Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan - Volume 6 - Chapter 5.2

Part 5 
TWh-What, this is bad! A Blazer from within the stands has stepped in, coming to Kazamatsuri's aid!
r Isn't that the maid that's always with her?
I"It's a foul! Ref, call it!
The sudden entrance of the the stoic maid threw the entire dome into an uproar. Once the referee halted the match, they would then await the judgement of the steering committee. This was procedure, but — 
T Wh-What is going on here?The commentator cried out disbelievingly. l"The referee has not stopped the match!
But there was a reason for this, of course. 
rOf course. There weren't any rules being broken, anyway.
TMuroto-pro, how is that?
rLook at that girl's neck.
Even as he said this, the Dome's cameras zoomed in on Charlotte’s neck, and as that image was broadcasted on the giant monitors in the Dome, everyone understood what Muroto had meant. 
rTh-That's indeed the same collar of subordination that the lion the Beast Tamer rode wore! Then that means...!
TYes. And like that lion, that girl has become the Device of the Beast Tamer, the Blazer that controls others. As such, there was no reason to stop the match.
rWell, the role of referee is taken up by experienced mage-knights. They rarely miss such a thing.
In the first place. Blazers were capable of detecting the ambient magic surrounding an object. Rinna's magic permeated Charlotte, a non-Blazer, just as it had the lion. So even without having to look at her collar, Stella knew that she was one of the Beast Tamer's chess pieces. 
"I see... I thought you weren't a normal maid, but to think that you were Rinna's real Device, her ace, huh." 
"I am Charlotte Corde. I shall be in your care from here on." 
Flicking Lsevateinn backwards with her index finger, she hitched up the edges of her skirt and curtsied, full of elegance and grace. But instead of returning the greeting — 
"Save the pleasantries, if you please!" 
—Stella brandished Lxvateinn, once again striking at Charlotte. 
"Bloom, Ichirin Junka!" 
With a harsh, ringing clang, she once again stopped the blade with her opened hand. Was she made of steel? No, this was an act of magic. This was the ability that Charlotte could unleash thanks to Beast Tamer Rinna Kazamatsuri’s Device, the collar of subordination, which could transform animals and non-Blazers into Blazers. 
Stella saw through this in the two blows they had exchanged. 
"Tch... it’s like hitting steel. It looks like you blocked it with your bare hands, but if one looks closely, there is a one millimeter gap between your skin and the blade. So the ability that you are able to use under Rinna's influence is the projection of a defensive barrier." 
"Very observant of you." 
Charlotte praised her earnestly for having hit the mark. At the same time, the space between the blade and her hand glowed with peach-pink hue, forming a flower-shaped shield. 
"You have good eyes. Crimson Princess, to have been able to see through my ability after only having gone two rounds with me. However, you were wrong about one thing." 
"What would that be?" 
"My Ichirin Junka is not an ability specialized in defense." 
Then, repelling the blade she had parried using Ichirin Junka — 
"Flower Blade—Ryuuzetsuran!" 
A blade-like barrier formed in her two hands, and she let fly that blade toward Stella. 
"Tch!" 
Her stance broken as her blade was repelled, this was not an attack Stella could avoid normally, but in a flash of inspiration she did not seek to correct her stance but instead leaned further back into a backflip, evading Charlotte’s slash. 
She did not quite make it, however. The blade shallowly nicked her face—the skin that had withstood the chainsaw-shaped Sweeping Centipede without blemish. And Charlotte’s onslaught did not stop there. Like a bloodhound in a frenzy she pursued Stella, who responded with a horizontal sweep of her blade, meaning to counter her with that. 
Now, Charlotte could do two things in response. She could halt her advance to evade the blade, or she could halt her advance and use Ichirin Junkan to block it. Either way, she would have to stop—and this was enough for Stella. 
However, Charlotte’s response was literally one level above. She took flight. 
She did not leap; instead, Ichirin Junkan had bloomed at her heels as she soared into the air. Now directly above Stella, the petals of that flower wrapped themselves about her right leg, and with an elegant flip she aimed an axe kick right for Stella’s head. Having missed with her sweeping slash, Stella’s right arm and blade were in an over-extended position, leaving her no time to bring them up to defend her head. Seeing no choice in the matter, she squeezed out what strength she could into the shoulder of her broken left arm, using her somewhat less damaged upper arm to take the brunt of the axe kick. 
