.」
The audience raised a commotion at the carved out scar of destruction.
And Ouma, who was completely bathed in that destructive power, would definitely not be unharmed.
The main referee judged that Ouma was unable to continue the fight, and announced the end of the match.
At the same time, he announced Stella's victory.
「Just now, the main referee has announced Contender Stella's victory! A battle worthy of attention. The one who conquered this duel between both A-Rank monsters is Contender Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion! Well, we speculated that both of them would be more evenly matched in this first match of the semi-final, but seeing the result, it is still the record holder of the world's greatest magic power capacity after all! She suppressed Sword Emperor of Wind with overwhelming power from a different
dimension! As expected, the wall of magic power capacity at birth is still tall!」
However, to those words of the announcer...
「That is wrong.」
Saikyou objected next to him.
「Wrong...meaning...there are other reasons for the victory?」
「Of course. Certainly, the strength of magic power is an important talent proportional to the greatness of destiny the Blazer carries in this world. But using that great power wrongly will also cause great backlash to the user. To use it well, it is necessary to put in an effort more than usual and have the strength of heart to continue that... If not, in unfortunate cases it is possible to be devoured by that
talent. In fact, Stella-chan had almost died many times due to her power when she was a child.」
「I-Is that so!?」
「This is a famous rumor in Mage-Knight world. But Stella-chan never gave up no matter how many times she came close to death. It is because she had continued training without any compromise, she managed to let her own blood boil to imitate the dragon. Just a single mistake could cause her magic power control to be cut off from the power that can burn herself. Basically, I believe that the reason Stella-chan won this fight is because of her strong willpower.」
Certainly, Stella had used her power wrongly.
However, that was not a path of no return, but a necessary process.
She had properly practised to control her real power correctly.
And because Stella did not stop during that process, without compromise, overcoming it, she was able to use the power of a Dragon.
That's why saying that the talent she had possessed since birth was the reason for her victory was rude to her.
「Well, in any case, those are trifling matters, the most important reason was thanks to me, the one who made Stella-chan awaken to her hidden potential! Ah, sorry for being too great of a coach! Ahaha!」
While ignoring Saikyou's giggles, on the ring, Stella released the power of dragon dwelling in her body.
The boiling blood lost its heat, the glowing heat on her whole body disappeared.
And after returning completely back to a neutral state, Stella breathed out a sigh as if she was relieved, and murmured in a small voice that nobody could hear.
'I won...'
She had broken Ouma's Kusanagi that had defeated her before.
That was the result of growth she could see.
She definitely became stronger. Compared to herself from a few weeks ago, far stronger.
If it was the current her, she could definitely reach him.
A few months ago, the opponent whom she could not even touch.
Ikki Kurogane's back that she had been chasing after ever since that day.
...However, as Stella reminiscenced her own growth, her expression was not that of a smile.
The reason was...
'To think that he has managed to come this far, I never expected it.'
Despite receiving a merciless sure-kill strike that even blew all the way to the sea, Ouma Kurogane stood upright without falling on the ring.
The slash wound of heat carved from his shoulder to his flank, his consciousness already gone, but without bending his knees, his gaze, overflowing with fighting spirit, turned towards Stella.
In those eyes, a trace of 「I will definitely get there」 such a strong will remained.
His sword was broken, but his soul was not.
Before such an enemy that could catch up to her any moment, there was no way she could smile.
Eventually, the medical team rushed up the ring with stretchers.
They were probably carrying Ouma to the Medical Room.
That's why Stella cut off from Ouma's gaze in that instant, and turned away from the ring.
Not bending his knees until the last moment before her was Ouma's obstinacy.
She could not break that obstinacy.
In that case, she did not have the right to watch his figure lying on the stretcher.
There was only one thing she should keep in her memory.
The figure of a man that continued to challenge her by exhausting all his power, for that childish... but a dream purer than anyone else's.
She thought so.
...Like that, defeating the fateful opponent, Sword Emperor of Wind...
Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion moved forward to the finals first.