After the match, Ikki entered a capsule set up in the venue to heal his wounds. Using the capsule, the recoil injury caused by using Ittou Rasetsu, serious to the extent that his flesh was starting to peel off, was completely healed in a matter of minutes. It would not affect his next match. Afterwards, Ikki transferred to a bed in the medical area with the help of a medical staff member, and he took a light nap there because he had been given a light dose of full-body anesthetic before entering the capsule.

The monitor installed in the medical room where he slept was displaying the venue's current match. The ones fighting were.. his little sister "Lorelei" Shizuku Kurogane and last year's third place Momiji Asagi.

「D-Block second match contender Momiji Asagi is moving very nimbly! This is impressive, so impressive! Lightly evading the barrage of?Suiroudan, she is gradually closing in! Contender Momiji's speed is just too fast for Contender Shizuku to lock on!」

「She's not just fast.」

「What do you mean?」

「The technique Contender Momiji is using is called trackless step, a unique type of footwork that her master, "God of War" Torajirou Nangou, is good at. This footwork lets the user slip out of the opponent's consciousness, and without a certain degree of expertise in martial arts, it's difficult to break through this technique when an opponent cannot concentrate on his own body and freely control it. This will be hard to deal with for Contender Shizuku, who completely specializes in magic.」

Just as Yaotome said, Shizuku in the display image couldn't perceive Momiji's movement and wasn't doing well in terms of offense. In the midst of that, Momiji penetrated Shizuku's long range, and circled around to Shizuku's back with trackless step.

「Look at that! Contender Shizuku's back has been exposed!」

And Momiji swung down her Device, shaped like a katana clad in crimson flame.

Shizuku could not react to that. She had been the victim of this technique once before in the fight against Raikiri, but to defeat it, she needed to control her brain and body and operate against her instincts and reflexes. It was a capability that could only be obtained after long training, not something that could be learned quickly―but Shizuku didn't need to. The instant Momiji's naked blade was about to pierce Shizuku's back, a wall of ice exploded up from around her feet, stopping it.

The sudden and unexpected reaction from Shizuku shocked Momiji. That moment determined the outcome of the fight. Momiji, whose movement dulled from the shock, was hit by Shizuku's Noble Art, Suiroudan.

「Wh-What!? She has blocked Contender Momiji, who went behind her back and slashed at her, without even turning around! Contender Momiji has been caught by Suiroudan, and it's immediately climbing up her body and blocking her mouth! Contender Momiji is desperately trying to peel it off, but her target is a liquid! She can't even grab onto it! B-But, how could Contender Shizuku tell Contender Momiji's location!?」

「..I see. She's quite crafty, that girl.」

「Yaotome-pro, did you figure it out?」

「Yes. She was using Suiroudan as a distraction, and covered the surface of the whole ring with a thin layer of water without anyone noticing. So even if she couldn't see with her eyes, she was able to determine Contender Momiji's position from the waves caused by the splashing water.」

Which meant it didn't matter if Shizuku could follow Momiji with sight or not. She would know even with her eyes closed.

「Ahh! Contender Momiji is now on her knees! And the referee gives the signal for the match to end! D-Block second round second match's victory goes to Contender "Lorelei" Shizuku Kurogane! A big sigh comes from the venue! That's to be expected! The hometown Bukyoku Academy's top three, called the Golden Generation, have all been defeated! On the other hand, the three contenders from Hagun Academy have all advanced to the third round! The new Akatsuki Academy also has three victors left, displaying their presence! Don't take your eyes off the third round at 6 o'clock!」

"Hmm. As expected, she's not going to let the same technique work twice."

Giggling slightly happily, Stella, who was sitting on the folding chair next to the bed where Ikki was sleeping, turned off the monitor, and she reviewed the Festival's situation. The quarterfinalists had been determined right after Shizuku's match.

Well, accurately speaking, there were only seven people, with Stella advancing up to the semifinals. Those seven people were all forces to be reckoned with. First, Stella herself, her schoolmate Ikki, and Shizuku made up three. After the new generation of Ikki's group and the new force of Akatsuki made their debut, the powerhouses were eliminated one by one, and Rokuzon Academy's "Panzer Grizzly" Renji Kaga was still hanging in there. The only A-Rank Knight on par with Stella, "Sword Emperor of Wind" Ouma Kurogane. Using an unknown power to win without fighting in the second round, "Bad Luck" Amane Shinomiya. And―

"The last is.. this pervert."

