Chivalry of a Failed Knight: Volume 3 E-Book

Riku Misora

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

With only a few selection matches left to go, Shizuku finds herself up against her mightiest foe yet. In order to stand shoulder to shoulder with her beloved brother, she resolves to surpass her limits and defeat the school’s reigning champion—Toudou Touka, the Thunderbolt. Meanwhile, news of Ikki’s exploits has finally reached the ears of the Kurogane family, and they once again begin to interfere with his life. Will he be able to escape their cowardly machinations and make it in time for his final duel, or will his dream of reaching the Seven Stars Battle Festival end here?!

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Prologue: Shizuku’s Challenge

Chapter 1: Lorelei vs. Thunderbolt

Chapter 2: Okutama’s Monster

Chapter 3: The Worst One’s Travails

Chapter 4: A Single Slash

Epilogue: Another One

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Table of Contents

Color Illustrations

Prologue: Shizuku’s Challenge

Kurogane Shizuku was reminiscing about her childhood. No matter what she’d done, she’d never been scolded. Whether she’d hit other kids, stolen—and then sometimes broken—their toys, or otherwise misbehaved, no one had ever said a word. All because she’d shown an exceptional amount of talent as a Blazer from a young age.

“I’m so sorry, Shizuku-chan.” That was what the mother of the kid she’d been bullying had said to her. The woman had even slapped her child and forced them to apologize. “You say you’re sorry too!”

“I’m sorry,” the child had said through gritted teeth.

Shizuku had always found such scenes pathetic. Both the children who cowered before her strength and the adults who worshipped her power so much that they allowed such things to happen disgusted her. However, all of the people around her had been like that. They bowed and scraped before anyone stronger than them, piling on insincere praise and empty flattery. She’d despised the lot of them.

In time, she’d grown to despise all of humanity. Not only that, she hated that she, too, was stuck being human. And she took that hate and anger out on those weaker than her. Hearing the screams of the weak distracted her from her own self-loathing.

There was one boy, however, who hadn’t allowed her to get away with whatever she wished just because she was strong—her older brother, Kurogane Ikki. One day, when she’d been tormenting another hapless child, he’d come up and slapped her. “It’s wrong to bully the weak!” he’d told her.

At first, Shizuku hadn’t even processed what had happened. Her parents had never once scolded her, much less hit her. After a few seconds, though, her cheek had begun to sting, and tears had welled up in her eyes. Seeing that, the adults around her had paled and started yelling at Ikki to apologize. And when he’d refused, they’d attacked him. But he’d kept stubbornly claiming that he’d done nothing he needed to apologize for.

Shizuku had never met someone like him before. Someone who called out injustice when he saw it, regardless of how strong the other person was. Though the pain had surprised her so much she’d started crying, in truth, she had been happy. Her whole life, she’d been looking for someone like Ikki. Someone she could respect as a fellow human being. It hadn’t mattered that he didn’t spoil her or that he was strict with her. She had finally found someone she could truly look up to, and she’d been certain that if she followed in Ikki’s footsteps, she wouldn’t grow up to be like all the pathetic adults in her life.

But back then, I didn’t do a single thing to help you.

She’d failed to improve her brother’s circumstances. Worse, she hadn’t done anything to ease his crushing loneliness.

◆◇◆◇◆

“First-year Kurogane Shizuku-san. It’s time for your match. Please step into the arena.”

Upon hearing that, Shizuku slowly opened her eyes. There was a dimly lit corridor in front of her that led into the arena. She started walking down that corridor, still reminiscing about the past.

I only discovered how badly the rest of our family treated you after you left, Onii-sama.

When Ikki had run away from home, no one had bothered to go looking for him. Everyone had acted as if he’d never existed in the first place. It was only then that Shizuku had realized how much pain her beloved elder brother had been hiding behind his gentle smile.

Once she’d learned the truth, she’d come to despise the Kurogane family—her family. At the same time, she’d decided that if no one else was going to love her brother, she’d shower him with so much love that he wouldn’t need anyone else. But if she was going to do that, she needed to become stronger. She still relied on him far too much. Until she was strong enough that she could stand as his equal and support him as much as he’d supported her, she wouldn’t be able to stop him if he left again. And if that happened, he’d be all alone once more.

