[Chapter - 13: The Semi-Final Shrouded in DarkClouds Part 2]
Die.
It was a savage word often spoken on the battlefield.
However, it was just a word no matter how violent and savage it was.
It only stopped at provoking the anger of the opponent, and could not reach the opponent's life.
However ─ that word coming out from Amane, who had received the indulgence of the goddess that controlled causality in the world, would not stop at mere words.
The instant that word came out of his mouth, the hand of the goddess bent the causality and pushed on to grant the result he wished for coincidentally...
"Kah... ah."
The fangs of fate sank into Ikki's life.
Just as Ikki was about to strike Amane, he stopped in his track.
His knees bent to the ground as he vomited.
「Wh-What is this about!? Contender Kurogane, who was one step away from chasing after Contender Shinomiya, suddenly knelt down on the ground!」
「Eh, what? He fell?」
「It can't be...」
The audience were confused as they were boiling in expectation for Ikki to finish off the match like that.
Amane's voice was quiet, they could not tell what had happened.
However, on the other hand...
"H-How could it be...!"
"Touka-chan?"
Touka, who was a high-level lightning user that could even see the microscopic electrical signals of the human anatomy, immediately realized the situation and paled.
She had never showed a more despairing expression before.
However, it was only natural if she considered what was currently happening to Ikki's body.
She caught onto the situation. ─The instant Ikki's heart stopped.
Then, towards the venue that was shaken from the incomprehensible development, Amane's mockery echoed.
"AHA! 「The next strike, I will definitely take your life」 *Sparkle*! Was it? AHAHA! Could it be that you seriously thought that you could surpass my Nameless Glory? That's impossi～ble. My Nameless Glory is a power that can make any existing causality happen, you know? In that case, if I
feel like it, I can just stop a heart or two of the human body, which has many uncertainties!"
「Wh-Whaaat!?!?」
「S-Stopping the heart, you're joking!?」
The audience stand generated noises of disbelief at Amane's words.
If he could not stop the swordsmanship, he would stop the life itself.
If there was no meaning in errors of swordsmanship, he would cause an error in the life's activity itself.
He was even able to do such a thing.
If Amane could do such a thing, there was nothing Ikki could do against it.
Amane's expression showed joy at the frightened commotion.
"Yes, that's right. There's nothing you can do. My Nameless Glory has the absolute enforcement that directly interferes with causality. In other words, fate itself. No effort can be a substitute for it... I know it the best. Because of this power, my life has been wasted. I can overcome it if I put in effort. You might have thought so, but that's being optimistic. How is it? Ikki-kun. 'You cannot win against my Nameless Glory', if you acknowledge that, you can still make it if you surrender now, you know?"
Amane asked in a teasing tone, Ikki glared back without a word.
Amane snorted at his futile resistance.
"I see. You cannot speak because your heart has stopped. Well, that rebellious glare is a clear answer... In that case, it can't be helped."
Then, Amane moved closer to the kneeling Ikki, raised his white blade...
"If you bear a grudge, then blame yourself for not knowing your position."
And swung down at his nape.
"Ikki!!!!"
"Onii-samaa...!!!!"
"AHAHA!"
And the blade struck amidst Stella and Shizuku's cries.
The blade split apart the skin as if licking it, cut the flesh, and severed the bone.
What spilled out was an abundant amount of blood.
The ominous cluster amaryllis bloomed across the white ring. That was...
"Go... buh...!?"
All of it, from the left side of his abdomen to the right shoulder, came from Amane's body.
「「「...Eh?」」」
After finishing the work of stopping his heart, Amane was about to finish him off.
However, right after everyone thought that it was over, it was Amane and not Ikki, who bled.
In an instant, the unexpected outcome stunned the audience, but...
Seeing the figure of the collapsed Amane on the ground, their comprehension caught up.
Ikki had taken the control of that bout by returning a slash at the last moment.
「「「O-OOOooOoOooOoh!!!!」」」
「C-Counterattack! He cut him down instantly when we thought it was too late! Contender Shinomiya collapsed on his knees! His fresh blood made a puddle on the ring! That's a lot of bleeding! Deep! That wound is deep!」
"…!?!?"
Amane fell onto the ground with all his limbs touching.
His expression was dyed in shock ─ to the point that he could not even feel the pain.
'Wh-What just happened...!?'
He could not comprehend.
Nameless Glory did not activate?
No, that was impossible.
That had never happened before.
The wheel of fate definitely moved according to his will.
Ikki's heart unmistakably stopped.
And if the heart stopped, the body could not move.
It was obvious. The heart was the pump that delivered the blood, which contained the oxygen needed throughout the entire body as its energy source.
Without gasoline circling through it, an engine could not operate, if the oxygen and energy in the blood did not circle around, the human body would not move.
Ikki's body died... No, he should've already been dead at that moment.
He should not have been able to counterattack.
'Even so, how did he move? How did he cut me!?'
"Y-You... what did you do...!?"