Stella looked down at her feet suspiciously. There lay a girl with disheveled hair wrapped up in bandages, who had used her phantasmagorical kaleidoscopic Noble Art to obtain an overwhelming victory, Sara Bloodlily.

Sara, who had been aiming to make Ikki her nude model, anticipated that he would use the capsule for the recoil of Ittou Rasetsu and came to the medical room, but she had been caught red-handed by Stella, who also anticipated such, the moment Sara was about to lift up his clothes. But despite such conduct, Sara showed a protesting expression and complained to Stella.

"I'm not a pervert. Please call me an artist."

"Calling you an erotist is more than enough! Geez, I can't be careless or show any openings against you!"

"Why? ..Even though you cooperated yesterday."

Sara's words caused Stella to show a bitter expression and let out a groan.

"I-It's true that I was tempted by devilish whispers when you promised to draw the two of us in the palace, but I've cooled down since. Ikki's portrait drawn by you would certainly be attractive, but in the end, if Ikki dislikes the idea, then you can't."

"That's why I'm trying to do this while he's sleeping."

"That's even worse!"

Stella's eyebrows rose in anger and stepped onto Sara's back with her heel.

"Ow, ow ow ow..! Breaking, I'm breaking..!"

Though Stella didn't exert that much strength, Sara leaked out squeals as if she was really in pain.

Sara became a member of Akatsuki Academy due to her abnormally strong ability, but she was esentially not a combatant. With her unhealthy daily lifestyle and lack of exercise, and in addition to her inborn weak constitution, her body was not strong.

"Screaming from such little force. You're weak."

"I'm an artist, so I'm delicate, unlike a certain female gorilla who can weld bones."

"You better watch your mouth. I'm still bearing a grudge against you all even before this matter about Ikki. I don't know what I may do if you get too full of yourself?"

Stella's veins bulged up as she pulled hard on the bandages that were wrapped around Sara, making her look like a boneless ham.

"Eee~!?"

Being pulled by that extraordinary arm strength, the bandages mercilessly dug into Sara's flesh, and her bones began to make grinding sounds. The originally weak Bloody Da Vinci could not endure it.

Well, Stella didn't intend to injure a Sword-Art Festival participant outside the ring, regardless of how much she hated Akatsuki Academy, so after a moment she let Sara sighed in resignation.

"Haa. Why are you so fixated on Ikki's nudity in the first place? If I recall, Mario Rosso's style was more wide-ranged?"

Painting not only character portraits, but also sceneries and religious paintings, his style ranged from abstract to figurative, a free painter not constrained by forms. That was the Mario Rosso that Stella knew. If Sara's was like that, why would she be so obstinate on drawing a man's portrait. A nude one in particular?

To that question, Sara went silent for a while, then answered.

"..There's a painting that I must complete, no matter what."

"Painting?"

Sara nodded.

"A certain person has spent his whole life drawing painting of the Messiah's salvation, but in the end, he was unable to complete it. For the sake of completing it.. Kurogane's assistance is necessary. My intuition shouted so."

"Are you saying that you want to use Ikki as the model to complete that painting?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then you should have just asked Ouma. Their faces are similar, and his physique is superior. If it has to be nude, wouldn't that be better?"

"Ouma is.. different. It's true that they look similar outside, but he does not have that gentleness. What he has is only a sharpened strength which deviates from normality. That.. the blank in that painting.. it wouldn't be suitable for the figure of the Messiah in the center. ..Even you, aiming to win in this Festival, would not be content with second place."

"..Well, that's true."

"I'm the same... Completing that painting is extremely important to me. I will not compromise. I don't intend to cut corners. Just as you guys risk your lives in battle, I'm risking my life for the pain..ting."

Sara's words carried on bit by bit. Her voice was small, her pitch also hardly changed, but her words contained her firm determination. Her unshakable core was impossible to imagine looking at that weak body, but hearing that, Stella.. improved her evaluation a little.

