Ryoji had sensed this frightening possibility, which was precisely why he had retreated so decisively from the enemy encirclement.
The opponent had already created three adversaries, each wielding a different Noble Art. Who could say whether a fourth, fifth, or even more could be instantly produced? Ryoji could barely handle two or three simultaneously. If their numbers increased, victory would become impossible, and fighting head-on would only guarantee their defeat.
He enjoyed fighting strong opponents, yes, but that didn't mean he enjoyed courting death. Even when using Lightning Flint, survival had to be assured; that was a principle he had always upheld.
His dream was to become the world's strongest, but if he died, nothing would matter. Even if he technically wouldn't truly cease to exist due to his backup plan connected to the TYPE-MOON world, who knew if he would ever be able to return to this current reality after dying? There were too many uncertainties; he would never gamble his life on them.
"If creation is really the enemy's Noble Art, then this is no longer something a Student Knight can handle. Should we notify the Director or Saikyou Nene-sensei?" Kanata now looked genuinely anxious.
It sounded like a fantasy, but Blazers were creatures capable of awakening any sort of impossible ability. The probability was never truly zero. If Ryoji's deduction was correct, their opponent's power was simply absurd. The situation had escalated to the level of a true terrorist attack involving a criminal Blazer of tremendous strength.
And a terrifying Blazer, in essence, was no different from a walking natural disaster.
"I'll speak with First Senior Sister later," Ryoji nodded. "But there's no need to panic too much."
From how the Chainsaw Woman had repeatedly aimed only at his limbs, it was clear they weren't trying to kill him, but capture him alive. Meaning his life wasn't in immediate danger.
Furthermore, while the opponent's Noble Art was extremely powerful, that didn't necessarily mean the user themselves was unbeatable. There had to be a weakness to exploit.
And ultimately, even if those creations were immune to Charm, could their creator possibly resist it, too?
As a swordsman, Ryoji placed far more value on winning with the sword. Over-relying on Charm would dull his will to advance. If an enemy could be beaten by the blade, he would not resort to underhanded tricks. If the sword failed, then he would use Charm, there was no rush.
In the end, Charm was only a method for becoming stronger, not the goal itself. Always thinking about using Charm to achieve victory would never lead to true strength. He had already broken past that psychological barrier during his time in the DanMachi world.
"Anyway, let's head back to the academy first. We'll talk about everything else later."
The thrumming sound of helicopter rotors grew closer. The aircraft descended from the sky onto the park grass. The two boarded, and under Kanata's direct command, it immediately departed for a hospital belonging to the Totokubara Group.
After returning to the academy, Ryoji went straight to the Director's office to report the incident to Shinguuji Kurono. The chaos caused on that busy street required an official explanation.
Toudou Touka, upon receiving the news, quickly changed into casual clothes and rushed to the office, anxiously inspecting Ryoji from head to toe.
"Of course I'm fine." Ryoji grinned and raised both arms in a strongman pose.
His right arm was already completely healed, not even requiring a healing capsule. The Totokubara Group's hospital truly had world-class experts; it took only half an hour to fully repair a bone fracture.
I just hope Kanata's parents don't learn of my existence because of this incident, he thought. Honestly, the shock from being attacked by powerful Blazers wasn't even as stressful as the thought of Kanata's parents discovering he was having an affair with their daughter.
"I'll report this to the League branch and push them to catch the culprit as soon as possible. But you know the official efficiency, it's always 'remarkable,' so don't get your hopes up," Shinguuji Kurono shrugged. "Also, don't leave the school for now. Staying here is safer."
"If the official statement covers the chaos, that's good enough. The rest doesn't matter to me." Ryoji shook his head.
The headquarters of the International Magic Knights League was located in Britain. Although every member nation had branch offices, their overall combat ability couldn't compare to the main headquarters. After all, the man ranked number one in the KOK League, acknowledged as the League's greatest leader, 〈Lord Whitebeard〉, was British and personally resided at the headquarters.
Note: Lord Whitebeard is the strongest in the League; the 〈Union〉 (a separate entity) is not included in the ranking.
In truth, as members of the Alliance, both the Chinese Federation and America have experts who are no weaker than Lord Whitebeard; these are only the publicly acknowledged ranks. As for how many world-class powerhouses exist in secret, that is anyone's guess.
Incidentally, the second-ranked in the League is Italian, and the third is Saikyou Nene.
As for the combat strength of the Japan Branch, it wasn't bad. Japan had plenty of powerful elites in both the younger and older generations, they just never stayed stationed at the branch. Take Nangou Torajirou, the God of War, he was always traveling all over the world. Saikyou Nene, the leader of the younger generation, also frequently went abroad to participate in competitions. And Shinguuji Kurono herself had even been retired for several years until recently.
"Why is it that you've only been back for two days, and someone already came to attack you?" On the way back to the dorms, Toudou Touka asked, utterly perplexed.
"Is that my fault?" Ryoji spread his hands, feigning utter innocence. "Haiya, a man as outstanding as me stands out wherever he goes! I am always the most dazzling star in the crowd!"
"Indeed!" Touka nodded in full agreement. Junior Brother is the best!
"Right, Junior Brother, there's something I've been meaning to ask." Touka suddenly snapped to attention, recalling a strange inconsistency. "I remember that last time, when you clashed with Kurashiki Kuraudo from Donrou Academy, Kanata was with you, right? And now this time, when you got attacked outside… Kanata was also with you…?"
...Hiss!!
Ryoji's whole body jolted.
FUUUCK!! He forgot about THAT!
What, what, what do I do now?!
Don't panic! The more dangerous the moment, the more you must NOT panic! Stay calm! Do NOT let Senior Sister see through you!
Ryoji slowly lifted his head, wearing a profoundly shocked and wounded expression.
Touka-senpai was staring at him, uncertainty and hesitation swimming in her eyes.
"Senior Sister," Ryoji choked out, clutching his chest and showing a heartbroken, betrayed look, "how could you doubt my feelings for you?"
"N-No, it's not like that…! I was just curious, I really wasn't doubting you, I swear!" Touka panicked instantly.
Being stared at like that by her Junior Brother, she felt her heart about to shatter. Without thinking, she immediately dropped the line of questioning.
I'm such an idiot, how could something like that possibly happen?
"Senior Sister, believe me, my feelings for you will never change!" Ryoji vowed earnestly, thumping his chest and gazing deeply at her.
"Mm! I believe you!" Touka, filled with relief and joy, threw herself into his arms and rubbed against him affectionately.
Thank goodness!
As Ryoji gently stroked her back, he realized his hand was trembling slightly.
As expected, my genius saves the day!
(End of chapter)
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