In order to prevent that future, Shizuku had to grow stronger. The world would take notice of Ikki sooner or later. She knew how strong he was, so she knew it was only a matter of time. Thus, she’d trained as hard as she could, wanting to be strong enough to stand by his side when that time came. As a result, she’d climbed all the way up to Rank B. But that still wasn’t enough. Ikki was aiming to become the Seven Stars Battle Festival champion. If she wanted to be his equal, she needed to get much stronger.

“It’s time to introduce the combatants for the twelfth match of the day! Coming out of the blue corner, we have Kurogane Ikki’s younger sister and the school’s most famous first-year after the Crimson Princess. She’s won all fifteen of her matches so far and proved to the whole school that elemental affinities aren’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to a duel! Give it up for Kurogane Shizuku, also known as Lorelei! Will she use her superb mana control to drag yet another opponent into the depths, or is this where her undefeated streak comes to an end?!”

Raucous applause filled the air as Shizuku entered the arena. However, she barely even heard the deafening cheers. All of her focus was on the person walking into the arena from the other side.

“And in the red corner, we have our school’s very own student council president and current top-ranked Blazer! Last year, she made it to the Seven Stars Battle Festival semifinals. Her defeat was to Bukyoku Academy’s Moroboshi, who went on to become the winner of last year’s tournament! She’s spent the past year training harder than ever, and of course also boasts a perfect win streak for this year’s selection matches! Her unbeatable signature move is faster than lightning and can cut through steel! Will our famous Thunderbolt, Toudou Touka, defeat today’s opponent in a flash as well, or is today the day she finally gets dethroned?!”

Toudou Touka came to a halt around twenty meters in front of Shizuku, her long brown hair fluttering in the breeze. Even from a distance, Shizuku could tell that Touka was a completely different caliber of fighter than the opponents she’d faced thus far.

Yeah, she’s definitely on another level.

Just being near Touka felt so oppressive that Shizuku found it hard to breathe. Goose bumps rose along her arms, and Touka’s piercing glare was enough to make her break out in a cold sweat. Perceptive as Shizuku was, she could tell that Touka was without a doubt stronger than her. But that only made her fighting spirit burn more fiercely. Ever since enrolling in Hagun Academy, she’d been dying for a chance to truly test herself. And now, she was finally up against an opponent who would push her to her limit.

Let’s see how strong one of the top four students in the country really is.

For the past five years, Shizuku had trained tirelessly, working to catch up to her beloved brother. The time had come for her to learn just how far her love for him could take her.

With this battle, I’ll overcome my limits!

Just then, the announcer called out, “Let the battle begin!” and the buzzer signaling the start of the match rang.

Chapter 1: Lorelei vs. Thunderbolt

The battle between Lorelei and Thunderbolt, two of the strongest Blazers in the school, started off with an unexpected lull.

“Wh-What’s going on?! Neither side is making a move!”

Touka and Shizuku were slowly circling the ring, keeping a set distance from each other. Shizuku’s silver kodachi, Yoishigure, was pointed at the ground, and she made no move to raise it. Meanwhile, Touka’s Device, a katana called Narukami, was still resting in its black lacquered sheath. A minute had passed since the start of the battle, yet the two still hadn’t crossed blades. Despite that, the atmosphere was exceedingly tense. Over a hundred people had come to see this highly anticipated battle, and none of them dared speak even a word as they watched with bated breath.

“I wouldn’t want to make the first move either,” Stella muttered softly to Ikki, who was standing next to her.

“They both want to let their opponent strike first to get a feel for them.” It was Alisuin rather than Ikki who responded. “They’re both Rank B Blazers with enough reach to hit each other from the edge of the arena. Since they’re both within each other’s effective range already, they can’t afford to do anything careless.”

“Alice is right, but Shizuku really doesn’t want to be the one to move in first here. Toudou-san can strike at any range, but she excels at close-range combat,” Ikki chimed in.

