She’s not responding to the signal?!
Kanata had told her that Stella was safe, so the announcement surprised Touka greatly.
“Kana, you said Kurogane was at the Festival arena. Was Stella not with him?”
“I don’t know the specifics, but her defeat at the hands of the Gale Sword Emperor bothered her deeply, so she went to train with Ms. Saikyou. Perhaps that would explain why she was not with Kurogane.”
“Maybe. But if she was with Ms. Saikyou, then this doesn’t make sense.”
Why would that lead her to not being present for the start of her match? Touka and Kanata were worried and confused, but they quickly got an update through the television.
“Oh? We’ve just received word from the committee. Stella Vermillion’s train was delayed due to some issues along the route, so she will be arriving late.”
“That’s a shame. Still, this is why we had the party two days ago—to avoid things like this.”
“Right. If only she’d come to Osaka early with the other Hagun students… Hm? What’s this? Icy Sneer Mikoto Tsuruya is petitioning the committee for a victory by default!”
“Is Stella truly going to lose because of this?” Kanata asked as she stared at the screen, worried.
“No. I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Touka shook her head. Last year, she had participated in the Seven Stars as Hagun Academy’s team captain. Because of this, she had a good grasp of the Festival’s rules. “Showing up days in advance isn’t a rule at all. In fact, if a contestant is late to their match, the match is usually postponed.”
“Ooh! I’ve just received a message from the committee. ‘According to the rules, block B’s fourth battle will be postponed. Because of this, the request for a victory by default has been denied!’”
“Well, rules are rules.”
“Is there no penalty for being late?”
“In this case, no, because the committee has confirmed her story using the railroad’s schedule. That said, we have been pushing to make advanced arrival a rule in order to avoid incidents like this.”
At the Seven Stars Battle Festival, decisions were made by a meeting of the committee. Much like in other combative sports, once decisions were made, there was no overturning them. In other words, thanks to their decision, Stella would not automatically forfeit, prompting a sigh of relief from Kanata.
“Phew. I was getting nervous.”
“But if she doesn’t arrive in time for the delayed match, she’s out.”
She’ll be there by then, right? I hope so.
Incidentally, Stella’s match would have been the last of block B’s matches for the day. With block B technically complete for the day, an announcement rang through the arena.
“We have a message for everyone present: There will be a ten-minute intermission as we set up for future matches. Afterward, block C’s first match will begin.”
“So the first round is already halfway over. I can’t believe I missed it all. Hey, Kana? Has Kurogane’s match already happened?”
“No, his is the fourth match of block C. You’ve not missed a thing.”
“That’s great news.” As he was the person who had defeated her and taken her spot, Ikki’s was the one match she simply could not miss. “By the way, who’s his opponent?”
“Oh, that’s right. You can’t have seen the tournament brackets yet.”
“Nope. So, Kana, who is Kurogane’s opponent in his first match?”
“I think you, more than anyone, will find this matchup very interesting.” Kanata made a difficult expression, as if trying to stifle a smirk. That look gave Touka a bad feeling, which was quickly proven correct. “The Worst One’s first opponent is the Seven Stars King, Yuudai Moroboshi.”
“Kurogane’s in a tough spot right from round one, huh?”
“Yes. We should know as much from his selection battles, but he and good luck are unacquainted.”
“I guess you could say that legends often find themselves faced with greater trials.”
Initially, Ikki hadn’t been matched up against the Seven Stars King. The major reduction in contestants, however, had caused Moroboshi’s seeding, which had originally given him a first-round bye, to change. Ikki had certainly gotten the short end of the stick.
He’s like a black hole that draws in all sorts of bad luck.
“The Worst One and the Seven Stars King. How do you view this match, seeing as you’ve fought both of them?” Kanata asked out of the blue. Because of the intermission, the broadcast had been paused—perhaps she was simply bored.
“Well…” Touka closed her eyes, thinking for a bit before answering. “I’d say it’s sixty-forty in Moroboshi’s favor.”
“Sixty-forty is quite the narrow margin, considering who Kurogane’s up against.”
“It might be a crazy prediction considering their different standings in society, but there’s a good reason for it.”
“And what might that reason be?”
“Kurogane has a favorable matchup against Moroboshi. Do you know about Moroboshi’s Noble Art, Tiger’s Bite?”
“That’s the one that consumes other Noble Arts, yes?”
“Yeah. We Blazers can use Noble Arts, which are essentially magic. The ability to devour other Blazers’ magic like that gives him an incredible advantage over just about anyone else. Lorelei’s ice, the Crimson Princess’ fire, the Gale Sword Emperor’s wind—none of it works on Moroboshi. His Tiger King can just chew right through all of it.”
“As I recall, that’s what forced you to fight him at close range.”
Touka responded with a nod. One year ago, her lightning had been nullified entirely by Tiger’s Bite. Thanks to that, she had made no progress fighting from afar, leaving close range as her only option. She’d bet it all on her lightning-fast Raikiri strike, but Moroboshi’s adroit use of his spear had kept him out of her striking range until he’d won the match. The memory was still bitter for her.
“Hearing it again, it really is quite the unfair ability.”
“Yeah. Though its use is limited in non-Blazer battles, in exchange, it gives him an incredible advantage against Blazers. But that’s the problem: Kurogane isn’t the kind to rely on magic. His fighting style is extremely rare among Blazers, focusing more on physical combat. He only uses magic once a battle, and Tiger’s Bite is a Noble Art that only nullifies Noble Arts. It’s not meant as an offensive technique. Moroboshi’s going to be limited to physical combat—that is, his skill with the spear. He has the upper hand in terms of range, but an advantage as basic as that won’t be enough to stop Another One. Not by a long shot.”
In the same way that Raikiri had been at a disadvantage against Moroboshi, Ikki too would have to fight against the spear’s long reach. However, his mobility and foresight—along with his mid-range experience—far exceeded that of the average student knight. Even the Seven Stars King himself would have trouble keeping a swordsman like him at bay.
“Does that mean you think there’s a chance for a first-round upset?”
“Definitely.”