The confused Amane seeked that answer from Ikki, who was standing there without any trace of difficulty.
In response, ikki looked down at him...
"I moved my stopped heart myself."
Said so as if it was nothing.
「Ah! I see, so that's how it is! Haha, seriously!」
Saikyou, on the commentator seat, applauded at Ikki's reply.
「S-Saikyou-sensei! What does this mean!?」
「It's just like what Kuro-bou said. Kuro-bou's heart definitely stopped once. But Kuro-bou made it move by himself, counterattacked and turned the table around.」
「Wha...!? M-Move you say, is that possible!?」
「AHAHA. No, well, I won't be able to do it, you know? That's because the heart is not something you can move with your will. Heart muscles thump according to the automatic orders given by the "Pacemaker cells". That does not involve human will. It is purely the flesh's rhythm maker... But if it's Kuro-bou, he can do it. After all, he has been doing it all the time until now.」
「Eh?」
「It's the swordsmanship of Twin-Wings. A swordsmanship that moves all the muscles in the body together in an instant. The signal that sends orders from the brain is important, but there is something else more important. That is blood. If there isn't enough energy supplied by the blood, it will not be possible to move all the muscles in the body together. But that amount of energy cannot be supplied by
the blood pressure under normal pulsation. That's natural. A human body is not made with the swordsmanship of Twin-Wings in mind. Then what to do? There is one answer. You can only greatly increase the standard of life activities,
and consciously boost the pulse and blood pressure. In other words, if he could not do something like moving his heart with his mind, there would be nothing to talk about. Kuro-bou is using such a sword technique. And if he could move his heart with his mind, there would not be a problem if the "pacemaker cell" made some irregular movement. It is just something like switching from auto to manual.」
The explanation from Saikyou was right on the mark without any mistakes.
Ikki did just what she pointed out, by delegating the brain to control his heart muscle activity the moment his heart's autorhythmic beating stopped.
He consciously moved his heart and picked himself up immediately.
And the "pacemaker cell" was equipped with the function of rebooting by itself once stopped using external stimulation such as heart massage or electric shock.
「That means, the "Die" just now did not deal any damage to Kuro-bou. While Ama-chan believed that he had won and closed in without any guard. Closing in on that Another One. It is a big failure that can only be called as carelessness. That is a fatal wound.」
「C-Certainly... You can tell that the wound is very deep from the amount of bleeding.」
「It's not just that. Ama-chan's ability is the power to change causality to suit himself... Kuro-bou pretending that his heart stopped and luring him to close in foolishly is not possible normally. That kind of mistake should've been prevented by Nameless Glory interfering. But... it was not prevented this time. In short, the moment he overcame the ultimate causality interference of taking one's life, their power difference had been set in stone.」
Amane Shinomiya could not win against Ikki Kurogane.
That truth was an inevitability that would not be shaken no matter how the causality changed, the goddess that protected Amane yielded.
Amane's fatal wound was the proof. In that case...
「The outcome has been decided. As long as Nameless Glory does not work, Ama-chan, who is relying solely on that, has no chance of winning.」
"…!"
Amane's expression paled from Saikyou's explanation. Just like what she said, the situation of him getting such a wound should not have been originally possible.
Since that happened, it meant that the Nameless Glory that should be absolutely invincible was suppressed.
'Impossible...!'
However, Amane could not accept it.
"I wished for your death...! And then, that wish was granted! Then obediently die...! Why won't you give up!?"
Amane opened his eyes as widely as he could and glared at Ikki.
In response, Ikki looked down at him with calm eyes and said.
"It's not really something unusual. Causality interference ability can only trigger something that can happen. Then having this result is only natural. Amane-kun seems to have a really high evaluation of your own power, but this level of power... is not rare in the world of knights."
"...!?"
"It's certainly a versatile and convenient ability, but... that's all it is. I know. There is a knight who has the power to make the arrows he shot undetectable, let alone his own figure. There is a knight who has the speed to be able to split a descending lightning bolt in half with her swing. There is a knight who can freely manipulate heat that can rival the sun.
Any one of those is a strong ability that does not lose to your power. Then these knights, who possess such power, are aiming at the single summit, betting on their own
possibilities desperately with the belief of 「I will not lose to anyone」, that is the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival. I have won through such battles and stood on this stage today."
In that case...
"You are only trying to trip others because you are jealous of them... there is no way I would lose to a guy who can't even win against himself."
Right after Ikki pierced Amane with his words like his blade...
"…Ge...hah!?!?"
Blood sprayed out from Amane's mouth and wound vigorously, and he collapsed in a puddle of his own blood.
He tried to move his limbs and pull himself up immediately, but was unable to.
'Cannot... stand...!?'
He could not rely on his arms or legs, as if they had lost their bones.
His body was rapidly losing strength along with blood.
No matter how much Amane wished to stand, no strength entered his four limbs.
No, it was not only that.
'Da...rk...'
Night fell in his sight.
