allendalepharm #158 - It's time to go home
#158 - It's time to go home
Ittou Shura is strong.
It can overcome human physiques dozens of times over, Zun Zun barely managing to rely on a flawless guard with a range of only seven steps.
Not to mention that Kurogane Ikki broke through himself at the last moment and completed his evolution, developing Ittou Rasetsu, which instantly leaps his physique hundreds of times.
However, this move of seeing who has the harder life isn't about physical abilities, but about the amount of fate one possesses.
Although this move can ignore physical abilities and realms, and even distance doesn't need to be considered at all, it is a double-edged sword. If you encounter someone with a harder fate than yourself, the one who dies will probably be Zun Zun himself.
But compared to Kurogane Ikki.
Obviously, Zun Zun has a bit more fate.
Of course, he didn't really kill Kurogane Ikki.
The biggest advantage of a Noble Art is that once it's in a state of illusion, it doesn't inflict physical blows, but directly reduces stamina with magical power, so Kurogane Ikki fell simply because he ran out of stamina.
Otherwise, Zun Zun would definitely have said that flippant line, "I'll probably never forget you."
The week after Kurogane Ikki was defeated was a resurrection round. Several powerful individuals who originally lost their matches and couldn't advance won representative spots again through the resurrection round.
When all the matches and rankings were determined, and everything had settled, all the students gathered in the gymnasium, which was rarely used, and the six representatives who had emerged from the long selection process were about to undergo a formal appointment ceremony today.
-----
Chairwoman Shinguuji Kuroya stood on the podium and shouted loudly: "Now the appointment ceremony officially begins. Students whose names are called, please come to the stage."
Then, she read out the names of the representatives one by one.
"First year, A-Rank, Zun Zun."
"First year, F-Rank, Kurogane Ikki."
"Third year, B-Rank, Toudou Touka."
"First year, A-Rank, Stella Vermillion."
"First year, D-Rank, Arisuin Nagi… temporarily absent today due to urgent business."
And…
"Third year, B-Rank, Kuitokubara Kanata."
Zun Zun thought Kurogane Shizuku would be among them, but unfortunately, she seemed to have lost to Kuitokubara Kanata, who was ranked second in the academy, by a narrow margin, and therefore didn't get a spot because she lost one more match.
Below, she puffed out her cheeks in anger.
However, after Kurogane Ikki greeted her, she happily waved her hand, looking proud.
Speaking of which, Arisuin Nagi really hid his strength.
The five people stood side by side on the podium as representative athletes, turning to face the entire school.
Shinguuji Kuroya then declared: "The five people lined up above, as well as Arisuin Nagi, who is absent, make a total of six people. I hereby officially recognize you as the Seven Star Sword Art Festival representatives of Hagun Academy!"
The students in the audience applauded vigorously.
And this year's captain of the representative team is still Toudou Touka.
According to the tradition of Hagun Academy, the candidate should undoubtedly be the number one, Zun Zun, but he found it troublesome.
Having to communicate with the captains of other academies.
This matter was already annoying in itself.
Shinguuji Kuroya was also worried that Zun Zun would clash with others and then chop off their lives, so after consideration, it was better to let the student council president, Toudou Touka, who had served as captain last year, take the role.
After the ceremony ended, everyone left the venue one after another.
"Wait a minute."
Kurogane Ikki called out to Zun Zun, not only him, but also Stella and Kurogane Shizuku.
"There's something I want to say, is it convenient for you, Zun Zun?"
"Of course."
The four came to the back of the gymnasium.
No one passed by here, making it a good private place.
Kurogane Shizuku kept staring at the chests of the three of them. Don't misunderstand, she wasn't a pervert, but the three of them had badges of representative athletes on their chests, which were golden and quite beautiful.
They, including Arisuin Nagi, who was temporarily absent today due to urgent business, had all become representative athletes of the academy.
Only she wasn't.
It was impossible to say that she had no thoughts about it.
"So, Ikki, what do you want to talk to me about?"
"About the Majin…"
"Oh my! You can't just say that randomly."
Zun Zun made a pause gesture.
Kurogane Ikki also stopped, and he said to Stella and Kurogane Shizuku: "Could you two go to the cafeteria and wait for us? I hope to sit by the window."
"…Miss Stella, let's go."
"Wait, Ikki, I don't know what you want to do, but I won't leave this time."
Kurogane Shizuku's persuasion was not accepted by Stella, and she stubbornly demanded to stay.
Zun Zun raised his eyebrows.
"Is that okay? The road ahead is hell, you know."
"O-Of course! I won't leave Ikki!"
"Foolish person, sink into hell."
Her red eyes were incomparably deep and mysterious, as if hiding some secret that could not be revealed. Stella's heart jumped, and she couldn't help but take a step back.
"…Just kidding."
"You jerk!"
Zun Zun evilly raised the corners of his mouth, causing the princess, who knew she had been deceived, to almost breathe fire.
Kurogane Ikki quickly stopped her.
