Light Novel Volume 10

Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry Volume 10 is the tenth installment of the Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry light novel series, written by Riku Misora and illustrated by Won, to be released on April 14, 2016. It officially starts the Vermillion Empire Arc.

Publisher's Summary
Ikki was tense as his formal welcome into Stella's family came closer. As he feels the anxiety over being fully accepted by as Stella's partner, Ikki made a touchdown on Vermillion Airport. There, he was received by a crowd of people from the country. The warm welcoming mood softened even Ikki's nervousness, but...

"Ikki Kurogane! The Vermillion Kingdom challenges you to a duel!"

Isn't this too much for a delusion!? All of a sudden, a battle between the Worst One and the Vermillion Kingdom breaks out. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, an evil shadow who was shown only in glimpses begins its maneuvering!

Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry unfolds its newest chapter, the "Vermillion Empire Arc"!

Chapters
Prologue: Spider of the Abyss

Inside a ruin located in a jungle in Southeast Asia, there are countless monitors showing images of Stella and there is a small person on the sofa being surrounded by the monitors. He has 1,762 mechanical dolls that he can control from anywhere and Reisen Hiraga was one of them. He’s thinking about how lovely Stella is and wants to have her. He wants her to be his doll and wants to break everything she has.

Chapter 1: The Festival is Over

There is a celebration party at Moroboshi family's restaurant. The ones who are there include Ikki, Stella, Shizuku, Alice, Ayase, Kagami, Touka and the student council, Moroboshi, Jougasaki, Asagi, Kiriko, Sara, Rinna and Charlotte. Stella orders a lot of food because she says she needs energy after using ‘Dragon Spirit’. They're also looking at photos Kagami took during the tournament. Kagami is about to show her best photo which is a picture of Stella with her panties visible, but Stella turns it into ash and tells her to delete the data. Kagami gets scared and tells Stella it's just a joke.

Moroboshi and Touka then talk to each other. They talk about ‘Inazuma’, the move that Touka developed and used during her sparring match with Ikki. Moroboshi asks if it's a countermeasure against his ‘Houkiboshi’. Touka says it's not a Noble Art just for fighting ‘Houkiboshi’ but she started developing it when trying to fend off ‘Houkiboshi’ which she saw the first time during their match last year. But she never got the chance to use it during that time. Moroboshi says he would've been in trouble if she had used it, and according to him Touka was the toughest opponent he faced in the previous year’s tournament.

“Well, I would win though”, Moroboshi says with huge smile. In response, Touka replies back with a smile,

“Such a thing wouldn’t happen. With ‘Houkiboushi’ suppressed, I should obtain victory this year for sure.”

“That wouldn’t happen.”

“I believe that it would.”

“No, no, such strong jokes you’re making.”

“Oh no, no. These are purely facts after all~”

""ttt-!""

They keep smiling and push their heads against each other as shown in one of the pics. They then stop and laugh about it. Touka and Moroboshi then talk about what they will do after graduating since they are already third years now. Touka thought Moroboshi would succeed his family business and would just be no more than a reserve officer who would be called in emergency times only. But Moroboshi plans on continuing in being a knight because it would be a waste to quit now. Touka plans on going to Nangou’s place during the summer break to train again because she realized that she still has a long way to go after watching Ikki and Stella’s match. Then after graduating she wants to go to the national league and then eventually aiming for the A-League. Moroboshi however is not interested in going to the national league because in any League of Mage-Knight Nations’ member state's national league there are too many people that emphasize on magic power. His Noble Art doesn't have destructive power and so he has to rely on his martial arts skills which he thinks are not good enough. Thus, he is thinking of challenging the 'God of War' League that emphasizes on martial arts and is held at a temple in China, which is not a member state of the League of Mage-Knight Nations. It is as famous, but more difficult and deadlier than the A-League. Anyone of any nationality can participate but there is no reward, medical facility and rules that can guarantee safety. Anyone that challenges it must be combat ready at any time since they would be attacked by a number of people at any time there even during sleep. Thus, the number of deaths occurred there is much higher than in the A-League. Nangou is the only person from Japan that has ever conquered the tournament. Moroboshi thinks he may obtain something from such a life or death situation like how Ikki obtained Edelweiss’ technique. Anyone that does well won’t win any prize or award but they will be known worldwide and get recommendation to be in the A-League which Moroboshi is also interested in going to. Moroboshi and Touka then promise to have a rematch there.

Kanata and Rinna, both from the wealthiest families in Japan, are talking to each other. Kanata is surprised that even though her family is aware that the Kazamatsuri family has strong connections in the underworld society, she never thought the child of the Kazamatsuri head is involved in Rebellion's activities, but Rinna says that's not correct. Charlotte explains that Rinna joined Akatsuki because Rinna's father and Prime Minister Tsukikage are old friends and that she's well acquainted with Tsukikage since her childhood. Kanata asks Rinna to stay away from such activities because she doesn't want to end up fighting an acquaintance in the battlefield. But Rinna refuses due to reasons related to her Chuunibyou. Kanata then calls the editorial department of a manga magazine (Weekly Shōnen Jack) which is owned by a company (Shōeisha) affiliated with Kanata's family group. She asks to have the manga series that Rinna loves to be censored since it led a child such as Rinna to crime.

