/Kazane's Perspective/
I'm so tired.
Thanks to this sword, I managed to pull through.
It was a close call.
This senior was incredibly strong.
I mean, really strong.
After watching the man with the magic circle get teleported away by his own magic, I was amazed to see my body being healed by the sword's effects.
The cuts were healing on their own, and it wasn't an ordinary sword, that's for sure.
Why am I even doing this?
Come to think of it, coming to this academy was a coincidence.
After using my beloved swordsmanship and practicing magic in the prefectural tournament, things just progressed until I ended up here, fighting in this place.
"What is this sword, anyway?"
It was a pure white, very expensive-looking sword that was given to me by the academy's principal himself.
Then the sword transformed into a bracelet and attached itself to my wrist when it started glowing.
Whenever I wanted, it could turn into a sword and fit in the palm of my hand.
"I'm afraid, is it really good to have received something so expensive?"
I sighed heavily.
I walked through the forest for a while.
Thanks to this sword, my body was completely free from fatigue and pain.
My magic power was also fully recovered.
"It's really wide here."
Even though I can hear explosions from a distance, I know that there are many people fighting.
It seems that their numbers are dwindling rapidly.
"What?!?" exclaimed the handsome man who leaped out from behind the tree, looking surprised upon seeing my face, and ran towards me.
I didn't really understand why he was so shocked.
Though he had a surprised expression on his face, he regained his composure and reached for his slender sword.
"Sorry about that. Shall we begin?" The handsome man regained his composure and drew his sword, exuding an air of relaxation that was not present in any of the previous students.
"Hey, you seem pretty relaxed," I suddenly quipped.
"Well, I just thought I could finally go home. I want to get to the grocery store for dinner soon," the handsome man said with a shy smile, sounding like an average person.
It seemed like he wasn't really interested in winning this fight.
"Dinner?" I asked.
"Yeah, my home situation is a bit unusual. And my roommate is still sleeping, so I have to be quiet. I also have to hide my beer. I have a lot of things to do, so I want to finish this silly fight as soon as possible," he replied.
Looking at his uniform, he seemed to be in the same grade as me, with a green tie.
"A silly fight, huh? I agree. But I'm not going to lose. I'm just too competitive," I said, even if it was just a farce.
It was against my principles to lose.
"I know that," the handsome man said, furrowing his eyebrows, then relaxing and smiling.
"Okay then, let's get started again," he said.
I turned my bracelet into a sword and enveloped my body in flames, unleashing my solar magic.
As my body temperature rose rapidly, I was enveloped in a pleasant flame, both inside and out.
"You chose fire and swordsmanship! Excellent, 120 points!" The handsome man commented, expressing some obscure opinion, then surrounded his slender sword with flames.
"It's an enchantment, right?" I asked, noticing that we were using the same fire magic.
"We have the same type of magic. Maybe we'll get along," he said casually.
"Yeah, I can't really surround my body in flames like you can. That's just the way it is," he added.
"I cannot disclose any spoilers," the handsome man said with a serious expression. "Sharing information with others is forbidden, and unless you are very confident in your abilities, declaring your defeat is like giving up."
"Indeed," I replied, nodding in agreement.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, swordplay flashed before my eyes. I reflexively caught the blade just in time. The opponent was fast, with impressive skills.
The sword's movement was beautiful, despite its simple appearance. The opponent, clad in flames, created a mirage that obscured the sword's trajectory, making it difficult to predict.
The clanging sound of metal filled the air as we exchanged blows several times. The flames left charred marks on the surroundings.
His swordsmanship was superb, and his technique was beyond what I had ever seen before. He was a worthy opponent, and the fight was a draw.
"Wow," I said, impressed by his skill.
I too was a swordsman on the path to mastery. I released flames from my body and distanced myself from him. Our skills were evenly matched, and he might have been better than me.
"Watch out!" The handsome man took a large backstep to avoid getting hit by the explosion and
took a defensive stance with his sword.
"This is it!" The fight was about to end in a flash.
Humans and animals alike have an instinctive fear of flames.
"It moves by reflex in an instant.
There is a momentary gap there.
He controls the flames and spreads them at his feet.
This is a fake.
Flames scatter to his chest and face.
This is a deception.
The main attack is in this flash.
My favorite finishing move.
A series of thrusting techniques with a sword, 'Shigure Shigure'.
Combining "Shiranui Shiranui" with flames wrapped around the tip of the Shigure.
Converging and scattering countless flames.
A barrage of super-fast thrusts of flames.
Slightly lowering the waist and adjusting the rhythm of breathing.
"Haaaa! Shigure Kai Shigure!!"
The handsome man seemed to have smiled.
"What!?"
An astonishing voice unintentionally escaped from my mouth.
He stopped my deadly thrust with the belly of his slender sword.
"You're naive. But your technique is top-notch..."
The handsome man expressed such an impression.
"You're strong!"
A smile involuntarily appeared on my face."
"Did you read this?"
"He is preparing to counterattack, moving reflexively. A momentary gap is created, and I control the flames, spreading them at his feet. This is a fake. Flames scatter towards his chest and face. This is a deception.
My finishing move is in this flash. It's my signature technique, the continuous thrusting technique with my sword, 'Shigure Shigure.' I combine it with 'Shiranui Shiranui,' which envelops the tip of my blade with flames, converging and scattering them in an ultra-fast series of thrusts. I slightly lower my waist and adjust my breathing rhythm.
"Ha!! Shigure Kai!!"
The handsome man seemed to smile suddenly.
"What!?" I involuntarily exclaimed in shock.
He had stopped my fatal thrust with the belly of his thin sword.
"You're naive, but your technique is first-rate..." the handsome man commented.
"You're strong!" I exclaimed, a smile creeping onto my face.
He's preparing to counterattack, moving reflexively, trying to counter me while twisting his body and burning my feet with flames. It's not good. I might be one move short. That's what I thought. If I get swept aside here, I'll lose.
At that moment, the thin sword made a strange sound, "?!?"
He looks surprised.
"It's over!" Checkmate.
My flash pierced his chest.
"Well done," he said, gritting his teeth and muttering in frustration before collapsing on the spot.
"Phew. It seems like the performance of the weapon was all that mattered. But it's not a good idea to stop a thrust with the belly of a sword," I warned him.
"It might be none of your business, though."
In the distance, a flashy glow was shining. It looks like I still have to fight.
"Ha~. Shall we go? Why am I...?" I muttered, but deep down, I was excited.