"Finally fell for it."
Behind Makoto, accompanied by the distortion of heat, Stella's figure appeared like a mirage.
At the same time, in front of him, the Stella that had been struck by his blade vanished like foam from an illusion.
It was nothing more than a hallucination.
"—Heat Haze Curtain."
Stella whispered the name of this sword skill.
This was one of her secret techniques, a blade art that manipulated heat to refract light, producing mirage-like illusions.
It was all part of a series of attacks Stella had planned from the very beginning.
She had long understood that even if she raised the temperature of her flames and increased the density of her flame dragon, it would still be difficult to defeat Makoto.
After all, she had repeatedly studied the battle footage left behind years ago by Kurono Shinguuji.
In her eyes, since they shared the same affinity, even if their powers weren't identical, there should at least be some similarities.
Thus, she crafted this lure-and-counter strategy—launching what looked like a massive, exhausting attack, drawing Makoto to accelerate behind her, only to strike with a hidden blade technique when he least expected it.
That was Stella, the one known as the "Crimson Princess."
Only the shallow would believe that Stella had gotten by on nothing but talent and her vast magical reserves.
Wasn't this result proof of her diligence?
If not for her tireless efforts, honing her abilities into offensive, defensive, and deceptive techniques alike—
Even with the cleverest plan, success would have been impossible.
"Ahhhhhh—!"
In an instant, Stella poured nearly all her magic into her strike. Flames, like hellfire, surged as she swung down a blazing slash at Makoto's back.
The sword's heat distorted the very air.
And against such a strike—
"—Tenfold Speed!"
Makoto's eyes sharpened, his jaw clenching as his speed nearly broke the sound barrier.
With a twist of his wrist, his blade whipped through the air, colliding head-on with her flaming greatsword.
"—Clang!"
Scarlet steel and fire-wreathed blade crashed together with a crisp metallic shriek, sparks and embers spraying from the point of impact.
"Boom, boom, boom—!"
At that very moment, three magical bullets burst out point-blank from Makoto.
At such close range and at such velocity, Stella had no chance to evade.
"Ghh—"
She let out a muffled groan. Even with a blazing barrier of heat before her, the impact still rattled her insides, leaving her body reeling.
But surrender was not an option.
From the videos of Kurono Shinguuji, Stella knew—her opponents all lost when they allowed her to widen the distance and play them into submission.
Thus, relentless close-quarters combat was the only path to breaking through this man.
And just now, the strike she had landed from behind had proven it.
"—Dragon Tremor!"
Stella lifted her shapely leg high, stomping down on the ground with crushing force.
"Rumble—!"
A deafening roar shook the entire arena.
"Rrrr-rrrumble—!"
The earth itself trembled.
Even Makoto's battle with Kurono had only gouged shallow pits into the reinforced flooring. Yet now, under Stella's stomp, the training ground shook like a magnitude-10 earthquake.
Cracks radiated outward, the ground collapsing in waves.
"Waaaahhh—!"
Gasps and cries erupted from the stands.
The shockwaves had reached even the spectators' seats.
"—Empress Dragon's Raiment."
Sword in hand, Stella pressed forward.
Flames erupted violently, swirling like a storm, wrapping around her in a blazing mantle.
This too was one of her secret techniques.
An all-purpose blade art of offense and defense: flames burning at three thousand degrees cloaked her body, scorching anything that dared approach.
And still, her assault did not end there.
The searing heat burned the arena floor, transforming it into a pool of magma. The tenth training ground was now a vision of hell itself.
"Tch. This is why I said I didn't want this fight. This is turning more troublesome than I expected, especially since I haven't fully mastered my powers yet."
Feeling the faint sting on his skin, Makoto raised his sword to block.
With his other hand, he gripped Kuretsu, pressing it against his blade in a strange formation.
"This move—I've never tested it. I don't know if it'll work. So if you get hurt, don't blame me, Miss Stella."
Wrapped in flames, Makoto lifted his gaze toward Stella, who was midair, surprise flashing across her face.
Magic surged around him, wilder than ever before.
For the first time, true battle-lust burned in his eyes.
Though Stella's magical reserves were vast, Makoto—ranked among the world's top ten in raw magic—was no less overwhelming when he unleashed his full power.