“All right! Rinna will reform! I’m reforming! I already have! I won’t do any work for Rebellion anymore! So just that, please DON’T DO IT!!!!”

Shizuku came to the party not just to celebrate Ikki's victory but to ask Kiriko to take her as an apprentice. Shizuku says Kiriko was able to save Ikki when he almost died after his match with Amane, but Shizuku couldn't at all despite being a water-user too. She doesn't want that to happen again. While Shizuku and Alice are talking, Kiriko is feeling up Sara while drunk. Kiriko says Sara doesn't have enough muscle mass which is not good. Sara says it's because her body has always been weak and she paints a lot. Sara begs someone to help her and Kiriko licks her. Shizuku says she's not going to get close to people like that though. Shizuku also says that she plans on going to Hiroshima during summer break and that Alice can come with her. However, Alice says he plans on going to his hometown and visit his friend's grave.

Ikki and Stella talk about how the tournament is finally over and that it’s a little sad. The celebration party was supposed to be held right after the award ceremony but it was postponed. Last night, Ikki and Stella were called to the dome’s fighting arena by Tsukikage because he had something to discuss with them along with Kurono and Nene in secret. When Ikki and Stella arrived no one was there but suddenly, they were attacked. The person who attacked them was wearing a black armor and carrying a halberd. They could tell that this person was no ordinary knight since he possessed physical strength on the same level as Ouma. Stella manifested her device and attacked with ‘Katharterio Salamandra’. Even though it was a direct hit, the armored knight wasn’t injured. Ikki then attacked the armored knight with ‘Dokuga no Tachi’ but the armored knight didn’t feel any damage. Ikki and Stella knew he wasn’t someone that one of them could beat alone. The armored knight then rotated his halberd above his head and created a whirlwind. It looked like the whirlwind cut off Ikki’s body, but it actually cut an afterimage that Ikki created with ‘Shinkirou’. They then attacked together with Ikki’s ‘Saigeki’ and Stella’s powerful sword swing at the same point in the armored knight’s body. This combined technique was called ‘Tsunoou (horn king)’ by Ikki and ‘Harmonic Bullet (bullet of love)’ by Stella. It sent the armored knight flying towards a wall but he managed to land his feet on the wall and he didn’t even flinch. As they were about to use ‘Itto Shura’ and ‘Dragon Spirit’, they were stopped by Kurono’s voice.

Kurono showed up along with Nene and Tsukikage, and she asked the armored knight to lower his weapon. The armored knight complied, followed by Ikki and Stella doing the same. Nene said it was sort of a little entertainment and figured that Ikki and Stella knew about the armored knight. The armored knight’s name is Ascarid, the ‘Black Knight’, an ‘A-class knight’ from France. Ascarid’s device, ‘Orichalcos (invincible armor)’, can manipulate the concept of ‘indomitable’ which the body of the person who wears the armor-shaped device could continuously recover infinitely. When he entered the KOK A-League the previous year, he rose through the ranks fast until he currently ranked 4th in the world. Ascarid wanted to see Ikki and Stella’s strength. Kurono, Nene and Tsukikage allowed it since they also wanted Ikki and Stella to experience the strength of a top-class knight from the League of Mage-Knight Nations. After Ascarid left Tsukikage then told Ikki and Stella the second reason why they were called there, which was about what had happened to Ikki’s body. Ikki guessed it was about how he was able to use ‘Itto Rasetsu’ even though he had just already used ‘Itto Shura’ during his match against Stella.

Tsukikage then started to explain that the amount of magic that a Blazer was born with was determined by fate but there are exceptions, and these people are called ‘Desperados (majin/demonic being)’. That time when Ikki was almost defeated by Stella, his magic increased after overcoming the limits of his existence allowed by fate and he had become an existence different from normal Blazers. People who had experienced this awakening and exist outside of fate can increase the upper limit of their magical power depending on the training. The first business Tsukikage had with Ikki was to tell him that he had become such existence. Tsukikage also said that the League’s headquarters also knew and leaders of the League’s member countries were informed of this, but Stella said she never heard about this from her father. Tsukikage said the League kept the existence of Desperados a secret because it is dangerous information. The most important condition of becoming a Desperado is reaching your absolute limit and then having a strong will to go further, but no one in this world can be that strict on purpose. In addition, if the method becomes public knowledge it will lead to Blazers being forced to do deadly training which would be a tragedy especially since the condition to overcome fate has to be by their own willpower. This information is revealed to only some people from countries that have Desperados. In Japan, the only Desperados other than Ikki are Nene and Nangou. Nene said she’s not ranked 3rd in the world just for show and unlike someone who got scared of awakening and retired, while looking at Kurono. Also, Ikki drew out magic from the bottom of himself will be presented as the reason why he was able to use ‘Itto Rasetsu’ at that time, not because his magic increased. Tsukikage also said that if necessary he might be able to use his connections to introduce Ikki to someone who can teach him how to extend his magic power. Ikki wanted to say thank you but he still couldn’t trust Tsukikage because of his connection to Rebellion.

