"Kukukukuh… Hey, bro. It's unfortunate but Kuraudo doesn't have the hobby of dueling small fry cowards like you. So why not fight us instead? If you beat us then we'll take ya to him―good deal, right?"

  "Haha, fight fight! This's gonna be good."

  Saying that, one of them materialized a Device that looked like an army knife and touched Ikki's cheeks with the flat while laughing.

  At that provocation, Ikki….

  Ah, so these guys are Donrou students huh….

  ―And so, since the circumstances favored him, he suddenly grabbed the thug's wrist.

  "That's fine by me."

  *Crunch*

  He showed a smile that could almost be called heartless.

  Part 3

  "So, because that brown-haired asshole was too annoying, I ripped off his trousers and left him rolling on the main street."

  "Gyahaha, seriously!"

  "No way~ Kyahaha!"

  In the ex-Ayatsuji dojo halls, some boys were sitting on the floor while chatting. The subjects of their chatter were the same as always. Who fought with who, who cheated who, who did it with who, and so on. Kuraudo wasn't really interested in all that so he sat alone at the sofa, away from his friends while smoking tobacco.

  …These guys sure don't get tired talking about the same thing everyday.

  They were colleagues who agreed with his view, but this was the only thing he didn't understand about them.

  I'd rather take part in the selection matches they started in Donrou and Hagun.

  Because then he could spend a more stimulating time. While sighing he released some smoke, and looked at it while it fumed towards the hole in the roof. The evening sky was peeking in. Now that he thought about it, it's become two years since he stole this dojo.

  After all this time, maybe I should sell it.

  As he was thinking while releasing tobacco smoke―

  "Hey, Kuraudo."

  "What? Got a stomachache or something?"

  "…Do you remember the guys who you messed with in that restaurant recently? You know those two with Ayase-chan."

  "Aah, what about them?"

  "I thought I'd seen their faces before but yesterday, I suddenly remembered."

  One of the guys showed Kuraudo his datapad. There was an article titled 『Mock Battle! A-Rank Knight 'Crimson Princess' Defeated by F-Rank Knight 'Worst One'!』 and some pointed-out links to the reference videos on the display. The reference videos were of course, that of Stella's and Ikki's mock battle.

  "I heard from a friend at Hagun today that this guy even defeated that Runner's High! And one group gave him this exaggerated nickname, Crownless Sword King! Maybe… maybe we messed with someone really bothersome here…."

  He was sweating with a blue face after learning the true identity of the person he messed with. But as for Kuraudo―

  "…Haha."

  After watching that video, he had a broad grin showing all thirty-two of his teeth.

  "I see now. I thought he was only at the level of Ayase, but I didn't think he'd be this strong."

  Kuraudo felt his internal temperature rise rapidly. Well, it couldn't be helped if his pent-up energy wanted to explode.

  Interesting.

  He wanted to postpone it till the festivals but, now it was better to just go to Hagun today. Or should he just use Ayase to get to him? While he was making that wicked plan―

  "…Ah?"

  Kuraudo heard the footsteps that were nearing the dojo hall while treading the soil. It was quite the clean sound; by clean, meaning that the posture of walking was correct. Among his companions here, there wasn't anyone who could do that.

  "Haha. Hey hey, now this is interesting."

  "Eh? Kuraudo, what are you…."

  For a moment, the footsteps stopped in front of the door. Then it was opened quite forcefully. The guests that came were just as Kuraudo expected. Kurogane Ikki, Stella Vermillion, and Ayatsuji Ayase, the three from the restaurant.

  "Pardon us."

  "Uwah! What a mess. I'm surprised you guys could live in this trashcan."

  "W-Who the hell are you!"

  "Wait, from the restaurant…!"

  His companions were restless at the unexpected guests but Kuraudo just sat on the sofa like always and glared at Ikki, who had a wooden sword in one hand and a vinyl bag in the other.

  "…What a coincidence. I was just thinking of going to your place."

  "Is that so? Thank goodness we didn't miss each other."

  Ikki was completely relaxed even though he was in enemy territory. He has guts.

