The Petal Bud of the Lotus Never Fades Red
In the depths of the Repelheim Empire, where imperial succession wars raged and the slums of Stygna festered like an open wound, one sword alone refused to be extinguished. The Dawn Sky Sword, Aurora Stella, the technique born from the ashes of the Nine Dragons of Stygna, remained unyielding—its blade never losing the crimson hue of its origin.
Nia had absorbed the techniques of those nine crime lords during her early sword debates in the alleys of Stygna. Some wielded blades that were not truly swords, yet she had forged them anew into her own style. Her single-sword talent, rare enough to be hunted across the entire continent, allowed her to wield even these foreign forms as peerless sword arts. None were trivial.
“‘One-Armed Jack’s Blade Debate.’ Three forms. I will use the ‘Rain of Blades’.”
The moment the words left her lips, Nia’s movements became a demonstration. Her sword lashed out in countless thrusts and slashes, pressing Luke Serverki with relentless pressure.
“Still not enough. ‘One Hundred Swords Master, Amula’s Sword Technique.’ Fifth form. I will unleash ‘One Point Tempest.’”
After the flurry ended, a single blade heavy with inner force drove straight for Luke’s throat. The demonstrator’s body staggered from exhaustion, yet the strike landed with the force of a concentrated storm.
Luke’s mouth opened instantly. “‘Cerberki Family Sword Art, Crimson Dragon Sword.’ Second form. I shall use the technique of ‘Crimson Gale.’”
A red gale surged forward to meet the thrusting blade, annihilating it mid-air.
“And now, ‘Cerberki Family Sword Art, Crimson Dragon Sword.’ Seventh form. I will not use ‘Crimson Dragon Bite.’”
Luke’s sword crashed downward with crushing force toward Nia’s head. But before it could fall, her rusted iron blade interposed itself with a ringing clash.
The two swords began their endless barrage.
“‘Nightmare of the Battlefield, Kaiser’s Sword Technique.’ Second form…”
“‘Crimson Dragon Sword’ first form…”
…
The blades never ceased their collision. Tension between them reached its peak.
Then, without warning, Luke spoke again and struck.
“‘One-Armed Jack’s Blade Debate.’ Fifth form—‘The Blade That Pierces the Point.’ I will not target your neck.”
Nia felt a surge of admiration in her heart. *Clever.*
*Truly masterful.*
At that moment she had been employing the first form of ‘One Hundred Swords Master, Amula’s Sword Technique’—‘Tempest of One Hundred Swords.’ Yet Luke’s counter had slipped through the narrow gaps of countless blades like a ghost. Most impressive of all was that this man…
‘…understands the sword techniques of the Nine Dragons of Stygna!’
How?
Nia had demonstrated the names and movements of the sword arts. How could he possibly understand them?
This person… was he…?
‘We are of the same breed!’
Nia understood at once. She had fought this man for an immeasurable length of time, yet no one had ever matched her in a prolonged debate. And now he was not merely defending—he was absorbing, adapting, and refining her own techniques.
This man was a true genius. Not merely on par with her own talent, but far beyond.
A single bead of sweat slid down Nia’s cheek.
***
The talent to reach the heavens with a blade. When Luke first awakened this talent, he had not understood it. A talent to reach the heavens? It sounded ridiculous. Vague, like grasping at clouds.
Yet the moment he gripped his sword, he felt it. *Ah.*
This was the world seen through the eyes of a sword genius.
This was the world seen through the eyes of someone who could do anything with a blade.
That very instant, as Luke casually held his sword and assumed stance in the training field, the family knight who had been teaching him nearly dropped his eyes in shock.
How?
How could a child who had just learned to hold a sword display the form of a veteran swordsman?
While the knight’s mouth gaped in disbelief, Luke drew his blade from above, slicing downward.
This single sword was no ordinary practice blade.
It was a talent bestowed by the heavens.
A single-sword technique so complete that every fragment of its power was visible.
“‘Rampart Watch Guard Knight, Pike’s Sword Technique.’ Fourth form…”
“‘Nightmare of the Battlefield, Kaiser’s Sword Technique.’ Sixth form…”
“‘One-Armed Jack’s Blade Debate.’ Seventh form…”
He understood.
Within Luke’s mind, the sword techniques of the Nine Dragon bosses shattered and flowed into his core like liquid light. *This is the world I was watching.* Then he would leap into that world and shatter it.
Luke’s mouth moved ceaselessly, reciting names and forms of countless sword arts.
…
Yet Nia remained calm. Only the faintest furrow between her brows betrayed the storm raging inside her.
The library of her imagination reached its highest shelf. She rummaged through every book, searching for the single blade that would decide this battle.
The blade that was most certain of victory.
*Is this it?*
Clang!
*No. Then this?*
Clang!
*Not this either.*
Nia’s towering library of self-cultivated techniques unfolded before her, confronting the single man Luke Serverki. Yet no matter how many counters she displayed, he instantly countered them.
It was an absolute shield against an absolute spear.
Their duel deepened, yet victory remained hidden. So what now?
What should she do?
Deeper. Deeper still.
Then she understood.
Every book in the library had been laid bare.
She could draw them all into an equal match, but victory’s sweet fruit would remain untasted.
Then…?
Her gaze fell on the book in the corner of the library—one so plain it almost embarrassed to call it a book.
[Aurora Stella]
The title on the cover was *Aurora Stella*.
The lotus in the mud had gazed at the sky, and the sky had been so radiant and beautiful that it made one tremble with awe.
In the trash heap that was Stygna, a girl had looked to the heavens with hope in her heart.
This blade was the sword that carried the heart of that girl.
…
The girl remained silent.