Ikki and the rest asked why Tsukikage would collude with terrorists. Tsukikage agreed to explain everything and he started by manifesting his crystal ball-shaped device, ‘Getten Houjuu (moon jewel)’. The device projected an image on the floor, which shocked Ikki and the rest. It was a video showing hell where a city is engulfed in fire and people were burned alive, and they realized it was Tokyo. Tsukikage explained that his device can look into the past but it can also show him the ‘future’ based on the current cause and effect line as precognitive dream. What was shown was the future of Tokyo from Tsukikage’s memory. His device couldn’t explain how this could happen but he could guess from the current world affairs. There are 3 major powers that are maintaining the world at peace. First is the League of Mage-Knight Nations that Japan belongs to. Second is the 'Union', which consists of powerful countries such as US, China, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Third is Rebellion, which is ironic since despite being a huge crime society its existence created a three-way deadlock that prevents a huge collision between the League and the Union. In each of these 3 major powers, a very powerful Desperado exists. The League has Arthur Bright, ‘Sir Whitebeard’, who is the current KOK 1st world ranking and serves as the head of the League’s headquarters. The Union has Abraham Carter, ‘Superman’, a man in his 20’s who is the leader of the elite US supernatural powers unit called ‘Scion’. Rebellion has the Tyrant, who is its leader and has reigned the underground world since World War 2. However, the Tyrant is already at a very old age and when he dies there will be World War 3 between the Union and the League, which the League will lose. Tsukikage thought the only way to save Japan from destruction was to leave the League and join the Union. His plan failed with Akatsuki’s loss which would cause most of the public opinion to be against leaving the League. However, Tsukikage believed that Ikki and others can prevent this future and lead the country since they exist outside the control of fate. He told them that he’s entrusting the country to them, while shedding tears.

Back in the present, Stella thinks she can’t hate Tsukikage for his actions. She wants to protect Japan since it’s like a second home to her where she made a lot of precious friends. She wants to become stronger, going beyond her limit like Ikki did. Ikki tells her that there’s no need to put too much fighting spirit. Tsukikage said that Desperados are special existence but Ikki doesn’t consider himself that way. Ikki believes as long as Stella keep aiming to reach the top like she always been she surely will overcome her limit, and the same goes for everyone who had fought in the tournament. Then, Moroboshi proposes that everyone there goes to a bath house. Rinna asks what that place is and Charlotte explains to her that it is a public bath that commoners use.

Charlotte says, “Everyone gets naked there, in other words milady also gets naked, I will also get naked, just like when we were born the two of us will be na, na, nakeddddddd”, and gets a nosebleed.

Stella wants to go there since she’s never been to one. Shizuku says she’s giving a notification of disappointment that it’s not a mixed bathing, which Stella replies that she knows that already. They then go to the bath house and enjoy the rest of the day there as shown in one of the colored pics.

Chapter 2: ‘Lorelei’ and the ‘White Robed Knight’

Shizuku arrives in Hiroshima where she’s visiting the Yakushi General Hospital to meet Kiriko. She’s been directed to a special ward which looks like a place for VIPs only. Kiriko is there treating some patients and asks Shizuku to wait a little bit longer. The patients there include elderly people and children, and they are dying. Kiriko is helping them by using her powers to make them able to do many things so that the last moments of their lives will be as enjoyable as possible. After she has finished, Kiriko then apologizes to Shizuku for waiting and she says that she has a business with her as well. They go to the basement where Kiriko’s private laboratory is located. Shizuku then tells Kiriko her request, which is to learn Kiriko’s healing techniques. Shizuku is willing to do whatever she can to make Kiriko teach her. After confirming her determination, Kiriko decides to teach her healing techniques to Shizuku for free. This surprises Shizuku because normally mage-knights don’t want to teach their own techniques to other people, but Kiriko says it’s because she’s not a knight. Shizuku thanks her, but Kiriko has one condition. The condition is for Shizuku to receive a treatment, which is also the business that Kiriko needs with her. Kiriko then touches Shizuku and all of a sudden Shizuku feels so much pain like there’s lightning in her body. Kiriko tells Shizuku it’s because her body has become distorted. After using ‘Aoiro Rinne’ once before, Shizuku didn’t reconstruct her body properly because she didn’t have enough knowledge of the human body. So, Kiriko will teach Shizuku healing techniques if she agrees to receive treatment. Shizuku agrees and then takes off her clothes until she’s in her underwear as Kiriko instructed her. Shizuku then lies down on a bed with her arms restrained and mouth gagged as shown in one of the pics. Kiriko begins to treat her and warns her that the pain Shizuku just experienced before was nothing compared to the pain she’s about to experience. Shizuku says she will endure because what she can’t endure is unable to do anything for someone precious to her.

