Kagami gazed at Adrien, and in Her eyes, which were usually as calm as a deep pool, an unyielding flame now burned. A draw, for a swordsman who considered victory their only creed, was nothing short of a provocation.
"Since that's the case,"
Her voice was clear and firm, each word chiseled from ice,
"Let's go again."
Before Her words finished, she flicked Her wrist, and the silver saber drew a graceful arc in the air, its tip once again pointing directly at Adrien opposite Her. This was a declaration of challenge.
Adrien's emerald eyes also sparkled with excitement.
He didn't hesitate, neatly raising his own saber, responding to Her fighting spirit with an equally standard posture.
Two proud souls, at this moment, clashed once more.
"Good!"
Mr. D'Argencourt's voice trembled slightly with excitement,
"This is the true spirit of kendo! To ensure absolute fairness in the judgment, this time, Nino, you are responsible for observing Kagami's movements."
He turned to Nino, His gaze sharp, "And I will focus all my attention on Adrien.
Observing one person individually is much more accurate than trying to keep track of two people at once!"
Nino nodded gently, His gaze completely locked on Kagami's figure, which was as straight as a pine tree.
The duel resumed.
This time, the confrontation seemed to enter a profound state.
Their speed didn't seem to slow down, but every sword strike, parry, and dodge seemed to have been precisely calculated.
The only sounds left in the hall were the "hissing" of sword blades rubbing against each other and the rapid, rhythmic breathing of the two.
One round, two rounds, three rounds... Each decisive moment, when the two silver lights intersected, the result was still astonishingly consistent.
"Simultaneous!"
Nino and Mr. D'Argencourt almost shouted the word in unison, then looked at each other, their faces filled with disbelief.
Mr. D'Argencourt even exaggeratedly rubbed his eyes and pressed his brow several times, as if to confirm that his visual system hadn't malfunctioned.
"Oh my god... this is simply..."
Nino also found it somewhat incredible.
Even with his attention fully focused on one person, what he saw was still the perfect synchronization, the order of which could not be distinguished by the naked eye.
This had gone beyond a simple competition of skill; it was more like a contest of mental fortitude.
The two people on the field were clearly "locked in a struggle." Sweat dripped down Adrien's forehead, dampening his golden hair, but he didn't care.
In his mind, he heard the expectant cheers of Nino, Kim, and the gentle, trusting gaze of Nino.
For his friends' promise, for that free weekend, he couldn't lose!
This belief transformed into an endless stream of power, flowing into his sword-wielding arm.
On the other side, Kagami also had Her reasons for not losing.
This victory was not just about personal honor; it was an important bargaining chip for Her to prove herself to Her mother and gain a little autonomy.
Only by winning would she have the right, the confidence, to make that small request about "friends" to Her mother, who always lived in darkness and strict rules.
Two equally persistent souls, two equally heavy obsessions, brought the intensity of this match to its peak.
Time quietly slipped away amidst the clashing sword lights; unknowingly, over ten minutes had passed.
The high-intensity mental tension and physical exertion inevitably slowed their movements slightly compared to the beginning, but each clash, infused with stronger will, became even more intense and heavy.
In a brief pause during a parry, Adrien's peripheral vision caught sight of Nino, who was quietly watching from the sidelines.
That calm gaze was like a shot in the arm, re-centering his somewhat wavering mind.
He couldn't disappoint him! The smiling faces of his classmates, the expectations of his friends, all transformed into the light at the tip of his sword, making him fight with renewed vigor.
However, strong belief is a double-edged sword.
Kagami's heart, however, showed a crack in the face of Adrien's increasingly brilliant fighting spirit.
She looked at the young man opposite Her, who seemed never to tire, his eyes burning with fire. His every attack was not just a display of skill, but more like a declaration of something powerful that she couldn't understand.
Through Adrien's determined eyes, she seemed to see many blurry, smiling faces.
Was that... the power of friends?
Her mother's words echoed in Her ears: "Unnecessary friends will only be your weakness."
But why... did he seem stronger than ever because of it?
This thought, like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, sent ripples spreading out.
Her belief wavered at this moment.
It was this single moment of distraction.
The dispersion of Her mind caused a subtle pause in Her movements.
When masters clash, victory and defeat are decided in an instant.
Adrien keenly seized this fleeting opportunity.
"Hah!"
He let out a low shout, his body lunging forward like an arrow from a bowstring, the saber in his hand transforming into a chasing bolt of lightning.
"Clang!"
A crisp sound rang out again, but this time, the result was completely different.
Everyone saw it clearly.
Adrien's sword tip accurately touched Kagami's chest armor first.
