I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [94]
After Stella and the others left, Okita Souji lay lazily on her hospital bed, her head turned to gaze out the window, replaying the story in her mind.
It wasn't surprising that Ikki and Stella's relationship stirred up such a storm. Stella was, after all, the princess of Vermillion and the world's most powerful Blazer; her every move was under a global spotlight.
And now, this rising star was in love, and with an F-rank at that. A backlash wasn't exactly unexpected.
No doubt there were plenty of people who couldn't accept it.
To them, Ikki being with Stella was like a fairytale princess choosing a limping beggar—an impossible pairing.
Especially with the papers painting Ikki as Hagun Academy's number one delinquent, a problem child with a long list of alleged misdeeds, a thorn in the side of the Alliance.
After reading it, Okita only had one thought.
"It's obviously targeted…"
Okita didn't remember every detail of the original story, and she wasn't sure if this scandalous reveal of Stella and Ikki's relationship had happened in the source material, but she did remember one thing.
The Kurogane family had a serious vendetta against Ikki.
She remembered that in the original, Ikki's family imprisoned him and subjected him to both physical and psychological torment, but they still made sure he participated in his matches.
And just as he was on the verge of mental and physical collapse, they arranged for him to face the strongest opponent for his final match—Raikiri, Touka Toudou.
They probably believed that a nearly broken Ikki would stand no chance against Touka, even broadcasting the fight live.
"So… what should I do?"
Okita glanced at the cherry blossoms swirling outside the window, scratching her head in mild frustration.
"Politics… you can't just slice your way through that…"
---
Flames roared on the stage.
Stella's blazing fire swallowed her opponent, leaving no doubt as to the victor.
"The match is over! Another overwhelming win for Stella Vermillion!"
Everyone except Ikki was in the stands, cheering wildly for Stella. But through the applause, Okita could pick out some unsettling remarks from the crowd.
"I saw the news…"
"Is it true? Secret relationship and all that…"
"Aren't they living in the same dorm?"
"So, what exactly do they do every night?"
"I bet they've done everything by now…"
People excel at projecting their own insecurities.
If they're rotten, they assume no one else can be better. If they imagine themselves in a situation, they assume everyone else would make the same choices they would.
Okita never believed every word of the news; she knew the media shows only what someone wants you to see—not the truth.
But not everyone thought like her. Most cared more about a juicy story than the so-called truth, if only to feel superior to someone else.
And people like that were easy to manipulate. After all, ignorance and conformity are deeply human traits. Without them, the powerful wouldn't control the flow of public opinion so easily.
So yes, those who play politics have the darkest of hearts.
The Kurogane family's goal was simple: strip Ikki of his status as a Blazer.
But even the Kuroganes couldn't bypass Alliance headquarters to revoke his Blazer status. Only the main office could make that decision since all Blazers, whether students or professionals, were registered at the central Alliance.
Regional branches could investigate, submit reports, and make recommendations but had no authority to revoke anyone's status or exile them—not even a student.
Because forcibly exiling a Blazer might lead them to turn to crime. Kurono Shinguji had spent years challenging dojos, intimidating opponents into fighting, and even left Ayatsuji Kaito in a coma—yet received only a "serious warning."
In this world of supernatural power, Blazers are a privileged class.
So, imprisoning Ikki was about the most the Kurogane family could do.
Unless Ikki himself willingly confessed…
---
Alliance Regional Branch Headquarters
The building stood like a towering fortress over Tokyo's bustling streets, stretching over a hundred meters into the sky.
A guard in uniform held a remote and pressed a button, and the high-tech restraints around Ikki's wrists clicked open.
"Tomorrow, the interrogation begins at six. Get some sleep."
His tone was curt, with a hint of disdain and impatience.
The guard shut the door, sealing it seamlessly with the walls.
Ikki didn't respond, just slumped down, leaning his back against the wall.
"You're in a tough spot, Ikki."
A voice Ikki had never expected to hear here made him look up in disbelief.
"Okita?"
In the dim light, her shoulder-length, cherry-pink hair looked muted. She wore a black haori unfamiliar to Ikki, a katana strapped at her waist, and a white scarf draped over her face, its ends hanging down naturally.
"Hey, Ikki. Long time no see." Okita lowered the scarf, her familiar smile appearing beneath it. "You look skinnier. Is the food here that bad?"
Ikki couldn't help but wonder if this was a hallucination brought on by exhaustion.
How was Okita Souji here?
"You're not doing too well, are you? You didn't even notice I'd arrived." Okita rummaged in her robe and pulled out a silver apple.
"Here. Have an apple; it's good for your health. Isn't there a saying? An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
It wasn't a hallucination…
The moment he held the apple, Ikki knew this was real.
Okita was actually here.
"But why did you—"
"Eat the apple first."
Okita pointed to the silver apple in his hand. "You've had one before, right? You know what it does. It won't heal you, but it'll give you a quick boost. Plus, it doesn't taste as bitter as medicine."
"Until the door opens again, I'm not going anywhere, so we've got plenty of time to talk. Eat the apple, then we'll chat."
---
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