Fantasy Libary 19

Title: I Will Challenge You

With the conclusion of the battle for the top rank, the official ranking battle round has finally come to an end. Spectators left the multipurpose arena one by one, their conversations still revolving around the results of the matches.

In terms of outcomes, although there were some fluctuations in the rankings—with some competitors rising and others maintaining their positions—only two events truly stood out as significant.

The first was the successful defense of the top rank. The duel demonstrated to everyone that, despite having enrolled just two months ago and being a thirteen-year-old student in the middle school division, his strength was undoubtedly genuine. He truly deserved the title of the strongest at Seidoukan Academy, not just a fleeting presence.

This topic is sure to dominate discussions across the Six Academies soon, making everyone realize just how much of a genius Seidoukan Academy has.

The second was Ark’s victory over the thirteenth rank, defeating Arcadi Finken. A previously unknown and unranked student not only displayed extraordinary strength but also effortlessly wielded the Ogar Lux: Ser-Veresta. This allowed him to easily defeat the highest-ranked competitor below Page One, proving that he has the potential to climb even higher.

As a result, many are already looking forward to next month’s official ranking battle. Will Ark challenge someone from Page One?

Now, at the thirteenth rank, Ark has entered the second tier of the nomination challenge system, granting him the right to challenge the upper-tier members—Page One. When the time comes, who will he challenge, and how far will he rise? This is sure to become another hot topic.

In this atmosphere, Ark’s name quickly became one of the most frequently mentioned at Seidoukan Academy, second only to the successfully defended top rank—Toudou Kirin.

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Of course, Kirin herself was unaware of this. At this moment, the girl who had just reached the pinnacle of Seidoukan Academy was walking briskly down one of the arena’s corridors.

Although she had successfully defended her position and further proven her strength, there was not a hint of joy on Kirin’s face—not even a trace of a smile. It was as if she was burdened by a heavy weight, walking hurriedly with her head down, her steps appearing very heavy.

Suddenly—

“Watch out there!” A voice called out ahead of her. “Walking with your head down like that, you might bump into someone.”

The unexpected voice startled Kirin. She stopped, alarmed.

Fortunately, she stopped just before colliding with the person who had suddenly appeared in front of her, halting a few centimeters away.

“S-Sorry!” Due to their close proximity, Kirin could only see the middle part of the person’s body. She quickly stepped back and bowed to apologize.

Then, she heard a laugh.

“No need to apologize. You didn’t actually bump into me, did you?” The person said with a smile. “To be honest, it’s partly my fault for suddenly appearing in front of you. But you should be more careful—otherwise, you might run into a special transfer student and end up in one of those harem comedy situations.”

‘What kind of light novel metaphor is that? And how is it so specific?’

Kirin wore a slightly confused expression before finally getting a clear look at the person in front of her.

“Ah...” In the next moment, Kirin’s face lit up in surprise.

“Aren’t you the senpai who just defeated the thirteenth rank—Ark?”

Hearing her words, Ark looked somewhat surprised. “You know me?” He didn’t hide the astonishment in his voice.

“Yes, I do.” Kirin nodded repeatedly, appearing somewhat shy and nervous as she answered softly, “I wasn’t among the spectators, but I watched the ranking battle live from the competitors’ area.”

“Is that so?” Ark understood and then smiled. “Thinking that the top-ranked student remembers my name—it’s an honor.”

“N-Not at all!” Kirin stammered nervously. “Senpai, you’re incredibly strong, especially your swordsmanship—it’s truly amazing!”

As she said this, a glimmer of light appeared in her previously shy eyes. Clearly, it had left a deep impression on her.

“My swordsmanship?” Ark himself didn’t think much of it.

“Yes!” Kirin nodded firmly, the light in her eyes growing brighter, like a child seeing their favorite toy. “I’ve never seen swordsmanship like that before. It doesn’t seem to belong to any style I know, which makes it so refreshing and impressive!”

“But...” Kirin suddenly hesitated to continue.

“What is it?” Seeing this, Ark became curious about what she wanted to say.

After a moment of hesitation, Kirin gathered her courage and said, “It feels... like that swordsmanship isn’t meant to fully express your strength, but rather to maximize the performance of the weapon in your hand.”

Hearing this, Ark’s eyes gleamed strangely. This girl’s insight was no joke—she had seen right through him.

Indeed, Ark had never trained in any specific swordsmanship school. The technique he displayed was entirely derived from his Authority.

He had no need to learn combat skills or refine his techniques and instincts. As long as he held a weapon, his Authority would guide him on how to fully unleash its power and use it in battle.

So, it must be said—Kirin’s observation was spot on.

“Impressive as always. You immediately know who I am,” Ark said admiringly, then added, “But when it comes to swordsmanship, aren’t you the strongest here?”

As he spoke, Ark recalled Kirin’s performance in the match he had watched via live broadcast.

At that time, Kirin hadn’t displayed extraordinary physical strength or even used her Prana. She simply drew the sword hanging at her waist and launched an attack at her opponent.

Yet, with that single attack, she unleashed a dazzling storm of strikes!

Her opponent, also a middle school student and a member of Page One, barely had a chance to counter. Under Kirin’s relentless assault, the opponent was pushed to the brink of defeat!

One slash after another, then another—it was as if the attacks would never end, flowing endlessly like an unending river.

Sharp! Perfect!

This was the sword of Toudou Kirin!

“N-No, that’s not true…” Kirin seemed unused to praise. Hearing Ark’s compliment, her young face turned red.

Her shy and gentle expression was so striking that Ark felt his heart race. Realizing this, he immediately chastised himself inwardly.

‘What are you thinking?! She’s still a child—thirteen years old! Thirteen!’

However, the thought of “thirteen years old” inadvertently caused Ark’s gaze to shift to certain prominent features that set her apart from others her age. For a moment, he struggled to remain calm.

‘Whose child grows like this at thirteen years old?! This is outrageous!’

*BEEP!*

At that moment, a device suddenly opened in front of Kirin without any warning.

“What are you doing, Kirin?!” An impatient voice came from the window.

“I-I’m sorry!” Kirin’s face paled as if she had just remembered something.

“Hurry over here!” The voice continued to scold her relentlessly before suddenly cutting off. The window closed automatically in front of Kirin.

“…”

The atmosphere grew heavy in an instant.

“...Sorry, senpai,” Kirin said, bowing deeply to Ark. Her head was down, hiding her expression. “I must excuse myself.”

With that, Kirin passed by Ark, preparing to leave.

Ark didn’t turn to watch her go. However, his voice echoed calmly and carefully, reaching Kirin’s ears.

“In next month’s official ranking battle, I will challenge you.”