  "So, why'd ya come coward?"

  "I don't think your stupid enough to not know what I want after seeing all this but… I'm here as a substitute. In place of Ayatsuji-san, I'll be taking the dojo back."

  "Haha! I was wondering what you'd say, but laame~! I don't know what that woman brainwashed you with, but this dojo is something I got with a fair and square duel. If you're a swordsman, then of course you know what that means right?"

  "Of course. ―That's why, I won't tell you to just return it."

  Saying that, he approached the sofa.

  "Kurashiki-kun, I'm challenging you to a duel."

  He thrust the wooden sword right in front of Kuraudo's nose.

  "Dojo challenge, huh?"

  "The same method as Kurashiki-kun. You're not thinking of running away are you?"

  Oh? So he's gonna provoke me too, huh?

  He was almost a different person from when they first met. But it doesn't matter why he had a change of heart… since it's interesting.

  Kuraudo grabbed the sword tip in front of his nose.

  "Haha. A'right. I'll accept it."

  With his grip, he smashed the wooden sword.

  "However, it'll be the same as how I did it. You're going to have to fight all these thirty idiots alone before you get to fight me. Start from there."

  "I don't mind. The girls are here just to watch. When challenging a dojo, I have to abide by the dojo master's rules. Because that's the proper manner of doing it."

  "Seems like you know a dojo challenger's etiquette huh. Fine, wait a bit. I'll go call the guys."

  Kuraudo accessed the cell phone feature in his handbook to call the guys outside but―

  "No, there's no need for that."

  "Huh?"

  "I thought you'd say that, so I already finished all that up before coming here."

  Saying that, he turned the vinyl bag he had upside down. Donrou Academy student datapads starting falling down on the floor while making noises. And among them, one started to ring. That one was, in fact, the recipient Kuraudo just called.

  "All that's left are the seven people here."

  Showing his trophies, he made a bold smile at Kuraudo as if taunting him.

  "T-This bastard! Riding on his luck!"

  "Kill him―!"

  After learning that their companions had been done in, the seven thugs there started to materialize their Devices one after another.

  But Kuraudo halted them and―

  "You guys get down."

  "Kuraudo?"

  "Th-There's no need to be scared! Let's gang up on him and kick his ass!"

  "Settle down. ―You're in the way."

  "Hii―!"

  His companions gulped and paled. They were pressured by the mad danger dwelling in Kuraudo's eyes.

  I see, even if these guys all attack at the same time, it won't even be sport for him.

  Then that'll just be a waste of time.

  "A change of rules. The duel will be between you and me, a fight with real weapons. The one to die loses."

  Declaring that, Kuraudo took out his Device, the white nodachi Orochimaru.

  Generally, it was forbidden for student knights to use their abilities out of school. But there were a few exceptions. One, when they were mixed up in some sort of incident. And also, in a private dojo if the dojo owner permitted it. Now was the latter case. And Ikki had no reason to refuse.

  "You have my gratitude for accepting, Sword Eater."

  Replying, Ikki also materialized his Intetsu and got into stance. For a moment, Kuraudo felt all the hair on his body standing up with a chill.

  ―He understood, this was the real deal. This feeling, he hadn't felt it since the Last Samurai.

  Swordsmen really are the best. The tension while facing them is on another level than fighting some random idiot.

  A piercing gaze. A dully shining blade tip. Everything, as if hollowing out his insides. A welling up tension that couldn't be helped. This kind of feeling, he couldn't get enough of that even in the Festival.

  Kuraudo cast everything out at that stimulation, and―

  "Now then, let's go!!!"

  With that rage, he slashed at Ikki.

  Part 4

  First off, Kuraudo dashed ahead which immediately killed the distance. He kicked the floor with his magically fortified legs and drew near Ikki.

  "Haha!"

  A flash of iron. He swung his nodachi with its saw blade with his right hand which ripped through the wind. He was full of defects and openings. A very crude and sloppy way of handling a sword. It was quite easy to defend. However, though he didn't have the basic knowledge on how to handle a nodachi, he swung it with a flash with only his arm strength alone!

