Nia

Fantasy Library, Ch 51-55

Added 2025-03-10 11:47:01 +0000 UTC

Chapter 51: Tomorrow’s Match?

"Match over."

"Winners: Ayato Amagiri & Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld."

As the mechanical announcement echoed through the live broadcast channel, a deafening wave of cheers erupted once more, stretching on without end.

"…I see. No wonder you said Ayato-senpai and his team are the toughest opponents."

Watching Ayato and Julis high-five in celebration on stage, Kirin Toudou wore a serious expression.

"Ayato-senpai is really strong… Maybe even stronger than me."

At least in terms of physical ability and Prana, Kirin was certain—she couldn’t match Ayato Amagiri.

"Right now, he probably is stronger than you."

Kaiser didn’t deny it. Instead, he simply nodded in agreement.

In the original storyline, Ayato had once lost to Kirin in a duel—but that was because he had struggled to wield Ser-Veresta properly.

Ser-Veresta’s immense size had posed a major drawback in agility, limiting Ayato’s swordsmanship and preventing him from utilizing his full potential. That was the primary reason he had lost to Kirin back then.

At the time, rather than aiding him, Ser-Veresta had actually been a burden.

Now, however, Ayato no longer had Ser-Veresta. Instead, he wielded Wole-Zain, a weapon of the same caliber. Though Wole-Zain wasn’t exactly small—certainly larger than the traditional katana Ayato was most proficient with—it was still smaller than Ser-Veresta’s default form.

In other words, though both weapons belonged to the Four-Colored Magic Swords, Ser-Veresta had hindered Ayato far more than Wole-Zain did.

With Wole-Zain in his hands, Ayato was undoubtedly stronger than when he wielded Ser-Veresta.

If he were to duel Kirin now, he might not lose as he had in the original timeline.

After all, so long as his swordsmanship wasn’t excessively restricted, a Four-Colored Magic Sword-class Orga Lux would be nothing short of an immense power boost for him.

"Wole-Zain’s ability is related to space, right, Senpai?"

Kirin turned to Kaiser, asking while her cheeks subtly reddened.

She had just realized how close she was to Kaiser—so close that certain prominent parts of her figure were pressed against his arm.

"Yeah."

Kaiser, however, was too engrossed in watching Wole-Zain in Ayato’s hands to notice. While replaying the moment Ayato activated the weapon, he absentmindedly answered Kirin’s question.

"Although each of the Four-Colored Magic Swords has a different ability, they all share one defining trait—they cannot be conventionally defended against."

"For example, Ser-Veresta can burn and sever all things. No matter what weapon the enemy tries to block it with, their weapon will be cut apart alongside it."

"The same goes for Wole-Zain. It can sever space itself along a designated coordinate axis, slicing through anything within that space."

A magic sword capable of cutting space itself—there was no need to explain how terrifyingly powerful such an Orga Lux was.

"Ayato has only recently obtained Wole-Zain, so he probably can’t fully unleash its potential yet."

"But even so, an ordinary Lux weapon would have absolutely no chance of blocking Wole-Zain."

"Unless the opposing weapon is an Orga Lux of the same caliber, Wole-Zain—just like my Ser-Veresta—is an attack that cannot be defended against."

Kaiser paused the replay, enlarging the image of Wole-Zain in Ayato’s hands.

"If you ever have to face Ayato, remember—don’t try to block Wole-Zain with your Senbakiri. Understand?"

"…Yes."

Without looking back, Kaiser issued his warning.

The response he received was a tense, flustered voice.

That was when he finally realized—this girl was practically pressing herself against him.

"…You know, you don’t have to stick that close."

"I-I'm sorry!"

Kirin practically jumped away in a panic, her face so red it looked like she was about to start steaming.

"Ahem." Kaiser cleared his throat theatrically, suppressing a certain indescribable feeling inside him. Then, he changed the subject. "Ayato and Julis make for a strong team, but the other teams aren’t to be underestimated either."

"Let’s take this chance to analyze the rest of today’s matches."

At his words, Kirin naturally had no objections and eagerly nodded.

And so, the two of them proceeded to watch the battles of the other noteworthy teams.