And Kagami's sword, delayed by that decisive beat, only belatedly touched Adrien's body.
The victory was decided.
Adrien slowly withdrew his sword and performed a standard fencing bow to Kagami, a sincere smile on his face after the exhilarating match: "You were great, Kagami! Let's practice together again next time. It's been so long since I've had such a satisfying fight!"
After speaking, he excitedly ran in front of Nino, like a child seeking praise, crystal clear sweat still on his forehead, his emerald eyes shining as he looked at him: "How was it? I didn't disappoint you, did I?"
Nino looked at his radiant appearance and also smiled happily.
He deliberately raised his hand and rubbed his brow, saying in a slightly exaggerated, tired tone: "Next time you two duel, could you possibly slow down a bit? My eyes hurt from watching."
"Hey!"
Adrien puffed out his cheeks in dissatisfaction,
"I put in a lot of effort to defeat Kagami! You don't know how strong she is!"
He began to boast endlessly about how brave he had been just now, and with what kind of do-or-die mentality he had won this hard-earned victory.
Nino just listened with a smile, his eyes as gentle as if he were coaxing a child who had scored a hundred points.
When Adrien had finished speaking, he smiled and nodded: "Alright, alright, you're the best, happy now?"
"Hmph, that's more like it."
Adrien raised his chin, satisfied.
"As expected of my student! Simply amazing!"
Mr. D'Argencourt, who had finally recovered from his excitement, clapped Adrien on the shoulder, full of praise.
On the other side of the arena, Kagami stood quietly, somewhat lost in thought, looking at the sword in Her hand.
She couldn't believe that she had lost.
Not lost in skill, not lost in stamina, but lost to... that fleeting distracting thought in Her mind.
She lost to Her own wavering.
Nino noticed Her desolate, almost broken appearance, and a touch of pity rose in His heart .
He took a step, intending to go and comfort Her.
However, Kagami seemed to sense his intention. Just as Nino was about to reach Her,
She suddenly looked up, Her clear gaze sweeping past him and landing on Adrien behind him.
She said in a calm tone: "Congratulations, Adrien, you won."
After saying that, she didn't even look at anyone else, turned around, and walked towards the changing room without looking back.
That straight back exuded a heartbreaking pride and determination.
Watching Her leave, Adrien's smile also faded, and he asked Nino with some concern: "She... will she be okay?"
"A true swordsman will not give up easily because of a temporary defeat."
Mr. D'Argencourt walked over and said in his passionate voice, his eyes full of admiration for Kagami,
"Adrien, you must remember, after this, she will only become stronger.
So, you must not let your guard down either!"
"Mm! I won't give up!" Adrien nodded heavily.
The setting sun dyed the sky a brilliant orange-red. Adrien and Nino said goodbye to each other and left school.
The black luxury car drove smoothly through the streets of Paris. Adrien leaned back in the soft back seat, resting his eyes.
A rustling sound came from his shirt pocket, and then a small black head quietly poked out.
"Hey, Adrien..."
Adrien opened his eyes, glanced at the Bodyguard concentrating on driving in the driver's seat, made a shushing gesture to him, and then lowered his voice: "Plagg, settle down. We'll talk about the camembert cheese issue after we get home."
"I wasn't thinking about your camembert cheese!"
Plagg retorted softly, an unprecedentedly serious expression on Its small face, "Just now... did you feel it?"
"Feel what?" Adrien asked, somewhat puzzled.
Plagg moved closer, sniffing Adrien's clothes with Its sensitive, elf-like nose, then said in a tone mixed with confusion and excitement:
"It was on Nino! I smelled a... a very pleasant scent on him."
"A scent? The scent of camembert cheese?" Adrien asked subconsciously.
"No!"
Plagg shook Its head, Its black eyes sparkling with a strange light, "That was... a scent of the same origin as me. It's the aura of 'Cataclysm'!"
"Cataclysm?"
Adrien was stunned,
"He only used Cataclysm once when he was Akumatization into 'Prince of flowers' with your power. Where would the scent of Cataclysm come from?"
"I don't know either!"
Plagg also seemed very confused, "It wasn't so obvious when I was in close contact before, but now, that pleasant scent on him is getting stronger and stronger, more... more fragrant than camembert cheese!"
As it spoke, It even closed Its eyes, making a look of ecstasy.
"After all that, your standard is still camembert cheese."
Adrien smiled helplessly. He raised his own sleeve and sniffed; there was no special scent, it was very ordinary. "There's no scent on me."
"That's a sense of smell unique to us elves; you humans can't possibly smell it!"
Plagg finished speaking and quietly retreated back into the pocket.
