Chapter 51

After Ms. Leia announced the start of the First Year War, the female student who was providing commentary began explaining the rules.

The First Year War is held in a tournament format, with the winner receiving a spot for first-year students at the Sword King Festival. Only swords are allowed to be brought into the matches; the use of any other equipment is strictly prohibited. To ensure fairness, the matchups are determined by a draw immediately before the matches begin.

These rules were quite ordinary and nothing particularly unusual.

"Alright then! Now that we've finished explaining the rules, let's move on to the first match, which is a memorable one!"

The female student, seated in the commentary booth at the front of the audience, reached into a transparent box filled with small balls. Each ball had a name written on it, surely to serve as the draw.

"The first contestant is—this person!"

She enthusiastically pulled out a ball, and there, written on it, was my name.

"Surprisingly, he's in the first match! Everyone knows, the first-year A-class student Allen Roadel! The mysterious group, the Swinging Club's president and the student council's secret boss! At the Great Five Saints Festival, he nearly killed his opponent, and during the new student recruitment period, he defeated the vice president of the swordsmanship club with underhanded tactics, and in the club fee war, he toyed with President Shi! How far will this man's relentless advance continue!?"

While the introduction was mostly accurate, it was filled with a great deal of malice.

Immediately after the announcement,

"Wow! Is that the problem child we've heard so much about? I've never seen him before!"

"Hehe, what will he do this time?"

"I came here just to see you, Allen!"

Some of the seniors sent enthusiastic cheers.

(Is this... something to be happy about...?)

I felt a bit conflicted...

"Alright, the opponent for Allen is—first-year B-class student Raze Volkhan! There's a rumor that during his middle school days, he sent ten students from other schools to the hospital! You might have heard of 'Raze the Curved Sword User,' haven't you!?"

As the commentary announced, Raze stepped onto the stage.

"Ho, that's the curved sword user!"

"I've heard of him... He's said to be a crazy dog..."

"Well, well, either the wicked Allen Roadel or the curved sword user Raze Volkhan. What an interesting match to start with!"

As the audience got excited, I stared intently at Raze.

Raze Volkhan.

He had slightly long, maroon hair for a man.

A silver earring in his left ear.

He was about the same height as me, around 170 cm.

(This is the second time I'll be crossing swords with him...)

The first time was when...

Right after I returned from suspension, he suddenly burst into the soul equipment field...

As I was reminiscing about the past,

"Hey, it's been a while, Allen Roadel, hasn't it?"

He greeted me with a smile.

"...It has been a while, Raze."

"Wow, I never thought I'd face you in the first match... I must be lucky today!"

He looked at me with bloodshot eyes and shouted.

(It seems he harbors some resentment...)

As we continued to glare at each other,

"Are both of you ready? Then—match start!"

The commentary declared the start of the match.

I immediately drew my sword and took a ready stance.

Raze, on the other hand, activated his soul equipment as he did last time.

"Rise—<Three Small Bone Dragons>!"

At that moment, three dragons with bone bodies devoid of flesh suddenly appeared. They had red light glowing in their eye sockets and were laughing merrily, "Koro koro koro!"

"This is...!"

They were bigger.

Much bigger than the last time we fought.

"Haha, you noticed, didn't you!? But, they're not just bigger!—Dance of the Bone Dragons!"

As he shouted, the three dragons bared their fangs at me in unison.

"Koro koro koro!"

Their fangs were sharply pointed, and sharp bone fragments protruded from their bodies. Literally, they were weapons from head to toe.

(This is a new technique...)

But if they come at me, it will be easier to deal with.

I just need to crush them as I did last time!

"Eight blades—Yata!"

Just as I was about to destroy the three dragons with eight slashes,

"—Too sweet, too sweet!"

As if he had anticipated it, Raze attacked me.

"Ugh!?"

My technique was interrupted, and I found myself in a sword lock with Raze.

Then,

"Koro koro koro!"

The three dragons rushed at my limbs.

"..."

I tried to dodge by twisting my body, but,

"Ugh!?"

A sharp bone fragment from their bodies cut my shoulder shallowly.

"Haha, that's a good look, Allen Roadel..."

Raze, firmly holding my sword, twisted his mouth into a grotesque grin.

"...I see, you intend to seal my techniques with ultra-close combat."

If he gets this close, I can't use techniques like Hien, Rougetsu, Dangai, or Yatakarasu.