For some reason—perhaps due to intentional planning by the Tournament Operations Committee—many of the top-ranked teams from each academy had been scheduled to compete today, despite the first round spanning four days.

For example:

Saint Gallardworth Academy’s Rank 11, "Armored Magus" Doroteo Lemus, and Rank 12, "Radiant Blade" Elliot Forster.

Jie Long Seventh Institute’s Rank 9, "Illusory Genesis" Li Shenyun, and Rank 10, "Phantom Mist" Li Shenhua.

Queenvale Academy for Girls’ Rank 7, "Water Dragon" Sandra Segur, and Rank 47, "Battle Card Witch" Nina Achenwall.

These were the three teams Claudia had labeled as the strongest representatives of their respective academies—and all of them were competing today.

It was clear that Claudia hadn’t singled them out for no reason.

Though their rankings weren’t particularly high, their true capabilities were far beyond what their rankings suggested.

Doroteo Lemus, the "Armored Magus", was a university student already over twenty years old. This was his third time participating in the Festa. Though he had never won the championship, there was no denying that he was a veteran warrior, honed through countless battles.

Elliot Forster, the "Radiant Blade", was his complete opposite. Just like Kirin, he was a student from the elementary division—extremely young, yet exceptionally talented in swordsmanship. In terms of pure potential, he was at least on par with Kirin, prompting her to pay particular attention to him.

These two may have only been at the bottom of Saint Gallardworth’s Page One, but if they had been Seidoukan students, both would have been top-five contenders—comparable to Julis in strength.

With the two of them teaming up, they were undoubtedly strong candidates for the Top 8, or even the Top 4, in this year’s Phoenix Festa.

Similarly, Li Shenyun and Li Shenhua from Jie Long Seventh Institute were no weaklings either. Not only were they individually strong, but as identical twins, their coordination was unrivaled. Their teamwork was likely the most seamless among all competitors—a level of synergy far beyond what Kaiser and Kirin could achieve in just a month of training together.

As for Sandra Segur, the "Water Dragon", she had delivered an equally outstanding performance.

Because—she, too, was an Orga Lux wielder.

Just from her title alone, "Water Dragon", it was clear—her Orga Lux granted her control over water, and she had demonstrated this ability impressively in battle.

If she were to face Julis one-on-one, then in a pure duel, Julis would be guaranteed to lose.

There was no helping it. The elemental counter was simply too severe. For a Strega who wielded fire, Sandra Segur was the ultimate natural enemy.

"These three teams are almost certainly advancing to the main bracket."

After watching their matches, Kaiser made his assessment.

Each of these teams had won their first-round matches cleanly and effortlessly, completely overwhelming their opponents. Their performances were just as dazzling as Kaiser & Kirin’s, and Ayato & Julis’. Their online popularity and support were just as high.

"Too bad none of Le Wolfe or Allekant’s strongest teams competed today."

Kirin flipped through multiple live channels but couldn’t find any other noteworthy matches. Neither Le Wolfe Black Institute nor Allekant Academy had fielded their top contenders yet.

Kaiser pondered for a moment before pulling up the match schedule.

"Tomorrow, huh?"

After checking a certain team’s match time, he made a decision.

"Kirin."

He looked at her and spoke.

"Tomorrow, let’s go watch the Vampire Princess."

Chapter 52: Just One of the Reasons

The second day of the Phoenix Festa.

Today, Asterisk, the city of duels, was still packed to the brim with people attending the tournament.

The streets were densely packed, forming an endless sea of people. Cafés, restaurants, ice cream parlors, and street vendors were all filled to capacity. Many visitors had stopped in their tracks, opening holographic screens on the spot to watch the live broadcasts, causing the entire city center to become completely gridlocked. Walking through the crowd was almost impossible.

"I-I can’t take it anymore, Senpai…"

Walking beside Kaiser, Kirin Toudou looked as if she were about to collapse. Her entire body swayed unsteadily, as though she might faint at any moment.

There was no helping it—the streets were simply too crowded. And with it being summer vacation, Asterisk was in the peak of summer. The artificial crater-lake at the city’s center reflected the blazing sun, sending scorching heat cascading over the six-star metropolis. The heat was comparable to the waves released by Ser-Veresta. Kirin was drenched in sweat, her face flushed red from the heat.