“Is that signature move of hers the announcer was talking about a close-range attack?”

“Yeah. They weren’t exaggerating about how strong it is either. Her Noble Art, which is also called Thunderbolt, uses electromagnetism to allow her to draw her blade at lightning speed. In fact, her nickname comes from the name of her Noble Art.”

By channeling lightning through her sheath and across the surface of her blade, Touka could generate a powerful electromagnetic field that accelerated her quickdraw to supersonic speed. Human reflexes weren’t fast enough to react to something like that.

“Toudou-san has won every single match she’s had the opportunity to use Thunderbolt in,” Ikki noted. “It’s a guaranteed hit that’s sure to take out any opponent.”

“Wait, but she lost in last year’s semifinals, didn’t she? Doesn’t that mean last year’s champion was able to beat her Thunderbolt?” Stella asked.

“Not quite,” Ikki replied with a shake of his head. “Last year’s champion, Moroboshi-kun, uses a spear. I watched the recordings of Toudou-san’s battle with him, and he stayed outside of Thunderbolt’s range the entire time. In other words, even the current reigning champion was afraid of that move. There hasn’t been a single person who’s beaten Toudou-san in a close-range fight yet. Everyone who’s gotten close has been cut down by that lightning-fast slash. Shizuku knows that as well.”

“Which is why she’s keeping her distance?”

“Yep. She’s probably planning on fighting from as far away as possible. Long-range fights are her forte anyway. There’s no reason for her to close the distance.”

Shizuku was content to wait for her opponent to make the first move. For now, though, it seemed as though time was standing still as the two slowly circled each other.

“Things will heat up quickly once Toudou-san goes on the offensive, though.”

A few seconds after Ikki said that, Touka finally made her move.

◆◇◆◇◆

Touka dashed forward, accelerating up to top speed in an instant. With her agility, she could close the gap of twenty meters in less than a second. But of course, Shizuku wasn’t going to let her approach without a fight. She had been watching and waiting for the moment Touka would strike and thus was able to react immediately.

“Freeze—Frost Field!”

The ground beneath Shizuku froze, and ice covered the entire arena before Touka could take so much as a second step. Naturally, if someone ran at full speed over such icy ground, they’d slip. Touka would be forced to slow her advance, leaving Shizuku free to bombard her from a safe distance, and so Shizuku pointed Yoishigure at Touka and created three Water Prison Bubbles in quick succession. If any of them managed to cover Touka’s head, they’d stick to her until she fainted from lack of oxygen.

With how slippery the ground was, it would be exceedingly difficult to dodge all three bubbles. Touka was no ordinary Blazer, however. She was one of the best student knights in the nation. She immediately realized that Shizuku was trying to slow her down, so instead of decelerating, she let herself slip, using the frictionless ground to increase her speed. That allowed her to safely dash under the three Water Prison Bubbles. She then twirled atop the icy field like a figure skater and unsheathed Narukami, firing a crescent of lightning at Shizuku’s neck despite still being a good distance away.

Touka had not only evaded Shizuku’s attack, she’d managed to counterattack while doing so. The moment Shizuku had transformed the arena into a field of ice, Touka had mentally mapped out what she needed to do. Shizuku had never fought someone who was able to analyze and react to sudden changes so quickly in the heat of battle, but she had known from the start that Touka would be able to exceed all her expectations.

Immediately, Shizuku summoned a wall of water thirty meters wide, creating a barrier to separate her from Touka. This was Pure Wave Lotus, her defense-oriented Noble Art. From the start, she’d known a single exchange wouldn’t be enough to take down a foe as powerful as the famed Thunderbolt. Moreover, she knew Touka could use long-range attacks, which was why she’d been prepared to go back on the defensive at any time.

The lightning crescent Touka had launched slammed into the water barrier and evaporated part of it but fizzled out before it could penetrate all the way through. Shizuku didn’t have any time to catch her breath, though.

“Ah!”