But this blow was even more brutal than the ones before it, easily snapping the bones of her upper arm. 
”Kuh!” 
"Do you now understand? Like this, the impenetrable toughness that yielded not an inch to your strike becomes a slender blade, and a hammer that strikes harder than any steel." 
Charlotte said this even as Stella’s faced wrenched from the agony of having her bones broken. This was why she was both Rinna’s sword and shield. 
But Stella was not the sort of woman to be tamed by one or two broken bones. 
"Empress Dress!" 
While that was a mighty blow, Charlotte had made a poor move. Using close-combat maneuvers on Stella that involved bodily contact was close to suicidal. Summoning the fiery raiment about herself, she raised its output to the maximum. The flames ran up her forearm and onto Charlotte's leg, and then her whole body was aflame. Stella’s flames too were magical, and they would not abate unless she dismissed them, or was herself dismissed from life. 
Thus, it was a decisive error for an opponent to allow themselves to catch on fire at her hands. And yet — 
...It's not working!? 
—this logic fell flat in the face of Charlotte. Despite being shrouded in the roaring flames, her stoic mask did not break. Her barrier did not merely shield her from impact, but was also her mighty aegis against heat and electricity. Wrapped around her whole body as it was, it completely shut out the extreme temperatures of the Empress Dress. 
"Ah. Additionally 
Disregarding Stella’s counterattack, Charlotte continued to pursue her own assault. Using Stella's left arm as a platform, she launched herself into the air. 
"I am also her gun." 
Ichirin Junka materialized as tens of long, sleek blades that she gripped between her fingers in a fan shape before hurling them at Stella. 
She's using her barrier like throwing stars...! 
She had already experienced the keenness of her barrier first hand. It would be troublesome if she was hit by them. 
"Yaaaaah!" 
Judging thus, she swung Leevateinn with all her might, blasting the hail of shurikens away with the force of a sonic boom, swirling up a gale like with a giant fan. 
What a terrifying sword-arm. That strike was an imposing sight. But then something happened that was outside Stella’s expectations. 
Around ten or so of those blades, sent flying every which way, were now streaking towards the stands. 
Part 6 
l"U, uwaaaa! This is bad! Stray shots incoming!T Everyone, run!
Many rose from their seats at the sight of the incoming projectiles. This was a natural reaction; after all, none of the audience members who did not possess magic could stand against Ichirin Junka, that had even been able to wound someone guarded by such powerful magic as Stella was. 
rPlease do not leave your seats.
A commanding voice rang out, stopping those who had stood. 
TYou would be in more danger if you moved.
The Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival was an event that showcased modern magicians wielding supernatural power. There were already measures in place to ensure the crowd’s safety and eliminate. There were powerful mage-knights waiting in the wings all across the stands to shoot down such stray fire. And the one assigned to wait in the area about to be bombarded by Ichirin Junka was World Clock Kurono Shinguuji, the Director of Hagun Academy and A-Rank Mage-Knight. 
Materializing the silver gun Ennoia, she leveled its barrel at the ten or so blades that were inbound. 
"Clock Draw." 
A single gunshot rang out. Yes, only one—but it was sufficient to ensure that not a single blade reached the stands as they were all knocked clean out of the air. 
TEh!? What was that?
rIt’s her trademark Clock Draw. Stopping time for an instant, she uses that time to pelt her target with a hail of bullets! Look at her feet!
l"Uwa, for real! Look at that mountain of casings!
r Amazing!
Kurono’s brilliant technique met with applause from the stands, and in the midst of that clapping — 
"As expected of the knight who was originally ranked third in the K.O.K. League, huh." 
It was a gentle voice, and one that Kurono knew when she heard it. Turning her head, she laid eyes upon a black-haired young man approaching while himself clapping. It was the Worst One, Ikki Kurogane. 

"Your skills haven’t rusted at all since your days of active service." 
"Ha. There's been no reason to become dull, that’s all there is to it. This is part of our job as teachers after all." 
With her reply, Ikki’s friends too became aware of his return. 
"Ikki!" 
"O-Onii-sama! How are your injuries?" 
"I'm fine now, Shizuku. The doctor at the infirmary used magic to patch up my wounds earlier." 
