Chapter 53: When the Idol Draws Her Blade

The lunch bell rang through Tokyo Magic Academy, and before anyone could blink, half the class had gathered around Shirayuki Asuna’s desk.

Laughter and chatter filled the air, a wave of adoration that even the professors couldn’t silence.

“Asuna-senpai, why did you choose our academy?”
“Is it true you gave up a world tour just to come here?”
“Can we get an autograph after class!?”

Asuna only smiled sweetly, answering each question like a professional performer.
“I’ve always dreamed of studying here. My schedule used to be full of concerts and shoots, but now I finally have time to chase my old dream.”

The class burst into applause.

Then—without warning—Asuna stood, brushed the crumbs off her skirt, and walked toward Kanata’s table.

“Kanata-kun.”
Her voice was gentle but firm.

Kanata looked up mid-bite of his sandwich. “What?”

She smiled. “Fight me.”

He blinked. “…Excuse me?”

“Let’s have a duel.”

Kanata nearly choked. “You’re kidding, right?”

Asuna tilted her head innocently. “Are you scared?”

The class erupted in laughter and gasps.

Kanata sighed. “I’m not scared. I just don’t see the point.”

She leaned forward, whispering:
“If I win, I’ll join your team—The Black Dragon.”

That caught everyone’s attention.

“WHAT!?” shouted half the class.
Students clapped and cheered, chanting for Kanata to accept.

But Asuna raised one finger, her smile turning mischievous.
“And if I win… you’ll go on a date with me for as long as I’m here.”

The classroom exploded.

“A-A DATE!?”
“K-Kanata, you lucky bastard!”
“Marry her already!”

Rio coughed into his drink, half choking from laughter. “Kanata-kun, you’re a magnet for chaos, huh?”

Itsuha’s hand slammed against her desk.
Her eyes twitched in pure fury. “What did you just say!?”

Asuna looked over, feigning innocence. “Oh my, are you jealous?”

“D-Don’t be ridiculous! Who’d want to date an idiot like him!?” she shouted, cheeks red.
Kanata slumped over the desk, whispering, “That hurt more than any curse…”

Celestine stepped in, arms crossed. “Asuna-san, challenging someone to a duel on your first day isn’t exactly normal etiquette.”

Asuna’s eyes softened. “Maybe so, but I want to see what kind of person he truly is.”

Kanata rubbed his temple and finally stood. “Fine. But if I win, you stop bothering me.”

“Deal,” she said, smiling like she’d already won.

Meanwhile, inside the marble cathedral of the Holy Church, cameras flashed as Klaus Eirenwald stepped to the podium.

“To the public and our believers,” he began solemnly, “Tendou Kanata is not a threat. He is the key to saving us all from the darkness that remains.”

Reporters whispered among themselves, stunned by his direct defense.

But before he could continue, his aide Misaki burst into the hall, panic written on her face.

“Lord Klaus! The expulsion order—it’s already been signed by the Council!”

Klaus froze. “What…?”
He turned back to the cameras, his calm façade cracking.
“Then it seems the Council has decided to move faster than reason itself.”

He walked away from the podium, muttering, “Forgive me, world… I may be too late.”

By afternoon, the academy’s grand arena overflowed with spectators.
Chants and banners filled the stands.

“This is it, folks!” the announcer boomed. “The duel between the Cursed Dragon Boy and Japan’s shining idol—Shirayuki Asuna—begins now!”

The arena lights dimmed. Two spotlights shone—one on Reiga and Kobayashi of the High Elite Wizard as official supervisors, another on Nagisa, Aine, and Itsuha of the Four Witches.

“Wait, isn’t Lady Lilith Arcrayne absent today?” asked the announcer.

“Yes—she’s on a classified mission. But the show must go on!”

The crowd roared.

From the east gate, Asuna entered—elegant, radiant, waving to her screaming fans.
From the west, Kanata stepped out, adjusting his gloves with an irritated sigh.

“How did I end up in another circus…” he muttered.

The referee raised a hand.
“Combatants ready—begin!”