"Shigure—no-Kei!" (Transformation of Shigure)
With his exhale, scarlet radiance burst forth like mist, blanketing the entire battlefield.
The infernal heat vanished.
The flames froze mid-dance.
Even Stella, suspended midair, ready to descend, hung motionless as if her body were bound by unseen chains.
"Five seconds is all I've got—but that's enough to win."
—
Shigure no-Kei.
It was a technique Makoto had devised only last night in his room, existing solely in theory until now.
Put simply, it was the complete unleashing of Ametsuki's temporal power.
By stimulating Ametsuki with Kuretsu's spatial ability, the time-aspect multiplied in strength. Then, with his own magic, he forced it into control.
For space and time were always intertwined.
Finally, he spread the power outward like mist, plunging the surroundings into a state of frozen time.
Yet, with his current mastery, even after burning through nearly half his magical energy—He could only maintain this "time-stop" for five seconds.
"But you've lost, Miss Stella."
Makoto walked forward calmly, sword raised high, then slashed upward.
"Clang—"
The scarlet blade halted against Stella's waist.
It didn't cut her clothes as proof of victory. Instead, it stopped unnaturally, as though something invisible blocked it.
"What's this? Even in stopped time, her Empress Dragon's Raiment still functions?"
Makoto narrowed his eyes, but quickly shook his head.
"Never mind."
He reversed his grip, the blade now against Stella's pale throat.
And right then—five seconds ended.
"Whooosh—!"
The flames roared back to life, scarlet inferno engulfing the air.
"Don't move, Miss Stella. You understand the situation, don't you?"
His sword pressed forward slightly, magic coursing through the blade. Makoto's lips curved in a faint smile.
"I… I understand. I concede…"
As her magic faded, the flames vanished, her greatsword dissolving into starlight.
Such a strange feeling!
Her arms drooped weakly. Looking at the smiling man before her, Stella felt no bitterness in defeat.
Instead, she felt oddly at peace—perhaps even satisfied.
Maybe it was because they were both A-rank knights?
She couldn't quite explain it.
But she knew one thing: her fighting spirit now burned hotter than ever before.
At that moment, she understood what Director Shinguuji had meant.
With such a rival, she truly felt she could grow stronger quickly. Even more than fighting for her country—her desire to defeat Makoto was fiercer.
"Yes, that's better. But Miss Stella is truly formidable. I only won because of information advantage. If we fought again, the outcome would be uncertain."
Makoto dispersed his equipment, not the slightest bit arrogant in victory.
He was right. Much of this battle had been clever tricks.
"Hmph— No need to console me. A loss is a loss. Since it's like this, do as you please. I don't care."
Turning her head aside in defeat, Stella still spoke with pride.
Makoto now understood—this princess leaned toward the "tsundere" type.
Which makes her even more troublesome…
He quietly withdrew his gaze, about to speak when—
Hold it, boy.
A voice echoed in his mind—Shiroyasha.
Don't be hasty. This girl is interesting.
What do you mean, Shiroyasha?
Makoto was stunned. He hadn't expected to hear Shiroyasha here, in this world.
Accept her invitation. I need closer contact to be sure. If I'm right… this girl may be your greatest gain from coming here.
With those words, Shiroyasha fell silent, no matter how much Makoto called.
Another headache, huh…
Though only seconds passed in reality, Makoto had made up his mind.
"Miss Stella."
Smiling warmly, he shifted to meet her gaze.
"My decision earlier in the principal's office was hasty. After fighting you, I realize just how important it is to have a rival by my side. So, even if it's a bit rude—Would you continue to be my roommate?"
He extended his hand toward her.
"Hmph… Didn't you just say I was troublesome?"
Eyes closed, lips pouting high, Stella refused his hand—though it looked like she might relent any moment.
"No, I was only considering the chastity of an unmarried girl—Especially a princess, living under the same roof as a man. It could affect your reputation."
"Then why change your mind now?"
"Because I realized something."
Cutting her off, Makoto said firmly:
"From our battle, I've come to know you a little. To judge Miss Stella by worldly standards is an insult to your straightforward nature. Surely the King and Queen who raised someone like you are understanding people. So I believe that even if complications arise later, you'll explain things clearly, won't you?"