82. Darkness and Sword King Festival [13]
I gained a spectacular victory in the first battle, and dragged my heavy body down the stage.
And then,
「A-Amazing, Allen-kun! I never thought you’d beat that『Prodigy』Idol Luxmaria!」
「Way to go! You’re pretty much on par with us!」
「Lilim, no matter how you look at it, he’s better than us though…」
The excited president and senpais quickly came running to me.
「Thank you very much. It was a tough fight, but I somehow managed to win.」
When the four of us were having such a conversation, the president put her hand to her mouth as though remembering something.
「Ah, sorry… Your treatment comes first before talking.」
When she turned towards the infirmary,
「…No, there is no need for that though.」
Lilim-senpai said, looking at my body.
「Both of you, take a good look at Allen’s body. The wound is already healing.」
「「「Eh?」」」
The three of us raised our voices at the same time.
「What… on earth?!」
「I-It has already started to heal?!」Ferris-senpai said.
「Oh, it really has…」
The deep sword wound that should have been on my chest was almost completely healed.
Even the bleeding had stopped completely. It looked like a wound that was sustained a few days ago.
「A-Allen-kun… Are you really human?」
「This resilience and that physical ability, that’s completely not human, no?」
「It‘s at the level where it would make more sense if you said『inhuman』though…」
「A-Ahaha… Please stop with the jokes. No matter how you look at me, I’m just a normal human.」
When I smiled bitterly saying so,
「Mumumu… Even so, you have a good body after all…」
「Let’s see! These muscles have good elasticity! You’ve trained it well!」
「It’s feels so good to touch though.」
The president and senpais ran their slender fingers on my pectoral muscles and abs.
「S-Senpai… It’s ticklish!」
As I was enduring the ticklish feeling,
「Now that the grand Vanguard battle has come to an end, let’s move on to the Second battle!」
Idol-san was taken to the infirmary, and the commentator resumed the Sword King Festival in a loud voice.
At the same time, the audience, who warmed up in the previous battle, boiled with excitement.
「Yoshi – I’m next! I definitely won’t waste this winning flow that Allen-kun created!」
「Good luck, Lilim-senpai!」
「Lilim, I won’t accept it if you lose!」
「You have a serious responsibility though…」
Cheered on by us,
「Fufu… Aa, leave it to me!」
She gave us a thumbs up and went up to the Second battle in high spirits.
■
After that, in both the successive Second and Center battles…
Lilim-senpai and Ferris-senpai were defeated.
White Lily Academy line-up was solid, and the swordsmen entrusted with the Second and Center position, were absurdly skilled.
Then, the Vice-General battle began.
The president, without putting the『Arcstria』name to shame, won splendidly with a magnificent battle.
The results were two wins and two losses.
The outcome of the match was carried forward to the General battle.
However,
(Is this as far as we go?)
The crucial『General』- Sebas Chandler-san, vice president of the student council, was not here.
Sebas-san had left for the Holy Ronelia Empire and was missing.
So we had to settle the match at all costs before we got into the General battle.
「Now then, from now on it will be – Thousand Blade Academy vs. White Lily Academy『General Battle』!」
The commentator declared the opening of the General battle.
「General of Thousand Blade Academy – Sebas Chandler! According to the information at hand – contestant Sebas is the vice president of the student council of Thousand Blade Academy! In addition, it is said that his ability exceeds Sie Arcstria who displayed a magnificent battle earlier!」
Sebas-san’s introduction was read out.
Of course, there was no one to go up to the stage.
An indescribable silence enveloped the venue.
「……Oh? Contestant Sebas Chandler! Please go up to the stage!」
The commentator made the announcement again, but the loud voice simply echoed.
「P-President… This is already…」
「Yeah, we have no choice but to withdraw…」
The moment the president called out to the Sword King Festival Executive Committee on behalf of Thousand Blade Academy – a small jet passed high above the stage.
「U…OOOOOHHHH!」
A man in tattered clothes fell from the sky at tremendous speed.
(Wha!? H-He threw himself off!? He won’t survive that height!)
Pulled down by gravity, he was falling faster every passing moment.
「Ga, ha…!」
The mysterious man fell directly onto the stone paving, and a huge crater was formed in the center of the stage.
The sudden situation plunged the venue into silence.
And then,
「…Fuu, that was close. The parachute didn’t open. I almost got hurt…」
The mysterious man stood up as if nothing had happened and dusted off his clothes.
(W-What a crazy guy!)
He fell from a height of several hundred meters – unharmed.
That tenacity reminded me of Leia-sensei and No.18-san back at the summer training camp.
As I was staring at his body, my eyes widened in shock.
(That black cloak! Is he from the Black Organization?!)
What he was wearing on his person was a black cloak always worn by the members of the Black Organization.
(Damnit! Is he aiming for Ria?!)
When I was about to pull out my sword,
「S-Sebas!? Why did you fall from the sky!?」
The president called out, with both hands on her mouth and eyes wide open.
