Chapter 1
Shizuku Kurogane decides to attack Amane Shinomiya in his waiting room before their scheduled match. She believes her nature interference abilities cannot overcome Amane’s "Nameless Glory," an ability that manipulates causality to ensure his victory. Shizuku deduces that by initiating a rule-breaking assault outside the match, she can bypass his ability and deal enough damage to knock him out of the tournament. Despite the risk of expulsion, she is determined to protect her brother, Ikki, from Amane. She asks Nagi Arisuin for help, and he agrees to assist her.
Using Arisuin's "Shadow Walk" to bypass security, they reach Amane’s room. Shizuku pierces Amane with countless ice spears, causing severe injuries to his limbs and skull. However, Amane stands up and laughs, seemingly unaffected by his fatal wounds due to his extraordinary luck. When Arisuin tries to bind Amane's shadow, a flickering light bulb causes the shadows to disappear, allowing Amane to counterattack and knock Arisuin unconscious.
Amane mocks Shizuku and offers her a "special chance" to defeat him in one minute while he ensures the disturbance goes unnoticed. As Shizuku tries to fight, she repeatedly slips or misses her attacks due to "Nameless Glory" inducing errors. Amane eventually pins her to a wall with his swords. He then uses the venue's broadcast system to publicly humiliate her, describing her feelings for her brother in a twisted and shameful way.
Stella Vermillion arrives by blowing a hole through the wall to stop Amane from further defiling Shizuku's feelings. She rescues the unconscious Shizuku. Afterward, the tournament committee reviews surveillance footage and disqualifies Shizuku for the violation. Arisuin receives a three-month ban but avoids expulsion. Amane Shinomiya is declared the winner and advances to the semi-finals.
1.
Amane lifted up his body from the pool of blood.
Despite his four limbs, or rather, his skull being pierced by ice spears, his mouth showed a smile.
It was the same one he showed when meeting Ikki, a distorted smile that could only be described as a murderous smile.
“What a surprise! Oh wow, I’m really surprised! If you take action and break the rules yourself, it’s true that my Nameless Glory will not activate. You will be able to approach me. That said......as expected, I didn’t think that you will take such extreme action without any hesitation! What an incredible determination! I can’t believe that you are Ikki-kun’s blood-related sister from taking such measures!”
“Who knows? I wonder why. I also don’t know why myself. Well, there are people in the world that can drive a car by themselves to the hospital with a knife stabbed into their head; there are also stories of people surviving with a bullet in their brain. Then isn’t this something that is not impossible? See ── I have much better luck than normal people.”
- This quote shows Amane's unnatural ability to survive wounds that would kill a normal person, such as having his skull pierced by ice spears.
- Amane explains that Shizuku found a real loophole in his "Nameless Glory" ability by breaking the rules and attacking him before the match, which prevented the ability from protecting him initially.
- He mocks Shizuku for her "incredible determination," finding it hard to believe she is the sister of the moral Ikki Kurogane because she chose such a violent and illegal method.
- Amane claims his survival is not magic but extreme luck, comparing himself to rare news stories of people surviving bullets or knives to the brain.
2.
It happened in a fraction of an instant.
In an instant, the lighting in the waiting room flickered while making a noise.
It might have been the aging of the light bulb, or a delay in the wiring, or some interference of power that made the coincidence inevitable.
For just an instance, the room lost all light, darkness covered everything.
At the same time the shadow disappeared, it also meant that the effect of Shadow Bind that bound the shadow was lost...
- This passage describes how Amane's power uses "coincidence" to his advantage by causing a light bulb to flicker or fail at the exact moment he is in danger.
- The loss of light is a direct counter to Nagi Arisuin’s "Shadow Bind," as the technique requires a visible shadow to work; when the room goes dark and shadows vanish, the restraint is nullified.
3.
Countless thin swords like crosses flew out from the lightless darkness and accurately pierced Arisuin’s entire body
After Amane took out Arisuin, once again he manifested countless swords in between his fingers ── his Device, Azure, and spoke to the remaining Shizuku.
- This quote describes Amane's counterattack, where he uses the sudden darkness he created to ambush Arisuin with a barrage of weapons.
