****'Base Ikki vs Stella.'****
Saying that, Ikki pushed Lævatein away, creating a large opening in her guard.
"Haaaaa!"
'And with Intetsus blade, he slashed down at Stella's defenseless form.
'The confused spectators turned their gazes to Stella's right shoulder. Intetsus blade had indeed landed there, but it was completely stopped. Ikki's full-powered strike couldn't damage Stella at all.
"…So in the end, it turns out like this."
Setting aside his exasperation, Ikki once again took a large step back to escape the scorching heat, increasing the gap between them. His opponent was using magic as a shield, and an attack without equally strong magic couldn't harm a shielded Blazer. Ikki's magic was too limited, too weak. However excellent his techniques might be, lacking a Blazer's most important trait meant he couldn't even pierce the magic power Stella was releasing subconsciously.
****'Base Ikki powering up with Ittou Shura.'****
So―
"So I wondered, how can the weakest beat the strongest? How can I exceed my own weak self? Here and now, I'll show you my answer."
Ikki pointed the tip of Intetsu at Stella and said,
"Here, with my greatest weakness, I'll defeat your greatest strength―!"
At that moment, Ikki's whole body and Intetsu's full length started to shine.
Luminous blue that flickered ever so slightly like flame―was it an elemental power similar to hers? Stella thought so for a moment but soon abandoned the idea. No, it was the light of magic power itself growing to the point of visibility.
His power… is increasing…!?
Impossible. Magic power could neither rise nor fall from its owner's level at birth. Then what was happening? Stella couldn't understand it. She had never heard of an ability that raises magic power. But she did understand one thing: the current Intetsu glowing with blue light had the power to strike her down.
'****'Katharterio Salamandra vs Ittou Shura.
Despite her surprise, she immediately attacked Ikki with a second swing. Katharterio Salamandra created a sword of heat that had no physical body, and it could reach a target more than a hundred meters away. It wasn't something a flesh-and-blood human could simply evade.
But Ikki did.
****'Ittou Shura x10 amp vs Regular blazer amp x5-6 - Base Ikki was apparently fighting x6 Stella due to her unconcious aura methinks, and was matching her well enough.'****
It was called the worst among all the abilities a Blazer could have, because even without the boosting of physical attributes, a Blazer could gain far more force or mobility by applying magic. Indeed, Stella had used such magic during this match, and her attributes had multiplied five or six times, not merely doubled. In other words, Ikki's ability was a downgraded version of what every Blazer could do just by using magic.
One could say that it was very appropriate for an F-Rank.
"That's a lie! Those movements, that's far more than just doubled! And besides, I've never heard of magic power also rising alongside physical strength!"
While swinging her sword of light, Stella made this protest. A release of magic power that could be seen by the naked eye, and then movements that couldn't? Such things weren't caused just by doubling physical attributes. Even if she was only talking about physical power, Ikki's had surely jumped more than ten-fold.
****'Describing Ittou Shura'****
"That's true, but I'm not using my ability the normal way. Instead, I'm using it at full power."
"Huh!? There's no way you would improve like this just because of enthusiasm!"
"No… I wasn't talking about enthusiasm, but the literal meaning."
"Eh…?"
"I've been thinking about this for a long time. Let's say you were to sprint a hundred meters after saying that you'll do it at full power. Even if you did as you intended, you'll still have spare energy afterward. I thought that was strange. If you really ran while using all of your strength, shouldn't it be weird to even stay conscious afterwards?"
How could that happen? The answer was because humans are alive, and living creatures instinctively want to preserve their lives, their instincts give top priority to survival. No matter how much a person pledges to use his full strength, his subconscious would never allow it. Even if he expends all energy, some amount would still remain so that his body continues to function. This limitation was hardwired into living biology.
Because of that limitation, humans didn't normally use even half of their stamina, strength, or magic power. It was an absolute rule.
But what if someone could break that absolute rule? What if someone, using willpower alone, could remove the limiter that keeps him from exerting his full strength?
"You… you don't mean―!"
"Yes. My magic power hasn't increased. I'm just tapping into power I couldn't before, after willfully exceeding my limitations."
****'Ittou Shura Ikki blitzes and oneshots Stella via KO.'****
If he wanted to close the gap anyway, he couldn't be normal any longer. He had no choice but to become a Shura. Ikki didn't avert his eyes from that truth. Focusing on this realization, he had discovered a way. To surpass talent, he could no longer leave any strength unused.
One minute was enough. It was fine to ignore what happened afterward, but for one minute he'd become strong enough to beat anyone.
That was the answer Ikki Kurogane found, so that his greatest weakness can defeat another's greatest strength. Intentionally using all of his vigor and stamina after breaking through his limits, it was a Noble Art that brought out all of his meager power for little more than one minute and multiplies that power several dozen times.
"Ittou Shura."
Suddenly Ikki, who was moving around the arena with movements that could no longer even be tracked by human eyes, used his astounding speed to appear at Stella's blind side, and ended everything.
With a *slash*.
At a speed that could be neither dodged nor blocked, without even a chance to scream, Stella took a direct hit from Intetsu.
"Ah―"
She felt the ground under her feet dissolving, and then Stella's thoughts fell into darkness. It was a special kind of unconsciousness imposed by an illusionary fatal wound. Just like its name suggested, Ittou Shura felled the Crimson Princess with just one cut, and Stella fainted powerlessly.
"That's enough! Winner, Ikki Kurogane!"
Even though Kurono called Ikki's victory, and the stunning result stood before their very eyes, the students in the arena still didn't quite comprehend what had happened. All they could do was stare at the figure of the Failed Knight silently standing there.
-Volume 1