Chapter 3: Vermillion Empire

Ikki and Stella are on their way to Vermillion in a private plane for VIPs. The plane has bar, lounge, theater room, bedroom with a king-size double bed, bathroom and such. Ikki is unable to enjoy this kind of air travel because it’s not something he’s familiar with and also because he’s worrying about how he’s going to greet Stella’s parents. Ikki keeps thinking about it while on the sofa and Stella is upset that Ikki hasn’t been paying attention to what she’s been saying. Ikki asks if there’s something that her father likes, which she answers probably Stella herself. She tells him not think hard about it since her mother and sister are not against their relationship and her father is against it because he can’t let go of his child a little. She thinks her father will understand if they talk since her most beloved and strongest is no one else but Ikki. He then lies down on the sofa with his head on Stella’s lap while Stella strokes his head gently and plays with his bangs using her finger. This very happy moment makes Ikki think if the meeting with Stella’s parents will go well. The next morning, the view of Vermillion is being seen by Ikki and Stella from the plane.

The Vermillion Empire is a country in the corner of Europe existing along the coast facing the North Sea. Originally it was part of its neighboring country Cradleland until it gained independence hundreds of years ago. Main industries include animal husbandry, tourism, export of cut flowers and natural gas. Its biggest feature is the loyalty of its people towards the imperial family. During World War 2, the people hid the imperial family from the Nazis until their full withdrawal. This loyalty was founded back when the first Emperor of Vermillion led a war against Cradleland Kingdom. A duke in Cradleland named Vermillion led a rebellion against the kingdom because he couldn’t stand the tyranny against the weak people. As a result the duke and some people gained independence with the duke as the first emperor of their new country Vermillion. Even until now the first Emperor of Vermillion’s dedication to help his people is still not forgotten and the love between the imperial family and the people makes the whole country as one huge family.

When Ikki and Stella arrive, hundreds of thousands of people are at the airport, cheering for Stella’s return. The crowd notices Ikki, recognizing him from TV as someone who won against Stella, calling him Stella’s fiancée and saying that he looks cool and nice. The whole crowd also welcomes Ikki by cheering him which makes him embarrassed. There is a car waiting for them and the petite woman from the volume cover who is similar to Nene’s size comes out of it. She introduces herself as Stella’s mother, Astrea, and Ikki greets her back. Astrea says Ikki seems to be a polite boy, different from the person she saw on TV. She then thanks Ikki because it was the first time she saw Stella enjoying a battle so much since there is no one in Vermillion or Cradleland who is at Stella’s level. She was worried about letting Stella go to Japan but in the end she was glad because Stella found such wonderful boyfriend. Stella asks if her father watched the match, but Astrea says Stella’s father didn’t watch the match until the end. Stella’s father fainted when he saw Stella got cut deeply in the abdomen by Ikki during the middle of the match and remained unconscious for 3 days. After he woke up he started mobilizing troops in order to declare war against Japan, though Astrea and another person named Dandalion managed to calm him down. Astrea then says that Stella’s father wants a family meeting first and Ikki to wait before meeting him. Ikki is fine with it and then a middle-aged woman from the crowd named Yana suggests that Ikki should tour the country while being escorted. Stella then leaves in a car with Astrea heading to the castle after telling the crowd there to take care of Ikki. After Stella and Astrea leave, Ikki thanks Yana for accompanying him but she says it’s not necessary because she doesn’t want to hear it. The crowd then has farming tools in their hands and Yana says they will escort Ikki to the depths of the sea immediately. Ikki then dodges a metal bat that’s attacking him and asks them what this is about. The crowd is saying things about Ikki being some man-slut, being an infamous rascal in Japan, making Stella who was inexperienced in love doing some slave role-play, defiling their precious princess, and that he shouldn’t think that he’s going to leave Vermillion alive. Ikki realizes the misunderstandings from when his relationship with Stella was revealed to the public still haven’t been resolved here.

Ikki then moves passing through the crowd so fast that it looks like he has vanished. Ikki then steals a car and gets away from the airport, but on the road there are tanks with their cannons aimed at his car. Astrea and Stella who are far away think that the sound of tanks firing at Ikki’s car is the sound of fireworks welcoming him. Ikki escapes from the car and then jump to the top of a building alongside the road, where he encounters military female officers led by Signard, who is young and is Vermillion’s army general. Ikki tells them that the rumors they’ve heard about him were false. But Signard then asks if all these are lies too when Ikki walked in on Stella changing clothes and then he took off his own clothes, and during Ikki and Stella’s fight back when they first met they made a condition that the loser would have to submit to the winner for life. Ikki can't answer because those did happen. Signard then says that she had already understood that those aren’t something to believe easily and she knows that Stella is interested in Ikki. But Stella is loved by everyone in the country especially after knowing how much effort she put in and how much injuries she received in order to control her powers for her country. They want to protect her, so they can’t accept her engagement to Ikki. Signard then says to Ikki that the people of Vermillion challenge him to a duel. Ikki accepts but he proposes a condition that instead of fighting all of them, he wins if he shakes them off and reaches Stella’s place. They accept and in the end Ikki manages to get away from them by jumping between roofs while avoiding bullets fired at him. However, Signard thinks that Ikki won’t be able to shake off ‘those girls’.