Darkness fell in his consciousness.
Amane finally understood the unacceptable reality at that point.
...Just like what Saikyou said, the fight was already decided.
And then...
"That's it! Winner, Ikki Kurogane!!"
The referee's voice echoed in his ear from afar within his fading consciousness, turning the unacceptable reality into an unshakable past of certainty.
Amane Shinomiya... Nameless Glory, had been defeated right then.
'Like that... is it something at the level that can be easily overcome like that?'
He sank amidst the puddle of blood, unable to believe it even at the moment he was about to lose consciousness.
Because there was no wish that could not be granted if he used Nameless Glory.
To think that just an F-Rank Knight, who did not know when to give up, could overcome it.
And he did it without a single injury, not even using his trump card Ittōu Shura.
With such a cool expression.
'Even though it's only that level... is my everything going to be robbed away?'
...Really?
The moment he asked himself that...
'Please make me happy. Shion-chan.'
Even though the cheers for the winner was so far, her voice could be heard so close to his ear.
...
...Amane Shinomiya, or Shion Amamiya, awakened as a Blazer at a very young age.
It was a time when he was loyal to his desires and did not know how to restrain himself.
He activated that unnatural fortune without a care, allowing the surrounding people to know about his power.
That casted a shadow on his elementary school life later on.
No matter how much effort he put in to get a good score in tests, no matter how hard he worked to achieve in sports...
...That guy was cheating.
Such gossips continued.
Students, teachers, everyone hated Amane and were one-sidedly afraid of him... treating him like a non-existing person.
However, that was also something that could not have been helped.
He would call for Nameless Glory whenever he had an impulse of desire from his heart. Was the achievement Amane obtained really the result of his own effort, was it just an interference of the goddess, was it real, it was unclear even to himself.
However, because Amane himself was unclear, he hoped to be acknowledged by a third person.
It was not luck. He wished to be praised that it was his own achievement.
However, that did not come true, nevermind acknowledging him, even saving the students from the fire that broke out in school got him accused for orchestrating the fire incident to stand out... finally, Amane stopped going to school and holed up in his home.
However, Amane's mother, who was living together with him, did not blame him.
「It's alright. Mother knows that Shion-chan is a gentle child who would not do such a thing.」
To Amane, his mother, who consoled his crying self like that, was his only ally.
「It's not only mother. God naturally knows as well. Because the God knows, the gentle Shion-chan was given such an amazing power. Use this power to become happy. That's why ─ please make me happy. Shion-chan.」
Amane still remembered the warmth of that hug even right now.
His mother, who had divorced his father when he was a baby and raised him up all by herself.
He loved his gentle and strong mother very much.
That's why he always wished for her happiness.
Probably thanks to that, his mother's job was sailing smoothly, allowing them to live a comfortable life.
...He became happy.
Even if nobody in school acknowledged him, there was a place where he belonged.
There was his mother, who had acknowledged and loved him.
Then, wouldn't that be enough? He thought so.
...However, on one of those days, Amane suddenly felt a doubt.
Would mother still love him if he did not have such power?
Could it be that what she loved was not himself, but his power that could bring in riches?
...The uncertainty that germinated took root in his heart deeply.
It was hard. So hard that he wanted to cry.
Mother's smile directed at him was filled with warmth and love.
He could not help detesting himself for doubting that smile. However, no matter how much he tried to convince himself, the uncertainty could not be erased, churning up inside his heart like a centipedecrawling around in his stomach.
He could not endure it anymore.
Hence he made up his mind.
For one day, just one day, he would stop using his power, and confirm it.
Everything collapsed in an instant
「Hey, why? Even though mother loves Shion-chan so much, why won't Shion-chan love mama back?」
On that day, a bank in America bankrupted. A major panic occurred around the world.
That impact directly hit his household as they lived on stock trading, causing them to go into a big debt in one day.
His mother became angry and violently shook Amane.
And that overly intense violence let Amane understand.
It was not only the people in the school.
Even his biological mother did not need the human called Shion Amamiya.
What she loved was his power.
What she seeked was only fortune.
He was not treated as her child without that power.
...Once he realized that, he could not do anything well anymore.
Once Amane realized that his mother did not look at Shion Amamiya, no matter how hard he worked, he could not wish for his mother's happiness.
Nameless Glory was a power that responded to the wishes from Amane's heart.
Hence, the wish could not be granted if it did not come from his heart.
As a result, his mother got more and more angry, and the violence called discipline changed from interrogation to abuse.
Beating and kicking became natural. Not being given meals also became an obvious matter.
He was stripped naked, put into a cage for rabbits, and hot water was poured at him.
Of course, the cage was locked so he could not get out.
He could not even dodge in the small rabbit cage, only cries of agony continued.
Amane screamed from the pain of his scalded skin bloating and peeling off, and desperately begged.
'I'm sorry, please forgive me.'
He believed that one day, his voice would reach his mother if he continued begging like that.
However, his begging was not heard until the end.