Honestly speaking, she didn't dislike a person who was straightforward in her goal.

"..I get your incessant passion towards painting, so I'll take back calling you an erotist. But it's still unacceptable if Ikki himself objects. If you want to draw him no matter what, you need to somehow convince Ikki..?"

Stella suddenly noticed that while she was talking, Sara was slightly trembling under her foot. Her constraints should not be that tight anymore...

"What is it? You're shaking."

"..Release me."

"No. Because you're going to harass Ikki after I let you go, right?"

"I understand.. then it's fine that you don't release me, if.."

"If?"

"If you bring me a plastic water bottle."

"Say that more quickly―!"

"And take off my panties."

"Don't use that as pretext! You can't cross that line as a girl!"

"This is nothing, it often happens in my workshop when I pull all-nighters."

"Zip that mouth and stop saying any more unnecessary things! Wait a bit! I'll release you..!"

In contrast to the uselessly calm Sara, Stella was trying to untie the bandages wrapping around Sara in panic. But―

Err, huh.. how did I tie this again?

She tied her up securely in the heat of moment, and did not know how to undo it. However, she didn't have time to worry about that.

"I-Is it here?"

For the time being, she just pulled a bandage.

"Eek!?"

The bondage tightened, digging further into Sara's large breasts.

"..T-Tighttt.. kuh."

With her lungs constricted, Sara gasped in agony with a teary face.

"S-Sorry! I made a mistake! Erm, then here!"

After that, Stella pulled at the bandages wrapping Sara one by one, but they were all wrong. Every time Stella pulled, the bandages dug deeper and deeper into Sara's body, eventually rolling up the apron covering Sara's chest. It was a risqué scene where her apron was caught at the nipples, barely covering them.

"I-It somehow became out of hand..."

"..I-If you tighten that much.. I really will.. leak out."

"NOOO! You can't let go! If you seriously can't hold it anymore, then―!"

Stella raised a shriek as the situation kept getting worse and worse. That voice echoed in the small medical room ―

..Hmm?

Ikki Kurogane, who was sleeping next to them, regained consciousness. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and slowly raised himself from the bed.

"Hmm.. huh, Stella, what are you doing?"

He saw the figure of his sweetheart tightening the bandages wrapped around Sara's voluptuous body while Sara gasped in pain.

"Eh? Seriously, what are you doing!?"

"I-Ikki!?"

Seeing the awakened Ikki, Stella's expression further panicked. How should she explain this bizarre situation? However, this was not time she waste, so Stella skipped the explanation and told him only the current situation.

"B-Bad news! Sara is going to leak, but I can't untie the bandages!"

"I don't know how I should handle this situation, but it's fine if you untie the bandages? Then if you can't untie them, can't you just cut them?"

"Th-That's it!"

Ashamed of herself for not thinking of that due to her panic, Stella slid?L?vateinn?between the bandages and Sara's skin, slicing the cloth apart. Then she kicked Sara out of the medical room.

"L-Look! I released you now, so hurry up and go!"

"Nnn..."

After seeing Sara walked off with a weird gait towards the washroom, Stella turned around to face Ikki.

"Thank you, Ikki. We avoided the worst outcome."

"Is that so.. It's fine if that's the case."

"..So, after resolving the immediate problem, I hope you'll let me explain how it led to that..."

"No, I get it more or less."

"Huh? Really?"

"I was confused because I just woke up, but seeing this situation, it's obvious. Besides, it's you, Stella. It's not telepathy, I can still understand you to an extent."

Ikki smiled as he said that, and seeing Ikki's response, Stella patted her chest in relief. Due to the unique situation, she thought he might have gotten a strange misunderstanding.

"I-I see. Then it's fine."

Stella was thankful for her highly understanding sweetheart, and happiness bloomed on her face knowing that the two of them could communicate without words. Seeing that loving expresion, Ikki gently held Stella's hands and spoke with an honest and caring gaze.

"Yes. So, Stella, do that only with lovers. I'll never condemn you, no matter what fetishes you have."

"Didn't you totally misunderstand―!?"

Shaking off his hands with all her might, Stella screamed. That misunderstanding was indeed too much for a maiden to endure.

