Sitting next to Roy, Ikki couldn't help but show a hint of genuine excitement after hearing Yuri's announcement regarding the Seven Star Sword Art Festival selection battles."It seems these new conditions are perfectly suited for you," Roy noted with a smile.
"Yeah. With this format, my Ittou Shura will actually be viable," Ikki nodded.
Ittou Shura was his strongest trump card.
He knew he couldn't stand out in a brutal selection battle without it.
The glaring drawback of the technique was that it could only be used once a day, and it left him utterly drained and weakened for a full twenty-four hours afterward.
However, since the Hagun Academy selection battles were scheduled to happen once every three days, he would have ample time to recover between matches.
This meant he could utilize Ittou Shura in every single bout.
While some students were looking forward to the Seven Star Sword Art Festival, many others were openly repelled by the idea.
"Are you serious?"
"This is so troublesome. If I have to fight every three days, I won't have any free time to go out and play!"
"Someone at my level won't even pass the first round anyway!"
"I don't even want to participate in the Festival."
There were over seven hundred students at Hagun Academy and only six would qualify in the end.
For an average first-year student, competing against seasoned second and third-years for those coveted spots was practically impossible.
Especially since the representatives from last year would almost certainly be competing again.
The most daunting factor was the combat format itself. In these selection battles, the student's Devices would not be restricted to their non lethal Illusion Forms.
They would be fighting using their Physical Forms.
This meant that once they stepped into the arena, they would be subjected to real physical harm.
A single misstep could result in severe injury or even prove life threatening.
This wasn't alarmist talk. Even with the advanced medical technology of this world, some injuries couldn't be fully healed.
In past Seven Star Sword Art Festivals, there had been instances where competitors died in the ring due to the ferocity of the battles.
Not all student knights had the grim resolve required to fight in such conditions.
Many awakened their magic and became Blazers simply because it was a lucrative career path.
Blazers were the elites of society.
As long as they graduated from a Knight Academy, they were guaranteed highpaying jobs and elevated social status.
Adding the Festival to a resume was brilliant but to many, it wasn't worth risking their lives.
...
"If we forfeit the selection battles or lose, will there be any penalties?" a student raised his hand and asked.
"There are no penalties~!" Yuri wagged her finger.
Despite her disastrously complexion, she tried her best to sound cheerful.
"It won't affect your grades. Participation is entirely voluntary."
"If you truly have no interest in the Seven Star Sword Art Festival, you can submit an opt-out form directly to the Tournament Executive Committee and they will strike your name from the roster."
"However, I do hope that everyone will actively participate," Yuri added.
"Even if you don't qualify, you will gain valuable practical combat experience."
"For those of you who intend to become official Mage Knights after graduation, this kind of experience is priceless."
A Mage Knight was a combat profession.
There was a massive gap between a knight who had experienced real bloodshed and one who hadn't.
While many Blazers chose safer, civilian oriented jobs after graduation, if they ever encountered a genuine crisis, their lack of combat experience would cost them dearly.
In this world, magical terrorism was rampant.
Some terrorist organizations had power capable of starting world wars or causing millions of casualties.
"So, students, let us all work hard to improve this semester! Let's do our best togeth—PFFFT!"
Mid-sentence, Yuri's face suddenly turned a sickly.
With a terrifying amount of momentum, she spewed a massive geyser of dark crimson blood from her mouth, completely dyeing the entire podium red.
*A/N: This teacher is crazy.*
"Y-Yuri-sensei?!" The entire class erupted into panicked screams.
"I-It's... fine! Don't worry about me," Yuri spoke while slumping heavily against the blood stained podium.
"Sensei is just a little weak... just a bit of blood... I'll be fine..."
"How can you vomit that much blood just from being weak?!" a boy cried out.
"Don't look at me like this... I usually lose a litre of blood every single day!" Yuri gave a bizarre proud smile to the students.
"Don't look so proud of something so horrifying!"
"Someone call an ambulance! She's going to die!"
Several students immediately rushed forward, carefully pulled the half conscious Yuri up and scrambled to carry her to the infirmary.
...
"Ikki, are you familiar with her?" Roy asked, watching the chaotic scene unfold.
"Yeah. She was actually the examiner for my entrance exam," Ikki sighed.
"She's the one who allowed an F-Rank student like me to enroll."
Hagun Academy's minimum admission standard was strictly an E-Rank evaluation.
Ikki hadn't met that standard, but he had managed to defeat his invigilator aka Yuri Oreki in a duel.
"But her body has been like this for the past year. It looks terrifying but she's actually okay," Ikki explained.
"It seems to be a side effect of her Noble Art."
"A Noble Art that makes you lose a liter of blood every day?" Stella shuddered.
"That's horrifying. I'd be terrified of just dropping dead."
"I don't really know the specifics," Ikki offered a dry laugh.
"Let's head out," Roy suggested.
With their homeroom teacher currently being rushed to the infirmary, there was no point in staying in the classroom.
The three of them packed their bags and walked out together.
As they made their way down the first floor corridor, a figure stepped out from behind a large pillar, practically blocking their path.
"It has been a long time..."
---
Read 20 Chapters ahead of the others:
Patreon(.)com/verse7
Give power stones to this fanfic for more chapters. Also, don't forget to leave a review and comment below~
Goal: 200 PS