Noah's ice sword halted just before the girl's throat.
After all, the two were not strangers and she seemed to have a decent relationship with Stella.
It was enough to end the match here.
Feeling the chill emanating from the ice blade, Shizuku Kurogane's body trembled.
She bit her lip, not caring if it bled.
The entire arena fell silent.
Several seconds passed before Shizuku surrendered with a reluctant sigh, "I lost..."
Beeeeeep—
"The match is over! The winner is Noah the Calamity!"
"Whoooaaa!!!"
"He's so strong!"
"I knew it! This match was a must-watch!"
"The Lorelei is amazing too! Even though she lost, she was incredible!"
"And they are both just first-years! What kind of monsters are they?!"
"Ah-choo! I feel like I am catching a cold..."
Ikki Kurogane watched his sister's dejected figure in the arena, feeling a pang of regret for her.
To encounter Noah so soon...
But he had not expected Shizuku to fight with such desperation. That level of determination was a side of her he had never seen before.
Nagi Arisuin sighed beside him. "Your sister is something else, Ikki."
"Yeah. Shizuku is incredible. Far beyond what I imagined."
Seeing Noah and Shizuku turn to leave the arena, Ikki stood up, intending to hurry to Shizuku's side to comfort her.
Stella rose at the same time.
She hurried away and soon arrived at the contestant passageway. Seeing the boy emerge from within, she waved her hand with a bright smile.
Noah saw her and smiled a fraction, but then his expression shifted. He leaned against the concrete wall with one hand and began to vomit.
"Ugh... Damn it."
The sensation of weightlessness was difficult to adapt to.
Especially that extreme acceleration—it nearly jolted his internal organs out of place. Even if air resistance could disperse some of the force, the kinetic effects of that acceleration took a heavy toll.
He had held it back until now, emptying his stomach in the isolated passageway.
"No... Noah?"
"Its... its fine, Stella. Just... side effects from the gravity falling."
Looking at the boy's miserable state, the princess felt a massive wave of relief.
'Thank goodness I didn't listen to you and join in your madness back then.'
When the boy first shared his gravity flight idea, she had refused.
She shot it down without a second thought!
Because it involved floating, after all.
She would be exposed!
What if someone saw under her skirt? That would be embarrassing!
Now it seemed there were even more serious side effects she hadn't known about. She was the type who felt sick even on airplanes—that kind of tumbling in weightlessness would make her faint on the spot.
"Ugh—"
Noah clutched his stomach in pain, holding his head.
After all, he wasn't a professional gravity user. His body hadn't evolved the constitution to adapt to extreme changes in G-force.
Based on the medical knowledge he had acquired over the years, he discovered that users of different Ability types underwent specific physical mutations.
For example, fire-type Ability users showed significant improvements in physique—their heat dissipation and heat resistance systems were far superior to an ordinary person's. Enhancement-type Ability users had more flexible muscles, allowing them to adapt to extreme fluctuations in strength and improve explosive power.
As for gravity users, their inner-ear balance systems were strengthened, letting them handle the high-intensity G-forces required for fighter pilots or astronauts.
Although his own physical abilities surpassed ordinary people due to his Orario Falna stats, his organs and vestibular system had not evolved corresponding adaptability to intense gravity magic.
According to League statistics, over 1,400 Blazers die each year from Ability development related to their supernatural powers.
Not all Blazers are top students, nor are they omniscient.
Many Blazers cause accidental explosions or produce toxic gases, ending up killing themselves in training. This highlights the importance of Blazer education.
Teachers may not be strong, but they possess professional, life-saving insights.
...
A pale-faced Noah was escorted back to the dormitory by Stella.
Lying on the upper bunk, Noah rested until 6 p.m. before regaining his energy. He placed the back of his hand on his forehead, feeling drained.
A sizzling sound reached his ears.
This sound was familiar, reminiscent of someone preparing breakfast for him in the kitchen when he woke up in the mornings back in Orario.
"Haruhime?"
"Huh?"
Stella, who had just walked in carrying a bowl of hot porridge, paused upon hearing the name Noah muttered.
Noah propped himself up and saw the girl holding the porridge, looking at him.
"Stella?"
"Ah, um, well... I made you a bowl of porridge. I read online that this is the easiest thing for sick people to digest..."
She placed the porridge on the dining table and even pulled out a chair.
Noah found this novel.
He might be the first person Stella had ever taken care of.
Climbing down from the bed, Noah walked to the dining table, sat down, and began eating the porridge.
"But I'm not sick. I just have a bit of stomach discomfort and temporary dizziness."
"Eh? Is that different from being sick?"
"Well, there should be some difference, I guess."
Come to think of it, although Blazers have stronger physical constitutions than ordinary people and possess magical powers, they can still catch viruses and fall ill.
In contrast, Orario adventurers no longer face the possibility of illness after undergoing level sublimation.
It's unclear whether this is due to environmental factors or the Falna itself.
Watching the boy eat the porridge she made, Stella thought she would feel happy.
In fact, just a few minutes ago, she had been looking forward to Noah's reaction.
But now, her mind was occupied by another matter.
'Haruhime...'
That was the name Noah just mentioned, right? Who is that? Haruhime—it sounds like a girl's name.
To mistake her for that girl... Does that mean in Noah's heart, that girl is more important than her?
The two of them have lived together for over two years, and she has never heard Noah call her name in his sleep.
Although, to be fair, he hasn't called any other names either.
The boy never seems to dream, he has never once talked in his sleep.
She has been with Noah since he was 10 years old—from when he was shorter than her until now.
She has watched Noah grow up!
Even so, she knows nothing about Noah before that time.
What kind of past did he have? Who did he know? She knows none of it, not even why he became a slave.
That means he must have had close female friends in the past.
Perhaps even closer than his relationship with her.
Just thinking about this makes her agitated!
'Damn it! So who the hell is Haruhime anyway?!'
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