Akaza was ecstatic.
There was no turning back now—not after offending Eiji. What was done could not be undone.
But so what?
For now, Eiji was still just a student-ranked knight. He was far from reaching the world-class tier. There was no immediate threat to worry about. All that mattered was seizing the moment—securing his promotion.
Once he stood atop the ladder with enough clout, then he could consider how to lower himself, flatter Eiji... or simply disappear altogether.
And now, seeing Ikki cornered with no way out, Akaza could hardly contain his joy.
He had been worried earlier—afraid Eiji might not be able to beat Ikki. But reality had turned out even better than expected. The battle had been one-sided. Completely and utterly.
Victory was all but guaranteed. Promotion was in the bag.
Ittou Shura's time limit was down to less than thirty seconds, and yet Ikki's all-out assault had failed to penetrate Eiji's impenetrable defense.
He hadn't even forced Eiji to reveal his Noble Art!
The outcome was clear. There was no suspense left.
Ikki Kurogane would lose.
"That bastard's getting smug again…"
Nene muttered, annoyed as Akaza's triumphant laughter echoed across the stadium.
"…!"
Ikki heard it too.
That obnoxious, triumphant cackle—it pierced his ears and tightened his chest. The tension on his face deepened.
He couldn't deny it.
He was going to lose.
There was no path to victory. None he could see.
No openings in Eiji's defense. No weaknesses to exploit. He hadn't even been forced to draw his trump card—and yet, Ikki's best efforts had been nullified.
The gap between them had grown too wide. Even if he had some kind of breakthrough now, it wouldn't be enough.
The match was lost.
Should he give up?
His mind faltered—just for a moment. The thought brushed against his will like a cold wind.
But the moment it did, he crushed it.
This battle wasn't just for himself.
It was for Stella.
The moment her image appeared in his mind, giving up was no longer an option.
But still—how? How could he possibly defeat Eiji in the twenty seconds that remained?
How could he surpass that divine speed—and overcome his overwhelming strength?
There was no answer.
And somehow, that truth was even more painful than the despair in his heart.
Then—
"Ikki, you can do it!"
A voice rang out—cutting through the crowd like a blade through silence.
"Don't pressure yourself so much! Just fight your way. Enjoy this battle to the fullest!"
He knew that voice. He'd never mistake it.
Stella.
She saw right through him.
Ikki gave a wry smile.
He had been forcing himself—desperately, frantically—trying to win no matter what.
Because he couldn't afford to lose. Because he had to beat Eiji.
Even when his strategies and plans had all failed, he kept fighting… knowing it was hopeless.
"Haa—"
Ikki stopped moving.
His relentless assault ceased.
Eiji, no longer being flung around like a billiard ball, came to a halt as well.
But instead of relaxing, he narrowed his eyes.
The atmosphere didn't ease. In fact, it grew heavier—sharper.
"Is Kurogane giving up the offensive?"
"There's only about ten seconds left… He must have realized he can't win…"
Yuuri Oreki's voice was full of hesitation.
She wasn't wrong.
But after knowing Ikki for over a year, she also knew—
He wasn't the type to surrender.
"If he can't win, he should just yield. There's no shame in losing to the disciple of the God of War."
"True."
"The Fallen Angel is invincible!"
"He gave it everything he had."
Heavy sighs echoed across the spectator stands.
"Compared to the start, the crowd's tone has shifted."
"Everyone's seen his effort. And his strength."
Touka and Kanata exchanged glances as they observed the changing mood.
Ikki didn't carry himself like some unruly brat.
There was something in his fight—something hard to name. Maybe it was just an illusion, but... people felt it.
"He doesn't look like he's planning to give up."
Kurono narrowed her eyes at Ikki's back.
"His presence… It's not fading."
"If anything—it's getting stronger!"
Nene nodded gravely.
"This feeling—he's preparing for a final strike!"
On the battlefield, facing Ikki head-on, Eiji felt it more clearly than anyone.
He turned around.
His eyes shimmered with the same dazzling brilliance as before.
Then—he shifted into a wide stance, left foot forward, right foot back. His spiritual armament, Bling Blade, was raised to his side.
It was the posture of Lightning Flash.
Across from him stood the boy who had once seemed drained of all strength—now emanating a battle aura stronger than ever before. His fighting spirit had reached a fever pitch, soaring skyward!
"So this will be decided in a single strike?"
Eiji curled his lips into a grin.
The time limit for Ittou Shura was nearly up.
If he could evade just this one attack, he would win without a scratch.
"How could I possibly back down now?"
A proud smile bloomed on Eiji's face.
"A duel between swordsmen… If we don't settle it head-on, how could we call it a true victory?"
He raised his Bling Blade, holding it level at his chest.
His legs stretched like a drawn bowstring, channeling every ounce of strength into a single, focused line.
"T-That stance! I know it—don't tell me…?"
"That's his ultimate slashing technique! The famed Lightning Flash?!"
Gasps erupted from all directions.
Eiji's ultimate slash technique—thanks to Shinguuji Kurono's generous release of his match record—had become legendary.
Its name, Lightning Flash, symbolized a strike of unmatched divine speed.
But truthfully, the Noble Art itself had no name. The so-called "absolute" was simply a moniker Eiji had chosen for dramatic flair.
Because in reality—nothing is truly absolute.
And that was the very idea Ikki had aimed for.
No—"aimed" wasn't quite right.
He had already let go of the desire to win or lose.
Yes.
Victory or defeat no longer mattered.
Just as Stella had said—he didn't need to carry that burden.
Overthinking it, overreaching—those would only lead him to collapse mentally.
What he needed now—was just one thing:
To give everything he had.
To pour every last drop of stamina and magic into the next blow!
To cast aside survival instinct.
To abandon all restraint.
To tear down the limits of life itself and unleash all that he was—into one single slash!
A blade of pure will. Pure resolve. With no holding back.
If Ittou Shura was about exhausting all power over the course of a minute—Then this one strike, forged from his everything in an instant—deserved its own name:
"—Ittou Rasetsu!!"
The moment he took a step—
The world turned black and white.
All color. All sound. All sensation vanished.
His joints cracked violently. Veins burst in his legs, wrists, arms.
Muscles tore. Bones splintered. Organs screamed.
Every last limit of the body shattered—life itself converted into raw energy, surging into his blade.
This was not about victory.
It was simply—his everything. Unleashed.
And at the exact same moment—
"—Lightning Flash!!"
***
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