Kurono Shinguuji didn’t answer immediately. She took out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, lit one skillfully, and took a drag.

After exhaling a long plume of smoke, she glanced at Roy through narrowed eyes.

“You want to challenge me?”

The atmosphere in the office grew heavy.

“Is that not allowed?” Roy smiled slightly.

One of his system tasks was to challenge a World-Class Blazer. The former world No. 3 sitting in front of him was the perfect target.

It was a chance to kill two birds with one stone, and Roy wouldn’t miss it.

“No, of course not,” Kurono said, showing a look of genuine interest. “You’re very brave. At first, I would have just asked you to spar with Ayase.”

If Roy had truly defeated the Sword Eater, defeating a Rank D knight like Ayase would be trivial.

However, a duel with the Chairwoman was an entirely different beast.

“Since you asked, I will test you myself,” Kurono said, standing up from her chair and stretching. “I’ve been sitting in this office all morning; it’ll be good to stretch my muscles.”

“Follow me.”

Kurono led Roy and Ayase out of the office and across the campus to one of the training arenas.

Hagun Academy had over twenty dome-shaped arenas scattered across its grounds.

These facilities were used for daily training and, occasionally, for resolving disputes between students. After all, Blazers were warriors; friction was inevitable, and dueling was the simplest, most efficient way to settle conflicts.

They arrived at an arena closest to the administration building. Inside was a circular stage about 100 meters in diameter, surrounded by stepped seating that could accommodate thousands.

Due to the holiday, the massive hall was empty save for the three of them.

Roy and Kurono stepped onto the field, standing about twenty meters apart.

“Summon your Device,” Kurono ordered, extinguishing her cigarette and placing a hand on her hip.

“Due to a physical condition, I cannot summon my Device for the time being,” Roy used the same excuse he had given Kuraudo.

“Cannot summon it?” Kurono frowned, puzzled.

For a Blazer, the Device is bound to the soul. Unless the knight’s soul itself was damaged or sealed, they should be able to manifest it at will. While strange phenomena existed, this was rare.

“If you can’t summon your Device, how can I test your specific level?” Kurono asked suspiciously.

A Blazer’s abilities were like a treasure chest. Without it, she couldn’t judge his true potential.

“As long as my combat strength passes the test, isn’t that enough?” Roy smiled lightly. “Even without a Device, my strength isn’t significantly impacted. I have other methods.”

“Can you use abilities without a Device? You really are a special case,” Kurono mused. “Very well. My standards are strict, but I’m curious.”

“Are you planning to fight me with your bare hands?” she asked.

Kaito’s letter had emphasized Roy’s swordsmanship. Without a sword, a swordsman’s power was drastically reduced.

“Facing the former World No. 3, of course, I have to be serious.”

With a casual wave of his hand, Roy summoned Ascalon from his inventory. The holy sword appeared in his grip, gleaming under the arena lights.

“A very interesting ability,” Kurono squinted, her gaze locking onto the weapon.

It wasn’t a Device, but a real sword. Yet, even she could tell it wasn’t ordinary. The ancient runes and divine aura surrounding the blade gave it a sense of mystery that rivaled high tier Devices.

If a layman saw it, they would assume it was a Device manifestation.

Seeing Roy summon a physical weapon out of thin air, Kurono accepted his claim that he could fight without a traditional Device.

“In that case, let’s begin,” Kurono announced.

“Chairwoman, aren’t you going to use your Device?” Roy asked.

“You can try to force me to use it,” Kurono chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

She stood casually, showing no signs of summoning her weapons. It was clear she didn’t intend to take this duel too seriously.

After all, she was an A-Rank knight, a legend who had once stood at the pinnacle of the world. Using her full strength against a student would be laughable.

“Fair enough,” Roy nodded calmly. He wasn’t offended by her confidence.

Kurono stood still, her posture relaxed. Even knowing Roy had defeated Kuraudo, she believed she could end the battle in seconds if she wanted to.

This wasn’t arrogance, it was the earned confidence of a world-class warrior.

Roy’s gaze sharpened. Although Kurono looked relaxed, he could feel the immense pressure radiating from her.

In the next instant, Roy vanished.

Facing a world-class opponent, Roy didn’t bother probing. He launched his attack immediately.

‘He is indeed a master swordsman.’

Seeing Roy’s movement, Kurono immediately recognized his skill. His approach was elegant yet stable, advancing with a guard so tight it felt like a fortress.

It reminded her of another young man she had tested recently, Ikki Kurogane.

But before she could finish the thought, Roy was already upon her.

The first strike was a powerful overhead slash. Ascalon cut through the air, descending toward Kurono’s forehead with terrifying speed.

A flicker of doubt appeared in Kurono’s eyes. She shifted her body slightly to the left, easily dodging the blade.

The attack seemed too simple—too linear. It felt like a beginner’s strike…

But just as confusion set in, alarm bells rang in her mind. A strong sense of danger screamed at her.

The next moment, she understood why.

The blade that was supposedly descending toward her forehead vanished. In the middle of its arc, it disappeared from her vision completely.

‘What?!’

Before she could react, a heavy impact slammed into her left waist.

Roy hadn’t missed. He had used Markless to mask the transition, feinting the overhead strike to hide a sudden, lateral blow.

The change in trajectory was so seamless it rendered the attack invisible until impact.

Roy hadn’t used the edge; he had slapped her with the flat of the blade.

Smack!

A crisp sound echoed through the arena.

Kurono winced in pain, quickly leaping backward to create distance. She rubbed her side, her expression shifting from relaxed confidence to genuine shock.

“Chairwoman, never underestimate your opponent,” Roy said, resting Ascalon on his shoulder.

He didn’t pursue her, instead smiling leisurely at the woman wearing a mask of pain.

“It brings bad luck.”

—

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