Ikki Kurogane vs Ayase Ayatsuji

Ikki Kurogane vs Ayase Ayatsuji is a battle fought between two Hagun Academy students, Ikki Kurogane and Ayase Ayatsuji, in the tenth selection match. It's one of the Hagun Selection Battles.

Prologue
Ayase had suffered for many years, because of one man named Kuraudo Kurashiki. He had taken the dojo, from the once powerful and great swordsman Kaito Ayatsuji, Ayase's father and mentor, after he had brutalized her fellow pupils. Ayase, in a desperate attempt to take back the dojo, continuously challenged Kuraudo to a duel, and initially Kuruado accepted it only to play with her emotionally, this however became boring to him, and he had stopped taking her challenges, causing her to have no choice but to get into the seven swords festival, where Ayase knows he will have no choice but to fight her again.

Ayase for a time then stalks Ikki Kurogane, after being caught by him, she then asks if he could train her in the way of the sword. Ikki agrees, and throughout the training Ayase and Ikki became very good friends, being very close. This however changes as Ayase, finds out that her next opponent is Ikki causing her to be very distant toward Ikki and her other friends.

After a couple of days, Ayase asks Ikki to come to the roof, alone, during the middle of the night. Ayase soon reveals her true reasons for asking Ikki to come up to the rooftops when she tricks Ikki into using his Ittou Shura, after purposefully jumping from the roof. Ikki tries to talk to her, but she refuses to listen and leaves Ikki emotionally torn up, of his new friend, and what she had just did.

Ayase, before the start of the match, begins to doubt herself, as well as the actions she had done, but she still persisted on the path she had taken, what she did to try to win. The two opponents, Ayase and Ikki, then meet face to face in the sixth ring. Ayase notices Ikki had a very grim expression on his face, as well as his fatigue, from using Ittou Shura before the start of the match, costing him his composure, she also thought about her other ace as she had set up some traps before the start of the match. The two face each other and the buzzer sounds, officially beginning their match.

Battle
Ikki is the first to strike and tries to slash Ayase, only to spring one of Ayase's traps, which caused many tears in his bodies. It is revealed that Ayase had come in before meeting Ikki, to the sixth arena, and had made traps, by cutting the atmosphere with her device, Hizume, allowing her to cut her opponent without actually having to get close to do it, the attack being called mark of the wind. Ayase had described these traps as an unforeseeable attack.

Ayase checks to see if Yuuri Oreki had noticed anything, but to her shock and glee, she had not. Confident that she will get away with it, she continues to use the tactic. This tactic however could not leave a decisive wound on Ikki, and Ayase knew she had to get close to Ikki, to try and hit him with Hizume. Ayase then uses mark of the wind, and slashes Ikki's back, causing him to fall to his knees. Ayase seizes the opportunity and tries to cut Ikki with her Hizume, as Ayase knew if she dragged out the battle Ikki, would somehow make a comeback as he did with the hunter.

Ayase then charges at Ikki, and continuously attacks Ikki, while he is in the defensive position, bringing down a rain of slashes, by Hizume. Ikki is, however, able to stand up, launching a powerful counter attack, trying to gain some distance from him and Ayase, which allows Ayase to use her best skill, parrying her opponents attack. Ayase tries to parry Ikki's attack, which was timed perfectly, but her blade was met with, instead of Ikki, Intetsu's hilt.

Ayase now fearful, backs away from Ikki trying to gain some distance. Ikki then tells Ayase that he is glad that Ayase is the person he knew she was. It is also revealed that Ikki knew of Ayase's traps, and made sure that Yuuri, did not call Ayase out on it, wanting to reach Ayase, and not defeat her. Ikki knowing that Ayase would not hear her "heart" then decides to take the offensive.

Ayase seeing Ikki move, tries to stop his movements by using all the traps she could. This however proved useless as Ikki was moving as fast as a bullet. It is revealed that Ikki is using his mana, what little he had of it, to increase his speed. He is then able to dodge all of Ayase's traps, and gets close enough to attack Ayase, but uses his illusionary form, as to not hurt her.

Ayase falls to her knees. Ayase had become angered at Ikki's decision to spare her of a slash from intetsu. She then tries to get up but learns that she is unable to stand up, because of the way she had acted, even though she had plenty of stamina left in her. Ayase then learns that what she had been doing was wrong and gives up, allowing Ikki to take the victory, winning his tenth match of the preliminary round.

Aftermath
Ayase learns that she was wrong in what she had tried to do to Ikki, and apologizes for her actions. Ikki tells her it is okay and asks what was it that pushed her to go so far and do such terrible things. Ayase then tells her of her tragic story, of how Kaito lost the dojo, and how she had been continually beaten by Kuraudo. Ikki then promises Ayase that he will fight in her stead, to take back the dojo.