And to make matters worse—

Neither of them were nobodies.

As top-seeded championship contenders, their popularity and support ratings were through the roof.

At least 80% of the tourists who had come to Asterisk were here for the Phoenix Festa. Many had already seen Kaiser and Kirin before and knew exactly who they were.

In this situation, stepping onto the streets was no different from global superstars walking through a public plaza—the commotion they caused was massive.

Along the way, they had been greeted, cheered on, stopped for handshakes, and even bombarded with autograph requests. Under this blazing sun, they weren’t just fighting through the crowd—they were being swarmed by fans. It was exhausting.

"Sorry… I should’ve planned better."

Seeing Kirin on the verge of heat exhaustion, Kaiser let out a wry chuckle and reached out to hold her hand.

"If I had known it’d be this bad, I would’ve come alone. Now, even if I wanted to send you back, you probably wouldn’t make it, would you?"

Given this crowd, if he let Kirin return alone, she might collapse on the way.

The Genestella were considered the next evolution of humanity, but at the end of the day, they were still human. Aside from Strega and Dante, who possessed special abilities, most Genestella weren’t all that different from ordinary people when it came to heat resistance.

Which meant—

They could still get exhausted, and in this heat and congestion, heatstroke was a very real danger.

"Want me to carry you on my back?"

Kaiser offered casually.

Kirin visibly flinched, startled by the suggestion. She quickly shook her head.

"N-No, it’s fine, Senpai," Kirin forced herself to stay upright, replying in a strained voice. "We’re almost there… I just have to hold out a little longer."

Hearing this, Kaiser turned his gaze forward.

Up ahead, a massive domed building came into view.

It was one of Asterisk’s three largest battle arenas, second only to Sirius Dome in terms of usage during the Phoenix Festa.

The first week of preliminary matches took place across one main stage, three large-scale arenas, and seven mid-sized arenas. However, once the main bracket began in the second week, matches would only be held in the Sirius Dome and the three large-scale arenas.

By the time the Top 4 was decided, the Sirius Dome would become the sole battlefield, hosting both the semifinals and finals.

Kaiser and Kirin’s destination today was one of the large-scale arenas that would be used until the semifinals—where Kaiser’s person of interest was scheduled to compete.

However—

"At this rate, the match will probably be over by the time we get there."

Even Kaiser was getting frustrated.

Had he known this would happen, he might as well have used Ser-Veresta’s power to fly over.

If not for the risk of the heat waves injuring civilians, Kaiser would’ve already done so.

"This is worse than just training at the academy like we originally planned."

Kaiser was starting to regret his decision.

Fortunately, no one had tried anything inappropriate with Kirin during the journey. Otherwise, Kaiser really would have regretted coming.

"Just hang in there a bit longer, Kirin." Kaiser sighed. "If it gets too bad, let me carry you."

"O-Okay…" Kirin nodded weakly, barely managing a response.

And so, at a snail’s pace, the two of them inched forward through the crowd, taking over an hour just to reach their destination.

"We finally made it…"

The moment they stepped into the arena, the cool blast of air conditioning washed over them, making Kaiser feel as if he had come back to life.

"Uuuu… I’m sorry, Senpai…"

Kirin collapsed onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck, her voice full of guilt.

In the end, she hadn’t been able to hold out—Kaiser had carried her the rest of the way.

"It’s fine. We’re partners, aren’t we? And as your senior, it’s my job to look after you." Kaiser replied matter-of-factly. "Besides, you’re light. Carrying you is easy."

If anything, it actually felt nice.

Feeling the soft warmth against his back, Kaiser suddenly understood why certain guys always slammed on the brakes while driving girls around.

"Too bad we still missed the match."

Carrying Kirin on his back, Kaiser endured the odd stares from passersby as he turned into a secluded hallway, sighing in resignation.

"We can watch the replay online, but not being there in person means we can’t sense the Prana flow or catch the finer details of the fight."

Thanks to the air conditioning, Kirin had somewhat recovered. Still lying on Kaiser’s back, she opened a floating screen, pulling up the match replay.

Onscreen, a boldly dressed girl was shown dominating the fight.