  Rather than slashing, it looked more like he was mowing it down.

  A sloppy motion, but why's the swing so sharp!?

  Once, twice, thrice. Intetsu which continued to block the hits started to creak. Ikki's arms screamed in pain. Even his ankles felt like they were jabbed.

  What ridiculous power! As if he was a beast. His swings were like a wild beast baring his fangs. No logic, no theory, no smarts, he overpowered men with his brute strength alone!

  But that kind of arm movement will completely unbalance him and his recovery will be late!

  After receiving the attack for about three times, Ikki carried his body backward with his legs and attacked Kuraudo's flank. A loud burst of sound, a pressure passed by the tip of his nose. Kuraudo who swung the nodachi with one hand had his chest area wide open.

  There―!

  The reason he dodged the swing by a hair's breadth was for the counterattack. Ikki attacked Kuraudo not intending to let the chance escape. But―the skull tattoo on Kuraudo's chest looked as if it was laughing at that careful counter.

  "―!?"

  What Ikki's hands felt was a steel response. A steel blade stopped Ikki's perfectly timed counter.

  "Haha, too bad."

  The beast laughed, sticking out his tongue. Certainly, it was regrettable. Ikki's timing was perfect. To be able to block it even with that timing, it's not something possible by normal human reflexes.

  Unless he predicted his counter and planned to guard from beginning.

  …No that's not it…. It couldn't be that he…! But that's….

  Suddenly, an extremely dangerous possibility popped up in Ikki's mind.

  "Ha! Haha-!"

  But he didn't have the time for deep thoughts. Kuraudo pushed back Ikki along with Intetsu with only a one-handed push with the nodachi.

  With that, the battle distance changed from that of a sword's to a spear's. None of their swords would reach. Was he resetting the distance?

  No, wrong.

  "Chase and kill, Orochimaru!"

  It was still within the reach of Orochimaru. Kuraudo's nodachi extended like a snake and chased after Ikki with the intent to kill.

  "…!"

  Ikki reflexively blocked with Intetsu but―

  "HAHA! I'm not done yet!"

  Kuraudo's attack had not ended yet. His nodachi immediately shrank and then he used it like a whip to slash at Ikki, again extending the blade. Right now, their distance was one where only Sword Eater's attacks would reach, a one-sided battle. Ikki had no choice but to take a defensive stance in front of those attacks.

  "Kuh!"

  Ikki's black blade was chipped off little by little while raising sparks against the long distance attacks of the white saw blade.

  His arms were also giving off at those long distance attacks.

  "Yeah! Do it Kuraudo―!"

  "Turn him into a pile of dirt!"

  Kuraudo's audience who cheered when he took the upper hand. On the other hand, Ayase who was on Ikki's side had a paled face.

  "At this rate your guard will be broken! Kurogane-kun, take some distance!"

  "That's useless. If Ikki moves back then that nodachi will just expand that much to adapt with it so there's no meaning in widening the distance. Rather, that would be more disadvantageous for him."

  "Kuh, that means the situation can only worsen?"

  "Yes. However… Ikki isn't the type of guy to sit by idly while that happens!"

  The Crimson Princess who strongly promised this had hit the mark. Of course, since she was the woman who knew the Worst One the best.

  Ikki who was only defending with that wide gap suddenly leaned forward. Using his feet, he pushed his entire body ahead. Of course Kuraudo wouldn't let that happen so easily. This distance was perfect for him, a one-sided battle where Ikki couldn't attack. So he swung his sword again to protect that distance.

  A white snake sliced the wind while chasing after Ikki. It was the howl to break open Ikki's cranium. But Ikki leaned even more forward. A dash! Only made possible by Ikki since he has a trained body.

  Ikki nimbly avoided the blade, and dashed towards the opponent he had come to defeat.

  "He did it…!"

  Ayase who saw that splendid evasion shook her fist. But―

  "Haha!"

  But Sword Eater wasn't someone so soft that he'd let his opponent approach him just because his attack was evaded. Orochimaru which had lost its target for a moment turned its sharp snake head around as if possessing a will, and once again attacked towards Ikki's exposed back.

