Chapter 17: Princess of a Foreign Land

Chapter 17: Princess of a Foreign Land

The third training ground, the nearest to the academy's main entrance, was abuzz with activity. Dozens of spectators filled the auditorium, their attention fixed on the battle ring where flames roared and clashes echoed.

"An A-Rank Knight applicant in a duel with an F-Rank knight? There's no way the latter can win."

"Exactly! And he's a repeat student who hasn't even participated in real combat training!"

Mocking laughter and taunting remarks reverberated through the auditorium as the audience shared their opinions openly.

A girl holding a camera looked disdainfully at the people behind her. "You said the same thing yesterday."

"What happened yesterday?"

"Yesterday, he could have been competent, but today is a different story. Our new Junior Brother doesn't know the real extent of that guy's infamy!"

Jiangli entered the training ground, making his way to the lowest tier of the auditorium where the quarreling voices could be heard.

He glanced at the people arguing and then shifted his focus to the battle ring below.

The battle ring was a hundred meters in diameter and currently hosted two Blazers in combat. Unlike Jiangli's earlier confrontation with Shinguuji Kurono, this fight was fierce and grandiose.

Shinguuji Kurono stood near the battle ring, seemingly serving as a referee for the match. Her gaze was locked onto the two combatants, her Illusionary Form ensuring their safety during the battle.

Jiangli's gaze followed hers, landing on the two fighters.

One of them was familiar to him. Just an hour ago, he had met Kurogane Ikki at the academy entrance. Now, Kurogane Ikki was wielding a jet-black katana-type Device, desperately fending off his opponent's attacks. Despite his efforts, he found himself frequently in danger.

His adversary, wearing the Hagun Academy female uniform, sported fiery red twin-tailed hair—a young girl who exuded an aura of strength and dominance.

She held a greatsword in her hands, its blade covered in shimmering flames. With each swing, the land beneath her quaked, as if a true tyrannosaurus had descended upon the arena.

Her ferocious attack power far surpassed that of Kurogane Ikki. Even with his considerable physical ability, Jiangli knew he was no match for her. He watched as Kurogane Ikki evaded and retreated, struggling to maintain his ground against her relentless onslaught.

The battle raged on, with the fiery-haired girl relentlessly pressing her attacks. Kurogane Ikki was continuously pushed back, rarely finding an opportunity to counterattack. The fight was a one-sided steamroll.

"It's not just about strength; the difference in Magic Power is too great," Jiangli muttered to himself, his trained eye analyzing the situation. While he might not be as skilled as Kazuma in discerning battle dynamics, he was well-versed enough in combat to understand the situation.

The fiery-haired girl, Stella Vermillion, wielded Magic Power that far surpassed the norm. Her every move was accompanied by an intense and radiant glow, a testament to her immense magical strength.

In contrast, Jiangli, an F-Rank Blazer with limited Magic Power, had learned to wield his power with precision due to its scarcity. Magic Power was not something he could waste, and he had to be economical in its usage.

In contrast, those with higher Magic Ranks, like B or A, could wield Magic Power more liberally. They didn't need to worry about wastage; they could unleash their full power without restraint.

"That's only natural," he replied to his own thoughts.

Beside him, the girl with the camera looked at Jiangli curiously. "What do you mean?"

"It's as you said," Jiangli responded. "The difference in Magic Power is what's causing this disparity."

The girl smiled in response, seemingly content with his explanation.

Stella Vermillion, he recalled her name—the same way he remembered Kurogane Ikki's. Stella was a heroine, destined for greatness in this world. And this battle between Kurogane Ikki and Stella marked the start of the story, a beginning that Jiangli hadn't anticipated would happen so soon.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of nervousness. In the morning, he had interacted with Kurogane Ikki, and if their meeting had influenced the encounter between Kurogane Ikki and Stella, it would be his own doing.

But why worry about altering the plot? It was natural for the plot to evolve. He himself had been a plot traveler for over a decade, so the idea of transmigration and plot alteration should be familiar to him. However, he had yet to fully internalize this reality.

Shifting his focus back to the battle, Jiangli's gaze settled on Stella Vermillion. As the Northern European Second Princess of the Vermillion Empire, Stella's Magic Quantity was recognized as the highest in the world of Blazers.

The fight continued, Stella dominating the arena while Kurogane Ikki struggled to hold his own. Though completely suppressed, Kurogane Ikki remained unharmed, skillfully evading his opponent's powerful strikes.

"It seems like Kurogane Ikki is being completely overwhelmed, but he hasn't sustained a single scratch. The battle is far from decided," Jiangli murmured, his keen observation allowing him to notice the subtle details of the fight.

The camera girl beside him followed his gaze and realized the same. "You're right!"

While she didn't possess Jiangli's dynamic vision, she could see that Kurogane Ikki was maneuvering with ease, avoiding any potential danger.

"That's true!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in realization. She looked around at the people who were discussing the match and noticed a few experts among them who shared her viewpoint. These individuals recognized that while Kurogane Ikki was on the defensive, he remained unscathed.

Jiangli smiled inwardly. He was beginning to see the bigger picture, understanding that the outcome of this battle wasn't as clear-cut as it seemed. He had inadvertently influenced the plot, and now he could watch how it played out.

As the audience murmured and speculated about the match, Jiangli's attention shifted to the girl beside him. He recognized her as the younger sister of fate who had captured his attention before.

And so, another chapter unfolded in the grand tapestry of Hagun Academy, where Blazers clashed, destinies intertwined, and the fates of warriors like Jiangli were woven into the fabric of an extraordinary world.