She wore Le Wolfe Black Institute’s uniform in an extremely revealing way—her jacket tied around her waist, leaving only a swimsuit-like top covering her upper body.

In her hands, she wielded a massive crimson scythe, its blade larger than her entire body. Embedded at the base of the weapon’s handle was a glowing purple Urm-Manadyte.

It was Gravisheath.

The only Orga Lux owned by Le Wolfe Black Institute.

And the girl wielding it—was Irene Urzaiz.

The Rank Three of Le Wolfe Black Institute.

The Vampire Princess of Carnage.

She was the reason Kaiser had come today.

But now, her match was already over.

Kirin carefully analyzed the replay, absorbing every detail of Irene’s battle.

Her performance was outstanding. Her combat prowess was exceptional.

Despite Gravisheath’s immense size, Irene wielded it with effortless control, swinging its massive blood-red blade with astonishing agility. Each sweep carved crimson arcs through the air.

Watching this, Kirin reached a conclusion.

"Defeating her… won’t be easy."

"Senpai, is that why you were so interested in her? Because of Gravisheath?"

Kirin assumed this was the case.

But Kaiser shook his head.

"Gravisheath is only part of the reason."

He didn’t elaborate.

Instead, he suddenly stopped walking.

"Senpai?"

Kirin blinked in confusion—until she heard footsteps.

Ahead, in the deserted hallway, two figures were walking toward them.

"That’s…"

Seeing them, Kirin’s expression tensed.

Chapter 53: Striking Without Warning

At the far end of the deserted hallway, two girls—similar in both age and appearance—walked toward Kaiser and Kirin Toudou.

Though they looked alike, the atmosphere surrounding each of them was entirely different.

The girl on the left wore the proper uniform of Le Wolfe Black Institute, her long hair neatly braided into twin plaits. She had a gentle expression, her entire presence soft and delicate—completely unlike the kind of student one would expect from Le Wolfe Black Institute.

The girl on the right, however, was the complete opposite. She wore her uniform sloppily, leaving her top boldly unbuttoned. Despite the scorching heat, she had a scarf wrapped around her neck, her entire demeanor fierce and unruly.

"Irene Urzaiz…"

Lying on Kaiser’s back, Kirin softly murmured the name.

It was exactly the person they had come to see.

She had unexpectedly appeared before them—face-to-face.

At the moment, Irene seemed unaware of their presence. She had her hands on her head, looking exasperated as the girl beside her scolded her.

"Honestly, Onee-chan! Didn’t I tell you not to sneak off alone after the match?!"

The younger sister, with her gentle expression, stood with her arms crossed, glaring angrily at Irene.

Her name was Priscilla Urzaiz.

She was Irene’s biological sister, as well as her partner in the Phoenix Festa. Together, they had already secured a victory in the first round.

"…I wasn’t sneaking off." Irene, clearly guilty, hesitated before making a clumsy excuse. "I was just… going for a walk. Yeah. A walk."

"Liar!" Priscilla exposed her immediately. "You were totally trying to sneak off to Pleasure Street again to gamble!"

Pleasure Street—a redevelopment district notorious for its underground activities and criminal enterprises.

It was a place where one could find anything illicit—gambling, black-market trades, backroom deals, and more. The entire district was effectively controlled by the underworld, a den of crime where law-abiding citizens dared not step foot.

However, for Le Wolfe Black Institute students, going there wasn’t unusual.

After all, Le Wolfe students were often the ones running those illegal businesses in the first place.

And judging by Irene’s reaction, she was a regular there.

Seeing her excuse exposed, Irene quickly put on a sheepish grin.

"I was just going to take a look! I wasn’t planning to cause trouble."

Unfortunately, Priscilla wasn’t buying it.

"That’s exactly what you said last time! And then what happened?! You trashed an entire casino!"

"Uh… That was an accident…"

"I don’t believe you! You always lie!"

"This time will be different!"

The two sisters continued to bicker, completely absorbed in their argument as they unknowingly approached Kaiser and Kirin.

Finally—

"…Huh?"

Irene suddenly noticed them.

Turning her head, her eyes locked onto Kaiser.

"It’s you?"

For a moment, Irene’s expression flashed with surprise—but it quickly sharpened, her gaze turning fierce.

"You’re…?"