Later on a roof, Ikki is attacked by a trident-shaped spear appearing from below the roof. While his movement is stopped by the spear, a sniper fires a bullet at him but Ikki kicks the spear to move and cut the bullet into two. The pieces of the bullet keep moving but Ikki manages to dodge them and they stop moving when they sink into the roof. The sniper that uses a musket lands on a roof, and the spear user comes out of the roof as if it’s water surface. The spear user is a tanned girl named Tilmitt Gracie and the musket user is a girl named Miriallia Régie, both students from Vermillion National Magic Institute. They say that they’re fine with whoever Stella marries, but they are after Ikki because there is a DEAD OR ALIVE bounty on him worth equivalent to 100 million yen. Tilmitt with her device, ‘Tríaina’, changes the material of the roof so that she can dive in it like it’s a sea using an ability called ‘Stone Dive’. At the same time, Miriallia fires ‘Calamity Bullet—triple rapid-fire’ which the 3 bullets fired can curve and keep chasing Ikki even after he dodges them. This is the absolute hit concept ability of her device ‘Kaspar’. No matter how many times they get repelled or cut, the bullets will keep chasing the enemy until they hit him. While dodging, Ikki aims to make the bullets hit a chimney so that they will stop. However, Tilmitt’s spear comes out of the chimney and keeps attacking Ikki all over the place, preventing him from using a wall to stop the bullets. Ikki remarks they make a good combination and Tilmitt replies it’s obvious because she and Miriallia are two of the only three C-rank knights in Vermillion.

Miriallia relinquish control of the bullets when they lose speed and then fire new bullets to replace them. Ikki then decides to move to another building by jumping and Miriallia fires new bullets at him while he’s defenseless in the air. But as they approach Ikki, there are flashes of light and the bullets lose their thrusting power and fall to the ground. Ikki had cancelled out Miriallia’s Noble Art which confuses her but Tilmitt who has some knowledge of martial arts understands. Miriallia’s ability only guarantees trajectory and doesn’t give reacceleration to thebullets, and so Ikki caused an offset to the kinetic energy in the bullets by hitting them with the exact same energy. Tilmitt then uses ‘Dolphin Crush’, which she strongly kicks the bottom of the sea and rises quickly towards the surface. She then jumps out of the wall of the building and soaring towards Ikki who is on another building. Her ability to dive can also affect the opponent’s device and so even if Ikki defends, her spear will just slip through his device like it’s water and hit him. However, Ikki uses ‘Ten’i Muhou’ to deflect the incoming thrust and knocks her out with his device in illusion form. Tilmitt who has lost consciousness is rolling down the slope of the roof and after Miriallia catches her, Ikki is no longer seen.

When Stella arrives at the castle her father, Sirius, comes in flying trying to kiss her and Stella hits him. Astrea who sees this gives off a scary feeling.

“Papaa~? While I’m here you’re trying to forcibly kiss our daughter, what’s the meaning of this?”

“Ma, Mama….?”

“Cheating? You’re cheating now, huh? Could it be that Papa is being seduced away (NTR) from me by my daughter? You realized how precious you two are to each other while apart, huh?”

“Hii..! N, no way, of course not. I’ve been devoted to Mama for 12,000 years!”

“Hm? I wonder reallyy? That’s great~. Mama loves Papa even after 100 million and 2000 years too~. But next time if you do something weird to Stella-chan, I will punish you, okayy~”

Stella says they should get the family meeting started immediately even without her sister present so that Ikki doesn’t have to wait long but Sirius says no need to worry. Sirius almost let it slip that Ikki probably won’t make it here.

After getting out of the castle town on the outer perimeter of the capital, Ikki arrives at a bridge leading to high-class residential area where he encounters about 50 people. They introduce themselves as the Vermillion Imperial guards and say,

“L, O, V, E! Stella!! L, O, V, E! Stella!! Lovely! Lovely! Stellaa!!!! Hyuuuuu~!!!!”.

Their captain says they are there to punish Ikki for his sin of deceiving Stella, but first they want to confirm his crimes.

“The information about you and Stella-chan living in the s,sssame room, is it true!?”.

“Uh, …uhm. Yes. That’s true. We were told to do so by the school chairman”.

Half the guards blocking the bridge suddenly are bleeding from their mouth and fall down. Some of them fainted even though they had played NTR eroge to some extent in order to be prepared. Their captain says to calm down because they’ve heard about Ikki’s poor relationship with his family and the false scandal they created. The captain then shows Ikki a magazine picture that revealed Ikki and Stella’s relationship to the public before.

“T, This picture, is it a fakeee…!?“.

“No, ….that’s real. Stella and I are lovers, so a kiss is..”, Ikki replies while turning his eyes away embarrassed.

“UGYAAAA……..!!!!”

Hearing that makes them screaming like strangled livestocks and almost all of them become unconscious. One of them is crawling from the pile of corpses and then asks Ikki.

“At least tell us this! If you and Stella-chan are really lovers, ….it can’t be, you and Stella-chan already have s, ssse, se—“.

The captain stops him by hitting him since it was too rash and that they could get destroyed if Ikki had said yes. The captain also says it’s also possible Ikki was lying and they all get back on their feet after words of encouragement from their captain. Ikki manifests his device in illusion form to fight against the 50 Blazers but is having a hard time striking them down because of their strong will. Then, a piece of paper comes out from their ripped clothes and falls towards Ikki’s foot. It is a photo of Stella in a swimsuit and Ikki realizes every one of them must have the same thing. Ikki makes a smile that makes them tremble and they think that their princess had brought along with her a ‘demon’ from Japan.

