mtl008 Chapter 703 - 703
Chapter 703 - 703
After Stella's match concluded, the first round of this year's Seven Star Sword Art Festival officially came to an end.With this round, two-thirds of Akatsuki Academy's participants were eliminated in one fell swoop—including even Kurogane Ouma, a nationally renowned powerhouse considered a top favorite to win the championship!
In contrast, all five participants from Hagun Academy advanced to the second round!
The gap between them widened dramatically in an instant!
Public opinion online also flipped completely!
Akatsuki Academy simply couldn't measure up—the schools under the Alliance were clearly more reliable after all!
Such comments quickly dominated major online platforms.
Especially after Eiji's title of "Sword God" spread far and wide, online discussions became overwhelmingly one-sided!
It could be said that, through this single battle, the Prime Minister's scheme had almost entirely collapsed!
Eiji's popularity as the predicted champion soared to unprecedented heights. His fanbase grew daily, showing signs of spreading worldwide, and it seemed dedicated fan clubs had even started forming.
However, none of this was relevant to the ongoing Seven Star Sword Art Festival.
"What are your thoughts on the Crimson Princess, Elder Kaieda?"
"She's strong—far stronger than anyone could have imagined!"
"Although the Crimson Princess lost to the Sword Emperor of Wind once before, if they were to face off again, the outcome would likely be different."
"Are you suggesting the Crimson Princess has surpassed the Sword Emperor of Wind now?"
"Almost certainly."
"What terrifying potential! To grow this powerful in just a week—truly worthy of the title 'World's Strongest Magical Power'! It seems the main highlight of this year's Seven Star Sword Art Festival will be the clash between the Sword God and the Crimson Princess!"
"Indeed, both of them are world-class masters. They are likely the two strongest seeded participants this year, and the champion will most likely emerge from between them. The other participants aren't weak by any means, but this year's competitors are simply too extraordinary!"
"Absolutely. The Crimson Princess is in Block B, and the Sword God is in Block D—they're perfectly positioned to meet in the finals!"
"With that, the first round of this Seven Star Sword Art Festival has concluded. The second round will begin tomorrow at 8 a.m. sharp. Please look forward to it!"
...
"I'm back!"
"Stella, junior? Didn't you go to the infirmary?"
"Just a minor injury—it's already healed!"
Stella returned to the spectator stands, full of energy.
The wounds on her fists had vanished without a trace, not even a scar remained. She was vibrant and energetic, showing no signs of fatigue after such an intense battle.
Truly worthy of being called a human-shaped dragon!
"You really went overboard with that stunt."
Eiji looked at Stella.
From the perspective of the delegation leader, Stella's decision to take on four opponents single-handedly was enough to give him a heart attack.
"I had no choice. When the opportunity presented itself, I had to make those bastards pay the price!"
Stella laughed heartily.
Yet, the ferocity hidden within her smile was terrifying enough to make anyone shudder.
Since awakening her dragon power, it was as if she had become a completely different person.
She went from being reckless to being recklessness incarnate!
"You haven't fully adapted to your dragon power yet, have you? Make sure to train properly afterward."
"You're amazing! How did you see through it so easily?"
Stella stared at Eiji with an incredulous expression.
She had awakened too late, which delayed her, and she only arrived this morning.
In other words, she had just awakened last night and rushed over anxiously this morning, so of course she hadn't adapted to the dragon's power yet.
"So, 'Clown' was indeed a puppet?"
Eiji's gaze shifted to the arena.
Tatara Yui and the others had already been carried away by the medical team.
Only the clown, Reisen Hiraga, lay there, ignored by everyone.
This was because Reisen Hiraga's body was a puppet made of circuit boards, rubber, and clothing, not a real person.
"Yeah, that guy was controlling the identity of Reisen Hiraga from afar using puppet strings, causing chaos here. After I exposed him, he was immediately disqualified by the committee!"
Stella pouted in frustration.
"Puppet masters, as expected, are all afraid of death!"
But since he could control the puppet from at least hundreds of kilometers away, there was no way to find him.
There were always some particularly buggy existences in this world.
"They're actually talking about the 'Sword God'—such an exaggerated nickname! Who is that?"
Stella pointed to the spectator stands nearby.
At this moment, the audience was already leaving in an orderly manner, but one by one, they glanced toward Eiji with fervent admiration. Many tried to surge toward him but were blocked by the Blazers from the barrier team.
During the competition, players were not allowed to be casually touched by outsiders, as it could lead to them losing due to unknown external forces.
"Ahem!"
Eiji coughed loudly, puffing out his chest.
His face was practically screaming "awesome."
"Of course, it's my junior! In this Seven Star Sword Art Festival, who else has swordsmanship stronger than my junior?"
Touka chimed in at this point, her face full of shared pride.
"Wow! It really is you! Aren't you afraid of being targeted by swordsmen from all over the world?"
Stella was startled.
A nickname like Sword God undoubtedly belonged only to someone who truly stood at the pinnacle of all swordsmen.
Once such a nickname appeared, swordsmen worldwide would turn their attention to it.
To teach such an audacious swordsman a lesson, they would inevitably come to challenge him with the most frenzied attitude, aiming to knock him off his pedestal and show the world that not just any title could be given out casually.
"That's impossible."
Touka covered her mouth.
As if finding it quite amusing, her smile carried a mix of humility and pride.
"When those people dare to raise their swords against Twin-Wings, then they can come for me!"
Eiji chuckled.
I'm currently showing off—figure it out yourselves, no further explanation needed.
Stella stared wide-eyed in astonishment.
She wanted to seek others' opinions but saw that Kanata Totokubara, Renren Tomaru, and even Saikyo Nene all looked as if they fully agreed. She couldn't help but gasp sharply, an astonishing guess forming in her mind.
"He actually earned the name Sword God..."
Stella's expression was complicated.
Was this guy destined to forever overshadow Ikki?
"By the way, why haven't we seen Ikki-kun?"
Touka looked around.
Didn't Kurogane Ikki go to pick up Stella?
Why had Stella returned, even fought a big battle and stolen the spotlight, but Ikki was nowhere to be seen?
"About that, I've been trying to contact Ikki since earlier, but I can't reach him!"
Stella pulled out her student handbook, her face full of worry.
Given Ikki's abilities, he shouldn't have been defeated so easily.
Yet she couldn't shake off her unease.
If he was fine, why wasn't he answering her calls?
Just then.
A ringing sound suddenly echoed.
Stella hurriedly opened her student handbook and answered the call.
"Sorry, Stella..."
On the other end of the video call.
Kurogane Ikki lay on the railway tracks, drenched in blood.