His mother's answer was always decided beforehand.
'...If you want me to stop, then make me happy.'
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...Then, after that hell continued for about half a year...
As always, fate answered Amane's heart which finally hated his mother.
「Shion, are you alright!? I'm glad, I'm really glad that I made it in time...!」
The person who saved the dying Amane from the cage was a middle-aged man dyed in his mother's blood.
He vaguely remembered. That was his father.
「It's already fine. Your scary mother is no more!」
He hugged the skinny and frail Amane while shedding tears...
And spoke with a similar smile as his mother.
「Therefore ─ please love your father from now on.」
In an instant, Shion Amamiya understood.
That world... did not need Shion Amamiya.
And at the same time... he finally gave up on himself.
A power that could grant any wish. The absolute power that could destroy the love between blood-related family members.
If such a thing was behind him, it could not be helped that his own existence did not enter their eyes.
When he gave up, his heart felt a little easier.
Even so, only that... even though that helplessness was his only salvation...
...
"That's it. Winner, Ikki Kurogane!!"
Seeing the amount of blood the fallen Amane shed on the ring, the main referee immediately announced the end of the match and the winner's name.
Due to his long years of experience, he decided that it would be impossible to continue anymore.
Cheers of joy erupted from the venue.
「The main referee has judged that Contender Shinomiya is unable to continue the battle anymore! He has declared the end of the match! The Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival semi-finals second match's winner is Contender Another One, Ikki Kuroganeee!!!!」
「A-Alright! Ikki-kun won!」
「Eh, seriously? Is it already over?」
「It somehow looks boring... such a one-sided match.」
「The venue erupted in cheers! However, I can hear voices of confusion amidst that! That's also natural! The match began with a declaration of forfeit, the semifinal of Bad Luck vs Another One was filled with extreme confusion! Once the mystery was unveiled, Contender Kurogane more or less advanced the match one-sidedly, eventually taking down Contender Shinomiya without a single injury! However, this was only because Contender Kurogane trained his body techniques beyond the limit! This victory was only "inevitable" because it was him! And with this victory, Contender Kurogane will be advancing to the finals!
For the first time in history, an F-Rank Knight is reaching for the title of the Seven Stars Sword King!」
"Incredible! Incredible, Ikki! To be able to completely dominate the match against an opponent with that kind of unreasonable power!"
The result of that match made Arisuin at the audience stand applause in joy.
He also witnessed Amane's out-of-norm power, and was worried that it would not be easy to break out of it in that fight, so he was very happy.
And as he wanted to share his joy of the victory, he turned towards Shizuku at his side.
"Isn't it great, Shizuku!"
However ─ rather than being happy at the victory before her eyes...
"..."
With a serious expression, she watched the ring that had already determined the outcome.
"Shizuku?"
Arisuin asked her what was it, but Shizuku did not answer.
No, she could not answer.
'...What is it, this...'
Why was she unable to feel happy for the victory of her own brother, she could not understand.
And that feeling was not something only Shizuku felt.
His lover, Stella, who was watching Ikki's match together in that place, also felt a strong sense of unease.
They could not understand.
The main referee had declared the end of the match, and announced the winner to be Ikki.
In other words, his victory could not be overturned.
Everything was already set in stone.
Even Amane could not overturn it.
Even so...
'Even though the match has already ended...'
For some reason ── an irritating feeling was expanding in acceleration.
And that reason was...
"Watch ouuut!!!!"
Along with Ikki's warning, became clear.
After announcing the winner's name, the main referee bent down next to the fallen Amane.
Then he confirmed the his condition.
The wound was pretty deep as the bleeding was severe.
It was a very dangerous situation.
That's why he used his own magic to stop the bleeding with healing magic before the medical team arrived.
However...
"Eh..."
The instant he used healing on Amane.
...He made eye contact.
With the muddy pupils that snapped open.
Right after that...
"…You are in the way."
Black fog, no, like flames, thick magic power that could be seen by the naked eye blew out from Amane's entire body.
And then, the flame-like black magic power took the form of a few 「arms」, and reached out for the main referee's neck.
"Hii..."
"Watch out!!!!"
Ikki was the one who reacted to that abnormality earlier.
He pushed the main referee, who was frozen still from the sudden situation, away to protect him from the pursuing arms of black flame.
「W-WWWW-What has happeeeeened!?!? Some things looking like black arms suddenly appeared from Contender Amane's body and attacked the referee!」
He attacked the referee after the match was over.
Iida raised his voice at the sudden abnormal situation...
「...O-Oi oi , what's with that power...!」
Saikyou at the side also stood up from the commentator seat with an astonished expression.
However, she was not shocked because Amane attacked the main referee.
...It was the result of coming into contact with the black arm.
'It's decaying...!'
Ikki's pupils also shook in shock on the ring.
After protecting the main referee, he looked at the black arm that passed by him from the side, and saw it.
The portion of the ring that the black arm grabbed collapsed as if it had weathered and was blown away by the wind.