While Stella is talking about how great Ikki is, Sirius is thinking why no one has taken down Ikki yet even though he is an F-rank. Stella says that Ikki should be called here now but Sirius tells her to wait. Even though Ikki is a fine man, marriage is a different matter because Stella is Vermillion’s Second Princess and so it’s a political issue. Sirius says Stella’s sister, Luna, needs to be here to discuss this serious matter, and wonders what’s going on outside. After sending all of the imperial guards to the hospital and disposing their photos, Ikki arrives near the castle. The wall surrounding the castle is heavily guarded so Ikki decides to go to a roof of a building so that he can leap over the wall surrounding the castle, but an old man has been waiting there. The old man is Daniel Dandalion, head of the League of Mage-Knight Nations’ Vermillion branch and Vermillion’s sword mentor. He manifests his device ‘Lionheart’, which is a long rapier, and Ikki can tell that he’s strong. Ikki tries to move to a better location but he’s stopped by an invisible wall. Dandalion’s Noble Art, ‘Blood Circle’ is barrier-type ability that can create a duel field for one-on-one situation without outside interference, which is useful if there’s a person that he wants to fight. The only way to escape is to defeat Dandalion and Ikki agrees by manifesting his device.

Dandalion has reach advantage with his longer sword and Ikki’s movements become limited when they’re fighting on a roof with Dandalion’s Noble Art preventing him from leaving. So, Ikki attacks in the same way as Dandalion which they exchange thrusts. Dandalion’s thrusts are fast but Ikki has faced faster attacks such as Kuraudo’s ‘Yamata no Orochi’, Moroboshi’s ‘Sanrensei’ and Edelweiss’ sword slashes. Ikki’s thrusts become faster which overwhelms Dandalion and he’s moving closer to him until Dandalion is at the edge of a roof. Dandalion will have to release the barrier and jump off the roof, and if he does then Ikki will be able to escape and move towards the castle. As Ikki is about to break through, he intercepts an incoming thrust from Dandalion. However, Ikki ends up being pierced in the shoulder which confuses him. Dandalion attacks him with a fast thrust and almost hit him again even though Ikki had repelled it away. The reason was because even though Dandalion’s sword was repelled, the blade part of the sword would twist like a snake as if alive and land a thrust. Dandalion then releases an attack called ‘Croix du Sud’. The attack is a series of five thrusts that will hit five vital points on Ikki’s body fast like lightning and form a wound pattern resembling the Southern Cross. However, Ikki stops the attack by blocking the first thrust with his sword’s handle and at the same time he uses his own body to push Dandalion back. Dandalion is amazed of Ikki’s swordplay and that Ikki was able to stop an attack that he saw for the first time. Ikki also thinks Dandalion’s swordplay is interesting because his sword looks like a rapier but the blade has a strange flexibility that enables it to bend like a fleuret. Dandalion says that the flexibility is his device, ‘Lionheart’s’ selling point and makes it impossible for Ikki to imitate his technique with ‘Blade Steal’.

Dandalion has studied Ikki and so he can tell Ikki’s next move. He says that the place they’re on doesn’t have enough space for ‘Shinkirou’ to be used and ‘Lionheart’s’ flexibility makes it difficult for ‘Dokuga no Tachi’ to be effective, so Ikki will be using ‘Saigeki’ next. It is what Ikki is thinking of doing because Dandalion’s blade’s flexibility makes it difficult for it to have any power and so overpowering him with ‘Saigeki’ should be most effective. Before, the amount of power needed for ‘Saigeki’ could only be achieved with ‘Itto Shura’ but now Ikki is able to generate enough power for it with Edelweiss’ swordplay. Ikki then uses ‘Saigeki’ but Dandalion manages to block it by receiving the tip of Ikki’s sword with the tip of his own sword, which was like how Edelweiss stopped ‘Saigeki’ once before. The accuracy of the angle and mana release’s timing made it possible for Dandalion to stop it. Dandalion says he is the one who taught Stella swordsmanship and Ikki’s ‘Saigeki’ is mere child’s play compared to Stella’s sword swings. Despite that, Ikki makes a smile and then declares he will break through Dandalion in the next attack. Ikki then launches another ‘Saigeki’ but this time he threw his sword at Dandalion using ‘Saigeki’s’ stance. Dandalion uses all of his strength to repel the attack and thinks Ikki is now defenseless. However, Ikki had unwound ‘Intetsu’s’ tsuka-ito (the thread on a Katana’s handle) and uses it to swing the repelled ‘Intetsu’ like a yoyo. He slashes Dandalion when he is momentarily defenseless after repelling the thrown ‘Intetsu’. Dandalion is down on his knees bleeding and admits defeat even though he intended to make Ikki use ‘Itto Shura’ at least. He then entrusts the future of the girl he loves like a daughter to Ikki and says sorry to Sirius for unable to be Ikki’s opponent anymore.

