I don't want to be a heroic spirit

Chapter 95: Magician's Methods

Just as Okita Souji said, this was not the first time that Kurogane Ikki had eaten this silver apple. He ate it every day when he was undergoing that inhumane training.

But even so, he was still surprised by the power of this silver apple.

The whole person suddenly became energetic, even more exaggerated than if he had taken medicine.

"I checked the food they prepared for you on the way here."

Looking at Kurogane Ikki, who looked much better, Okita Souji suddenly spoke up, "It contains something that weakens the body and can lower one's immunity. Even a swordsman would be affected, but the effect is very slow. I heard that Oreki Yuri-sensei will bring your opponent to you during this time so that you can continue the match, right?"

"Is such that."

"So, their goal is to make you lose the competition and lose your chance to represent the Seven Star Sword Dance?"

"……I have no idea."

Kurogane Ikki lowered his head, his expression somewhat gloomy.

After a long while, he looked up at Okita Souji, "Souji, how did you get here?"

"Really? I thought you were going to ask some interesting questions, but this is what you ended up asking."

"Because I really care. This is the Alliance branch, and it's four floors underground."

"Don't make a fuss. I've infiltrated places more secure than this. Okay, let's move on to the second question."

A place even more restricted than the Alliance branch...

It can't be the alliance headquarters, right?

In fact, it is not difficult for Souji Okita to sneak into this place.

With the B-level aura blocking and the spiritization that is essential for servants, she can go to the huge alliance branch as easily as returning to her own home.

"Soji... who are you?"

"Who is..."

Captain Hyperion? Humanity's last Master? Guardian of the Kingdom of Canterbury? Traveler from Teyvat?

"Of course, I'm just a freshman at Pojun Academy," Okita Souji said with a smile, "but in the past, I've been called 'Genius Swordsman,' 'Mibu Wolf,' 'Man-Slayer,' 'Princess of the Man-Slayer Group,' and so on."

Obviously most of them were titles that sounded dangerous, but Okita Souji said them in a nonchalant tone, which made Kurogane Ikki feel inexplicably... as if it was nothing?

Because he has been with Okita Souji for a long time and has a thorough understanding of Okita Souji, so even after hearing what Okita Souji said, his feelings towards Okita Souji would not change so easily.

Even if I knew your past, what would it matter? I already know you very well now, and I look forward to the future with you.

Now, how should I put it... I feel like the distance between me and the other person has been shortened a lot.

Because Okita Souji is willing to be honest about her past.

"So, Souji, were you a terrorist in the past?"

"Hmm... maybe?" Okita Souji scratched his head and said with a troubled look on his face, "I don't really understand politics or anything like that... but they all said that this way more people can be happy, so I just followed them."

"That's too casual, Souji, you're not going to be fooled, are you?"

"No, they're all weird, but it's pretty good to get along with them. It's okay. If you get cheated, just stab each of them in the chest. They won't care."

...You wouldn't care if you got stabbed?

They really are a bunch of weirdos...

It's quite absurd, what came out of Okita Souji's mouth.

But Ikki Kurogane believed it because the expression on Okita Souji's face didn't look like he was lying.

"Have you been living in this shabby place these days?"

Okita Souji put his hands on his hips and looked around.

How should I put it... it's too neat.

Nothing at all.

There wasn't even a speck of dust or a crack on the bed or the chair.

It's so monotonous that it doesn't even look like a place for people to live in.

Wouldn't it be claustrophobic to stay in a place like this for too long? And Ikki Kurogane was the only one here, not even anyone to talk to.

In addition, the food provided every day was drugged. No wonder even Kurogane Ikki, who had a strong willpower, looked so sick when she came.

"I suddenly thought of this, Ikki, I should kill everyone outside to avenge you."

"Please don't do such a dangerous thing."

After talking for a while, Souji Okita suddenly took out something.

"This is?"

What Souji Okita gave to Ikki Kurogane was a handkerchief, but when Ikki Kurogane opened it, he found that it was wrapped with a bundle of hair.

A very bright red, like a burning flame.

"Stella..."

Looking at it, Kurogane Ikki seemed to see again the girl who had made him fall hopelessly in love, the girl who was like a burning flame.

"They say hair is a girl's second life, so, Ikki."

Okita Souji's voice sounded again, causing Kurogane Ikki to look up in shock.

"Stella has entrusted her life to you, so don't let her down."

Kurogane Ikki and Stella had already made an agreement.

They wanted the whole world to know about their love. They wanted to go to the stage of the Seven Star Sword Dance Festival together.

So... before the day they agreed on arrives.

"You absolutely cannot give up..."

At this time, Kurogane Ikki was smiling happily.

If happiness has a color, then the color of happiness in Kurogane Ikki's eyes should be a bright red as warm as a flame.

Souji Okita watched with his own eyes as Ikki Kurogane carefully wrapped the bundle of red hair in a handkerchief, and put it gently into his pocket as if it were a treasure worth protecting with his life.