And without stopping, it was spreading out slowly to the surrounding.
'This power is...'
"Amane-kun..."
Ikki returned his gaze on Amane.
Amane was no longer lying on the ground.
He stood up slowly like a haunted ghost, and murmured with a voice like a curse.
"Don't... joke.... I... will not lose... My Nameless Glory is an invincible power... There is no such thing as impossibility. There is no wish that cannot be granted... It has been like that until now. That's why... that's why I even made myself give up...! By now, my house, my family, my friends... even myself, when everything is already gone, telling me that this isn't how it is... there is no way I can accept it...!"
The blood-shot pupils opened to their limits.
From the two corners, just like blood... tears were falling.
"I won't acknowledge it..."
He spat out mutterings like agonized cries.
Amane said. ─I will never acknowledge you.
Ikki Kurogane. A failure born in a famous household.
Originally, he should have given up with his worthless F-Rank.
However, that man did not give up on his own worth, and obtained the glory impossible for an F-Rank.
The moment he knew of that existence, he could only feel disgust.
Because when he saw that man... it was like seeing a dream.
He could still do it if he tried.
If he had the courage to believe in himself like that man, he could have a different path than the present.
That kind of thorn-filled dream.
And he almost started to hate his current self.
...No joke.
When he already lost his family, friends and even himself, and finally gave up.
Stop showing him something like a dream...!
"...An eyesore... You are...!"
"...You are..."
"Kurogane get down! Leave the rest to us!"
When Ikki was about to say something, a sharp voice rang out from the rowdy venue.
It was the voice of Hagun Academy's Director, Kurono Shinguuji.
She manifested her Device, and leapt off from above the fence.
"Everyone, suppress that guy!"
She instructed the Mage-Knights at the venue.
Receiving that instruction, the Mage-Knights standing by at the audience stand moved out together.
However, to the movement of those knights, Amane...
"Don't... interfereeeeeeeee!!!!"
Raised an angry scream, shooting out hundreds of black arm from his body and stretching them out towards the audience stand. Seeing that situation, Saikyou called out to the Mage-Knights in the venue through the mic.
「All members, open up magic barriers! Don't let that black flame touch your body!」
「「「...!!!!」」」
The professional staff chosen for the smooth running of the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival immediately reacted.
Every individual erected a barrier with magic to correspond.
The black arms that hit the barrier made from magic and scraped against the invisible barrier like claws scratching a window glass. Fortunately, nobody was hit due to their quick response.
「U-UWAAAA!?!?」
「KyAAaAAAAA!!!!」
「Wh-What is this...!」
Screams of the audience echoed here and there in the venue.
A portion of the black arms pierced into the ground of the audience stand and the fence, and those places collapsed in the same weathered state Ikki and Saikyou witnessed before. In addition, the collapse spread out from the places where the black arms pierced them like an ink dripped onto a white cloth.
Iida raised a confused voice seeing that scene.
「This is...! Withering!? The places that magic in the shape of black arms released by Contender Shinomiya touched are collapsing as if they are withered down! B-But how did this happen!? Causality interference ability is a power that makes phenomenons that exist as possibilities to happen!
However, the durability of the reinforced concrete that is used to construct this venue is over hundreds of years! There should be no possibility of it withering...!」
「He changed the way he used the ability...」
「Saikyou-sensei?」
「Ama-chan has not controlled his own power up to now. He mainly used only the spilled out portion. It's a strong ability that doesn't need more than that. But... those black arms are different. Nameless Glory's power is concentrated to the point of being visible to the naked eye. And doing that raised the enforcement power...!」
Saikyou's examination was correct.
Amane concentrated his causality interference to raise the absoluteness exactly like what she said.
That was really to the point of reaching the 「result」 without the need of 「process」.
And currently, Amane had only one thought imbued in his power.
Killing intent.
In other words...
「Those black arms ignore the method and process, becoming the hands of a reaper that push for the "death" result that all things cannot avoid! Just being grazed by it will send you to the afterlife! There will be casualties if we dawdle around...! Bro! I will leave the evacuation guidance of the audience to you!」
「Wh-What will Saikyou-sensei do!?」
「I will go suppress that kid! Since Ku-chan and the others are having their hands full with protecting the audience!」
Saying so, Saikyou manifested her Device Beniiro Ageha, and blew away the windows of the broadcast stand with a horizontal swing. Then she wrapped her whole body in an armor of magic with such a concentration that could be recognized by sight and leapt out from the window frame.
She intended to fly and land on the ring.
However...
"That isn't necessary."
Ikki on the ring stopped Saikyou's action.
「Kuro-bou...?」
"Sensei, please protect the audience stand. I will stop him."
He would stop Amane himself.
The person who disagreed was Kurono at the audience stand.
"Don't say stupid things, Kurogane! You have already won! There is no need for you to go any further!"
