At this exact moment, in the private estate of the Kurogane household.
"So, that brat actually dared to lay a hand on an official from our Kurogane family..." Itsuki Kurogane, the patriarch of the clan, muttered coldly.
"Hmph. Figure out a way to alter the tournament brackets for the match three days from now. Right... let's make him a public stepping stone to restore the prestige of our Kurogane family."
"..."
...
Noah, the 'Calamity' vs. the 'Lorelei', Shizuku Kurogane.
Noah looked at the updated bracket email he received on his student handbook, raising an eyebrow in slight surprise.
'A sudden match against Ikki's younger sister.'
Given her B-Rank status and versatile water magic, she was likely the strongest opponent he had faced in the tournament so far.
As for whether someone powerful was behind the sudden, highly convenient bracket arrangement, he didn't care at all.
No matter who the opponent was, he just needed to crush them and win.
Shizuku Kurogane's Blazer Ability was the natural manipulation of water flow.
Her magical power capacity seemed to be roughly on par with his C-Rank reserves, but her raw attack rating was only D, lower than his, while her magical defense was B, much higher than his.
"Your opponent this time is actually Shizuku?!" Stella exclaimed, looking over his shoulder at the terminal.
'Come to think of it, hadn't Stella been getting quite close to that icy girl lately?'
'Strange.'
'Given their clashing elemental attributes, they logically shouldn't get along in any way.'
'After all, fire and water are incompatible.'
'But for some reason, Stella seemed to have formed a pretty good, slightly competitive friendship with the younger girl.'
"Are you already close enough to casually call each other by your first names?" Noah asked, amused.
"Uh... actually, its just me. That stubborn girl still likes to formally call me 'Your Highness'," Stella rubbed her slightly flushed face.
"I didn't mind it much back home in the Vermillion Empire, but constantly being called 'Princess' or 'Your Highness' in front of everyone at school is pretty embarrassing..."
She paused, looking at him seriously. "Even though Shizuku is really strong, you won't lose, right?"
Actually, she desperately wanted to ask if Noah would go easy on her because Shizuku was a cute petite girl!
Noah smiled faintly. "I will do my absolute best. After all, I promised you we would participate in the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival together. I don't plan on breaking that promise."
"Mhm! As long as you remember!" Stella beamed.
"Also... if we both officially qualify as representative candidates together... I will give you a special surprise then."
Stella's voice was incredibly soft, and Noah barely caught her blushing words.
He nodded and said, "Then I will start looking forward to it right now."
...
Match day.
In the quiet player preparation room beneath the stadium.
Suddenly, the heavy metal door was knocked on from the outside.
Noah opened the door to find a fat, balding older man standing outside in a sharp suit.
He wore a fake smile, with a thin mustache that inexplicably annoyed people the moment they saw him.
"Ah, Noah-kun! Very nice to finally meet you."
The man took off his bowler hat and put on a sickening air of formality as he introduced himself.
"My name is Mamoru Akaza. I am the acting Head of the Ethics Committee of the League of Mage-Knights' Japan branch. I am very pleased to meet you."
Noah stared at him completely expressionlessly, not responding, silently waiting for him to state his actual purpose.
Uncomfortable silence hung heavily between them for several seconds.
Finally, Akaza spoke again, his smile straining. "Hehehe... seems like coming from a backwards country overseas, you still lacks a proper, civilized grasp of our great country's language and basic etiquette."
Hearing this blatant insult, Noah said nothing and simply slammed the heavy metal door shut right in the man's face.
BANG!
Outside in the hallway, Akaza stared at the tightly closed door, his arrogant expression shifting from momentary shock to one of utter ferocity.
He clenched his fist, seeming to struggle greatly to suppress the anger boiling in his heart.
Click.
At that moment, the door opened again since it was time for the match.
Noah completely ignored Akaza standing furiously at the door, casually stepping right past him and heading straight down the concrete tunnel toward the arena light.
"Wait!" Akaza shouted angrily.
But the boy paid no heed, maintaining his original relaxed pace.
"You insolent bastard! Didn't you hear who I am?!"
Noah, deeply annoyed by the buzzing disturbance, turned his head slightly over his shoulder and calmly raised a middle finger toward the furious figure behind him.
Insulted beyond belief, all the features on Akaza's aged face twisted together hideously, his face flushing red with anger.
'Arrogant! This foreign brat is far too arrogant!'
'But it didn't matter—he couldn't possibly defeat that man's genius daughter.'
'Drown in the deep sea, you brat!'
...
Noah entered the massive stadium arena.
The packed stands erupted in deafening cheers.
If you asked the student body whose matches were the most exciting to watch in the selection battles, the answer was undoubtedly the Calamity.
Every single time, he would display a terrifying magical abilities, entirely thrilling the spectators.
Moreover, this time his opponent was equally sensational.
This specific matchup was hailed by many excited students as "the Finals brought forward."
It was clear that many believed both the Calamity and the Lorelei easily possessed the A-Rank strength to become official representative fighters.
... But now that the two had been unfortunately drawn together early by the administration, they would have to settle the score today.
"Here they come! Here they come! Here they come! The massive clash between the two highly anticipated first-year rising stars! Who will emerge victorious today?! The Calamity or the Lorelei?!"
"Today's live commentary is once again brought to you by me, Kagami Kusakabe! Oh! And I should also formally introduce the other honorable commentator... that is, Nene Saikyo-sensei!"
Up in the glass commentator's booth, only the energetic girl named Kagami was shouting loudly into her microphone.
In contrast, Nene Saikyo beside her lay lazily draped over her desk like a salted fish.
"Alright, enough annoying chatter, girl. Let's get the violence started quickly. I am already getting sleepy up here," the Yasha Princess yawned.
"..."
Shizuku Kurogane walked out from the opposite competitor's passage into the sunlight.
Noah had felt this cold sensation more than once—no matter where the arena was built, it seemed no different from the bloody colosseum back in Orario.
Except here, one side was free, and the other was forced.
"Noah-kun, I didn't expect to meet you in the brackets so soon," Shizuku said, her voice echoing across the arena.
"To be completely honest, I greatly acknowledge your strength. After all, even my beloved Onii-sama lost to you. But this time... I have a reason, i cannot lose. Because I must earn the qualification to represent the Academy in the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival together with Onii-sama!"
"Scatter! Yoishigure!"
Unlike her usual calm demeanor, Shizuku today gave off a highly aggressive vibe, as if she had mustered a year's worth of determination.
"Awaken, Raven Feather."
In contrast, Noah was no different from his usual deadpan self.
He calmly summoned his metal gauntlets and then quietly waited for his opponent to make the first move.
Shizuku thought to herself after seeing this defensive posture, 'Just as expected.'
Based on her meticulous tactical research, she found that in battle, the Calamity almost never initiated attacks first.
Instead, he would prioritize evasion and flawless defense to safely probe the enemy's abilities, then instantly devise a cruel strategy to lead the outcome to victory.
If she had to describe his style, he was the ultimate cautious type!
But when it came to foresight and meticulous planning, she was exactly the same!
"Huh? Both sides aren't moving at all! What's going on down there?!" Kagami shouted into the mic.
"Idiot, they are not standing motionless—they are observing each other," Nene Saikyo sighed, seeming to have finally woken up after the match started.
She watched the two still figures in the arena and gave a rare explanation.
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