Sun Tzu said...

The morning was a good thing since it would make one become cheerful.

Some people might feel doubt, but science has proven that the sun in the morning activated serotonin.

Serotonin, also known as the happy hormone, calmed and lightened the heart.

However, Stella's heart was so heavy right now when she heard that Tsukasa had a girlfriend, which was why she let out all of her frustration on this morning's workout.

"Come on, Stella! This is just 20 km of running! Are you just going to give up like this?" Tsukasa didn't give mercy to Stella even though it was her first time. He was so rough, and it kept her panting.

Ikki, who was running, beside them, couldn't talk at all since running by using the breathing mask was heavier than he had thought. It took all of his energy just to run 20 km, but he was happy since two people were accompanying him.

While Ikki didn't say anything, he glanced at Stella worriedly, wondering whether she was alright.

"I-I won't stop running! Watch me!" Stella howled as she charged forward without hesitation, ignoring the pain in her body.

Tsukasa only laughed and chased after her.

Ikki, who was breathing hard, also followed them. While running using a breathing mask was hard, it wouldn't break his will no matter what.

After the three had completed their morning routine by running 20 km around the school, they rested on the bench to rest up their tired body.

Tsukasa was alright since he had gotten used to it.

However, Ikki's breathing was slightly erratic since his morning routine was harder than he had thought.

Still, the worst among them was Stella, since she usually didn't train her physical ability.

Tsukasa looked at Stella and thought that her ability definitely wasn't a flame manipulation since she could get that powerful physical ability without focussing her training on the physical ability.

"Are you alright, Vermillion-san?" Ikki asked with concern.

"You don't need to worry. I'm not weak enough for you to worry." Stella still panted, ignoring Ikki's concern, and looked at this heartless guy, who was drinking from his tumbler, without saying anything. 'Dammit! Can you share that drink with me?' Her throat was parched, and she really needed to drink.

Tsukasa noticed Stella's gaze and then smiled before giving her his tumbler. "Here. You seem that you want to drink it so much."

"Wh-who want to drink it?!" Stella quickly said with a red face before she felt depressed, wondering why she rejected his offer. However, she knew that if she accepted that tumbler, she would have an indirect kiss with him.

While Stella was shy, she didn't really mind it, though.

"Don't say that. You have sweated a lot. What if you pass out because of dehydration? Do you want me to carry you all the way to the dorm?" Tsukasa asked in a tease.

"We-Well..." While Stella didn't mind being carried all the way to the dorm by Tsukasa, how could she say, so, in the end, she could only accept his kindness and took his tumbler. "The-Then I'll drink it."

"Go ahead." Tsukasa nodded and kept looking at Stella.

"Wh-Why do you keep looking at me?" Stella was embarrassed when she saw him keep looking at her since it made it hard for her to drink from her tumbler.

"No, I'm looking at the grass next to you. Just go ahead and drink," Tsukasa said with a smile.

"...."

Stella glared at Tsukasa before she drank the sports drink from his tumbler and from the same side as he drank from it.

Without a doubt, they had shared an indirect kiss!

Stella's face was as crimson as her hair, but she didn't stop drinking and emptied his tumbler before she gave it back to Tsukasa. "Here. I have drunk it all." She didn't feel guilty since this guy had been teasing her. Also, she felt the drink was a bit sweeter, and it might be because she shared an indirect kiss with him, she thought at that moment.

"So, how is it? Is it good?" Tsukasa asked.

"Ho-How can you ask such a question to a girl?!" Stella's hair rose to the sky, feeling this guy was so untactful for asking how was the taste of their indirect kiss!

"Huh? What were you thinking about? I was asking how the sports drink was," Tsukasa asked in doubt.

"...." Stella's face was burning right now.

"So what kind of perverted thing that you'd thought before?" Tsukasa asked teasingly.

"I-I have never thought something so perverted!" Stella roared angrily and felt that Tsukasa was too bully!

"Now, now, please don't fight." Ikki, who was between them, suddenly felt panicked when he saw the two were fighting with each other.