"No. With the property of Amane-kun's ability, not a single mistake can be allowed in the protection of the audience stand. Thinning out the defence is dangerous... Also, I saw myself in him."
"Kurogane...!"
"Even though the match has already been decided and he has lost his consciousness and taken plenty of injuries, he is still challenging me like this. Then... I cannot turn my back on such an enemy."
Saying so, Ikki took his stance against Amane.
He did not intend to leave that place.
It was only natural from Ikki's perspective.
Not to mention, finally, at that moment...
"You are finally making a better expression. Amane-kun."
Amane finally showed him his true self after putting on a fake mask ever since their first meeting.
'...I understand them. Those feelings of yours.'
「My Nameless Glory is an invincible power... There is nothing impossible. There is no wish that cannot be granted... It has been like this ever since. That's why, that's why I was even able to give up on myself...!」
Finding a reason to give up on himself represented the feeling of not wanting to give up.
Despite living, he had to give up all his potential himself.
Normal people would not have the nerve to do that.
It was more difficulty than suicide in a sense. That's why a reason was necessary.
He needed a reason that could convince himself no matter how forceful it was.
To Amane, the absoluteness of Nameless Glory was probably it.
...What feelings Amane had poured into his screams, Ikki painfully comprehended them.
'I was also like that.'
A failure born into a powerful famous household.
The value of the human Ikki Kurogane was denied, and nobody expected anything of him since his childhood.
He also used his talentless self as a reason, and was about to give up on his own potential.
He was cornered to the point that he had no choice but to do that.
However, at that time, Ikki had an encounter.
「Are you frustrated, brat? Then, don't discard that frustration. That's the proof that you haven't given up on yourself.」
With a man who gave him the courage to continue believing in his own potential.
Because there was that encounter, he was able to continue fighting to the present.
Ikki was conscious of it.
However... Amane, no, Shion Amamiya did not have that.
He did not have Ryuuma Kurogane, Shizuku Kurogane, Stella... he had nobody.
Be it his friends or family, nobody looked at him, only looking at his power.
His own existence had no place in the world.
He had been wandering like a ghost in the barren world with that kind of ultimate isolation.
He told himself that he had a reason to give up as it couldn't be helped.
...Ikki knew how harsh that was.
'Then…'
What he should do was already decided.
He had always wished to become a person that could give courage to someone who could not believe in his own potential ─ that's why he walked on the path of knighthood!
"You probably cannot tolerate me. You probably cannot forgive me. Then bring along all of your hatred and challenge me! With my weakest, I will defeat your resignation...!"
Telling him strongly that he would accept his challenge, Ikki activated his trump card, Ittōu Shura.
He stepped forward towards Amane while clad in blue light.
"U... aAAaAAAAAAAA!!!!"
Amane raised a cry in response and lashed out countless reaper's arms that manifested his killing intent.
Amane was way stronger in terms of magic power.
Ittōu Shura's level of magic power could not even be considered an armor.
Just a graze from a reaper's hand would probably take Ikki's life.
However, Ikki did not escape or show any wavering despite knowing it and moved forward...
"HAaaa!!!!"
With the swordsmanship that could be called the fastest, he cut down the reaper's hands that pursued him like a wave of spears and moved forward.
He could not be stopped.
Not even a single step.
Not even a single moment.
Like the moonlight splitting apart the darkness of night.
The blue light scattered the pressuring black flame.
The powerful figure of that strength had stopped the feet of the audience that should've been escaping from Amane's rampage, making them focus on the ring.
「I-Incredible...!」
「Even though he won the match already, does he intend to carry it by himself to the end!?」
Even though Ikki did not have the obligation to do that.
The audience could not understand for what reason was Ikki doing that much.
However, even so...
His side face had conveyed that he had some sort of strong determination.
Therefore...
「Gooo! Don't lose, Kurogane!」
「Take that cheating bastard down!」
「Do your best! Ikki-kun!」
Despite the fact that the match they should've been cheering was already over, the audience sent cheers of support to Ikki.
And as if responding to that, Ikki further increased his speed.
Saikyou understood it after seeing that scene.
「Concentrating has brought out a flaw.」
「A flaw?」
「That's right. Certainly, if it's the Nameless Glory that is concentrated to the point of being visible, it will go straight to "death" while ignoring any and all processes. Kuro-bou can't do anything about it no matter what he tries. But... concentrating the causality power of "death" has killed off the greatest advantage of Nameless Glory.」
「The greatest advantage... is?」
「The coincidence. Since Ama-chan has "only been wishing" until now. That would be great, I wish it can be like this. That's why his "will" cannot be read. What kind of causality change will happen cannot be predicted. After all, even the person who used the Noble Art does not know what kind of effect there will be. In fact, Kuro-bou only fixed the errors caused by Nameless Glory and had never avoided it once in the match. But now is different. The strong power of causality interference that can be seen by the naked eyes are moving according to the clear killing intent of Ama-chan. Ama-chan himself is controlling it. Then
─ even thousands of reaper's hands do not matter. Reading the intention of opponents. ─That's the most proficient field of the Worst One...!」
In addition, Amane himself also using that kind of ability for the first time, and could not move proficiently.
