Heaven's Library

On this day, half an hour before the final match, the Sirius Dome was already filled to capacity.

Countless spectators eagerly awaited the decisive battle. Some had come to witness it in person, while many more had tuned in early to the live broadcast, ensuring they wouldn't miss a second of the action.

The gambling tables were fully open, with people betting fervently, awaiting the final outcome.

Naturally, the competitors had also arrived, waiting in their respective preparation rooms, ready to take the stage at any moment.

"Are you nervous, Kirin?"

Kaiser had once again donned Seidoukan Academy's school uniform, the unbroken school badge still proudly displayed on his chest.

Despite everything that had transpired the previous night, he sat there calm and composed, smiling at Kirin Toudou, who sat properly across from him, clutching the bag containing Senbakiri.

"…A little," Kirin admitted, offering a sheepish smile.

She wasn't the type to put on a brave front—so she spoke honestly.

"Here."

Kaiser handed her a carton of milk, which he had prepared at some point.

"Have a drink. It'll help you relax."

"Thank you." Kirin accepted it quickly, bowing her head slightly in embarrassment. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Senpai."

"We're partners, aren't we?" Kaiser replied casually. "Besides, I know you. Maybe you feel nervous now, but the moment you step onto the battlefield, all those distractions will disappear."

"You'll be completely focused on the fight."

"And that's why—I'm not worried at all."

Kaiser said this with absolute confidence.

After spending so much time together, he knew Kirin better than anyone at Seidoukan Academy.

At a glance, she might appear timid and meek, but beneath that exterior, she was remarkably strong-willed—a true swordswoman with unwavering conviction.

Especially after breaking free from Toudou Kouichirou's control, Kirin's mental growth had skyrocketed.

It might not be immediately obvious from her demeanor, but those who truly knew her could see it clearly—

She was already a fully-fledged warrior.

"Just fight as you normally do."

Kaiser reassured her.

"In terms of raw strength, we definitely have the advantage. No need to be too anxious."

If one set aside all other factors and judged purely based on ability—

Kaiser and Kirin undoubtedly held the upper hand.

Between Kaiser and Ayato Amagiri, it was hard to determine who was stronger.

Their Prana levels, physical abilities, and swordsmanship were all incredibly close.

Both were also wielders of Four-Colored Magic Swords.

If they didn't fight directly, neither could say for certain who would emerge victorious.

However—

Between Kirin and Julis?

The outcome was much clearer.

Kirin had once been Rank One, while Julis was currently Rank Five.

Even in the original story, Julis had admitted there were three people in Seidoukan Academy she couldn't defeat.

Ayato Amagiri

Claudia Enfield

Kirin Toudou

In terms of overall strength, there was no doubt—

Kaiser and Kirin held the advantage.

"But in terms of teamwork… Ayato-senpai and Julis-senpai are the superior pair," Kirin pointed out quietly.

She wasn't wrong.

From a tactical standpoint, Ayato and Julis were a much more balanced duo.

Kaiser and Kirin were both close-combat swordsmen.

Neither had long-range attacks or support abilities.

Ayato and Julis, however, were different—

One was a frontline warrior, the other a long-range fire mage.

If they coordinated well, their teamwork could create synergy that exceeded the sum of their individual strengths.

"I also researched Ayato-senpai's background," Kirin continued, her voice serious.

"I found that his strength fluctuates a lot."

That was true.

The Amagiri Shinmei Style was an ancient sword school, unlike Toudou-ryuu, which was a more modernized discipline.

"Since it's an old-school style, it wouldn't be surprising if he has hidden techniques we haven't seen yet," she added.

By this point in the tournament, some of Ayato's secrets had already been exposed to the world.

For example, people now knew that he practiced the Amagiri Shinmei Style.

It was a sword art over 500 years old.

Unlike Toudou-ryuu, which specialized in one-on-one combat, Amagiri Shinmei Style was built around battlefield survival—meant for taking on multiple opponents at once while wearing heavy armor.

As a result, its techniques were large, sweeping, and highly versatile.

It wasn't suited for duels, but in a chaotic fight, it was unpredictable.

And nobody knew exactly how many techniques Ayato had at his disposal.

That unpredictability was one of the reasons why he kept pulling off miracles in battle.

As a fellow swordswoman, Kirin took this extremely seriously.

"And Julis-senpai's flames have a lot of variations."

Julis could wield fire in dozens of ways—

Flame spears for piercing.

Fireballs for bombardment.

Traps laid across the battlefield.

And those were just the abilities she had shown so far.

She might still have hidden trump cards.

Moreover—

Her abilities covered offense, defense, and support.

Even though her individual strength was lower than Kirin's, in a team battle, she was arguably more valuable.

That was Kirin's biggest concern.

She knew—

She couldn't take on Ayato directly.

His Wole-Zain had undeniable destructive power, and its defensive negation was too dangerous for a purely defensive fighter like her.

Only Kaiser, wielding Ser-Veresta, could face him head-on.

That meant Kirin's role was clear—

She had to take down Julis before Julis could interfere too much.

"If we could create a one-on-one situation, that would be ideal," she murmured.

If she could isolate Julis, she was confident she would win.

But—

"The enemy knows that too," Kaiser reminded her. "They won't let us separate them that easily."

Kirin's lips pressed together, but Kaiser's next words made her relax.

"Just focus on fighting with everything you've got."

"We've made it this far. Now, we just give it our all."

Kirin took a deep breath.

Then, she nodded firmly.

Moments later—

Their school badges began to glow.

"The time has come," Kaiser said, rising to his feet.

"Let's go, Kirin."

"Yes, Senpai."

The final battle was about to begin.

Sirius Dome – The Stage

As the finalists emerged from the tunnels, stepping onto the illuminated battlefield, a deafening roar erupted from the crowd.

It was louder than ever before.

The sheer energy of the moment made the arena lights seem even brighter than usual.

Kaiser strode forward, Kirin by his side—

Surrounded by blazing spotlights and thunderous applause.

He felt it—

His pulse quickening.

His blood surging.

Even his mind felt sharper, his thoughts racing.

Memories of the past three months flashed through his head.

And now—

At long last—

He had arrived at the most thrilling moment of his life.

On the opposite side of the stage—

Stood the original protagonist of this world.

Ayato Amagiri.

Like Kaiser, he wielded a black Lux Activator.

His eyes met Kaiser's.

In that instant—

Battle intent erupted between them.

And it only continued to grow.