"You didn't use a Capsule, but got people to heal you with magic?" Kiriko pursed her lips, as though sulking. "You could have just asked, and I would have done that for you." 
Ikki scratched his head uneasily. 
"Well, you still have a match later, Yakushi-san. I couldn't possibly ask you for a favor like that." 
As much as she thought of herself as a doctor before she was a knight, it went against all common logic for a knight before a match to use magic willy-nilly for their own personal use. 
"But Onii-sama, didn't you use Ittou Shura during your match? Doesn't it hurt just standing up?" 
"Well, I can't say it isn't difficult, but I'm more concerned about this match. I'd feel worse just lying there." 
So saying, he made his way next to Kurono before looking down at the ring. At the match his sweetheart, who had promised to meet him in the finals, was in. To feel that he had to watch was normal. Understanding her brother's feelings, Shizuku held her words of concern for his health in and did not push him. 
"By the way, Kurogane, what do you think of the match so far?" 
"Well, it all looks to have gone as expected right now. Icy Laughter was always of opposing elements with Stella, and was no match magically. And while Reflectors are indeed the bane of power types like Stella, she isn't the sort of knight who would be pinned down by only one technique. Nonetheless...." 
As he replied, his eyes drifted over to the outskirts of the ring, where the Puppeteer Reisen Hiraga stood, spookily unmoving, keeping his distance from Stella. 
"It seems it might get messy from here—that man is giving off an ominous aura. I wouldn't claim to know what he is doing, but I sense an uncanny amount of focus. Taking him down before he finishes whatever he is preparing for would be best." 
Everyone present would agree with Ikki. They could all feel Reisen's eerie aura. But that was not all. From their birds-eye vantage point, one could see all the combatants' movements. It was clear as day that, Mikoto Tsuruya included, the Akatsuki camp were all moving to defend him. He was their ace, no doubt about it. In that case, it was best to nip his plan in the bud as 
soon as possible. This was the unspoken consensus of all present, and it was surely on Stella's mind as well. 
"However, that looks to be difficult." 
"I wonder what you mean by that. Director?" 
Kurono pointed in response to Arisuin’s question. 
"Look." 
There, at the edge of the stands, was a glimmering object embedded deep into the concrete. 
It was one of the Ichirin Junka blades that she had shot down using Clock Draw. 
"I brought it down in a spot where no one is, but look. There's not a scratch on it—that's unnatural toughness. I haven't ever met a barrier user this good, not even in the K.O.K. A-League. This might be Vermillion we speak of, but breaking through that with just her right hand is going to be difficult... in fact, that maid may even be able to block Vermillion's strongest attack—Katharterio Salamandra." 
Kurono's unease was, unfortunately, right on the mark. 
Part 7 
T Vermillion attacks again and again, but to no avail! She is unable to break through the frighteningly redoubtable defenses of Beast Tamer Rinna Kazamatsuri's ace, Charlotte Corde! In fact, Corde's counterattacks are blunting her assault bit by bit!
rIf her left arm were usable, she could probably go up against that barrier, but she can't use it to hold her sword right now. The Crimson Princess is in a tough spot.
Just as the commentator and analyst had said, Stella’s attacks had so far failed to make a dent in Ichirin Junka's guard. On the other hand, 
Charlotte's consistent counterattacks were wearing her down. Anyone could see that the match was not going well for her. Stella's shoulders drooped as she sighed. 
"My, my... you really are outrageously tough. All those slashes did nothing whatsoever. It seems that as expected, nothing will come of using one hand." 
Unproductive actions sapped the spirit as much if not more than the body, and an exhausted spirit lacked strength. At Stella's weak tone, Charlotte felt sure that the battle was within her grasp. A little more. Just a little more, and this knight would fall. There was no need to wait till the Puppeteer's Noble Art was ready. 
"Of course. Protecting my lady is the reason for my existence—the reason why I am both sword and shield. Your sword will not reach her. Crimson Princess. As long as I am here, as long as I draw breath, you will not singe a hair on her head." 
"Such loyalty. I don't dislike that." 