- It identifies Amane’s "Device" as "Azure," which consists of many thin swords shaped like crosses that he can hold between his fingers or manifest in great numbers.
4.
“Calamity Rain of Bloody Storm!!!!”
Like the curse of Lorelei, foam sprayed around.
The foam blown out from the back of Shizuku was like the turbulent lake surface on a stormy day, turned into highly pressurized bullets and flew towards Amane ── no, towards the whole space before Shizuku, shot out altogether like a gatling gun
Even though she just executed a suppressing fire that could bury everything in sight, Amane did not have a single injury.
Despite the entire wall turning into a beehive, only the portion of the wall behind Amane was unscathed.
That’s right. In Shizuku’s omnidirectional suppressing fire, only the water bullets that came into contact with Amane lost their hardness due to the magic control error made by Shizuku herself, becoming just harmless water foam
- This quote describes Shizuku’s powerful move where she shoots highly pressurized water bullets in a wide area.
- She uses this "gatling gun" style of attack to hit the entire space in front of her so she does not have to worry about missing her aim.
- Even though the attack is strong enough to turn the wall into a "beehive," Amane stays safe and unhurt.
- Amane stays safe because his power causes Shizuku to make a mistake in her magic control, making the water bullets turn into soft foam right before they hit him.
Chapter 2
After the incident with Amane, Ikki Kurogane goes to a park to practice a high-level sword technique that imitates the "godly" speed of the knight Edelweiss. While training, he is approached by Bakuga Tsukikage, the Prime Minister of Japan and leader of the Akatsuki Academy. Tsukikage reveals that Amane's hatred for Ikki is deep and warns that Ikki cannot defeat Amane as he currently is. He offers to tell Ikki the truth about Amane's past to help him prepare for their upcoming semi-final match.
The sixty-second Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival reaches its semi-finals on a very hot day. The first match features the "Crimson Princess," Stella Vermillion, against the "Sword Emperor of Wind," Ouma Kurogane. Stella is a fan favorite with the world's highest magic power, while Ouma is a legendary A-Rank knight from Japan who has easily crushed all his previous opponents.
As the match starts, Ouma immediately goes on the offensive with his Nodachi-type Device, "Ryuuzume". Stella counters with a massive barrage of flame spheres called "Broken Arrow," but Ouma uses his wind control to create a vacuum shield, breaking through the fire unscathed. When their swords finally clash, the impact is so great that it creates shockwaves that blow back the audience members in the front rows.
Stella tries a surprise attack using "Flame Veil" to turn invisible, but Ouma manages to wound her even though she hits him. Ikki and other experts watching from the stands realize Ouma has an abnormal defensive power. Ouma explains that he spent years in battlefields and slums to evolve his body. By constantly weighing himself down with high-pressure wind armor, his bones and muscles have become dozens of times denser than a normal human's, effectively turning his body into "steel".
After revealing his "steel" body, Ouma releases the wind shackles he used to train himself. This release causes a massive shockwave that bends the venue's fences and shatters windows. Ouma's speed and power increase to a level that Stella cannot easily match. He uses his incredible arm strength to send out wind pressure slashes that wound Stella even without using magic. Finally, he uses a powerful sword technique called "Hono Ikazuchi," which hits Stella with such force that she is blown out of the dome entirely.
While lying outside the dome, Stella reflects on her path as a knight. She realizes she has been too humble and has forgotten her own identity as a person born with the world's greatest power. Encouraged by the memory of her training with Nene Saikyou, Stella stabs her sword, Lævateinn, into her own chest to release her true potential. This act reveals that Stella is not a simple fire user. Her true ability is a "Concept Interference" type called "Dragon," which allows her to manifest the raw, mythical power and vitality of a dragon within her human body.
In her new form, Stella’s physical abilities grow dozens of times stronger. She can now heal deep wounds almost instantly, making Ouma's godspeed attacks ineffective. She overwhelms Ouma with heavy punches that burn his bones from the inside. Despite his body being broken, Ouma stands up one last time, driven by his selfish dream to reach the summit of the world. Both knights clash with their strongest Noble Arts: Ouma with his storm sword "Kusanagi" and Stella with her heat sword "Katharterio Salamandra." Stella’s power wins out, and she slashes Ouma along with the sea behind him. Stella is declared the winner and moves on to the final match.