If she wielded this blade, would she win? It was a small miracle born of her unmatched talent and countless experiences. If she held it…
At last.
Nia opened the book.
The girl saw the miracle.
The sword gripped the blade.
Among the Eight Talents, the one called the First Sword.
The moment the Calamity of the Single Sword, Nia, finally revealed her ultimate blade.
***
“‘Aurora Stella.’ I will use the sword of ‘Star-Interval Severance—Remaining Night.’”
Her closed eyes faced Luke.
“This is a sword art I created alone. I will explain and demonstrate. Please accept it.”
“…Very well.”
Luke remained silent, but chills raced down his spine. The sword art just spoken by Nia was one he knew far too well.
Aurora Stella.
The sword of Star-Interval Severance.
The ultimate, most vicious blade Nia had forged by pouring out every drop of her talent after being hailed as the undefeated first sword of sword debates.
The blade had finally appeared.
‘The blade that would sever the First Sword of the Empire, Shion Belhardt, and claim victory.’
The strongest blade in the empire that had defeated the First Sword and Captain of the Golden Lion Knights in debate.
The blade that, through the power granted by evil gods, would split the entire Repelheim Empire into single-sword clashes.
A blade even players in games feared as one to be avoided at all costs.
That was Aurora Stella, the sword of Star-Interval Severance.
Luke bit his lip.
‘If it is the Aurora Stella I know, it will not be easy.’
Even if he had awakened the talent to reach the heavens, he could not easily defeat the Calamity of the Single Sword who competed for the title of first sword on the continent.
Her blade was one that reached from the lowest gutter to the highest galaxy.
‘However, the blade before me now is not the one I know.’
Then victory was possible.
Aurora Stella.
Its danger was enough to split an empire if fully bloomed, yet the current form was not the complete technique Nia had described. It was only a prototype.
That was the true state of Aurora Stella.
Then… victory was possible.
*Tsk. I should obtain one grand sword art of my own. Even turning over every permitted sword manual from the Cerberki family isn’t enough.*
Luke smiled faintly at the same time he answered Nia.
“‘Cerberki Family Sword Art’…”
The blade of the Crimson Dragon Sword began to threaten Nia more seriously.
Together with that, the countless sword arts Luke had learned, and even the blades of the Nine Dragons, began to surround her like a monster sprouting blades from every pore.
Yet.
The sword of the girl who had looked from the lowest position to the highest had the power to cleave them all.
“‘Aurora Stella.’ I will use ‘Star-Interval Severance—Morning Glow.’”
I can still cut it.
Slash!
I can still cut it again.
Then this blade coming toward my neck—can I still cut it?
Slash!
“‘Aurora Stella.’ ‘Star-Interval Severance’…”
…
Countless blades of Aurora Stella poured from Nia’s mouth without end.
They had severed every sword Luke launched.
This was the wish of the child who had gazed from the lowest position to the highest.
The wish of a swordsman who had unfolded his blade infinitely to reach the galaxy shining brightly in the heavens.
This was Aurora Stella, the sword of Star-Interval Severance.
The moment Nia’s concentration reached its zenith and she shattered every blade Luke had thrown…
“‘Cerberki Family Sword Art, Crimson Dragon Sword.’ Fifth form. I will not use ‘Crimson Blood Sharp Pierce.’”
The red dragon blade in Luke’s hand pressed exactly against Nia’s throat.
“…!”
Nia’s face froze in shock.
“…Huh.”
A smile curved Luke’s lips.
“…Too close.”
*Swallowed.*
Luke thought that.
He had created countless Crimson Dragon Sword forms to force even that single gap.
While Luke wiped sweat and relaxed, Nia unconsciously opened her mouth and murmured.
How?
How…?
Luke smiled at the corner of his mouth and answered.
“…Ten seconds have passed? Making you miss it was a little difficult. By chaining the sword techniques in sequence while simultaneously thinking of the next move in Aurora Stella, I kept you on the defensive like paper slowly getting wet. I worked quite hard.”
Luke smiled gently and looked at Nia.
“Moreover, that sword technique… isn’t it still incomplete? I could see the flaws. Because it was incomplete, it had some defects, and I skillfully exploited them to pin you down. It was truly dangerous. If that sword technique had been completed, I would not have been able to win.”
Ah.
So that was it.
They had bet their victory on an incomplete sword technique, yet the goddess of victory had not smiled upon him.
“…I lost.”
At Nia’s words, the observer Mikhail nodded.
“Hmm. As expected of Master.”
Meanwhile, the others excluding Mikhail stared at the situation with bewildered expressions.
Lost?
Nia?
The spectators’ shock peaked.
Nia continued, “This is my first defeat.”
Nia’s eyes faced Luke.
“I will follow the terms of the wager. You may strike me if you wish.”
“Nia!”
From the crowd of spectators, children burst forth.
The children of the Riana Family, Nia’s companions, stood before Nia and blocked the space between the two.
“Master! Please don’t kill Nia! Please!”
Riana and the other children wept, pleading to protect Nia.
Luke shrugged his shoulders.
“…There seems to be some misunderstanding.”
Luke parted the children and took Nia’s hand.
“Die? Who would die.”
Nia stared at Luke in a daze when he held her hand.
“…Eh?”
“Haha. The moment the debate ends, you become completely dazed?”
Luke laughed and took Nia’s other hand.
Nia, now holding both of Luke’s hands, looked at him with confusion.
“Nia. Your life is mine. Where would you die?”
Luke smiled brightly. “Let’s go together. I have no intention of becoming the first sword of the era—let alone the undefeated first sword of sword debates.”
Nia’s cheeks flushed red without her realizing it.