Chapter 018: Keen-Edged Tempest, Kirin

In the resting area of the grand arena, Aizen let out a slow breath.

"Whew…"

Having just finished his duel, he sank into a seat, relaxing his previously tense body.

"So this is what a real fight feels like?"

Now that the battle was over, he had time to reflect on his first duel. His thoughts raced as he replayed the fight in his mind, a surge of excitement bubbling within him. The rush of adrenaline left him energized.

"I felt this way even before stepping onto the stage. Could it be… deep down, I'm actually a battle junkie?"

Aizen chuckled to himself, questioning his newfound exhilaration.

But he couldn't deny it—the thrill of battle, especially the sweet satisfaction of victory, was intoxicating.

"You were the MVP, Ser-Veresta."

He glanced at the activator in his hand and smiled warmly.

"We did well out there. That new combat style we tested? Completely viable."

The method Aizen had employed—releasing Ser-Veresta's heat to generate wind, using it to propel both himself and the blade—was a revolutionary approach.

As Claudia had observed, no one had ever thought to wield the Four-Colored Magic Swords this way.

These legendary weapons were infamous for their difficulty to control. Simply using them effectively was a feat in itself, let alone devising an advanced strategy to push their capabilities further.

Yet Aizen, with his absolute mastery over Ser-Veresta, had managed to synchronize perfectly with the weapon, developing an innovative fighting technique that allowed him to bridge the gap in raw power.

Even after absorbing numerous Manadytes and gaining significant strength, Aizen still ranked around the middle of the Named Charts, likely between 30th and 50th place.

Though his combat skills were exceptional, his physical abilities and prana reserves were still insufficient to threaten the Page Ones—the academy's elite.

Without Ser-Veresta, Aizen's abilities were only on par with students like Arkadi, the 13th-ranked duelist. Even with his advanced weapon-handling skills, the gap in raw stats was a hard limit.

Even wielding Ser-Veresta, Aizen's inability to close the distance in combat had left him vulnerable. Arkadi's earlier confidence in avoiding Aizen's attacks was not unfounded.

However, Aizen had recognized this weakness long before the duel.

It was why he'd developed the heat-propulsion technique, allowing him to compensate for his shortcomings and dominate the fight.

The results spoke for themselves—Aizen had achieved a decisive victory, shaking the confidence of even the top-ranked students.

"But relying on this technique introduces a new problem."

Aizen sighed, shaking his head.

While releasing Ser-Veresta's heat was straightforward—something the sword could do on its own—controlling the heat to generate directional wind required precise synchronization.

Aizen had managed it only through his unparalleled connection with Ser-Veresta. However, this method drastically increased his prana consumption.

Under normal conditions, Aizen could sustain Ser-Veresta's average output for over an hour. But using the heat-propulsion technique would deplete his reserves in just twenty minutes.

"At least it's only a temporary setback."

Thinking about the mountain of Manadytes waiting in the underground storage facility, Aizen felt a sense of relief.

With access to such a vast supply, his strength would grow exponentially as long as he didn't lose control during the process.

"There are still two months before the first event of this season's Phoenix Festa—the team tournament begins."

Aizen mentally mapped out his training plan.

"Even if I don't finish absorbing the entire storage by then, my abilities will be on an entirely different level compared to now."

He estimated that after each round of Manadyte absorption, he would need about a week to adapt to his newfound strength before repeating the process.

This meant that in a month, Aizen could undergo four rounds of enhancements, achieving significant gains in both physical ability and prana reserves.

"Within a month, I should be strong enough to defeat the weaker Page Ones even without relying on Ser-Veresta."

Aizen's calculations left him optimistic.

"By the time the Phoenix Festa begins, I'll be one of the strongest students in Seidoukan Academy."

Armed with Ser-Veresta, a weapon he could control flawlessly, Aizen believed he had a real shot at winning the Phoenix Festa.

"But the Phoenix Festa is a team tournament…"

The thought brought him to a pause.

"Who should I partner with?"

Before he could dwell further, a deafening cheer from the arena snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What's going on?"

Startled, Aizen opened a holo-display, navigating to the live stream of the Ranking Battle.

A match that had captured the crowd's attention was underway.

On the stage were two girls—young, almost childlike in appearance, yet radiating an undeniable presence.

Both were striking, but one of them stood out.

The girl was wearing a middle school uniform, her face delicate and youthful, with large, shimmering eyes that lent her an innocent air. Despite her fragile demeanor, a katana rested at her waist, the hilt peeking out from its ornate sheath.

Her most striking feature, however, was her silver hair, tied into twin tails that cascaded behind her. She was petite, almost diminutive, but her figure…

"What kind of anime proportions are those…?"

Aizen blinked, struggling to believe what he was seeing.

"Wait. This is a fantasy world. Never mind!"

His disbelief shifted as he focused on her name displayed on the screen.

"Kirin Toudou?"

Toudou Kirin, a first-year middle schooler.

Yes, thirteen years old.

"And she's the current rank one?"

It was almost impossible to fathom.

Yet, this petite 13-year-old girl had entered Seidoukan Academy only two months ago and had already risen to the top.

Shortly after enrolling, Kirin defeated the 11th-ranked student to join the Page Ones. Then, during the first Monthly Ranking Battle, she had defeated the previous rank one, claiming the top position for herself.

Today, Kirin wasn't the challenger but the one being challenged.

Her opponent was the 10th-ranked Page One—another middle schooler and one of only two Page Ones from the middle school division.

The audience roared as the two prodigies stepped onto the stage, their excitement shaking the entire arena.

And yet, the match ended in under a minute.

In a flash, Kirin's flawless swordsmanship overwhelmed her opponent. With one swift strike, she shattered her challenger's insignia, securing her victory.

Watching the silver-haired girl stand amidst the roaring cheers, her blade gleaming under the lights, Aizen's eyes narrowed.

"Kirin Toudou—The Keen-Edged Tempest, huh?"

The title echoed in his mind as he leaned back, his expression thoughtful.