Charlotte did not respond to Stella's praise. Even if she had said nothing, Charlotte understood that her loyalty was a feeling that wouldn't lose out to anything else in the world. She had sworn to live for that adorable young girl, Rinna Kazamatsuri, ever since the day Rinna had picked her out of that garbage dump. She would give everything, from the crown of her head to 
the soles of her feet, for Rinna. And she had given her all. Never leaving that girl's side, she swept all danger away from her. If she wished for a cat, she would be that cat. If she wished for a dog, she would be that dog. Having done that much, she had been frustrated to no end when Rinna had began to keep Sphinx as a pet, so much so that she had wanted to stew it for dinner. 
But then, the young mistress said to me, "You should just be a human being. I would be quite troubled if my right hand were a cat, so please, stop eating cat food on all fours." 
So saying, she had returned to Charlotte the clothes she had discarded in order to become a cat. 
Ahh, my lady, my lady! How gentle you are! 
To think that Rinna would treasure her so greatly—she, who was so lowborn as to be no better than a dog or a cat. That was why she gave her all, in order to repay her expectations. Her loyalty was firm as a rock—it would not lose. She would not lose. 
This was her belief. This was her pride. 
"Nonetheless... I'm sorry, but it's impossible for you." 
So said the red-headed knight facing her. It was almost as if she was being pitied. 
"What do you mean, impossible?" 
"You won't be able to protect your master." 
Charlotte laughed at Stella. 
"Now that’s odd. You say such things, and yet you were powerless against my Ichirin Junka. You admitted it yourself that there was nothing you could do, did you not? To speak so brazenly now without any grounds for it cannot be called anything but unseemly, no?" 
"My, you seem to have forgotten something important. Miss Maid. I said that I could do nothing... with only one hand, that is." 
In that instant, the Empress Dress that shrouded her suddenly began exhibiting strange behavior, concentrating its flame around a single point—her left arm, that had been broken and immobilized by Yui's Total Reflect. 
What is she doing? 
Charlotte could not comprehend the meaning behind Stella’s actions. 
But soon, something even further from her understanding would occur. Somehow, in that searing heat, that arm that should have been shattered began to move! 
"Wha-!" 
The twisted arm regained its former straightness; crushed fingers formed a fist, and then released it. And again. And again. 
The flames then dissipated, and Stella held Leevateinn in her once-broken left hand. A greatsword like that, always having meant to be wielded in two hands, was now so wielded. It shouldn’t have been possible with a broken arm. That she could, meant that she had healed that arm. 
And yet a fire user like Stella could not use healing magic. So how — 
Something flashed across Charlotte’s mind, something reckless, incoherent. Her voice was almost pained. 
"Could... could it be that you used your fires to melt and weld your broken bones back together...!?" 
Stella did not reply. She merely smiled in triumph. That smile said it all. It was exactly that—she had melted down the calcium in her broken bones and put them back together. And now with both her hands restored to her, she was no longer held back by anything. 
"Pierce the heavens, O you fires of purgatory — " 
Holding her sword aloft, she activated her mightiest Noble Art. A pillar of crimson fire burst forth from Laevateinn, searing through the sky, its incomparable flame turning blue even as it grew ever hotter and hotter, before finally losing all coloration—becoming light. A blade of light fifty meters long, with which to mercilessly incinerate all in its path. 
"So what will you do. Miss Maid? My Katharterio Salamandra is about to cut down your master behind you. You are not a representative—I will not pursue you if you flee, you know?" 
"Tch!" 
The pressure that Stella’s words exuded weighed heavily on Charlotte’s back. She knew. This was her final warning. If she did not remove herself, the Crimson Princess would bring that holy blade of light, forged of her unnatural birth-right of magic, to bear on her without holding back. 
She was powerless before something of that order. But — 
"Foolishness!" 
She did not retreat. Standing in front of Rinna to shield her, she declared her resolve. 
"I said it before. You shall not touch her!" 
"Very good!" 
Like two Western gunmen at high noon, they moved as one. "Katharterio Salamandra!" 
"Bloom wildly —Senben Junka!"  

Stella let fly her blade of light and heat to slice Charlotte and Rinna behind her clean in twain. Charlotte responded, pouring all her magic power into an impregnable shield the likes of which surpassed Ichirin Junka by three orders of magnitude in order to protect her master. 
Their strikes met — 
— and a raging storm of light was born, as though to sweep everything in the Dome away in its wake.