Touka, too, had predicted that one attack wouldn’t be enough to bring Shizuku down, and so she kept unleashing lightning crescents one after another at the water barrier. Her offense was relentless and lacked any of the elegance that had been in her initial counterattack. This was a display of pure brute force. But while it lacked style, it was undoubtedly the right play.

At present, Touka possessed one key advantage over Shizuku: she could use her techniques much faster. In order to prevent her water barrier from conducting electricity, Shizuku had to ensure that every single drop was free of impurities—a delicate operation that took both time and concentration. Meanwhile, all Touka had to do was enchant her blade with electricity and let loose. There was no need for minute adjustments, so she could keep slashing away.

After just one exchange, Touka had figured that out and begun making full use of this decisive advantage. She had assumed that a barrage of lightning strikes would be the hardest thing for Shizuku to deal with right now, and she’d been absolutely correct. Shizuku had no choice but to focus solely on defense, or else she risked being overwhelmed. However, Touka’s attacks were heavy enough that even when Shizuku was expending all her energy on maintaining her Pure Wave Lotus, it was slowly being chipped away. A few dozen lightning blasts was enough to evaporate the last of the water protecting Shizuku, leaving her exposed. Touka immediately raised Narukami again, preparing to deliver the decisive blow.

“Kh!”

But then, she suddenly stopped and looked down at her feet. Hands made of water had risen out of the frozen ground and were reaching for her legs. The moment they grabbed her, they froze, pinning her in place. A second later, a shadow appeared above her head. She hurriedly looked up, but it was too late. A pillar of ice was hurtling down toward her, and it was already inches away from her face.

While she’d been defending, Shizuku had planned her next move. Touka might have been able to read situations and adapt to them quickly, but Shizuku excelled at reading ten moves ahead and preparing for every eventuality. Indeed, she had led Touka into thinking that speed was her biggest advantage, and by focusing on defense, she’d made Touka believe that defending was all she could do. All the while, she’d been channeling her mana through the ground, slowly creating the arms that would hold Touka in place. She’d simultaneously gathered all the steam Touka had created by destroying her Pure Wave Lotus and transformed it into the ice pillar that was now bearing down on her.

Working on three different highly technical spells at the same time was impossible for most Blazers, but not for Shizuku. Her mana control was better than some Rank A Blazers’. In that particular field, she was stronger even than Stella.

The pillar of ice crashed into the ground, splitting the ring in half and sending cracks running all the way up to the spectator stands. The pillar itself, however, was undamaged, standing tall in the center of the arena like a frozen gravestone. Nobody watching the battle thought Touka could possibly get back up after that. Shizuku did, though. She could tell that Touka wasn’t down yet. The atmosphere was still as tense as before.

Confirming Shizuku’s suspicion, there was a brief flash, and her ice pillar was cleaved in twain. Standing directly underneath it was the Thunderbolt, completely unharmed. The fighting had been so fierce that the arena itself was now a pile of rubble, but neither fighter had so much as a scratch on them. So far, the two Rank B Blazers seemed equally matched.

◆◇◆◇◆

“H-Holy crap! This is one hell of a match! That whole exchange was so jaw-dropping that I completely forgot to comment on it!” the announcer shouted, remembering her job at long last. That broke the spell over the spectators as well, and they started excitedly talking to one another.

“Wh-What’s with those two?! Are they even human?!”

“Our student council president is so friggin’ cool!”

“We already knew that, dumbass! She made it to the semifinals last year, remember?! What’s really crazy is how that first-year’s keeping up with her!”

“Lorelei managed to defend and attack at the same time, and she even threw out feints while doing it. Just how many moves ahead is she reading?!”

“Tell me about it! But the student council president managed to handle it all!”

“Those two are monsters, I’m telling you! It’s crazy what Rank B Blazers are like when they get serious!”

“This battle’s definitely got the crowd stirred up!” the announcer shouted. “I don’t blame them! This is a nationals-level match! Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if either of these two ends up being this year’s Seven Stars Sovereign! What’s truly amazing is that despite the fierce exchange we just witnessed, both sides are completely unhurt! They look evenly matched for now, but who will the goddess of victory smile upon today?!”

