Love of an Unwavering Knight

Unburnt Flower

Ikki sat up from his bed holding a tablet "Yeah a little bit." He walked over to Stella and set the tablet on the table that was in the center of the room "He's an F-rank blazer, he was supposed to start last year but went on leave due to personal reasons, and he was on the news a couple years ago for stopping armed robbers while he was unarmed."

Stella leaned onto Ikki with her hands supporting herself off his shoulders "He kinda sounds like you Ikki."

"Yeah he kinda does, I think he has something up his sleeve to use in the mock battle, you know I did." Ikki gently set the tablet down onto the table and sighed.

Despite not going with the chairwoman's suggestions to settle their naked incident with a mock battle the chairwoman had told the red-headed girl to ask Ikki to display his true power and skill. Stella quickly learned that only unique to Ikki, his rank did not reflect his true worth as a knight.

Stella shook her head with a smile "I agree, he probably has a trump card that he'll use to catch me off guard." she replied. Stella stepped away and slipped into her shoes before twirling around to face Ikki once more "Which is why from the start I'll show him the full power of the Crimson Princess."

The stadium came to life with bright lights as the mock battle was about to start. The stands littered with students to spectate this particularly odd matchup, the A-rank blazer "Crimson Princess" versus the F-rank blazer "Flower Boy". The arena's space was filled with murmurs of students remarking that Himawari must've been out of his mind to think he could do this or that he had been paid to fight Stella by the Vermillion family so they could show her off. However, whatever the reason was for this mock battle to take place soon became irrelevant as both first-year students slowly stepped up to their respective sides.

Stella flicked her hair to the front of her shoulder with her hand before placing the same hand on her hip "Are you sure you want to do this Himawari? Do you want to become my slave that badly?"

"Call me Kenshin, I hate that name." He grumbled before cracking his knuckles and flashing her a soft smile "But don't count me out of the fight before it starts."

The chairwoman couldn't help but let out a loud chuckle as she stood in the middle of the two Hagun Academy students "Alright let's just get this started already. Both of you summon your devices in illusionary mode."

Stella's subtle kind smile shifted into a smirk of confidence and determination "Serve me, Lævateinn!" her refined voice screamed out as a large column of flames sprouted from the ground. Swiftly she stuck her right hand into the heart of the fiery tornado she summoned and pulled out a large and elegant longsword covered from point to hilt in hardened earth, Stella with confidence slammed the sword tip into the ground beneath her with a powerful thud. Its impact disperses the fiery column in front of her and blasts the earth from her device; a beautiful golden double-edged sword with a brown handle and a golden hilt. She held it in a long-point guard.

Kenshin couldn't help but grin at the awesome fiery display before him "Wow...". He excitedly bounced in place before cracking his neck "My turn!" Kenshin giddily shouted before his face went into a harsh glare. He slammed his fists together with a powerful blast of wind coming from their meeting point as the air around him began to spin and suck toward its center "Hold your faith in me, Fubatsuha!" Kenshin screamed out as he pulled his fists apart and his device materialized in the middle of a spinning sphere of air. A 60-inch long nodachi with a hexagonal tsuba; its blade was colored a light blue with a dark purple going along the line that separated the softer and harder sides of the sword. Kenshin snatched the sword from the sphere which released all the air from the circling orb into a gust of wind, he smirked as he tightened his grip on the sword and shifted into a Kasumi no Kamae stance.

Ikki hummed as he stared at Kenshin's stance "That's odd. No one really uses the kamae stances anymore." He pursed his lips as he rubbed his chin and spoke to himself "Most of his weight isn't spread across his foot equally but instead onto the balls of his feet, I wonder why. I guess I can only watch to find out."

The chairwoman smirked with satisfaction as she stepped away from the two students to keep herself out of danger "Alright you two can begin battling now!"

"I told Ikki I'd end this quick..." Fire began to roar and spin around Stella as she slowly got low to prepare for her attack "So I will!" She screamed with all of the air in her lungs. Stella dashed forward with her sword raised high above her head a trail of flames following her blade "I'll end it with all my might!" she screamed as she brought her sword down to the still stationary Kenshin.

Stella gasped as a powerful gust of wind came rushing towards her when her longsword and Kenshin's nodachi met blades. Their swords screeched as they pushed at one another. Kenshin stood there however with his grin still prominent "If that's so...". Kenshin's back foot shifted itself to the right "I'll fight back with more than my might!" he screamed as he suddenly lunged to the right and let Stella's sword slide off his and slam into the spot where he once was. Kenshin screamed as he suddenly brought his sword down onto Stella's head with a swift straight slice.

She responded by quickly raising her sword above her head to block the strike "Do you think a mere brute for attack would beat me?!" she shouted as their blades clashed.

Clang! The sound of sword striking sword. Crack. That's... new.

The entire stadium gasped while Stella grunted as she struggled to keep the sword away from her face, its bluish steel reflecting her face back. The cracking noises continued as she was forced into the ground and the concrete began giving way.

Ikki couldn't help but lean closer to watch closer "How could he be so strong? I don't think it's physical enhancement because his speed stayed the same."

Finally, Stella broke the stalemate and in anger pointed the tip of her sword at Kenshin before launching a column of fire that completely engulfed his "Burn!". Stella smirked and let out a sigh of relief "He was stronger than expected but I still came up on top."

To the surprise of everyone slowly a hand reached out and grabbed hold of Stella's sword. A powerful scream was heard before she was suddenly flung across the room by the sword causing it to disrupt her flames. Stella groaned as she landed on the ground with a thump as everyone sat there in silence and shock to see Kenshin still standing, his clothes and skin burnt "I'm not that easy."