The so-called secret deal was, quite obviously, nothing more than a way to secure a place for her sister Rin.
That is to say, after the Third Honkai Eruption, it wasn't just Kevyn and Mei who joined Fire Moth—Sakura had as well.
The difference was, Kevyn and Mei joined Fire Moth proper, while Sakura became part of its covert operations unit, "Cocoon."
In a way, the former two were luckier than the latter.
After all, the enemy for the first two was always the Honkai, while the latter often had to draw her sword against fellow humans.
However, now that this had come to her attention, Durandal had no intention of letting that tragic fate repeat itself.
She glanced at the bamboo sword in Sakura's hand and suddenly spoke up. "How about lending me your shinai?"
No sooner had she spoken than the bamboo sword was already in Durandal's grasp, leaving Sakura completely bewildered as to how it had left her control.
In that moment, Sakura realized something and smiled wryly. "It seems my coming here was unnecessary."
Durandal shook her head. "Not at all."
After getting a feel for the bamboo sword in her hand, Durandal looked over at Elysia. "I'll be right back, Elysia. Take good care of my benefactor here."
With that, Durandal headed toward the school's main gate, the one she usually used, bamboo sword in hand.
It was true that Durandal's weapon of choice was a heavy lance—that didn't mean she was inept with others.
Take the Kaslana Gun Kata, for instance—she was quite proficient.
Her skills in swordsmanship weren't lacking either.
It was just that the lance best suited her fighting style.
Now, dealing with a few members of the Kendo Club, using a lance would be outright bullying.
This bamboo practice sword was just right.
As Durandal left, Elysia turned to the girl beside her, sensing that the ranks of the Flame-Chasers were likely about to grow again. She asked, "And what's your name, miss?"
"Sakura."
Sakura's reply was brief and to the point.
"Sakura... what a beautiful name~"
In the past, Elysia might have added, 'Just as beautiful as you are.'
But whether influenced by Durandal's words and actions or by her advice, Elysia now rarely said things that could be seen as 'flirtatious' or 'teasing.'
It wasn't that Elysia had changed fundamentally—she was still herself.
It was just that while she used to behave that way with everyone, now she only wanted to act that way with Durandal.
Admittedly, this meant showing distinction, showing favoritism.
But... there was nothing wrong with that, was there?
"You flatter me."
Even though Elysia had toned it down considerably, Sakura still seemed a bit uncomfortable.
"Sakura, would you like to go watch a good show?"
Suddenly, Elysia flashed Sakura a mischievous grin.
Sakura was taken aback, and before she could react, she was already being pulled along by Elysia.
Meanwhile, Durandal, bamboo sword in hand, arrived at the entrance of Senba Academy.
There, she indeed saw a group of figures clad in kendo gear.
None of the faces were familiar. Leading them was a tall, handsome young man.
He adopted a condescending posture, looking at Durandal.
"So you're the Durandal who got confessed to by Elysia and then brushed her off coldly?"
Durandal: "..."
It wasn't that she was trying to maintain some aloof, cool persona—she genuinely didn't know how to respond.
Having lived two lives, this was her first time dealing with a 'love rivalry' plot.
Seeing that Durandal didn't answer, the young man didn't get angry, but upon noticing the bamboo sword in her hand, he frowned slightly.
"So, Sakura did run off to tip you off. Since you know the Kendo Club is looking for trouble with you, why did you still come? Do you really think you can beat me, the captain of the Kendo Club?"
"Yes."
Expecting Durandal to remain silent, the young man was caught off guard when she actually spoke up, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Durandal, for her part, breathed a silent sigh of relief. Finally, he'd asked a question she knew how to answer.
"Fine. Then let's settle this with kendo. The loser gives up on Elysia, and the winner—"
Before he could finish, Durandal cut him off decisively.
Facing the young man's puzzled look, Durandal stated calmly.
"First, no matter what, I will not give up on Elysia."
"Second, I will not lose. The only one who will lose here is you."
"Third, the outcome between us has nothing to do with any third party. We have no right to make decisions on behalf of anyone else."
After laying out these three points in succession, the young man's previously confident demeanor instantly turned into a flushed face.
By now, quite a few students had gathered to watch.
Even Kevyn had dragged Mei into the crowd to see what was happening.
Mei was resigned. "What's there to see when we already know who's going to win?"
Kevyn disagreed. "It's different! Mei, did you hear what Durandal said? Hmph, if anyone ever tries to challenge me to a duel to make me give up on you, I'll answer them the same way!"
As she spoke, Kevyn waved her fist, showing her fighting spirit.
"Who would ever challenge you over me..."
Mei was somewhat speechless.
Someone as uninteresting as her—aside from a fool like Kevyn—probably wouldn't attract anyone else's affection.
"Mei, you just don't realize how amazing you are, you—"
Anticipating what Kevyn was about to say, Mei quickly covered her mouth, a faint blush spreading across her pale cheeks.
"If you want to duel, then let's get started."
Durandal glanced at the students gathering around and said coolly, "The teachers will be here soon. I assume you wouldn't be happy about being stopped by them, right?"
Hearing this, the young man also looked around.
Truth be told, today he had simply been carried away by impulsive bravery.
After discussing Elysia with the Kendo Club members, he'd gotten more and more worked up, leading to this spur-of-the-moment decision to confront Durandal.
It couldn't really be called premeditated.
But acting without thinking? Definitely.
As for the other Kendo Club members, they weren't following their captain just to bully a fellow student—they were mostly there to egg him on and watch the drama.
However, now, sensing Durandal's aura, many in the Kendo Club, including the young man himself, were having second thoughts.
But to turn tail and leave under the watchful eyes of so many classmates? That was impossible.
Such is the nature of youth—once they get riled up, all caution is thrown to the wind.
The surrounding students weren't just there for idle spectacle either. If things took a bad turn, they would naturally step in to separate the two sides.
In fact, some had already gone to notify the teachers and school security.
In the eyes of many, this scuffle was doomed from the start to never amount to much.
--+--