That kind of half-baked power would not work on Ikki.
In that case...
「Kuro-bou! You stopped me with such manly words. I will leave this fight to you! Take responsibility and make that idiot behave!」
Saikyou took a posture to fly out at any time and told him through the mic.
And then, at the same time Saikyou spoke those words...
"…!!!!"
Ikki finally caught Amane in sword range.
Amane's expression was grim, but he did not retreat.
If he turned tail even once, he would be cut down from behind just like that.
He understood that.
He manifested Azure in his two hands.
His blades, wrapped with the result of 「death」, counterattacked.
That shape was death itself.
That's only natural. If he lost that fight, his resignation would only be an excuse.
He had already lost too much to accept it by then.
'Just grazing him is fine! Just grazing his skin a bit will be my win!'
"UAAaah!"
With a painful scream, Amane swung his two swords.
However ─ the slashes he made drew only weak and coarse tracks.
It was similar to what Amane showed immediately after the match began, but not quite the same.
It was a bonafide amateur Chanbara.
Currently, when Nameless Glory's power was concentrated towards the vector of 「death」, he was moving without the blessing of fortune, unable to strike at the angles where Ikki's defence was weak, not even able to properly swing his swords on the right track.
And that kind of slash would not work on Ikki...
"…"
He easily guarded the two swords with a flash Amane's eyes could not even capture.
The impact sent Azure flying far behind.
No matter what he did, he could not stop Ikki's steps.
Amane painfully felt his own weak self unwillingly through that fact... and ground his teeth.
Frustrating.
He resented his weak self.
'...Since when has it been, I wonder. When did I start resenting my own powerlessness so much...'
He had long forgotten that feeling.
A power that could grant any kind of wish.
Amane was born possessing such abnormality, but he was unable to obtain anything.
Everything was snatched away from his hands by the 「Nameless Glory」.
Hence he gave up his desires.
Since no matter how much he wished for, he would not be able to obtain anything with his own hands.
However...
Aah, however...
"U...aAAaAAa…!"
""...!?"
...Right after, everyone, including Ikki, held their breaths from the shock.
It was the moment when Amane's resistance was subdued, when everyone believed that Ikki had settled the showdown.
The amateur swordsman Amane manifested his Device in his two hands again, and stepped up to slash back at Ikki.
And that was a slash with proper trajectory and timing that should not be possible for an amateur.
Was it the fortune caused by Nameless Glory? No. ─The power's vector was concentrated on 「death」, Amane, who wrapped it around his swords, could not use it.
That counterattack was purely from Amane's... Amane's own body technique.
He had traced the sword's path and posture many times under the control of his fortune, making them his own at the last minute without relying on his ability.
Ikki barely defended Amane's unexpected counterattack with his blade.
However, at that instant, for certain, he had stopped Ikki, who was unstoppable no matter what he did, for nearly an instant.
At that ─ Amane betted all of himself and increased his counterattacks!
'I want to win...'
His steps were firm, and for the first time in the match ─ he advanced.
What pushed his body on was the desire that he could not discard no matter how much he gave up or deceived himself.
'I want to win...!'
...Isn't it great? That guy can do anything with just luck.
...No matter what he does, he can be number one with just luck.
...Please make me happy. Shion-chan.
...That's why, please love father from now on.
Nobody would look at him, nothing could be held in his hands.
That kind of dead and yet alive, ghost-like life.
It would be fine no matter how small.
It would be fine no matter how trivial.
Just something that he could confirm to be his, something that he could definitely grab on.
He wanted to shout that he definitely existed in the world by obtaining it.
Currently, it was right before his eyes.
The victory that could not be obtained by the goddess that had been wrecking his life.
In that case...
'I must win!'
If he had managed to obtain it, he would feel like smiling for the first time from the bottom of his heart.
"UOOoOoOoOooOooooo!!!!"
Amane's scream was no longer cries, but changed to a roar filled with strong determination.
He made a left thrust.
The tip of his sword followed the fastest trail to pursue Ikki.
Intetsu stopped the unexpected counterattack from the right and was in no position to guard that.
It would pierce Ikki's life unconditionally.
...At that instant...
"Second Secret Sword ─ Rekkou."
"…Ah."
Before the thrust with Amane's full power reached Ikki's skin, the black blade that suppressed Azure on the right was swung and severed Amane's final strength.
"..."
Reverse diagonal, a flash. Amane, who was cut, fell to his knees.
Second Secret Sword, Rekkou.
That was a zero distance slash by using only the lower body's spring power and waist's twist to dish out a strike when the posture was stiff after receiving the opponent's sword. A sunkei using sword.
Doing so, Ikki deflected Amane's right sword and countered his thrust together.
And that strike had definitely finished Amane off for sure.
The 「death」 colored magic power flowing out from his body evaporated like fog.
