Chapter 183: Pre-match banquet! Killing intent boiling!
Summer passed, and the heatwave of the holiday continued to intensify in the port area far from the center of Osaka.
As the venue for the Seven Star Sword Art Festival, the eyes of neighboring countries were focused here, and the clamor reached the sky.
Compared to the high-end competitions for professional Magic Knights, this kind of rookie event was clearly more able to ignite the enthusiasm of outsiders.
With only two days left until the opening ceremony, the pre-festival banquet for the Academy representatives was about to begin.
Inside the lounge of the convention center, Arthur stood in front of a full-length mirror, adjusting his pure white three-piece suit, his eyebrows slightly raised.
"I feel like even a graduation ball isn't this formal."
He scoffed, then casually picked up a light pink ribbon and tied it around Fou's neck, nodding in satisfaction.
"Hmm, it suits you perfectly."
Fou, with her lazy eyes, raised a paw and scratched at the ribbon, then proudly leaped up, landing steadily on his shoulder, signaling that they could depart.
Arthur pushed open the door and entered the living room, where the Kurogane siblings had already been waiting for a long time.
Ikki was awkwardly tugging at his tie; his light gray suit looked out of place with his unruly spiky hair.
Kurogane Shizuku, on the other hand, wore a pure black lace bud dress, which complemented her pale hair, and her arm was naturally linked with her brother's.
Arthur nodded in greeting: "Sorry to keep you waiting, you two are so fast. Where are the others?"
Ikki shook his head: "The President and the others are still choosing clothes. Shizuku helped me get ready, so we were faster."
Arthur glanced at the clock on the wall, six forty.
The banquet had already begun; he wondered if those flies from the Rebel Army would also show up at such an occasion.
"Sorry to have kept everyone waiting."
A clear voice came from behind them.
The three turned around, and what first caught their eyes was a blossoming flame.
Stella's exquisite figure was perfectly outlined by a floor-length, bright red strapless gown, embroidered with silver threads depicting roses about to bloom, light as gauze.
Following closely behind was Toudou Touka, who had uncharacteristically changed into a matte blue velvet suit. After removing her glasses, her unique heroic spirit was even more striking.
Finally, Toutokubara Kanata arrived late, swaying in a champagne-colored court-style long dress, and lightly chuckled, covering her face, at the three still in a daze.
"My family happens to have some clothing business, which ended up delaying Stella and the President."
Kurogane Shizuku, who was the first to regain her senses, narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the three women's surging curves, then she looked down at herself…
Poof! An inexplicable fire surged!
She gritted her silver teeth, pulled Ikki, who was still in a daze, closer, her voice gentle but undeniable.
"Brother, it's getting late, let's go in first."
With that, she half-coaxed, half-pulled Ikki, and left first.
Toudou Touka and Toutokubara Kanata exchanged a smile, then followed suit.
Arthur gazed at Stella, who seemed a bit flustered, then stepped forward, taking her hand and intertwining their fingers.
"Even if we're the grand finale, we should set off, my beautiful Princess."
"Mm!"
Stella followed with small steps. The two caught up with the President and the others, and together they took the elevator to the top-floor banquet hall.
The specially made doors slid open to both sides, and a smiling waiter, after verifying their identities, bowed and said.
"Welcome, representatives from Hagun Academy."
A sliver of noise leaking from the door instantly solidified the atmosphere outside.
A wave of malicious aura, mixed with scrutiny and hostility, burst forth from the doorway.
Everyone, as if by prior agreement, turned their gaze towards the silver-backed figure at the forefront.
Arthur's lips curled into a cold smile. He raised a hand to adjust his tie, then strode in, stepping onto the crimson velvet carpet.
Instantly, dozens of sharp, knife-like gazes pierced him, as if to bore through his body and ascertain his true strength!
Roar—!
An invisible Dragon Might erupted from within Arthur, and those piercing gazes seemed to collide with an ancient red dragon roaring skyward, being instantly repelled!
Many people present changed their expressions slightly, their breathing hitched.
"Hiss, no mistake, he is Hagun's A-rank freshman, Radiant Dragon Holy Sword."
"What an astonishing aura… What was that just now? It's like a monster's domain!"
"Undoubtedly, his 'wildness' far surpasses everyone here."
"Even you, Moroboshi, say so. It looks like there's still a good show to watch this year."
"Indeed, I hope he can give those Rebel Army guys a taste of their own medicine."
Amidst the symphony, whispers arose. Those purely probing gazes were withdrawn, and some raised their glasses from afar, signaling goodwill.
Arthur casually picked up a drink from a waiter's tray in acknowledgment, but his gaze went straight to a corner of the banquet hall.
There, several energy signatures were still locked onto him, malice surging like a tide.
The disparate members of the Rebel Army were gathered around a dining table, led by Hiraga Reisen, raising their glasses in a feigned toast.
Stella and the others also came over, lowering their voices.
"Do these guys really dare to come?"
"After all, the O洲 Branch is more afraid of the incident being exposed now."
"They're just defeated opponents. We'll just fight them again!"
Arthur ignored his companions' discussion. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, and he raised a hand to point at himself.
"During the campus raid, did any of them mention me?"
Stella's delicate brows furrowed: "Why do you ask that?"
"Something's not right." Arthur handed a snack to Fou on his shoulder, "Aside from Kurogane Ouma, whose hand I crippled, there's someone else in the Rebel Army who harbors killing intent towards me."
"It's a very pure killing intent, as if I have an irreconcilable grudge with them."
"Killing intent?"
Everyone followed his gaze and indeed saw Hiraga Reisen, Tatara Yui, and Shinomiya Amane brazenly scrutinizing Arthur with cold eyes.
Toudou Touka mused: "Could it be an order from the Rebel Army's higher-ups? After all, Arthur is one of the rare A-ranks."
Kurogane Shizuku immediately denied it: "Stella is also an A-rank, but their killing intent towards Arthur is abnormally intense."
Meeting everyone's worried gazes, Arthur tilted his head back, drained the wine in his glass, and set the glass down heavily on the table.
"Don't worry, I have a bad temper. I'm not interested in being constantly provoked by killing intent."
Before his words finished, he had already taken a step, giving no one a chance to stop him, walking directly towards the corner where the Rebel Army was located.
As he approached, those underground elites who had only been releasing killing intent instinctively summoned their inherent armaments, as if facing a formidable enemy!
Arthur stopped, his gaze sweeping over them one by one, finally landing on the unassuming Kurogane Ouma.
"Does your hand… not hurt anymore?"
Kurogane Ouma remained silent, only locking his eyes, filled with pure obsession, onto him.
Arthur shook his head, feeling bored, then turned and offered an impeccable faint smile to the members of the Rebel Army.
"I don't care what you're plotting, but please remember, you're not the only ones who can leverage power."
Clang—!
The clock chimed, signaling seven o'clock. The four giant screens hanging in the center of the banquet hall lit up simultaneously, and the tournament bracket was prominently displayed to all!
All the contestants instantly looked up, searching for their names in the dense list.
Arthur, however, didn't even look at the screen behind him. His gaze remained fixed on the faces of the Rebel Army, his smile playful and cold.
"Don't look."
"If you want to play, I'll play with you until the very end."