“Nice going, Shizuku!” Stella cheered.

“I knew she was strong, but I didn’t realize she was this strong,” Alisuin said, impressed.

Neither of them had expected Shizuku to fare this well against Hagun’s strongest fighter. This was ironclad proof that Shizuku was strong enough to contend with the best of the best in the nation.

“At this rate, she might actually win!” Stella exclaimed.

Though she was always bickering with Shizuku, Stella didn’t hate the girl. On the contrary, the two of them shared a strong bond as girls who loved the same boy. Stella wished for Shizuku’s victory from the bottom of her heart. And since Shizuku was putting up such a strong fight against a lightning user, the element she had the worst matchup against, Stella was starting to think victory might be a realistic prospect. But while she and Alisuin were hopeful, Ikki’s expression was grim.

“Evenly matched,” huh? I don’t know about that...

◆◇◆◇◆

“Those two do appear evenly matched, don’t they, Kanata?”

“They certainly do, Vice President.”

Misogi Utakata and Toutokubara Kanata were watching the match from the side of the stands opposite Ikki and the others.

“We really did get an amazing batch of first-years this year. It’s kind of scary to think about, actually. If they turn out to be problem children, it’s going to be our job to stop them, you know,” Utakata said with a shiver.

“Aha ha. That’s a good worry to have. It means we’ll be able to graduate knowing Hagun’s in good hands,” Kanata said with a graceful laugh. She tipped her hat to Utakata, then turned back to the arena. “But I’m surprised Lorelei is able to keep up with our princess.”

“Yeah. They’re definitely evenly matched. I didn’t think any of the first-years except Kurogane-kun and Stella-chan were this strong,” Utakata replied. However, neither he nor Kanata looked at all worried. “Though that’s only when they’re fighting at long range.”

This was precisely why Ikki looked so worried as well. The girls’ previous exchange had made it painfully clear to him who the match favored. Touka was invincible at close range, and there was nothing in Shizuku’s arsenal that could change that. In other words, Shizuku’s only chance of winning was through a long-range battle.

Just being on par with Touka at long range wasn’t good enough, though. She needed to have at least a seven-to-three advantage or there was no hope for her. However, she’d failed to deal any damage to Touka throughout their lengthy clash, all of which had happened at long range. If Shizuku was only evenly matched at long range and at an overwhelming disadvantage at close range, that meant the overall situation leaned in Touka’s favor.

“Besides, Touka hasn’t even gotten serious yet,” Utakata said with a smile.

Shizuku was a Rank B Blazer, but her mana control was Rank A material. It was unlikely that anyone as skilled at fine-tuned spells and pinpoint attacks as her would show up even in the Seven Stars Battle Festival. This was a rare opportunity for Touka to get experience fighting these types of foes. It was for this reason that she wasn’t trying to force a close-range battle just yet and had allowed Shizuku to fight her at long range. Now, she had a much better grasp of how a first-rate water-aspected Blazer fought.

“Touka must be happy she gets to face such a skilled opponent before the Seven Stars Battle Festival.”

“Indeed. Though I believe she’s learned all she can now. Besides, if this match drags on too long, it will impact the scheduling for the later matches, and that’s not something the student council president would condone.”

◆◇◆◇◆

Just as Kanata had said, Touka soon made her move. The ice clinging to her legs and around her feet started to melt—she was using the heat her lightning generated to dispel Shizuku’s Frost Field. Once the ice was gone from the arena, Touka leveled Narukami at Shizuku, making it clear that she was ready to end things. Her piercing gaze caused Shizuku’s expression to stiffen.

I don’t understand. As Shizuku leveled Yoishigure at Touka in return, one big question remained in her mind. During their last exchange, Touka had somehow managed to react in time to protect herself from Shizuku’s ice pillar. How did she manage to do that?

Shizuku’s mana control was far greater than Touka’s. Not even Stella, a Rank A Blazer, had mana control as polished as Shizuku. Shizuku was certain she’d camouflaged her surprise attack perfectly. There was no way Touka should have been able to sense what she was doing with her mana.