Ikki did not make any follow-up attacks.
Amane also did not struggle to stand up.
They both understood.
Those fallen knees could not withstand anything further.
'Even though it's so close, how far it is.'
Exhausting his very best, exhausting all his strength, he could not squeeze out anything more...
...He could not deal a single wound.
Painfully feeling the difference in ability between the two, Amane dropped his waist to sit like seiza on the ground. And...
"...It's... my loss..."
Right then for sure, he accepted the reality before his eyes.
"Are you frustrated?"
"...Yes. That's right... I'm frustrated."
Amane kept quiet for a while at the question and replied with a small nod.
Frustrated.
The feeling that was more bitter than the blood rushing up his mouth could only be described as such.
To Amane's reply ─ Ikki said.
"Don't throw away that frustration. That is the proof that Amane-kun has not given up on himself."
"...Eh?"
Those words seemed to see through Amane's struggle in his own heart, making him raise his head to look up.
The reflection in his eyes was like that of a light seeping through from a cloud dispersing unknowingly and...
Ikki, who's back was facing the light and looking at him, showed a gentle smile that he had not seen before.
"A long time ago, when I was suffering similarly like you, a certain person said that. The feeling known as frustration, no matter how harsh, no matter how bitter, is something you cannot throw away. As long as you hold an indomitable feeling, humans can reach the moon... That's why, this time I will give you those words. If you feel frustrated, anytime you want, for any number of times, just keep challenging. What your power, which can grant any wish, could not grant, was a victory against me. If you are able to obtain it, that victory will be something belonging to you that you can be proud of. Something you would win with your own power, your own glory."
"...Ah."
"I will definitely become a man that won't be ashamed of being your goal ─ to receive your challenge."
Saying so, Ikki turned around and showed his back to Amane.
And he left the ring without turning back.
That steel-like sturdy back seemed to be telling him to catch up.
'Aah, I see...'
Amane was finally enlightened thanks to that back.
The reason Ikki ignored Kurono's interference and continued the battle after winning.
He had been watching.
The one who even he himself had given up on ─ at Shion Amamiya.
'...I can't win against him.'
Deceiving him, making him suffer, hurting his little sister.
He would even help a guy like that.
How to become so strong like him?
How to become so gentle like him?
Amane could not comprehend it when he could not even tolerate himself.
However, what if...
If he reached the place by chasing after that back...
...That was definitely the target he was aiming for by betting his life's journey.
Amane squeezed out the last ounce of his strength and stretched out his hand towards that distancing back.
And then, he grabbed strongly.
Of course, that hand would not grasp anything.
It would not reach Ikki's sleeve.
...For now.
However, someday, someday for sure...
Amane carved that burning frustration into his heart and fell on the spot.
「Right now, Contender Shinomiya has been restrained by the medical team and carried away. Really, what an unexpected commotion happened at the very end, but luckily, the excellent Mage-Knights have followed up and prevented casualties from appearing. As expected of the elites chosen for the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival. However, the person we should praise the most is, as expected, Contender Ikki Kurogane. After the end of the match, regardless of the storm-like development, he did not receive a single injury. Showing an overwhelming difference in abilities, he incapacitated the rampaging Contender Bad Luck, Amane Shinomiya. In tomorrow's finals, this overly strong F-Rank Knight will be facing against the true absolute powerhouse, Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion, who possesses the world's highest magic power. It can't be helped that we are looking forward to it even now.」
While hearing the voice of the announcer praising Ikki flowing within the dome, Shizuku rushed to where Ikki was.
"Shizuku! You will trip if you rush like that!"
Arisuin cautioned her from behind, but it did not reach her ears.
'Onii-same has won! Onii-sama has finally reached the finals...!'
Because she had lived together with Ikki since young, she was happier than anyone else.
She wanted to celebrate it immediately.
She wanted to congratulate him from the bottom of her heart.
Thinking so, Shizuku could no longer sit around and rushed to the contender waiting room.
And then...
'Onii-sama!'
She threw open the door of the waiting room intensively and called out to her brother.
However...
"..."
Her brother was certainly in the room, but he was leaning on the gate that connected to the dome and did not respond.
She could see that his eyes were closed, and did not respond when two people entered the waiting room.
"Oh, is he asleep? ...Well, although he did not get injured, he still used Ittou Shura. It's the after effect of it I suppose."
Seeing the figure of Ikki hanging his head down with his eyes closed, Arisuin, who chased from behind, muttered.
Certainly, Ittōu Shura was a technique that used all his strength in one minute.
After using it, Ikki would always sleep to recover his stamina.
However...
'Hu...h...?'
Do Ku N.
Shizuku felt an ominous premonition that seemed to freeze her heart after seeing that usual scene.
Cold sweat spilled out from her entire body, her body shook.
What exactly was it? Shizuku touched Ikki to find that answer...
"…!!!!"
She understood.
Her brother, Ikki Kurogane... was not breathing.