Priscilla also noticed them, her expression filled with confusion.

"Nice to meet you."

Still carrying Kirin on his back, Kaiser finally spoke. He cast a brief glance at Priscilla, then turned to Irene, smiling faintly.

"Didn’t expect to run into you here, Vampire Princess"

It was an unexpected bonus.

"…I also didn’t expect to see your face here, Blazing Star Swordsman."

Irene took a step forward, subtly shifting to place Priscilla behind her, a cold smirk forming on her lips.

Her eyes, though not overtly hostile, carried a sharpness that looked ready to cut.

"I thought your match was yesterday? What are you doing here today?" Irene narrowed her eyes, grinning wolfishly. "Don’t tell me… you came here for us?"

As she spoke, a hint of hostility finally surfaced in her expression.

Yet, Kaiser remained unfazed.

"Do we look like we came for you?"

Kaiser shifted Kirin slightly on his back, causing her blush to deepen.

Irene, though still suspicious, glanced at Kirin’s completely flustered face and found it hard to believe they would come after her in this state.

"Then why are you here?" Irene pressed. "Don’t tell me you two are just here to flirt?"

At those words, Kirin’s face turned even redder.

"What else? We came to watch the matches, obviously." Kaiser replied calmly, his expression relaxed. "Too bad we got here too late—your match was already over. Otherwise, I would’ve gotten a good look at Gravisheath and what it can really do."

At those words—

Irene smiled.

A dangerous smile.

"You want to see Gravisheath… is that it?"

A sinister gleam flashed in her eyes, tinged with a blood-red glow.

Her entire presence shifted—becoming far more violent.

She reached into her coat and pulled out a device.

A black hilt, embedded with a glowing purple Urm-Manadyte.

A weapon Activator.

"If you want to see it…"

The Urm-Manadyte glowed, pulsating with energy.

Mana surged violently, forming into a massive crimson scythe, its blood-colored blade humming with power.

"…Then I’ll give you a good look right now!"

"…!"

In that instant—

Both Kaiser and Kirin sensed the immense danger radiating from Irene.

"Senpai!"

"Onee-chan!"

Both Kirin and Priscilla cried out at the same time.

But before they could react—

Both Kaiser and Irene moved!

Irene’s eyes flashed red, a sharp fang peeking from her lips as she grinned savagely.

With no hesitation, she swung the scythe downward—a vicious, merciless strike aimed directly at Kaiser’s head!

The crimson blade tore through the air, leaving behind a streak of red light as it descended toward him.

It was a sudden, ruthless attack.

Yet—

Kaiser was just as fast.

In an instant, he let go of Kirin, dropping her safely to the ground.

His hand flashed to his waist, drawing a pitch-black Activator from its sheath.

"Clang!"

A brilliant white-hot blade erupted from the hilt, materializing at blazing speed.

In a single motion, Kaiser swung upward, meeting Gravisheath’s crimson arc head-on.

"CLANG!"

The sound of metal colliding rang through the empty hallway, sending sparks flying as the two weapons clashed.

Kaiser had blocked the strike.

His expression remained calm and composed.

"Senpai!"

Now freed, Kirin immediately reached for her sword, gripping Senbakiri, ready to draw at a moment’s notice.

"Onee-chan…?!"

Meanwhile, Priscilla stood frozen, stunned by her sister’s sudden aggression.

"Ho?" Irene raised an eyebrow, still grinning. "You blocked that so easily? Not bad—not bad at all, Rank One of Seidoukan."

"And you’re as reckless as the rumors say." Kaiser’s golden eyes remained locked onto hers, unmoved by the crackling sparks between their blades. "Striking without warning… You do realize you’re violating the Tournament Committee’s rules?"

If a Festa participant was caught engaging in unauthorized combat, the penalty was immediate disqualification.

And yet—

"I don’t care about the rules." Irene’s smirk widened. "If I finish the job here and now—then my work is done."

Hearing those words—

Kaiser’s gaze sharpened.

Chapter 54: Prepare for Heavy Losses

Why was Kaiser so interested in Irene Urzaiz?

It was simple.

He knew that the reason she was participating in this year’s Phoenix Festa was very likely because of him.