Furthermore, a human’s biggest blind spot was the area directly above them. Even martial artists who possessed a keen sixth sense and could sense opponents who’d gotten behind them had a much harder time noticing things above them. It was just how humans were hardwired. And yet Touka had noticed the surprise attack in time to react and cut straight through Shizuku’s ice pillar.

It’s like...she sees something I can’t.

Shizuku desperately racked her brain to try to figure out what that something was. But before she could, there was a large gust of wind, and Touka was suddenly right in front of her, with Narukami poised to strike.

“Wha—”

Shizuku gasped in surprise. Just a second ago, Touka had been dozens of meters away, but now, she was within striking range.

“Ngh!”

Not letting her surprise freeze her in place, Shizuku immediately leaped backward, barely evading Touka’s horizontal slash. She flipped over while in the air and placed her left hand on the ground. A powerful jet of water burst from her palm, propelling her even farther backward and placing her a safe distance away from Touka. It was a marvelously executed dodge, but unlike all of Shizuku’s previous actions, this was one that hadn’t been planned ahead of time. Now, Shizuku was half panicking internally and was on the verge of losing her cool.

I don’t get how she’s doing that!

Shizuku was positive she hadn’t let Touka out of her sight for even a millisecond. Even so, Touka had somehow closed the distance between them without making so much as a sound.

“Ooh, that was a close one! Kurogane was keeping up with Toudou’s movements before, so what could have happened?! It seemed to me like she spaced out for a second there!”

Me, space out? Shizuku frowned as she listened to the announcer. There was no way she would let her concentration slip during a match. But the announcer’s words made it clear that it’d looked that way to a third party. Touka had approached using the same straightforward dash as before, but somehow, Shizuku had simply not noticed it. No, that’s not possible.

Either way, Shizuku couldn’t let that happen again. She honed her focus even further, keeping her attention fixed solely on her opponent. But even though she kept her vision trained on Touka, before she knew it, Touka was once again right in front of her, swinging Narukami at her.

“Aaaaah?!”

This time, Shizuku didn’t have enough time to dodge, and Narukami left a deep diagonal gash that went from her shoulder to her hip.

“Whoa! That was a deep cut! Kurogane didn’t even dodge Toudou’s strike this time around! Will she be able to keep fighting after that?!”

But just when everyone thought the match was over, Shizuku’s body turned to water and fell apart. A second later, the real Shizuku reappeared a good distance behind Touka.

“Th-That was a water clone! It seems Kurogane evaded Toudou’s strike yet aga— Or not!” The announcer cut herself short as she took a closer look at Shizuku. Indeed, there was blood dripping from a cut on Shizuku’s left hand. “It looks like her left hand got cut, so it wasn’t a perfect dodge this time! At long last, first blood has been drawn! The injury it caused isn’t major, but it looks like Toudou has gotten the first hit in!”

“Ngh!”

I keep missing her until it’s too late! Shizuku cradled her injured hand as her mind raced. She couldn’t figure out what trick Touka was using to make herself disappear like that. However, one thing was certain. I can’t read her movements anymore!

Indeed, it was clear even to the spectators that the two combatants were no longer evenly matched.

◆◇◆◇◆

Once the scales had tipped in Touka’s favor, it turned into a one-sided beatdown. Shizuku was forced to stay on the defensive, running around the ring to try to stay out of Touka’s reach. But Touka was faster, and because Shizuku was always reacting late to her approaches, she had to perform desperate, risky dodges that shaved away at her stamina. Before long, she was so exhausted that she could barely stay on her feet.

“What’s going on here? At first, the two were evenly matched, but now, Lorelei is suddenly stuck on the defensive. What could have caused such a dramatic shift?!”

The announcer looked just as confused as Shizuku. From her outside viewpoint, she couldn’t see what was making it so hard for Shizuku to keep track of Touka, and thus she couldn’t understand why Shizuku was being pressed so hard. She could see what was clear to everyone watching the fight, however: who was winning.