"Ikki, you're wrong! I don't have any hobby of happily performing bondage on girls! That just happened after a chain of events, or rather, considering the match in the afternoon, I couldn't shave off her stamina with Illusionary Form, so I used bandages! It's not that I like..!"

Almost biting her own tongue in panic, Stella desperately explained the situation. Seeing Stella like that, Ikki laughed.

"I'm kidding. I know. You just protected me from Sara-san, right?"

"Wha! Y-You understood and still made fun of me!? You're so terrible!"

After hearing that Ikki intentionally played a prank on her, Stella's cheeks puffed up as she glared at him. In return, Ikki poked her cheeks in a slightly mean gesture.

"It's payback for chasing me out of the room yesterday."

"Uuu."

Stella had no rebuttal to that. Rather, her anger was instantly replaced by anxiety. Her thoughtless act might have made Ikki more unhappy than she thought, so Stella inquired with her pupils swimming in anxiety.

"..Are you actually pretty angry?"

"Nope. Poking your puffed up cheeks is fun, so I'm not bothered by that anymore."

"What's with that? Geez..."

Stella sighed in relief and pushed her cheek towards Ikki's finger on her own. It might've been a gesture which indicated that she had already reflected on herself. After enjoying the feeling of her soft, blushing cheek, instead of using his finger, Ikki used his palm to stroke Stella's smooth face. Her skin was smooth no matter how many times he touched it. There was nothing to obstruct his fingertips, and the sensation felt like touching a newborn baby. That was why Ikki always ended up indulging himself in touching Stella's skin. However, Stella also seemed to like that action, narrowing her eyes from the pleasant feeling, and rubbed her cheek against Ikki's hand for more caressing.

"Stella. You're like a cat."

"Meow～?"

Returning a joking response, Stella continued to act spoiled with Ikki. A pair of sweethearts. Even a brief interaction was a time of happiness for them.

But that time was...

*Clang*

The medical room door opened, and that time ended as someone entered. The two of them were startled by the sudden visitor. On the other hand, the person who opened the door and entered took a glimpse at Ikki, whose hand stiffened on Stella's cheek.

A voice muttered so without intonation, but wth a scratchy and heavy reverberation.

The two of them couldn't respond to that voice. The shock was too much, enough that their thoughts came to a halt for a moment, because the person before them was..

"N-No way..!"

"F-Father..!"

..Ikki Kurogane's biological father, the mage-knight holding the nickname of "Iron Blood", Itsuki Kurogane.

"Y-You came to the event venue. I didn't know."

"This is a country-wide event. It's only obvious for me, the head of the Japanese branch, to be here. Not to mention, my three children are participating in it."

"Th-That's also true, a-ahaha."

Ikki responded to his father who suddenly showed up, but his response was awkward and his smile was twitching. That would not be strange, since his father had seen his act of love with his sweetheart. That awkwardness was no joke, as even Ikki as a guy was like that.

..Sitting on the folding chair next to Ikki, Stella already had a terrible expression on her face. With her two small hands rounded into fists as she rested them on her knees and he rhead hanging down, Stella trembled. Her ears were bright red as if fire was about to rush out from her earlobes. Her head was boiling from too much embarrassment, so much that her eyes were spinning around. She thought that even the time when Ikki saw her figure as she was changing so long ago was nowhere near as embarrassing as this.

Oh no.. oh nooo..!

It would've been better had it been anyone else, but of all people, this was her sweetheart's father, whom she hadn't met even once. For him to see their scene of intimacy.. she wanted to kill the her from a minute ago who had been saying "Meow~". She would undoubtedly be seen as an idiotic girl. It was the worst first impression.

Ahh..!

To be honest, she only felt disdain towards Ikki's father. He had caused countless problems for Ikki. Stella couldn't forgive even one of them. But, he was still Ikki's father, and he was also the Japanese branch chief for the League of Mage-Knight Nations. As either Ikki's girlfriend or the second imperial princess of Vermillion, Being seen as an idiot would be terrible.

She had to recover somehow. Her overheated head couldn't think straight. And then Itsuki spoke.

"Princess Stella."

"Y-Yesss!?"

