Chapter 447: Kurono's Complicated Feelings!
Luke looked absolutely miserable.
His entire body was covered in wounds of varying sizes.
Two injuries stood out above all the others.
The first was an enormous, twisted fist mark across his abdomen.
At first glance, it looked like the imprint of a small girl's fist.
But the charred flesh around it, melted and eroded by flames, resembled the claw marks of some monstrous beast carved into Luke's body.
The second wound stretched diagonally downward from his collarbone all the way to his waist.
It was so huge and vicious that it seemed as though just a little more force would have split Luke completely in two.
Thanks to those two wounds, Luke looked barely distinguishable from a corpse.
And yet—Not a single person believed he had already lost!
The conclusion everyone had reached only moments earlier was completely overturned in an instant.
The reason was simple.
The enormous pitch-black gate standing before Luke!
Everyone could clearly see it.
Its terrifying presence pressed down upon every spectator in the venue.
However, if someone calmed down and observed carefully, they would notice that the gate was not truly physical.
It was infinitely close to materializing, but still lacked that final step.
A faint, almost imperceptible sense of unreality lingered around it.
And that tiny missing piece was precisely what made Luke feel somewhat regretful.
...
Shock.
Confusion.
Unease.
Emotions like these spread throughout the entire venue.
"Luke is alive! Unbelievable!"
"A-And that state… No, wait! What is that gate?!"
The commentator was already becoming incoherent.
There was little he could do about it.
The realm of Desperados was a secret far beyond anything ordinary people could normally encounter.
So the only explanation he could think of was some special application of Luke's Blazer ability.
If that were all, an experienced commentator like Iida would not have panicked this badly.
What truly confused him was the mana slowly spilling out from Luke's body.
It was not fast.
Nor was the amount particularly large.
But every Blazer in the venue could clearly sense it.
"C-Could Luke possess some Noble Art capable of restoring mana?!"
"But… this phenomenon looks almost like…"
As a professional League commentator, Iida had witnessed more than one Noble Art capable of restoring mana.
That experience was exactly why he was so shocked.
Because what was happening to Luke now was fundamentally different from every method of mana recovery he had ever seen.
It was almost as though—Luke's maximum mana capacity itself was increasing!
Iida turned toward Kaieda beside him, hoping the influential elder could explain what was happening.
Instead, he found the chairman of the operating committee staring as though he had seen a ghost.
"Th-That is… impossible…"
"At his age, how could…"
"But that gate can't be mistaken…"
"Still… how is this possible…?"
Kaieda had once stood at the top of the League's professional circuit and now served as chairman of the Seven Star Sword Art Festival operating committee.
Because of that, he knew a little about the legendary Desperados.
But only a little.
His knowledge consisted of the most basic information and several rumors considered reasonably credible.
'A Blazer's total mana capacity is fixed at birth and can never change.'
For Blazers, this was common knowledge.
Not only in Japan, but throughout the League, the Union, China, and virtually every country across the world, this was what people were taught.
It had been an unshakable truth since ancient times!
But now—That common knowledge, that supposed truth, was being ruthlessly overturned before everyone's eyes!
"M-Maybe Luke simply has some unusual method of restoring mana…"
Even Kaieda himself sounded painfully unconvinced by his conclusion.
Many people could hear the hesitation in his voice.
Yet no one could refute him.
For now, it was the most reasonable explanation available.
After all—Increasing one's maximum mana capacity was simply impossible.
However, there were people in the audience who genuinely understood what was happening.
Unlike Kaieda, who only knew fragments—And unlike Tsukikage, Ouma, Sara, and the others who had encountered Desperados but only possessed secondhand knowledge—Kurono and Nene were the only two people present who truly understood the situation.
Only those who had personally stood before the gate to the Desperado realm could understand exactly what Luke was doing.
"He's insane!"
The bucket of popcorn slipped from Kurono's hands the instant she saw that gate.
She did not even notice.
Kurono shot to her feet in shock and stared at the reckless little monster standing in the arena.
"One mistake and he could die!"
"That damn brat… Does he seriously not care about his own life?!"
"Ha… Hahaha… Hahahahaha!"
Unlike the horrified Kurono, Nene laughed.
She laughed freely and joyfully, almost without restraint.
It was as though years of frustration had finally found an outlet, and she burst into wild laughter.
"Interesting! This is way too interesting!"
"How many years has it been since I've enjoyed myself this much?"
"Hey, Kuro."
"He's far braver than you ever were."
"Shut up!"
Hearing Nene's laughter and words, Kurono snapped at her as though she had been struck directly on a sore spot.
"You think this can be called 'bravery'?!"
"This is recklessness! Idiocy! Suicidal stupidity!"
"My, my. Are you getting defensive, Kuro~?"
Perhaps because she rarely gained the upper hand in arguments—Or perhaps for some other reason—Nene was in an exceptionally good mood.
"So?"
"How does it feel watching your own student risk his life just to step onto this path ahead of schedule?"
"As the teacher who once reached the gate effortlessly and then chose to turn away…"
"How are you feeling right now~?"
"I told you to shut up!"
Kurono gritted her teeth and glared viciously at Nene.
But she had to admit—Luke's actions had shaken her deeply.
What Luke was doing was actually not complicated.
He had already seen the gate to the Desperado realm more than once.
He knew that sooner or later, he would be able to reach it.
But absolutely not now!
That was right.
If Luke wanted to enter the Desperado realm safely and naturally, he still needed more time to consolidate everything he had accumulated.
Growth was never simple.
Not everyone could develop at Stella's absurd, almost cheat-like speed.
And this was a transformation as profound as stepping into the realm of a Desperado.
But Luke could no longer afford to wait.
Under normal circumstances, waiting another year or even half a year and entering the Desperado realm naturally would unquestionably be the best choice.
Unfortunately—Luke did not have that much time.
…
…
[PS: Love this fanfiction? Then, vote for more chapters. ;) If this fanfic reaches 100+ powerstones, I will increase the daily upload frequency. Also, don't forget to write a review!]
---
Read more than 40 chapters in advance:
patréon.com/Tom22
Replace "é" with "e" on your web browser.
---
For Audiobook:
youtube.com/@animefic22