After defeating Dandalion, Ikki get past the walls and is entering the castle through an open window. However, in the room there is a woman in her underwear as shown by one of the colored pics. Ikki expects to get hit but instead she pulls him from the window frame into the room and then closes the window and curtain. She laughs and says that even though he was up against the entire army and people she didn’t expect him to reach the castle and moreover entering her room. Ikki notices she has the same hair color as Astrea’s and realizes that she is Stella’s sister, Lunaeyes. She then notices Ikki is injured and tells him to take his clothes off so that she can treat him. Ikki says she will let her after she gets dressed but Lunaeyes says later since she won’t die from having her skin being seen by him. As Ikki is resisting, Stella suddenly enters the room. “Luna-nee, sorry to disturb you when you’re in the middle of work but come to the dining hall––––…. w, w, w, WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOINGGG…..!?!?!?”, she says when she sees her sister and her lover entangled half-naked.

Later in the dining hall, everyone there had just found out everything that happened to Ikki since he arrived in the country. Astrea and Lunaeyes are disappointed with Sirius, while Stella is furious at him. Stella was happy before because she thought her father was seriously thinking about Ikki and Stella, and so she can’t believe they did horrible things to Ikki. With tears in her eyes as shown in one of the pics, Stella says she loves everyone in this country and she wants Ikki to love them too. She then collapses on the floor while crying like a kid. Ikki goes to calm her down by hugging her, which bothers Sirius but Lunaeyes tells him to remain seated. While wiping her tears, Ikki says he doesn’t hate everyone in this country. In fact, he became to like them since they would go that far for the girl he treasures and he wants to be a family with everyone in this warm and nice country.

“Big sister. Mother. —Father.”

“Who are you calling father—“

Astrea tells him to be quite while twisting Sirius’ earlobe, allowing Ikki to introduce himself to Stella's family. He says that even though he’s not someone of high status, his love for Stella doesn’t lose to everyone in this country. He asks that they test him until they’re satisfied, and to give Stella to him when everyone no longer has doubts about him. Sirius refuses to accept it at first.

“Do I have a father?”

“Well, I wonder, Mother?”

“Maybe there is no such person—“

After the women saying such things, Sirius immediately says he will consider it. Lunaeyes doesn’t oppose but she never said she approved either, and she would like to test Ikki by giving him a task. Lunaeyes proposes that Ikki proves his worth by participating in an upcoming war between Vermillion and Cradleland. When member countries of the League of Mage-Knight Nations go to war with each other, arrangements are made to ensure the war is carried out in fair conditions. Instead of large scale bloody battles with conventional weapons and troops, victory and defeat are determined by duels between representatives of the two countries with terms made for the winner and loser. This ensures that smaller countries have the opportunity of winning against larger countries and to have equal positions, and so that harmony between the member countries is maintained. It is thanks to this rule that the League was able to become a huge organization that divided the world into two in the past half a century. The war between Vermillion and Cradleland is carried out every 5 years to determine ownership of the gas field near the borders. In this year’s war, each country selects 5 people as their representatives to duel in 5 matches and victory will go to the country with the most matches won. Vermillion hasn’t won in 30 years and so if Ikki brings victory to them then no one, even Sirius, will object against his engagement to Stella. Sirius is against it at first but after Stella says “Say, Luna-nee. It’s been bothering me for a while, but who is that uncle?”, he immediately agrees to the condition. Ikki accepts the condition if that’s what it takes for him to be accepted as Stella’s husband. Lunaeyes then opens a window and asks people outside if they’ve heard it, which they respond with a huge cheer. The whole conversation was broadcasted to everyone in the country. She declares to the countless people outside the castle that as they’ve heard a promise has been made. If Ikki Kurogane brings victory in the upcoming war, Vermillion’s Emperor Sirius Vermillion will accept him as the husband of Vermillion’s Second Princess Stella Vermillion. She asks if anyone objects and the people outside has no objections and are cheering for Ikki. Lunaeyes says everyone expects Ikki to succeed and he says he will do his best.

Chapter 4: The Opening of a Tragedy

In a training facility in the capital of the neighboring country Cradleland, 4 people named Lid, Mira, Enalis and Luke are training for the upcoming war which they are the representatives. Their leader Johann, who is the First Prince of Cradleland Kingdom, comes in with news of who will represent Vermillion in the war. Other than Stella, they had expected Tilmitt, Miriallia and Sirius since they’re the only three C-rank Blazers in Vermillion. But they’re surprised that the fifth member is Ikki, an F-rank Blazer until they recognize him as Stella’s lover and the current ‘Seven Stars Sword King’. Normally it is against regulations of the League of Mage-Knight Nations for someone outside the involving countries to participate in the war, but Lunaeyes had been negotiating with the King of Cradleland, Johann’s father, so that Ikki is allowed to participate under special case. It will be used to determine if Ikki is worthy of being Stella’s husband. After understanding how strong Ikki is, one of them asks if Johann can use his power as prince to prevent Ikki from participating but Johann can’t because Lunaeyes had helped him a lot in the past, which one of them adds that Johan is weak against Lunaeyes as usual. Lunaeyes is one year older than Johann and they’ve known each other since childhood. When they went to Cambridge University together, she would prevent him from making big mistakes by giving him painful slaps. So they are focusing on winning all of the remaining matches. Tilmitt and Miriallia are strong when they are together but not on their own. Sirius who was called ‘Crimson Wild Lion’ long ago is now past his prime. Also, the war occurs every 5 years and even though the winning country will get ownership of the gas field it will also provide financial support for the losing country’s infrastructure improvement. So the war looks more like a joint exercise and that it doesn’t matter much who wins or loses because both countries get benefits. Luke wonders if Stella will have a kid next year and tells the newlywed Lid and Enalis not to lose. Lid and Enalis are embarrassed while Luke and Mira are laughing, and Johan looking at this moment makes him think they will win against Vermillion.