Kanata shot forward, his movements blindingly fast.
Asuna barely shifted—she flicked her fingers once.

A burst of invisible force struck Kanata square in the chest, hurling him backward.
He crashed into the arena wall, coughing.

“She didn’t even chant…” whispered Rio from the stands.
Itsuha’s eyes widened. “That technique—it’s not normal magic.”

Asuna smiled playfully and extended her arm.
Water swirled around her hand, forming a transparent sword that pulsed like living glass.

“<Aqualion>.”

The blade gleamed—its surface fluid and alive, rippling like ocean waves.
Every step she took left behind shimmering puddles of blue light.

Kanata steadied himself. “Alright, you’re serious.”

“Of course.” She twirled her sword elegantly. “You’re the vessel of the Black Dragon, after all.”

Her tone darkened, and for a heartbeat, her pupils glowed like molten sapphire.

Then she whispered:
“<Hydra Strike>.”

The sword split into six streams of cutting water that lunged like serpents.
Kanata rolled aside, but one stream grazed his arm, slicing clean through his jacket. The fabric hissed—melted.

“Holy water?” he gasped.

Reiga and Kobayashi exchanged tense looks.
“That’s not the Idol Asuna. There’s something else inside her.”

Asuna’s movements quickened—fluid, divine.
Kanata’s strikes couldn’t land; each time his fist neared her, her water barrier shimmered, redirecting the impact like a mirror.

“What’s wrong?” she teased, voice overlapping with another, deeper one. “The great vessel of Obsidian can’t keep up?”

Kanata’s chest tightened.
Inside his mind, the dragon growled.

“Careful, boy. That’s not her magic—it’s divine water. Nexus’s energy. If she releases that power fully, even I can’t shield you.”

“A little late for warnings!” Kanata shouted, blocking another wave of blades.

Then the air changed.
A bright blue aura erupted from Asuna, the temperature dropping instantly.

She lifted her sword to the heavens.
Her voice echoed—not hers, but something far older.

“Water that grants life and devours sin,
heed the call of your guardian.
From the depths of eternity to the surface of light,
rise, sacred stream that judges all impurity…”

Kanata’s eyes widened.
The dragon roared within.
“KANATA! DODGE NOW!”

“I, Nexus, the Holy Dragon of the Fountain Eternal—
deliver judgment upon those who defile the world!
<AQUALION JUDGEMENT>!”

The entire arena erupted in a tsunami of light and water.

The flood hit like a meteor, consuming the field in a blinding explosion of blue.
Wind howled. The crowd screamed. Barriers shattered.

When the mist cleared—
Kanata lay motionless in the center of a massive crater.

“KANATA-KUN!” Itsuha’s voice tore through the silence.
Nagisa jumped from her seat, summoning her barrier to shield the lower stands.

Asuna stepped forward, eyes cold, sword gleaming with sacred power.

She raised the blade—ready to strike again.

“Stop her! She’s lost control!” Reiga barked, vaulting from the referee’s platform.

Celestine appeared in a burst of frost, her ice magic intercepting Asuna’s swing.
“Enough!”

The impact sent both girls sliding backward.

“Stand down, Shirayuki Asuna!” shouted the referee, trembling.

But Asuna’s body shook violently—her aura flaring uncontrollably.
“Don’t interfere… I can still fight…!”

Chains of golden light erupted from Reiga’s hand.
“<Holy Chain>!”

The bindings wrapped around Asuna, pulling her to the ground.
Her sword dissolved into harmless mist as her body trembled, the divine glow fading from her eyes.

The announcer’s voice shook. “M-Match terminated… due to uncontrolled mana surge!”

Medics rushed in, lifting the unconscious Kanata from the rubble.
The crowd’s cheers had turned into horrified whispers.

Asuna knelt silently within the holy chains, her eyes blank.
For just a moment, as Reiga approached, her voice changed again—cold and distant.

“The Fountain has awakened.”

And then she collapsed.

Kanata’s limp body was carried away under the flickering arena lights.

The idol’s duel had ended…
but something far greater had just begun.