In the original story, this woman had been sent to deal with Ayato Amagiri because of Ser-Veresta.

Now, Ser-Veresta was in his hands.

And yet—Irene was still here, still competing in this year’s Phoenix Festa.

Which meant—

She had likely been sent to take him out.

Kaiser had wanted to verify this suspicion.

That was why he had been closely observing Irene—why he had come all this way to watch her match in person.

And now—

With just a single sentence, Irene had essentially confirmed his theory.

"So it’s true—she entered the Phoenix Festa specifically to deal with me."

With this realization, Kaiser’s golden eyes turned cold.

He wasn’t the kind of protagonist who would take this lightly.

So—

"Take me down?" Kaiser spoke calmly. "With just you?"

The red glow in Irene’s eyes flared even brighter.

Her smile turned even more savage.

"With Gravisheath in my hands!"

The moment she declared this—

The purple Urm-Manadyte embedded in Gravisheath suddenly glowed ominously.

"Boom!"

A deep, resonating pressure erupted in the air.

It was as if an invisible mountain had descended from the heavens, crushing the space around them.

A violet aura enveloped Kaiser, and in that instant—his entire body felt unbearably heavy.

He nearly buckled under the weight.

"Gravity…!"

Kaiser’s expression shifted.

It was as if an unseen force was pressing down on him, suffocating him beneath an overwhelming pressure.

The ability to manipulate gravity—this was the true power of Gravisheath.

Among the many Orga Lux that had appeared in past Festas, Gravisheath was famous for two reasons.

First—its sheer power.

It allowed its wielder to freely manipulate gravity within a designated area, adjusting its direction and magnitude at will.

If gravity was drastically increased, even the superhuman Genestella would find it difficult to move.

Right now—

Kaiser was experiencing this power firsthand.

"Die."

With Kaiser pinned down by Gravisheath’s gravity field, Irene raised her massive crimson scythe high above her head.

Her voice, low and deep, carried the chilling finality of a death sentence.

She was about to bring the blade down.

"Onee-chan!"

Priscilla’s panicked scream filled the corridor.

Kirin had already drawn her sword, rushing toward Irene in an instant.

And at that exact moment—

"Boom!"

A blinding explosion of Prana erupted.

Kaiser’s entire body ignited with a torrent of surging star energy.

The force was overwhelming, filling the entire hallway with a cascade of glowing stardust.

All of his Prana channeled into Ser-Veresta.

The black engravings on its blade lit up like flowing lava, spiraling toward the red Urm-Manadyte at its core.

"Vmmm!"

Ser-Veresta shuddered violently.

The heat radiating from its blade escalated to an extreme—its pure white glow darkening into a deep violet, then shifting entirely to black.

At that moment—

Ser-Veresta was unleashed at its fullest.

Its output surged to maximum capacity.

"HAAAAAH!"

With a furious roar, Kaiser swung his sword.

"SLASH!"

The violet aura trapping him shattered instantly—as if ripped apart like paper.

"What…?!"

The glow in Irene’s eyes flared even brighter in shock.

But Kaiser didn’t stop.

The moment he felt the pressure vanish, he gripped his sword with both hands and swung again—this time, directly at Irene.

"Tch…!"

The bloodlust vanished from Irene’s expression.

As if snapping out of a trance, she clicked her tongue in annoyance and raised Gravisheath to block.

"CLANG!"

The blackened blade of Ser-Veresta met the crimson scythe of Gravisheath.

No metallic clash rang out.

No sparks flew.

Instead—

It was like cutting through flesh.

"SHIIING!"

Ser-Veresta cut straight through the blade of Gravisheath.

As if screaming in agony, the Urm-Manadyte embedded in Gravisheath let out a high-pitched, piercing wail.

"BOOM!"

The crimson blade of the scythe exploded.

It disintegrated into pure Mana, bursting apart in a shockwave that sent both combatants flying.

"Senpai!"

Without hesitation, Kirin lunged forward, arms outstretched.

She caught Kaiser mid-air, cushioning his landing.

"Ahh!"

Priscilla, however, was not so lucky.

Completely unprepared, she was knocked over as Irene crashed into her.

"Priscilla!"

Even with shock still lingering on her face, Irene’s red eyes returned to normal as she saw her sister fall.