  "T-That sword can also do that!?"

  Ayase shouted.

  Orochimaru's true value wasn't its ability to extend its length but the fact that it could move like its master ordered. As if the blade had a mind of its own, it changed its direction and chased after Ikki. After acknowledging that Ikki dodged it, Orochimaru turned its blade towards his back. As a result, Ikki wouldn't be able to escape being skewered!

  "Aa, if it was Kurashiki-kun, I thought you would do that."

  But there was just one opening.

  "Wha―!"

  Ikki did a sidestep with minimum movement and dodged the blade chasing after him.

  That's right, Ikki wasn't just fighting defensively. He wasn't that submissive of a person. There would definitely be a deeper scheme in his battles. When he was dodging Kuraudo's attacks by a narrow margin, he was actually analyzing and sealing Kuraudo's movement, action, and combination patterns, all the while disclosing the roots of the person called Kurashiki Kuraudo.

  Perfect Vision.

  The power of the Worst One that even caught the invisible Hunter. The power to read the actions of a beast and with that knowledge, return a perfect counter attack. The counter he released after reading Kuraudo's attacks was the fastest possible attack by a Japanese sword―a thrust.

  An attack aiming to gouge out the eyes of the skull under that uniform. Kuraudo was also full of openings with that surprise attack. There was no way he could turn his sword around nor evade the upcoming attack at this point. That wasn't something a human could possible do.

  Thus bull's eye. Ikki's attack hit Kuraudo's chest!

  That was supposed to happen. But just before it hit, the skull in front of Ikki's eyes suddenly vanished.

  …Huh!?

  What happened? For him to lose sight of his target with that timing? He could not understand. Did he just lose sight of Kuraudo like the mist?

  No, that's not it. Ikki's senses immediately rang out in a frenzied alarm. It almost hurt.

  Danger, Danger, DANGER, DANGER―!

  ….He ducked!

  Just before the attack hit, Kuraudo bent his upper body back so much that it was almost parallel with the floor, and thus he dodged the attack. As if he was mocking Intetsu from directly below it, he looked up and….

  "Ha―HA!"

  He attacked Ikki with Orochimaru.

  "Ugh―!"

  Ikki blocked it with Intetsu just before it slashed his neck. Because the attack was very heavy, his shoulder got dislocated, but he didn't let the attack through. His expression also became bad. But the reason for that wasn't his disadvantageous position or the power of the attack.

  As I thought… this guy…!

  Kuraudo stood up straight with the momentum of that attack, and once again began his barrage.

  Ikki's breathing was a mess compared to when he was just dodging a moment ago. He couldn't afford to go too far here. He raised Intetsu up in order to block the down coming nodachi.

  But the moment their blades should've crossed—with a haze, Kuraudo's nodachi disappeared.

  This―

  ―This is bad!

  Ikki, even though he was kind of roughed up already, threw his body backwards with all his strength. Right at that moment, a flash appeared at the space Ikki was just in. The air was torn apart.

  "!"

  Because he suddenly jumped backwards, his stance was completely broken but he managed to get a foothold and regain his balance. Ayase and Stella who were watching their exchange just now halted their breathing.

  Ikki's uniform―at the abdomen area, there was a huge slit. It meant that if Ikki hadn't jumped back just now, they would have been seeing his entrails spilling out.

  "Haha! Good job dodging that just now."

  "…Wha-What was… that…!?"

  "Kurogane-kun!"

  "Yeaaaaaaaaah!"

  "He would've been split in two right~?"

  "Yeah, as expected of Kuraudo! That guy isn't even worth his time!"

  "Get him!"

  Disturbance and bewilderment. Expectations and excitement. There was a change in the energy of the cheering party of both sides. But Ikki didn't have the time to pay any heed to that.

  "…I see, so that's it."

  Because he happened to realize it. An unthinkable possibility which was in the corner of his mind ever since Kuraudo dodged Ikki's first perfect counter. But that worst possible possibility was in actuality, reality.