“She should just surrender...”

“Guess it was too much to hope a first-year would beat our student council president.”

“I thought there was a chance at first, but yeah, this is just sad to watch.”

“What, you’re leaving already?”

“Yeah. This fight’s over. Our student council president’s just too strong.”

The spectators’ earlier excitement had vanished. They’d convinced themselves that no matter how hard a mere first-year tried, she wouldn’t be able to beat Hagun Academy’s strongest Blazer. As a result, they felt silly for ever having thought that Shizuku had a chance.

Stella, however, refused to accept this. She turned to Ikki and asked, “Ikki, what happened to Shizuku?”

“What do you mean?”

“You can tell just by looking, right? She’s suddenly reacting way slower to her opponent’s attacks.”

“Stella-chan’s right. From our perspective, the president is just moving normally, but it looks like Shizuku can’t see her until the last second,” Alisuin added.

Ikki could see that as well, of course. But he could see a bit deeper and was able to puzzle out the reason that was happening too.

“You’re right. Shizuku can’t see her.”

“Huh?”

“Shizuku can’t see the Thunderbolt while she’s moving. I experienced something like this myself once, so I can tell what’s happening here.” Before his first match, Ikki had met with the Demon Princess, Saikyou Nene. “Back then, Saikyou-sensei went from being half the room away to right in front of me without me realizing it. I’d kept my eyes on her the whole time, but she still managed to catch me by surprise. I suspect the Thunderbolt is using a similar kind of martial art footwork to achieve the same effect.”

“Aha ha. I should have known you’d figure it out, Kurogane,” a voice called out from a few rows above them. When Ikki looked up, he saw a short woman in a stylish kimono and a taller woman wearing a stiff suit walking down toward them.

“Yo. Long time no see.”

“Saikyou-sensei, Director, did you need something from us?” Alisuin asked.

“Nah, we just happened to spot you, so we thought we’d say hi,” Shinguuji Kurono replied. It seemed the two of them had just come to see how this battle between Rank B Blazers would play out.

Stella turned to Nene and asked, “Nene-sensei, you said Ikki figured it out, so does that mean he’s right?”

“Yep,” Saikyou answered with a nod. “Toudou’s using Stealth Step, a special kind of martial art that combines footwork with breathing techniques to make it harder for your opponent to perceive you. Here, let me show you.”

“Wha—”

Saikyou went from being a good five meters away from Stella to being right in front of her without Stella noticing. Moreover, when Stella looked down, she saw that Saikyou was groping her.

“Waaah?!”

“There, see? Anyway, wow, these are some fine melons you’ve got. They’re so big and soft.”

“Eeeek! Wh-Wh-Wh-What do you think you’re doing?!”

“I was hoping mine would get bigger if I fondled them.”

“Fondle your own, then!”

“I don’t have anything to fondle!”

“Don’t get mad at me for that!”

Kurono ignored Stella and Saikyou’s bickering and turned to Ikki. “Kurogane, you’ve already finished analyzing Stealth Step, haven’t you?” she said.

“More or less,” Ikki replied, nodding. “If you asked me to replicate it, I think I could.”

“Hey, Ikki, how exactly does that ‘Stealth Step’ thing work?” Stella asked, pulling Saikyou off her.

“Humans aren’t built like machines. They can’t actually process all the information they see or hear—at least not consciously. If you tried to pay attention to literally everything your senses were telling you, your brain would short-circuit, so it filters out information it considers less important and drives it into your subconscious. That prevents you from actively paying attention to it.”

Ikki continued his explanation.

“Stealth Step uses a special arrhythmic form of breathing combined with an unnatural gait to make the other person’s brain classify your movements and presence as unimportant and send them to their subconscious. That’s why Shizuku can’t see Toudou-san even though it looks like Toudou-san’s in plain sight. Shizuku’s eyes are, in fact, seeing Toudou-san, and her brain is even registering that information, but it doesn’t consider any of it important enough to pay attention to. Not until Toudou-san is so close that Shizuku’s survival instincts kick in and warn her, anyway.”