Chapter 40
After everyone took out their datapads, Yuuri started with her explanation about the selection of the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival participants.
“Okay, like Miss Director said in the opening ceremony, Hagun Academy was using an attribute score system to select the Festival representative up until last year, right? But from this year forward, selection by attribute scores has been abolished! The system was changed to a tournament with the whole school participating, and six people will be chosen based on results from actual battles! Wow, violence! The selection battle executive committee will send messages to your datapads, so you should come to the designated place when the dates and times are confirmed, okay? It’s a loss by default if you don’t come, so be careful~~!”
Tsukasa knew that if this school didn’t abolish the attribute score, he wouldn’t be able to participate in the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival, and he couldn’t keep his promise with Kanata to steal her away from her fiance.
While Kanata and her fiance hadn’t met each other, Tsukasa also knew that no man would feel happy when someone stole their fiancee.
But could he let go of Kanata?
No.
After all, Kanata had grown on him, and there was no way that Tsukasa could let go of her.
The only problem they had was how to make the relationship between all of his girls in harmony and accept each other.
Tsukasa had an idea, but this idea was vague, and he needed to be in a dangerous situation.
‘However, if I don’t do this, I might get into a more dangerous situation.’
While Tsukasa was in the middle of a thought, Stella suddenly raised her hand.
“Sensei.”
“Non non. If you don’t call me Yuuri-chan, then I won’t reply.”
“…Yu-Yuuri-chan.”
“Yay! What is it, Stella-chan?”
“How many matches will these selection battles involve?”
“I’m not sure, but each student should go through roughly ten matches or more. After the matches start, you’ll definitely have one match every three days, so be ready~~.”
Stella nodded and ignored the fact that she needed to call her teacher with the “-chan” suffix, especially after Tsukasa had comforted her and understood her mixed feelings.
Tsukasa was also perplexed when he saw Yuuri, wondering why this female teacher was in such high tension today. He then glanced at Ikki, who showed a determined expression, but he quickly focused on Yuuri again, who kept glancing at him from time to time.
Tsukasa suddenly thought about his experiment on the regenerative healing factor in the past when he gave some of his blood to Yuuri. While the experiment was unsuccessful since his blood couldn’t heal her, he was still able to make her health better. However, she was unable to act normally since even if her body was better, she was still riddled with many sicknesses, and her body was naturally weak.
Tsukasa had tried many things to develop his regenerative healing factor further. He had used it to heal from various wounds, injuries, diseases, viruses, bacteria, poison, and other things, but everything was healed except for blade-related wounds.
Except for being beheaded, Tsukasa had tried everything.
Still, how could Tsukasa be so cruel to himself?
The answer was simple, and that was because of Kiriko.
Kiriko was the best doctor in Japan, and she helped him to test his regenerative healing factor in various experiments, and she could help him with various things. Even if his hands, legs, or half of his body were cut down, she could connect them with her ability, which was why he was so reassured to try his power by her side.
This was also one of the reasons why Kiriko changed too since before she met him, she was only a cold-blooded doctor, who was just interested in her experiment, and a human was nothing but a lump of meat.
It wasn’t until Kiriko met him that she used her own body instead of using someone else’s body for the experiment.
Of course, Tsukasa also helped her.
It hadn’t been a week since they had parted somehow. Tsukasa missed Kiriko, but he shook his head and decided to put this matter aside since he heard the displeased voices around his surroundings.
Still, Tsukasa wondered whether he could use his regenerative healing factor to heal others. While it might be difficult, it would be nice if it was possible.
“Hey, you can’t be serious.”
“Too troublesome. Then I won’t be able to go out!”
“I don’t really want to participate in the Festival anyway.”
While Tsukasa, Stella, and Ikki were excited about the Seven Sword Art Festival, not everyone was as interested as them.
For one thing, illusionary forms weren’t used there, making the fights dangerous. Some people didn’t want to risk injury just to raise their rankings. Graduating peacefully and acquiring the mage-knight qualification, finding a high-salary job, and attending to it with normal diligence.
Many students sought that straight path.
One of those students spoke up.
“Are there any penalties for losing or abstaining?”
“Nope~ There’s no penalty and no black marks on your grades either, but there are bonuses if you win~. And of course, you can also abstain, and people who aren’t interested in joining the Festival should write the executive committee a mail saying they won’t participate. Of course, you’ll be removed from the roster immediately. But you know….”
Yuuri looked in Ikki’s direction for a moment and smiled gently.
“Even if it might be very tough, I still think this is a wonderful system that gives each of you an equal chance to win the Sword Art Festival and become a Seven Stars Sword King. That’s why I want you all to participate ambitiously if you can. I’m sure everyone will treasure the experience.”
Tsukasa looked at Ikki and thought that this guy’s past was really miserable.
“So everyone, please do your best from now on! LET’S ALL ABUUAAABUFUUU!!!”
Suddenly Yuuri vomited blood onto the floor.
“Yu-Yuuri-chaaaaan!?”
Everyone screamed at the bright red explosion from the teacher’s mouth.
Tsukasa had expected this, so he quickly caught Yuuri to support her. He held her wrist and felt dumbfounded. He let out a sigh and said, “Your body is still so weak, Yuuri-chan. You shouldn’t act with such high tension like before.”
“Hehehe… it’s been a while, Kugayama-kun,” Yuuri said with a weak laugh.
“Kugayama-kun, do you know Oreki-sensei?” Ikki asked with a confused expression.
“Tsukasa is one of the best doctors in the country. He used to take care of me in the past,” Yuuri said with a gentle smile and blush on her pale face.
“You’re so exaggerated. I can’t do anything against your diseases,” Tsukasa said with a sigh.
“But even so, my body has become better than in the past. Usually, I spat out litters of blood every day, but now, I spew out 500 ml of blood every day!” Yuuri said excitedly before she spewed out blood again.
“Stop, get excited. You’ll dirty the floor with your blood,” Tsukasa said helplessly.
“Sorry, sorry,” Yuuri said with a smile and didn’t seem to care that she was abused by Tsukasa.
“…” Ikki and Stella.
Still, Ikki and Stella were amazed since Tsukasa could heal Yuuri, who spewed out liters of blood every day into 500 ml of blood every day.
“Doctor? Why didn’t you tell me, Tsukasa?” Stella was confused, wondering how Tsukasa could become a doctor when he was only 15 years old and the best one at that.
“There were so many things that happened yesterday, and how could I tell all of them to you?” Tsukasa was speechless and carried Yuuri in his arms. “I’ll take her to the infirmary first, so can any of you clean up the blood on the ground?”
“Leave it to us, Kugayama-kun!”
“Yes, we’ll clean up the class.”
Still, even if the female classmates didn’t mind cleaning up the blood, they were jealous of Yuuri, who was carried by Tsukasa in his arms. Looking at his strong arms, they wondered how it felt to be held by those arms.
“…You don’t need to be exaggerated. Just clean up the spot that is dirtied by the blood.”
Tsukasa then left the class and thought that it was a good chance for him to go back early.
“Wait, wait, Tsukasa, wait for me!” Stella followed without hesitation.
Ikki looked at the three of them before he looked at the floor that was dirtied by the blood, thinking that he might as well help to clean up the floor.