(While Raze can't use techniques either, he has the <Three Small Bone Dragons>...)

Thanks to his remotely controlled soul equipment, he can launch powerful attacks unilaterally.

"Haha, that's right! Ever since I lost to you, I've been training non-stop in ultra-close combat! All for one reason—to kill you!"

He said this with a victorious expression.

(Sealing an opponent's swordsmanship with ultra-close combat. Easier said than done...)

It's a strategy that would be impossible for an ordinary swordsman.

What makes it possible is Raze's quick reflexes and excellent swordsmanship.

(He is indeed an elite who entered Thousand Blades Academy on merit...)

His basic abilities are exceptionally high.

"Hehe, from the looks of it... you still can't use your soul equipment, can you? Allen Roadel, the failed swordsman?"

"...Yes, that's correct."

Unfortunately, he's right.

"Haha, just as I thought, you have no talent! So, what are you going to do now? Your prideful swordsmanship is sealed, and you can't use your soul equipment... If you want to surrender, now's the time!"

Raze taunted and mocked me repeatedly.

"I still have a way."

"...Oh, interesting. What is it? I'd like to hear it."

"If my swordsmanship is sealed, I'll just overpower you with brute force."

"Huh? What are you talking about!?"

I poured all my strength into my body,

"—Sei!"

I broke the sword lock with sheer arm strength.

"What... what kind of strength is that...!?"

"Haahaaa...!"

From there, I launched a series of slashes—diagonal, upward, and downward—infused with all my might.

The swords clashed, and intense sparks flew.

"Ugh, this guy... he's not human..."

Raze, sticking to me closely, continued to defend against my relentless attacks.

After a minute or two, finally,

"Haah!"

"Ugh, ugh..."

Unable to withstand my repeated attacks, he was blown back.

"Ugh, ugh...!?"

The shock was so great that he couldn't take a proper roll and tumbled across the ground.

"...It's over. Surrender now."

I had completely read the <Three Small Bone Dragons> and overpowered the ultra-close combat with my physical abilities.

—The match was over.

Raze, who had been hit all over his body,

"Haha... Hahaha...!"

Suddenly started laughing maniacally.

"Ah, ah... I'm so lucky... I'm really, really lucky..."

Muttering to himself, he slowly stood up.

(What is that...?)

Upon closer inspection, his right hand was holding a black, mechanical object.

"And, Allen Roadel... you're the unluckiest of all!"

The moment he pressed the switch on his right hand,

"!?"

A blinding light erupted from my feet, followed by a massive explosion.

"...Damn, a bomb!?"

I quickly released Hien with one hand to counter the explosion, but with the disadvantageous position and using only one hand, I couldn't match it.

I rolled on the ground to absorb the impact and took a proper roll.

"Haha, to escape from that... you're not human! But... it's over now!"

He deliberately looked at my right hand.

The explosion had blown my sword away, leaving me completely unarmed.

"...Planting a bomb is against the rules, isn't it?"

The explosion earlier wasn't a capability of the <Three Small Bone Dragons>—it was just a bomb. He must have planted it before the First Year War.

"Haha... The First Year War, the qualification for the Sword King Festival... I don't care about any of that. The only thing that matters is... killing you, the one who humiliated me!"

Saying this, he thrust both hands forward.

"Die—<Gluttony of the Great Bone Dragon>!"

At that moment, the three dragons disintegrated and transformed into a single massive dragon.

"Guuurooo...!"

The giant dragon roared like an earthquake and lunged at me, trying to swallow me whole.

With the massive bone dragon looming before me, I grabbed its skull and slammed it into the ground with all my might.

"Haah!"

A tremendous cracking sound echoed, and several bones scattered across the stage.

"Guu, guu, rooo..."

The shattered bone dragon's red light in its eye sockets faded, and it stopped moving.

"...What?"

Raze stood there, mouth agape, frozen in place.

"Unfortunately, it seems I was the lucky one."

If he had planted something other than a bomb, I might not have come out unscathed.

"As long as you keep using such underhanded tactics, you can't beat me."

I closed the distance and delivered a powerful blow to his abdomen.

"Ugh, ugh...!?"

He expelled all the air from his lungs and collapsed, unconscious.

"Unbelievable! An unexpected bare-handed victory! The match between the problem children ends with a complete victory for Allen Roadel, who demonstrated a clear difference in class!"

Thus, I successfully won the first match and advanced to the second round.