1.
Stella’s flame, Dragon Breath, had a temperature of three thousand degrees Celsius.
「However, Contender Ouma isn’t stopping! He dashed into the zone of burning air!」
「That’s cause Ouma-chan’s ability is 「Wind」 after all. Since it’s conductive heat, so he just needs to make a vacuum heat insulating wall to prevent the heat from transmitting through. Rather than that ── the audience-chan sitting at the front most row should brace themselves.」
2.
That’s right. The explosion of air that knocked Stella just then, everything was a high-pressure shackle that had been binding Ouma until a moment ago. He used his Noble Art, Tenryuu Gusoku, which repelled enemy attacks by wearing it, against himself, and burdened his body constantly with an out-of norm load.
“For what reason, are you doing that......”
“Of course, for the sake of 「Evolution」.”
Evolution was a fundamental ability that living things possessed in order to adapt to the environment. For example, something similar to webbing might appear from a human who had been constantly swimming since he was young. Ouma administered himself to a harsh environment that pushed his body to the limit, forcefully triggering his body’s ability. It was for the sake of obtaining a physical body that could withstand any attack, and a power that could beat any enemy down.
3.
His body gradually, in order to adapt to the environment he set on himself, began to evolve.
His bone structure increased its hardness to be like an iron core in order not to lose against the pressure suppressing him, his organs pulsated strongly in order to let blood circulate his entire body. Each and every muscle fibre of his body became stronger and more tenacious in order to let him move smoothly under high pressure......eventually, when his body could not feel the 「Pressure」 anymore ── Ouma’s body literally transformed into 「Steel」.
“You may not see it from the compacted external appearance, but just like the feedback from your hand, my weight, with muscle and bone density tens of times higher than a normal person, is way heavier than Panzer Grizzly. A lukewarm slash will never injure me.”
4.
「That’s how it is. Stella-chan’s original ability is not nature interference, but concept interference. And everyone should also know. The mythical monster with boiling blood circulating its body, and breathing out burning flame. The concept of the story that is passed down as a symbol of fear and violence which could not be resisted anywhere in this world......!」
“Concept interference type ── Dragon.
The ability to manifest in one’s body the power of a predator that lives at the peak of the food chain in the mythological world.
That is mine, Crimson Princess’s, Stella Vermillion’s true power.”
Something like flame was just a portion of her power. It was exactly just a Breath. Sweltering heat dwelled in her body similar to the mythical monster, allowing her to obtain the raw power of a Dragon.
The slash attacks coming from Ouma like falling rain, that were definitely not lukewarm, were deflected by Stella’s two fists.
She caught the flank of Ryuuzume accurately, not leaving a single scratch on her fist.
And everytime she deflected Ryuuzume, Ouma’s hand felt a terrible impact.
It was an impact so forceful that if he slackened his strength a little bit, Ryuuzume would be blown far away from him. Ouma held the handle with all his strength, while preventing Ryuuzume from being deflected away, his forehead was drenched in sweat.
Currently, Stella’s physical ability was several tens of times greater than before. And then, with the destructive speed and attack power it gave her, she repelled all of Ouma’s slashes, while digging closer towards him.
5.
That large cut wound on Stella.
There was not a single drop of blood from there.
No, on the contrary, the wound was being stitched up at an unbelievable speed in front of his eyes.
That was the strength of vitality possessed by the creature known as dragon.
──Since ancient times, it was common sense to decapitate a dragon to subjugate it.
To a creature such as dragon, a wound that was not fatal could not be considered a wound.
Stella had just recreated the vitality of a dragon that could be said to be immortal with a human body through inheritance.
6.
In that case, he would bet everything on the fastest single strike he had.
Preparing his sword from the limit of his swing was for that sake.
What he was about to release was the godspeed sword passed down in Kyokujitsu Isshin Ryuu.
