Chapter 436: Here and Now, I Will Surpass You!
"First to enter the arena is our princess herself—the Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion!"
Amid thunderous cheers and the commentator's excited shout, Stella passed through the red gate, her crimson hair swaying behind her as she stepped onto the stage.
"The second princess of the Vermillion Kingdom! I doubt anyone here is unfamiliar with her reputation as a genius!"
"She may have caused a little incident by arriving late in the first round, but I'm sure everyone still remembers what happened afterward!"
"She faced every remaining competitor in Block B at once and ended the entire battle with a single attack!"
"That colossal dragon silhouette covering the sky—the embodiment of ultimate violence! Will we witness it again today?!"
Stella's entrance produced an explosive reaction.
Her strength was unquestionable.
She was a genuine championship favorite.
Possessor of the world's greatest mana capacity, princess of the Vermillion Kingdom, and an exceptionally beautiful girl with a stunning figure—
With so many advantages combined, Stella's popularity was terrifying.
Countless spectators screamed her name.
"Princess Stella! Do your best!"
"Kyaa! Stella-sama, look over here!"
"The finals are tomorrow! Please don't destroy the venue again!"
Amid the roaring cheers, Stella walked forward with dignified confidence.
At the same time, every spotlight in the venue turned red and converged upon her.
As Stella advanced, crimson flames surged into the sky, forming a blazing path between the gate and the battlefield.
Naturally, these roaring flames were not created by Stella.
They were merely stage effects designed to heighten the atmosphere.
Such elaborate entrances were normally reserved for the finals.
However, this year's Festival was so exceptional that the operating committee decided to introduce them from the semifinals onward.
Although this was merely a tournament between students, it had attracted far more attention than many professional League matches.
No matter how outstanding a competitor might be, they were ultimately still students.
Faced with such an extravagant entrance, something rarely seen even in professional competition, most would inevitably become overwhelmed by the atmosphere.
Some nervousness or awkwardness was almost unavoidable.
Stella, however, was completely different.
As the princess of an entire kingdom, she had long since grown accustomed to grand spectacles like this.
Without hesitation, she ignored the towering flames burning on both sides and walked directly onto the stage.
Then she silently stared across the arena.
The instant Stella came to a stop, every light in the venue suddenly went dark.
At the same moment, the commentator's voice once again echoed through the speakers.
"However! Even someone as powerful as Stella cannot dominate this year's Seven Star Sword Art Festival uncontested!"
"There is one knight whose support for the championship has overwhelmingly surpassed every other competitor!"
"Please welcome our other protagonist!"
"Emerging from the blue gate—Falling Star Sword Emperor Luke Ashburn!"
"OOOOOOOOOOOH—!!!"
What erupted from the stands could no longer be called cheering.
It was sheer fanaticism shaking the heavens!
An atmosphere far more intense than Stella's entrance instantly engulfed the entire venue!
"SWORD EMPEROR! SWORD EMPEROR! SWORD EMPEROR! SWORD EMPEROR!"
Countless voices eventually merged into a single title that continued echoing throughout the arena!
At the same time, the extinguished lights came back on.
Blue radiance gathered upon the figure walking through the gate.
Within that azure light, countless points of starlight shimmered as though an endless night sky had descended upon the earth.
"This competitor… or perhaps I should say Sword Emperor-sama…"
"Honestly, I no longer know what words could possibly describe him."
"The quality of this year's Seven Star Sword Art Festival has been exceptionally high."
"Even across its long history, there have been very few years where so many outstanding competitors participated at the same time."
"The only recent era comparable to this was when World Clock and Yaksha Princess competed."
"Yet even among this dazzling generation of stars, Luke's path through the tournament has been unimaginably difficult."
"I wonder how many people have noticed that the opponents he faced were far more terrifying than anyone else's."
"Sword Emperor of Wind Kurogane Ouma!"
"Bad Luck Shinomiya Amane!"
"Bloody Da Vinci Sara Bloodlily!"
"Even Twin-Wings Edelweiss herself was defeated by him!"
"Unbelievable! Absolutely terrifying!"
"Looking back at every opponent Luke has faced, every single one was powerful enough to drive ordinary competitors into despair!"
"And yet the Sword Emperor crushed them all with his unmatched strength—without suffering a single injury!"
"If the Crimson Princess represents ultimate violence, then the Falling Star Sword Emperor represents ultimate technique!"
"Will the dragon tear the stars from the heavens?!"
"Or will the stars bring down the dragon?!"
"This battle is certain to shake heaven and earth!"
Countless stars surrounded Luke.
Compared with Stella's destructive entrance through blazing flames, his atmosphere seemed far more dreamlike and ethereal.
That contrast pushed the audience's excitement to even greater heights.
Luke, however, paid no attention to the surrounding cheers.
Like Stella, he walked directly toward the battlefield without slowing down.
For other competitors, such an enormous crowd and extravagant spectacle might create unbearable pressure.
But Luke had experienced scenes like this before.
He had even witnessed miracles far more magnificent and breathtaking than anything the Festival could produce.
Right now, only one thing existed in his eyes.
The red-haired girl standing opposite him.
"What an incredible presence."
Luke was genuinely surprised.
He had already tried to estimate Stella as highly as possible.
Yet only after standing face-to-face with her did he realize that he had still underestimated her.
She had not yet reached Edelweiss's level.
However, the current Stella was already in no way inferior to Nene or Kurono.
At least according to Luke's senses, the pressure she exerted upon him was even greater than theirs.
Presence did not equal strength.
But it did prove one thing.
On the broadest level, Stella had already stepped into a realm comparable to Nene and Kurono.
Without question—
She was now one of the world's strongest.
"Finally…"
"I've caught up to you!"
Stella stared directly at Luke.
She ignored the surrounding cheers.
She ignored the surprise and admiration in Luke's eyes.
Only one thing remained within the girl's heart.
Blazing fighting spirit!
"It's been a year."
"Ever since you defeated me so easily when school began, I've spent almost an entire year chasing your back."
"It was precisely because you stood ahead of me as my goal that I became who I am today…"
"But…"
"I'm sorry."
"After spending an entire year staring at the same person's back, I've started getting a little impatient."
As Stella spoke, crimson flames gathered around her right hand.
The scarlet fire danced and gradually formed the shape of a sword.
Boom—!
With a violent explosion, the enormous golden greatsword of flame plunged directly into the ground.
The resulting shockwave and flames shattered nearly one-third of the stage in an instant.
Stella gripped the hilt tightly.
Then, with unwavering determination, she declared to Luke,
"Here and now—"
"I will surpass you!"
…
…
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