Stella only realized that there was someone around them, and she could only hum before she looked away. She definitely wouldn't forgive Tsukasa if this guy didn't apologize to her, but then she glanced at the breathing mask that was used by Tsukasa and Ikki. "By the way, Tsukasa." She had already forgotten that she was angry at Tsukasa and asked him curiously, "What is the mask that you have been wearing when you were running?"

"Oh, it's a breathing mask. It helps to train lung capacity." Tsukasa gave his breathing mask to Stella and asked, "Do you want to try it?"

Stella looked at Tsukasa warily, but she saw that he didn't look at her and only closed his eyes as if he mediated, so she looked at his breathing mask for a moment and could see the haze of water vapor that came out from it. It might be sweat or because of his breathing, but it smelled so nice.

Stella hesitated for a moment before she put on the breathing mask.

'Wow, it smells nice!'

Stella wanted to take a deep breath, but...

"!!!"

Stella quickly took out the breathing mask and coughed so hard. "Cough! Cough! What is this?!" She glared at Tsukasa again and thought that this guy was teasing her again.

"As I said, this was something to train lung capacity. You're tired after all, and after a rest, you can use it," Tsukasa said.

Stella knew that this guy must be teasing her again, which made her annoyed, but then she realized once again that Tsukasa had been running with something that made his breathing harder. She then also looked at Ikki, who also wore something similar. She clenched her fist and felt that she was too weak now.

"Now, Vermillion-san, you don't need to worry about physical ability. You have a lot of magic after all," Ikki said since he didn't see a reason why Stella should train on a physical ability like him or Tsukasa. After all, Stella's magic was humongous.

"That's where you're wrong, Kurogane," Tsukasa suddenly interrupted.

"Huh?" Ikki was confused.

"Even if Stella has magic, it can only strengthen her physical ability by five or six times. Even if she can maintain it for a long time, that physical ability won't change no matter what unless she increases the base of her strength." Tsukasa looked at Stella and said, "By increasing the base of your strength, you can become even stronger than now, Stella."

Stella looked at Tsukasa for a moment and felt her body was burning while feeling sad why he already had a girlfriend.

However, Ikki was speechless and asked, "Are you okay with that?"

"Okay, with what?" Tsukasa looked at Ikki with some confusion.

"I mean, are you alright with her becoming stronger?" Ikki asked and felt confused why Tsukasa wanted to make Stella stronger. He had a good feeling toward Stella and might want to get closer to her, but he also subconsciously imagined her as his opponent. He needed to win the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival if he wanted to graduate, so if his opponent was weaker, then it was a good thing for him.

However, Tsukasa was different, which made Ikki feel confused.

Tsukasa had received a similar question before from Stella yesterday, and his opinion had never changed.

"Even if I don't do anything, she'll become stronger sooner or later since she's born with the strongest magic in history and the world. The question is, when? She might become the strongest after a decade, five years, or after she graduates. However, I don't want to wait so long." Tsukasa looked at Stella and said, "So Stella, try to become stronger, and next time, let's have our duel at this year's Seven Stars Sword Art Festival. By then, I'll defeat you again." He raised his fist and wanted to give her a fistbump while giving his challenge to Stella.

Stella looked at Tsukasa and her gaze on him was so feverish that she couldn't look away from him. This was how men should be, and when such a thought crossed her mind, she wanted him to be her mate from the bottom of her heart.

'But he has a girlfriend...'

Stella had a headache, but when she saw his clear gaze, she didn't hesitate to hit his fist with her fist. "I'll be the one to defeat you, not the other way around!"

Why should she hesitate?

Stella felt that hesitation wasn't suitable for her, and she would rob him away from Touka as she took away the title of the strongest Blazer in the academy from her too.

'But I need to know more about their information.'

Like what Sun Tzu said on the Art of War: "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

Stella knew herself well, but she didn't know the enemy, so she needed to learn more about him and the people around him.

'That way...'

Stella felt that she might have a hot battle again with him, not on the field, but in a softer place.

Tsukasa suddenly shuddered and thought he might need to watch out for another blade that came toward him.