"Alright, Stella, don't be angry. So, Zun Zun, can you tell me about the Majin?"
"Of course."
Zun Zun then told them about the Majin.
The so-called Majin are people who break free from the chains of fate and escape their own destiny. If one becomes a Majin, they are almost unrestricted by the human body and can continuously increase their magic power limit.
"So that's the Majin…"
"What, that's it? I thought it was some big secret. Why create such a scary atmosphere, really!"
Stella rolled her eyes unhappily.
"That's right. Actually, the people at the top almost all know about the Majin. The reason for not publicizing it is because it seems to cause cognitive impairment, making it even harder to break the shackles and become a Majin."
"Harder?"
"Yeah, maybe hundreds of times harder than not knowing."
"Hey!!!"
Zun Zun's lighthearted words directly enraged the irritable princess. She probably, like some people, wished she had ears that had never heard these words.
Just like a certain black basketball.
Zone… the state of the domain. When you know about it, the more you want to enter, the harder it becomes to enter.
"Ikki, what do you think?"
"I don't think about it."
The newest and most complete novels are first published on 69shu.com!
"Oh my?"
"Rather than placing my hopes on such ethereal things, I believe more in the sword in my hand."
"That's it!"
Zun Zun snapped his fingers.
Kurogane Ikki would never place his hopes on an unreachable realm, because he had always relied on his own hard work to move forward step by step, whether it was swordsmanship or Ittou Shura, it was all thanks to his belief in his own efforts that he created everything.
If he was worse than others, he would concentrate more.
If there were shortcomings, he would work harder.
He honed his soul, squeezed out everything he had, until he became a recognized strongman.
This was what Zun Zun had felt from his swordsmanship over the past month.
"But that's not entirely accurate."
"What?"
"Although it causes cognitive impairment, it's not entirely accurate. I'm a good example."
Zun Zun pointed to himself.
He knew more about the Majin than anyone else present, yet he still found the shackles that imprisoned his fate. Although there was no way to break them, knowing was knowing. And the reason was—
"I found my switch."
"Switch?" X3
"That's right. Wanting to fight others, wanting to protect others, wanting to explore the truth of the world… When I understood my true heart, I naturally found my own shackles."
This was what Misogi Utakata had awakened him to.
When testing the threshold of his Noble Art, he had said that the so-called Noble Art was the manifestation of the Blader's own soul, the concretization of what they desired in their hearts.
"Then what is your switch, Zun Zun…?"
"Don't want to die."
"Ugh."
Stella was speechless.
She thought it would be a grander goal, such as being the world's number one, the strongest undefeated, the only one supreme under the heavens… She never thought it would just be not wanting to die.
"Death is very scary."
Kurogane Ikki looked serious.
"Exactly, exactly." Zun Zun also said with slight dissatisfaction: "People who can't recognize themselves will never become strong."
Of course.
What he didn't say was that he wasn't actually afraid of dying, but afraid of being hit by a meteorite. It was just too embarrassing, so he changed it slightly.
Anyway, the meaning was the same.
"Moreover, it's not a bad thing to have a concept of the Majin beforehand."
"What do you mean?"
"Ordinary people encounter a 'door' at the end of the road, and become Majin after pushing it open. But there is no road ahead, you need to pave the road as you go. And even if cognitive impairment occurs, pushing open the 'door' after firmly believing in what you want is a well-paved road. It's just a difference between fast first and slow later, and slow first and fast later."
"The premise is that you have to be able to push open the 'door'."
"Hahaha, what are you saying. I believe you will definitely reach that realm."
Zun Zun patted Kurogane Ikki, who was complaining, on the back, and suddenly seemed to think of something.
"…Ah, Stella doesn't need to."
"Why! Are you looking down on me?"
No, that's because Stella was a Majin in human skin from the beginning, that is, a congenital Majin sacred body. So whether she knew about the Majin or not didn't matter, and it wouldn't cause cognitive impairment.
That's nice.
The gap between people is sometimes greater than the gap between people and dogs.
"…Wait, I'm getting more and more annoyed by that look in your eyes, as if I've taken all the advantages."
"Isn't it?"
"It's not!"
But in Zun Zun's view, she had taken all the advantages. Royal lineage, congenital Majin sacred body, magic power level A… What, me too? Then never mind.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"…Misogi-senpai (Vice President)?" X4
A question came from behind them.
Turning around, they saw the academy's Vice President, Misogi Utakata. He looked at them and said: "Coincidentally, the student council is planning to hold a celebration party, would you like to join us?"
"Is that okay? Won't we be disturbing you?"
"How could that be. You are also representative athletes of Hagun Academy, wouldn't it be more lively if you joined us?"
"Then we'll accept your kind invitation."
Following his lead, Zun Zun and the others followed him and held a celebration party with the student council.
And at this time.
Zun Zun's student handbook received a short message, the sender was Chairwoman Shinguuji Kuroya, and the content was—
【Everything is ready here, you can come over at any time.】
The time to go home has come.