Following that,
「You’re late, Sebas! I thought you were dead!」
「…You’ve been missing for four months. It is no laughing matter though.」
Lilim-senpai and Ferris-senpai spoke with a friendly air drifting around them.
(This is Sebas-san, the vice president?!)
Sebas Chandler.
Straight hair dyed brown.
A gentle face that leaves a gentle first impression.
He was almost as tall as me, and for some reason, he was wearing the Black Organization’s cloak.
「Aa, luck is truly with me today! My beloved president is waiting at the place where I descended! Could this be fate!?」
Sebas-san, who didn’t even spare a glance at Lilim-senpai and Ferris-senpai, knelt in front of the president.
……He seems to be another quirky person.
「Mou, you’re so late! Where on earth were you loitering?」
When the president asked so with an onee-san tone,
「S-Sorry! I succeeded in smuggling myself into the country by swimming from here, but… No matter how much I dig and dig, I couldn’t find them. In addition, I was attacked by a shabby group of people wearing black cloaks, and so my return was late. As your knight, it is an unbecoming disgrace.」
Sebas-san gritted his teeth and punched the stage with regret.
It seems that he is in love with the president.
「Un Un, I understand your circumstances, but… don’t go around calling yourself my knight on your own, will you?」
However, she didn’t seem to have the same『interest』, as she took Sebas-san’s passionate feelings in one ear and out the other.
「So… Did you find it?」
「Yes, of course! Please take a look!」
Sebas-san took out two fist-sized ores from his bosom.
「The ultra-rare ore that is mined only deep underground in the Holy Ronelia Empire – Blood Diamond!」
(H-He really brought it back…?!)
As my eyes widened in surprise, the president’s face bloomed into a big smile.
「Wow, it’s beautiful! Thank you, Sebas!」
「I-I am undeserving of such words!」
Sebas-san looked very happy receiving a word of thanks from the president.
(No matter how you look at it, the president has him in the palm of her hand. If the person in question is good with it, then that’s fine… I guess?)
When I was thinking of that,
「Well… Sebas, it’s finally your turn! Please defeat the『General』of White Lily Academy!」
The president gave out a rather difficult order.
「My turn…? I don’t really get it, but if the president desires it, I will defeat whatever general it is! 」
Sebas-san pulled out the sword fastened on his hips, in high and proud spirits.
Even from a distance, you could tell that it was covered in rust – an unreliable sword.
And then,
「W-What a flashy appearance!? In the history of the Sword King Festival, I wonder if there has ever been a flashier entrance!?」
The commentator, who did not know about the situation, roused up the audience.
It seems that the act just now was perceived as a『performance』.
「Now then, going against contestant Sebas who enlivened the venue is, General of White Lily Academy – Lily Gonzalez! Her school prides itself with its overwhelming destructive power – the Vajra Style! Perhaps even the person who boasts the strongest『physical strength』of her generation – The Heroine of White Lily Academy !」
A female student slowly climbed up to the stage.
(H-Huge!)
Lily Gonzalez.
A bear-like large frame; like a smaller version of Paula-san.
Shortly trimmed blonde hair.
Fearless, bold features.
Her clear eyes carried strong confidence.
I could clearly see at a glance that she was an excellent swordsman.
「Are you both ready! Well then – Begin!」
At the same time as the start of the battle, Lily-san brought out her soul dress.
「Ram -〈Void Clash〉!」
The next moment, a huge sword over two meters long appeared out of empty space.
「Vajra Style – Boulder Slash!」
Lily-san instantly closed the distance and swung down a powerful blow from overhead.
However,
「-Too slow.」
Her soul dress was shattered by a single blow from Sebas-san.
「Im…possible…」
At the same time, Lily-san slowly lost consciousness.
(T-Too fast!)
Sebas-san’s『single blow』was a series of blows that couldn’t be discerned with the eye.
(Twenty, no… More than thirty blows, huh…)
Moreover, he not only destroyed the soul dress, but also unleashed a slash which knocked Lily-san unconscious.
(…Strong.)
In terms of pure swordsmanship, he certainly surpasses even the president.
「Li, Lily Gonzalez unable to continue! So, winner, Sebas Chandler!」
The shocking end caused a stir in the venue as the commentator declared the result.
Amidst that situation,
「By the way, president… Who is this? Judging from his appearance, he looks to be a student from our academy.」
Sebas-san, who finished the match in an instant, asked the president while looking at my uniform.
「…Hou, it’s rare for you to care about others. Can you tell me why?」
「Well, that’s because… An unbelievable『inhuman』is wearing our uniform. It is natural to be concerned. But, just where did you find it? An absolute large mass of pure power. This kind of『monster』is not something you come across easily.」
Sebas-san said, with a mixture of fear and caution in his eyes.
(In-Inhuman and Monster…)
He started saying preposterous things about me before I even had a chance to introduce myself.