All of her aggression vanished.

She immediately rushed to Priscilla’s side.

"Senpai! Are you okay?!"

Meanwhile, Kirin held Kaiser tightly, anxiously checking for injuries.

"…I’m fine."

Kaiser shook his head, pushing himself out of Kirin’s arms before turning his gaze forward.

"Priscilla! Are you okay?! Don’t scare me!"

Irene frantically lifted her dazed sister, her voice trembling with worry.

"Uuuu…"

Priscilla, clutching her head, looked completely disoriented—as if she had taken a hard hit and couldn’t focus.

She wasn’t in any real danger, but she was in pain.

"You…!"

Irene finally turned her gaze back to Kaiser.

Her expression was a mix of anger and disbelief.

"You actually… cut through my gravity… and broke Gravisheath’s blade?!"

This was a first.

Since obtaining Gravisheath, she had relied on its overwhelming power to dominate her opponents.

She had never encountered anyone who could so easily overpower it—much less slice through it in a single exchange.

It was unheard of.

A single attack.

A clean cut through an Orga Lux.

How absurdly powerful was this man?

"Why are you so surprised?"

Meeting Irene’s shaken gaze, Kaiser’s lips curled slightly—a hint of mockery in his voice.

"Isn’t this exactly why you were sent after me?"

At those words—

Irene’s expression flickered.

She remembered what she had been told before coming here.

"That sword is too dangerous. If we let him continue wielding it, he’ll become a problem for me in the future. Go take care of him."

The scowling face of that fat bastard flashed through her mind.

And for the first time—

Irene’s eyes shifted toward Ser-Veresta.

"So this… is the power that man was so afraid of?"

The legendary Four-Colored Magic Sword.

A blade that could burn through anything.

Before, she had assumed it was exaggerated.

But now—

If this thing could slice through an Orga Lux as if it were paper, then perhaps the rumors weren’t so far from the truth.

"That bastard… sent me to fight against this?!"

It felt like she had been sent to her death.

But still—

"I’ll remember this, Blazing Star Swordsman."

Irene held her dazed sister close, her gaze burning with determination.

"Don’t think for a second that this is over."

Leaving those final words, she turned and walked away.

Kaiser didn’t stop her.

Instead, he simply watched her retreating figure.

And with a quiet smirk, he murmured—

"If you were sent here for me… you’d better be prepared for heavy losses."

Chapter 55: Claudia’s Invitation

For the next few days, Kaiser and Kirin Toudou stopped going out.

Aside from their matches, the two remained in the academy, spending their time training together or simply enjoying their break. Their days were productive.

For the other participants of the Phoenix Festa, even on their off days, it was difficult to truly relax. Unlike Kaiser and Kirin, they lacked absolute confidence in their abilities and had to constantly worry about elimination. Every moment was spent in preparation—pushing themselves harder to avoid being knocked out.

But for competitors like Kaiser and Kirin—powerful, self-assured, and widely considered championship contenders—there was no such pressure.

Under the arrangements of the Tournament Operations Committee, strong teams were not matched against each other during the preliminary rounds.

As a result—

For top seeds like Kaiser and Kirin, there was zero risk of elimination in the prelims. Their opponents were destined to be far below their level.

And the results proved it.

In the second round, Kaiser and Kirin faced students from Allekant Academy.

These opponents ranked even lower than the Le Wolfe thugs they had fought in the first round. Their only notable trait was their use of new-generation Lux weapons, which were somewhat impressive.

But—

Against Ser-Veresta?

Even the most advanced Lux would be shattered in a single strike.

Victory was effortless.

In the third round, they faced students from Saint Gallardworth Academy.

Their rankings were higher—one was Rank 22, the other Rank 27. Their swordsmanship was respectable, and their abilities were far superior to the thugs from Le Wolfe.

But—

Kaiser never even needed to step in.

Before he could act, Kirin had already taken them both down.

She didn’t even use Renzuru.

Another flawless victory.

And just like that—

Kaiser and Kirin became the first team to advance to the Round of 32, officially entering the main bracket.

To them—

The prelims had been no challenge at all.

They weren’t the only ones.

Ayato Amagiri and Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld also progressed without a hitch, securing their spot in the Top 32.