Naturally, every muscle in his entire body was used, it even used the rebound of the joints and bones in his body by returning his posture from its twisted position to the original one to accelerate, it was exactly a sword released with his entire body and spirit
Despite just one strike, different from Ikki’s Blade Steal, Ouma’s Amaterasu, which had truly reached Twin-Wings’s territory, exceeded the limit of reaction even for Stella with dragon’s power dwelling inside her, Ryuuzume cut Stella’s body diagonally.
7.
Because Sword Emperor of Wind was swallowed into it just like that.
The Katharterio・Salamandra that Stella had released did not stop at subjugating Sword Emperor of Wind, it had also slashed apart the Bay Dome, as well as the Osaka Bay beyond.
The audience stand and the huge screen in the dome were burned. A deep trench was carved on the seabed.
Chapter 3
This summary covers the fight between Ikki and Amane only. Let's go ahead.
Before the match begins, Amane attempts to win by psychological warfare by declaring a forfeit. He claims he wants to withdraw because everyone suspects him of cheating with his causality interference ability, "Nameless Glory". However, Ikki sees through this act, identifying Amane by his real name, Shion Amamiya. Ikki reveals he knows Amane’s past: a boy who was always ignored because his successes were attributed to luck rather than effort, leading him to a life of deep resentment and "resignation". Provoked by Ikki's refusal to be intimidated, Amane retracts his forfeit to try and destroy Ikki's dreams directly.
As the match starts, Amane engages in a "Chanbara" (sword fight). Though his movements look like an amateur’s reckless swings, "Nameless Glory" ensures every hit is perfectly optimized to strike from angles that are difficult for Ikki to handle. However, Ikki demonstrates a "godly" feat by remaining unharmed.
Because Ikki has reached the realm of "Isshintou" (heart and sword as one), his body reacts to the errors caused by Amane's ability faster than his mind can process them. In less than one-tenth of a second, his muscles and cells fix his collapsing posture, turning potential slips or misses into successful strikes.
Realizing swordplay alone is not enough, Amane switches tactics. He throws his Device, "Azure," into the air, creating countless clones that stab into the ring like grave markers. He then bounces new swords off these markers like pinballs. These "hunting hounds" are guided by luck to relentlessly pursue Ikki from all 360 degrees. Ikki counters this by using his own uniform as a veil to catch the incoming blades simultaneously, stopping their momentum instead of deflecting them.
Ikki begins to close in on Amane, grazing his cheek and then his neck. He warns Amane that the next strike will take his life. Desperate, Amane uses his most lethal application of "Nameless Glory": he simply wishes for Ikki to "die". This forces a causality where Ikki's heart stops beating instantly.
When Amane uses his power to wish for Ikki's death, Ikki's heart stops beating immediately. However, Ikki manages to move his own heart using "manual" control. He uses a high level skill from the "Twin Wings" style to force his heart muscles to pump blood, even though his body's natural pace was stopped by fate. While Amane is distracted by his supposed win, Ikki strikes back and delivers a very deep wound to Amane's chest.
Amane cannot accept his loss and goes on a violent rampage after the referee ends the match. He releases black arms made of concentrated fate that cause anything they touch to rot and decay instantly. Nene Saikyou explains that Amane actually made himself easier to hit by concentrating his power this way. Because his "killing intent" became visible and predictable, Ikki was able to read every move.
Ikki uses his "Ittou Shura" ability to slice through the decaying black arms and reach Amane. Instead of finishing him off with a lethal blow, Ikki speaks to the pain in Amane's heart. He tells Amane that his frustration is proof that he has not truly given up on himself. Amane finally stops fighting and acknowledges his defeat, finding a small spark of hope for the first time in his life.
After the fight, Ikki collapses and stops breathing. It is revealed that Amane's "death" power grazed Ikki's arms during the struggle to save a referee, and the effect continued to pull his body toward death. He is saved by the expert doctor Kiriko, the White Robed Knight, who uses her skills to defeat the lingering "death" effect. Ikki wakes up the next day just in time to find the entire arena waiting for him. The chapter ends with Ikki and Stella standing on the ring together, ready to fulfill their promise and begin the final match of the festival.