Her face sprung up and looked towards Itsuki. In that instant, Itsuki lowered his head toward her deeply.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Princess. I am Ikki Kurogane's father, Itsuki Kurogane. Though my son has been in your care, I apologize for introducing myself so late."

FFFFFFather-in-law greeted me fiiiirst!

Nevermind recovering herself, that was a big failure. He had landed the finishing blow. Failing time after time, something somewhere in Stella's head gave out a?*bang*, and steam blew out.

Wh-What should I do now, a-according to Japanese etiquette!?

Err, uhh, Stella was desperately trying to think of how to show respect and sincerity towards those more senior, but her embarrassment from the repeated failures, in addition to the pressure of greeting her sweetheart's parent, had overheated her head. She couldn't make a proper judgement.

"I'm Stella Vermillion! I'm nothing much, but please treat me well!"

She used some strange Japanese language, and kneeled on the spot.

"..S-Stella, you're not supposed to say 'I'm nothing much', but 'Though I'm unworthy'. And prostrating may be a little overdoing it.."

"Ah.."

Ikki pointed out those issues in whispers, and Stella's dizziness intensified. Hearing that unusual greeting..

"..Hah."

A small but clear chuckle, came from Itsuki's mouth. In the small and quiet medical room, Stella's ears had clearly caught that.

Stella's shoulders were trembling. Tears dripped out as she considered her miserable performance. She wanted to erase herself. And then, on her shoulder...

"..Stella, you don't have to be so tense."

Ikki's hand gently came around her back and supported her with a hug while consoling her. Then Ikki stared at his father with sharp eyes.

"She's nervous from suddenly seeing you, Father. Aren't you terrible for laughing at her?"

Hearing these words, Itsuki honestly apologized.

"Oh, my apologies. I didn't mean to laugh at her. Just.. I remembered that when you were detained, you also practised kneeling for the sake of greeting Princess Stella's father. I just find that a bit amusing.. ahh, don't you two seem close?"

"Wha, hold on, Father!"

"..Ikki did the same thing, too?"

At the embarrassing event being suddenly exposed, Ikki hung his head in shame, which confirmed Stella's inquiry.

Ikki too...

"Aha..."

Knowing that the man consoling her with a cool face had actually done the same thing made Stella's cheeks loosen up. Her wound-up tension was swiftly lightened. Likely aiming for this timing, Itsuki again spoke.

"Thank you greatly for your polite greeting. Please continue to get along with Ikki."

Saying so, he extended his hand toward Stella, and Stella responded as if jumping at it.

"Y-Yes. Of course! ..Ah."

And then, the moment she shook Itsuki's large hand, she thought.. that this rough and hard-working hand was a bit similar to Ikki's. The warmth that gradually spread from it was similar as well.

Somehow.. different from what I thought...

A harder, colder hand.. was what she imagined of that man. After all, he was someone who had tormented his own son. At the reality differing from her imagination, Stella stood confused for a moment.

Whereas Ikki, whose shameful act had been revealed, was a little embarrassed.

"So why have you come here, Father? Could it be that you're feeling unwell?"

He asked Itsuki this, indicating a nuance of worry. After all, they were in the medical room, and the reason for coming here would probably be related to illness, so he thought.

But Itsuki denied that in his reply after releasing his hand from Stella's.

"No. I've come here to look for you."

"Me..?"

"Indeed. As the head of the Kurogane household, I have something to discuss with Ikki Kurogane."

Not just Ikki, but Stella also showed nervousness at those words. Whenever Itsuki.. the Kurogane house made a move, it was nothing good.

As such, Stella leaned onto Ikki's arm, as if supporting him.

A matter with the head of the Kurogane. In other words, a matter with Ikki's family. For an instant, she thought that stepping out because she was an outsider was a common sense, but...

I'm not an outsider anymore..!

Stella abandoned such thinking. She was Ikki's sweetheart.. no, family. After the battle with Raikiri, their relationship became like that, so whatever the Kurogane was going to do, she would protect Ikki this time. She would not let him be wounded anymore. As if displaying such intention, she stayed next to him, and chose to oppose Itsuki.

Itsuki also seemed to read Stella's intention from her eyes burning willfully, and told them the matter without asking her to leave. With his lead-heavy voice, he said..