All of the strongest teams that had been under close watch also advanced without incident, making it into the main event.

On the sixth day of the Phoenix Festa, the Round of 32 was finalized.

With this, the preliminary stage came to an end.

The weekend was designated as a rest period, with no matches scheduled.

But come Monday, the true battle for the Phoenix Festa championship would begin.

Everyone was looking forward to the upcoming battles.

Especially those eager to face strong opponents.

Those who had made it this far were all elite warriors of their respective academies.

There was no chance of anyone backing down.

Perhaps some were nervous.

Perhaps some were uneasy.

But fear?

Not a single one of them felt that.

And Kaiser—

Was already prepared.

However just as he was ready to quietly wait for the main bracket to begin an unexpected invitation arrived via text message.

....

Phoenix Festa, Day 7 – Weekend

Today, Kaiser was not with Kirin—the partner he had spent almost every moment with lately.

Instead, he left the academy alone, heading toward Sirius Dome.

He had taken precautions this time.

Wearing a mask and a baseball cap, he had disguised himself slightly.

There was no choice.

At this point, he was too well-known.

If he didn’t want a repeat of his last experience—where he had been mobbed by fans—some level of camouflage was necessary.

With this setup, he blended into the crowd, slipping into Sirius Dome unnoticed.

He made his way through the internal corridors, eventually arriving at a VIP box near the stage.

This private suite was not large and had limited seating.

But it offered one of the best views of the arena.

A premium location.

When Kaiser entered, there was only one person inside.

"Welcome to the Seidoukan Academy Student Council’s private suite."

Claudia Enfield greeted him warmly, her usual smile radiant.

She had clearly been waiting for him.

As Kaiser pulled off his mask and hat, he returned her smile.

"Feels like it’s been a while, President."

Since their last conversation in the Student Council Office, Kaiser hadn’t seen Claudia.

By now, it had been nearly half a month.

From a certain perspective, it really had been a long time.

"Well, you needed to focus on your matches, and I had my own responsibilities. It wouldn’t have been right to disturb you." Claudia responded with her usual elegant demeanor.

"But even so," she continued, her smile deepening, "it took a lot of resolve for me to invite you here today. I hope I didn’t interrupt your training with Kirin?"

"Of course not."

Kaiser took a seat, settling into one of the front-row seats.

"Tomorrow is the main bracket. At this point, last-minute training won’t help much. It’s more important to rest and recover, so Kirin and I decided to take the weekend off."

This was a strategic decision.

Unlike the prelims, the main bracket would be relentless.

The tournament would run for six consecutive days.

Day 1: Round of 32 → Round of 16 (16 matches).

Day 2: Round of 16 → Quarterfinals (8 matches).

Day 3: Break day (The only chance to rest).

Day 4: Quarterfinals → Semifinals.

Day 5: Semifinals → Finals.

Day 6: The Championship Match.

No rest between the final three rounds.

Knowing this, Kaiser had decided to stop training, ensuring Kirin could recover before the storm.

Originally he had planned to spend the weekend relaxing in the academy, before discussing strategy with Kirin later in the evening.

But—

Claudia’s invitation had changed his plans.

"When does the drawing start?"

While gazing at the arena, Kaiser asked casually.

Today, Claudia was here for the official match draw.

In the main bracket, matchups were not prearranged by the Operations Committee.

Instead, each academy’s representative would draw their placements.

Right now, the drawing ceremony was taking place inside Sirius Dome.

"Not for a while," Claudia replied, settling into the seat beside him.

"The drawings come last. Before that, we have to sit through speeches from important figures, followed by a recap of the preliminaries. It’s going to take a while."

At the moment, Sirius Dome’s main stage was hosting an event similar to the opening ceremony.

Figures from the Tournament Operations Committee were giving lengthy speeches.

Politicians—like the Mayor of Asterisk—were analyzing the tournament’s progress.

Comparing it to previous Festas.

Debating whether this year’s competitors were stronger or weaker.

The arena was packed.

But—

Most were here just to see the match draw.

No one cared about the endless speeches.

Many looked bored out of their minds.

"So we’re in for a long wait." Kaiser sighed.

"I agree. It’s tedious." Claudia chuckled, her tone light.