All of a sudden, a kid wearing a hoodie as shown in the last pic suddenly appears in the room. He says that the ‘war’ is a farce but it can’t be helped since they don’t understand the pleasure of slaughtering and taking things away, and so he will teach them. Johann, who is a B-rank knight and the strongest of his team, is the only one who realizes this kid is dangerous and that they can’t win against him. Johann screams at his teammates to run, but he manifests his device which is a golden knight spear called ‘Chariot (golden tank)’ and stabs Lid in the chest. He falls to the ground and is not moving, which causes his wife Enalis to scream in horror. Mira manifests his dual handguns device, asking Johann what he’s doing. Johan realizes he can’t move his body on his own will and tells the others to stay away and run. Luke realizes that the hooded kid is behind it and leaps at him with his knife-shaped device. However, his body suddenly stopped moving mid-air and is then stabbed multiple times from below by Johann who approached him. Johan begs Mira to run and she complies. Enalis is holding her husband’s dead body and screaming as she is being pulled up by Mira. As the two women are heading for the exit, Johan fires his Noble Art ‘Circus Maximus (trampling feet’s royal road)’ at them. It is the strongest and fastest attack in all of Cradleland, which Johann rides on a golden horse, which is his device’s true from, and then tramples and destroys everything in front of him. In the dark room caused by the lightings destroyed, Johann sees the corpses of the two women whose whole bodies have been crushed by the attack. The kid asks if Johann felt excited from slaughtering his precious companions with his own hands, and Johann becomes so much angry and swears he will kill him. Johan doesn’t care if his body breaks and charges at the kid with his Noble Art. However, his movement is stopped in the end and then both his device and Noble Art disappear due to his heart wavering. Johann then pulls up Enalis’ body and tears her clothes, exposing her breasts.

“Though she’s dead already, she’s still warm so I think it will feel good”.

Later, the ‘Puppet King’ Or-Gaule is seen trembling with pleasure as he listens to the sound of meat being struck repeatedly. For a while the sound of Johann begging for forgiveness could be heard but now even the sobbing stops. He is also looking forward to see the kind of face Stella will make when her people, family and most beloved person are broken and he’s sure it will be cute. Or-Gaule then unleashes thin threads and they extend throughout the country, hitting many people. Thus it slowly becomes his own country, Wonderland (Puppet Kingdom). No one including the people captured notices it or knows that they have become his puppets. The war that will be known as the ‘Vermillion War’ is about to begin.

At the League of Mage-Knight Nations HQ in UK there is a room that only branch leaders and the Top 10 world rankers can enter. Inside the room, there is a young man in front of a monitor explaining to a tall man about a situation where about a thousand people around the world had lost consciousness around the same time. A picture of a small person in a hoodie that was taken in Cradleland two days after the event then shows up on the monitor. The tall man trembles when seeing it. The young man says that the person shown on the monitor is causing disturbance which is a lot even for someone from Rebellion, although it’s not unusual for the ‘Numbers (12 Apostles)’ to carry out independent actions. The problem is he’s out in broad daylight in his own flesh and blood instead of as a doll, and he’s using his ability to control dolls out in the open in his own convenience. It is something the League can’t ignore since it is the ‘Puppet King’ Or-Gaule, who is a Desperado even far more troubling than Rebellion’s leader the Tyrant. The young man orders the tall man, who is Ascarid, to go to Vermillion because he understands better than anyone how terrifying Or-Gaule is. The volume ends with Ascarid leaving the room, and clenching his fist in anger so strong that blood is dripping.

Characters

 * Ikki Kurogane
 * Stella Vermillion
 * Shizuku Kurogane
 * Nagi Arisuin
 * Tohka Todo
 * Kanata Totokubara
 * Renren Tomaru
 * Yudai Moroboshi
 * Sara Bloodlily
 * Rinna Kazamatsuri
 * Charlotte Cordé
 * Kiriko Yakushi
 * Sirius Vermillion
 * Astrea Vermillion
 * Lunaeyes Vermillion
 * Nene Saikyo
 * Kurono Shinguuji
 * Bakuga Tsukikage
 * Iris Ascarid
 * Tilmitt Gracie
 * Miriallia Régie
 * Daniel Dandalion
 * Johann
 * Or-Gaule
 * Norman Creed
 * Arthur Bright (mentioned)
 * Abraham Carter (mentioned)
 * Tyrant (mentioned)