"Thank you, Stella... I won't give up again."

and also……

"Thank you too, Souji."

"It seems you've finally snapped out of it."

This was Souji Okita's plan from the beginning. The silver apple was used to recover from physical fatigue, and the things Stella gave her were used to heal mental trauma.

Seeing Kurogane Ikki regain his spirits, Okita Souji said happily: "It's worth all the hard work I put into finding you."

For Souji Okita, sneaking in here is not the most difficult thing. The most difficult thing is to find Ikki Kurogane.

After all, this building is really huge! The part you can see from the outside is a hundred meters high, and there are facilities underground. And this is not just one building, but three buildings! They are just connected together.

Souji Okita did not rescue Ikki Kurogane, but left alone.

But she didn't go back directly, but walked to the top of the building.

She also wanted to find someone. Although it was true that the Kurogane family was the mastermind behind this incident, Okita Souji learned from Kurogane Shushizu that the creation of public opinion and the imprisonment of Kurogane Ikki should have been led by Akaza Mamoru, the confidant of the Kurogane family head.

Not long after, Okita Souji found Akaza Mamoru.

He has a fat head and big ears, is short and fat, and his narrow eyes squeezed by flesh remind people of a fox.

It's disgusting in every way...

The opponent was also a swordsman, but Okita Souji was confident in her breath blocking skills, so she approached boldly.

Don't get her wrong, she didn't want to draw her sword and chop the other person, although she wanted to do so very much, but she knew that chopping people was not enough.

"If possible, I want to act completely in the way of 'Okita Souji'..."

When she was Bawanshi, she learned several magic tricks from Leonardo da Vinci.

Under the assassin class, Souji Okita has D-level magic power, which is enough for him to use some small magic.

Although magic exists in this world, and there are witches and magicians, they focus too much on their innate abilities and have not developed the ability to use magic to perform spells.

Therefore, there is a lack of protection against magic.

This also makes it convenient for Souji Okita.

Chapter 96 The Final Battle Opponent

Several days have passed since Souji Okita and Ikki Kurogane had a conversation.

The drugged food never stopped being served, but Ikki Kurogane pretended not to know and continued eating as usual.

There was no way. Even if he told others, no one outside would listen. If he didn't eat, the situation would be even worse.

The good news is that Souji Okita left behind a few silver apples before leaving.

The trials were still going on. Every few days, Oreki Yuri would bring Kurogane Ikki's opponent over and compete at the place provided by Akaza Mamoru.

It seems that Kurogane Ikki's final match is about to take place.

As long as he can win this last game, he will be qualified to participate in the Seven Star Sword Dance Festival.

In the interrogation room...

"Notify me of your next opponent."

This is a dark, empty room.

Ikki Kurogane was imprisoned in the middle like a convicted criminal, while Akaza Mamoru, who was as fat as a pig and smiled as cunning as a fox, sat on the high seat like a judge in a court.

There were several light screens around him, but there were many figures whose faces could not be seen clearly on the screens. They were the ones who conducted the interrogation of Kurogane Ikki every time.

Ikki Kurogane didn't even have a stool, and he had to stand in the middle of the place for the whole day. If he dared to speak casually, he would be scolded, and if he made the slightest movement, he would be reprimanded.

Their goal is to use various language traps to trick Ikki Kurogane into admitting his crimes.

However, Ikki Kurogane insisted that there was true love between him and Stella, leaving them unable to find any flaws.

The situation seems to be at a stalemate...

Akaza Mamoru is about to announce Kurogane Ikki's opponent for his next match.

Moreover, he was also Ikki Kurogane's opponent in his last match.

"[Setsuna], Okita Souji."

"She will be your next and final opponent."

Hearing the familiar name again, Kurogane Ikki, who had lowered his head and no expression could be seen, had a slight reaction.

But... that's the only reaction.

Souji...huh?

But...it doesn't matter anymore...

Akaza-no-mori didn't seem surprised at all by Kurogane Ikki's appearance.

Just a few days ago, for some unknown reason, Ikki Kurogane suddenly cheered up and his whole spirit and energy changed, which scared him a lot.

Then, he heard Kurogane Ikki say that he wanted to meet his father, Kurogane Takeshi, the head of the Kurogane family.

Of course he would not agree, but what Akaza Mamoru did not expect was that Kurogane Takeru actually took the initiative to meet Kurogane Ikki.

He saw the entire conversation between the father and son.

Even he didn't know that Ikki Kurogane cared so much about his father.

So when Kurogane Yan completely negated Kurogane Ikki's efforts over the years, Kurogane Ikki became what he is now.

"People with talents should do what they are supposed to do, and people without talents should do nothing. That's all I expect of you."

"People like you who have nothing to accomplish, once you accomplish something, will give those incompetent people some unrealistic fantasies, which will ultimately bring harm to society and the organization."

It seems like nothing matters anymore, as if I have lost myself and become a heartless walking corpse.