Adrien leaned back in his seat, lost in thought.
Plagg's words made him a little concerned, but he recalled all his interactions with Nino today and truly didn't feel that he had any abnormalities.
Just then, the silver ring on his right hand suddenly flickered imperceptibly.
It was a message from Ladybug.
"Please pull over temporarily." Adrien immediately said to the Bodyguard in front.
The Bodyguard obediently pulled the car safely to the side of the road. "Young Master Adrien, is something wrong?"
"I have something urgent and need to get out for a moment, please wait for me."
Adrien finished speaking, and after receiving the Bodyguard's tacit permission, he quickly opened the car door and slipped into an uninhabited alley.
"Plagg, attack!"
Black light enveloped him, and in an instant, the agile figure of Cat Noir appeared in the shadows of the alley. He took out his retractable metal staff and checked the information displayed on the screen.
During a routine patrol, an Akuma Butterfly was discovered flying towards the west side of the city, acting suspiciously. I am tracking it, come quickly!]
At the same time, another red smart car was weaving through traffic.
Inside the car, Kagami dialed Her mother's phone.
A cold electronic prompt sounded, informing Her that the other party was not answering and had been forwarded to voicemail.
After a "beep," she said softly into the phone in a flat tone, as if stating a fact unrelated to herself:
"Mother, I lost."
After saying these five words, she decisively hung up the phone and sent the message.
"Tatsu," she commanded the car's smart system, "Block all my subsequent conversations, do not record."
"Command executed, blocking mode activated."
The car fell into absolute privacy and silence.
Kagami leaned against the car window, watching the rapidly receding streetscape outside, Her heart cold.
In Her mother's eyes, she had always been the most outstanding existence, especially in Her best field of kendo.
But today, she lost.
She had thought that no matter how strong Adrien was, the two should be evenly matched, but she hadn't expected to lose so completely due to a single moment of distraction.
She recalled the moment Nino walked towards Her, his gentle eyes carrying a hint of kindness wanting to comfort Her.
But she instinctively avoided it.
She felt that comforting a loser was just unnecessary, cheap pity.
She didn't understand... she didn't understand at all.
What was that aura Adrien had during the battle, which seemed to carry the beliefs of many people, all about?
Her mother often said that unnecessary friends would only become a burden.
But why, in that situation, did those "unnecessary friends" give Adrien unprecedented power?
She wanted to know.
She wanted to understand.
She even... wanted to go to tomorrow's competition even more, to witness that power with Her own eyes.
This strong desire for knowledge of an unknown power, born from failure, instantly lit up like a beacon in the darkness, and immediately attracted the attention of a certain dark entity.
Agreste Mansion, top floor, in front of the huge circular window.
Hawk Moth felt that strong and pure negative emotion, and a satisfied smile curled at his lips.
"Ah... the taste of failure is always so bitter."
He muttered, his voice echoing in the empty room, "However, losing to my son isn't too shameful, is it, Miss Tsurugi?"
He spread his hand, and a pure white butterfly lightly landed on his gloved palm.
"Friendship... is indeed a great power. It is also the key to my future resurrection of Emilie."
His eyes became deep and fanatical,
"But now, if you want to know its secret, no problem.
After all, only by personally witnessing the 'strength' of friendship can I lay a firmer foundation for my future plans."
Black energy instantly tainted the white butterfly with an ominous purple.
"Go, my little Akuma Butterfly,"
He released the Akuma Butterfly from his hand, "Go and soothe that confused and proud heart!"
The Akuma Butterfly flew through the window, like a black lightning bolt, cutting through the Parisian twilight.
It found Kagami's smart car, and as the vehicle waited at a red light, it silently passed through the half-open window and merged into the ring she wore on Her other hand, a symbol of Her family.
A tempting voice echoed in Kagami's mind:
[Hello, Riposte, I am Hawk Moth. You are confused by failure, and you long for understanding because of your incomprehension. You want to know the truth, you want to understand the source of that power, don't you?]
Kagami's eyes became hollow.
[Then, go. Take up your sword and 'understand' them personally. Use your absolute power to 'witness' the truth of that friendship!]
"Yes, Hawk Moth."
Black energy surged from the ring, rapidly enveloping Kagami's entire body like liquid.
The roof of the smart car was torn open from the inside by a powerful force, and a brand new figure slowly rose in the last afterglow of twilight.
Silver metallic armor covered Her entire body, emitting a cold glint.
Her helmet was inlaid with the Tsurugi family crest, and crimson pupils burned beneath the faceplate.
Her right hand had completely merged with Her saber, transforming into a sharp blade shimmering with cold light.
Riposte was born.