"Ikki. I am thinking of disowning you."

It was a suggestion that definitely solve all the problems revolving around Ikki and the Kurogane house.

"Wha..!"

The sudden proposition of severance caused Stella to open her eyes wide and shout out.

"Wait, why must that..!"

"Winning the second match in the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival.. the Worst One, no, as the Crownless Sword King, standing among the best eight in the whole country holds a certain degree of influence. My existence as an F-Rank is already known by many people, so even the Kurogane household's power would find it hard to hide my existence.. in that case, you may as well sever our relationship. Something like that, Father?"

On the other hand, Ikki used a calmer voice than Stella to ask for the reason. Itsuki replied with a nod.

"..It's more or less so. The Kurogane is the clan that has maintained the hierarchy of this country's Blazers since the era of samurai. It would be troublesome if someone from that house was the first to break the code of order. If you were treated the same as before, many would start to challenge their own limits. There would appear those admiring you and setting you as their model. Your gallant battles have a dangerous charm, and lead to temptation. ..But those reckless challenges and desires end up bringing harm to both individuals and society. Do you understand? You are no longer merely unuseful to the Kurogane house―the Crownless Sword King, Ikki Kurogane, has become harmful."

"Don't give me thaaat!"

In that instant, Stella knocked over the folding chair as she stood up, and raised an angry shout with her hair ablaze. Her eyes radiated anger as she yelled.

"I was a fool.. to think that you might be a reasonable person! You, are you still a parent!?"

Stella's glare was more furious than that of a bloodthirsty beast, and more overwhelming as well. No one weak-minded person would be able to speak in the face of her gaze.

But this was the man who held the duty of Japanese branch chief for the League of Mage-Knight Nations. Itsuki answered without a change to his tone.

"I am.. but above that, I am this country's order. I cannot let it waver, and I cannot let anyone weaken it. I swore on my nickname Iron Blood, as well as the name given by my father, that I would continue to hold together society with my own hands."

In contrast to the Stella's furiously bright eyes, his grey eyes shined with dull light. What dwelled in the depth of those eyes was the strength of his will, like steel itself. The hardness of that will was more than enough to tell Stella that talking was pointless.

"You..!"

"Stella."

Ikki stood up and restrained Stella who was on the verge of rampaging.

"Stop it, Stella."

"But!"

"Thanks, for getting this angry for my sake. But.. I hope that you can hold back here."

"～Kuh!"

Since it was Ikki himself dissuading Stella, she couldn't do anything more than venting her anger by punching the wall, and turning her back on Itsuki. She probably wouldn't have been able to hold herself back if she looked at him any longer. Whispering another "thank you", Ikki turned back towards Itsuki.

"..You're not joking about it, right?"

"Of course not. This is a chance for you to break free from our influence. I do not have time to interfere with the life of an unrelated person, or interest. It is beneficial for both of us, so I think it's not a bad suggestion."

Itsuki's voice was completely serious. In fact, just as Itsuki said, that suggestion had merit for Ikki. They were already walking on separate paths, and it might be best for both sides to sever their relationship cleanly.

But...

"Father, about this, I can't just reply so easily."

Ikki avoided answering immediately, and Itsuki nodded.

"Understandable. I don't intend to rush you. I will come for you another day."

After telling Ikki so, Itsuki rose from his chair and left the medical room. A heavy atmosphere lingered behind.

"I'm so ticked off! What's with that guy!"

Stella yelled without reserve and threw a pillow at the door Itsuki closed, then stared at Ikki with bloodshot eyes.

"Ikki! Is that really your father!? Don't you actually have some complicated background like being the child of a mistress!?"

"But our faces are similar, and I believe we're blood-related. Probably, should be."

He didn't have the confidence to answer back considering his treatment in the past.

"Well, it's not that I don't understand what Father said. Since he has the duty of managing the knights of Japan, it would be terrible if all the members started acting rebelliously like me."

Ikki added those words, as if agreeing with his father. Stella, boiling with rage, made an obviously displeased face hearing that.

"What's with you, Ikki? Aren't you being really calm here? Even though he suggested disowning you."

Ikki looked at St-->>

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