Kanzaki Kaori

"What could possibly make you disregard your life like this?" Kanzaki Kaori, the Magic Side Saint, sighed. Her admiration was mixed with pity.

"Why?" Kamijou was still struggling desperately. "Of course it’s because she’s my friend!"

Kanzaki Kaori pressed her lips together and fell silent. Kamijou’s conviction, spoken from the depths of his heart, left her momentarily dazed. In a trance, she saw the laughter and joy she had once shared with Index. Back then, she had sworn that, to protect her friend, she would not hesitate even to fall into Hell.

Thinking of how Index would die in three days if her memories were not cleared in time, Kanzaki Kaori’s expression turned cold. In a stiff voice, she said, "How much do you even know about us? You’re not the only one trying… Forget it. Why am I saying so much to you? I’ll say it again: if you truly care about Index, hand her over to us."

"Tch, can’t do it!" Kamijou spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. "Even if I have to stake my life on it, I won’t just stand by and watch you hurt her."

Kanzaki Kaori clenched her teeth. She was sincerely happy that Index had found such a genuine friend, but even more than that, she was irritated. Just as she was about to say something, her sharp senses suddenly sounded an alarm of extreme danger. Some ferocious creature seemed to be approaching from ahead.

Kanzaki Kaori’s pupils shrank sharply. Merely sensing him faintly, the icy aura he carried made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. A Saint’s extraordinary physical abilities allowed her to see objects five hundred meters away even in the darkness of night. One look left her utterly shocked.

Kamijou keenly noticed Kanzaki Kaori’s abnormal reaction. Taking the opportunity, he shoved aside the scabbard, rolled several times, then got to his feet and followed her gaze.

Beneath the dark blue night sky, a full moon hung high amid a host of stars. Against that backdrop, Duke approached step by step.

Stiyl, who had been brimming with confidence just moments ago, was now being dragged across the ground by Duke, who had him by the collar. His boots scraped against the pavement, producing two continuous clattering sounds. The red-haired priest had no obvious wounds, but his punchable face had swollen into a pig’s head. A closer look revealed that his thick gold chain and silver ring appeared to have vanished without a trace.

Duke felt that Academy City was far too dangerous at night! First Accelerator committed violence in the street, then the Incompetents Group brazenly carried out a robbery right before his eyes… This place was beyond saving.

The instant he encountered Stiyl, Duke had roughly guessed what was going on. Academy City was vast, with a total population of 2.3 million. Among so many people, there were bound to be quite a few powerful espers who would not be dispelled by runes, yet he had run into one. If his encounter with Accelerator had been a coincidence, then was this one also a coincidence?

Of course not!

Though nothing could be accomplished without coincidences, Duke never believed there were that many coincidences in the world. He was not some protagonist blessed with so much destiny. Clearly, someone was manipulating his encounters with magicians from behind the scenes. As for who that person was, it was not difficult to guess.

Duke disliked being used as a chess piece, but he was indeed very interested in Saints of the Magic Side, so he simply went along with the flow. He had already met two Level 5s from the Science Side. There was no reason not to witness the top combat power of the Magic Side as well.

Academy City’s Level 5s varied too greatly in ability, causing their Power Levels to fluctuate wildly and making it impossible for Duke to clearly judge his own strength. Saints of the Magic Side were different. Whether in raw power or combat experience, they were far more consistent.

Having thought it through, Duke could not help looking at Kanzaki Kaori expectantly.

As far as first impressions went, she was slender, cold, and stunning. Her face, figure, and temperament were all breathtaking. Her long black hair, tied in a ponytail, fell to her waist. Tall and fair-skinned, she was a mature beauty who scored over ninety. Because of her black-haired, straight-haired attributes, Duke gave her another five points. Her total score exceeded ninety-five, surpassing the young lady and approaching the image of a perfect woman in Duke’s heart.

After examining her appearance, he looked at her clothing. Due to the requirements of a special spell, Kanzaki Kaori wore a short-sleeved white T-shirt, its hem tied at the waist and bound beneath her chest, exposing her navel. With Duke’s inhuman eyesight, he could clearly see the two mysterious protrusions on her chest.

Her braless outfit was incredibly seductive!

Around her waist was a palm-wide men’s belt, fastened to a pair of worn jeans. The left leg of the jeans had been cut off at the very top of her thigh, exposing her entire long, fair leg… a timeless classic.

Since she could team up with a rich priest, Kanzaki Kaori naturally was not too poor to afford a pair of pants. This, too, was required for casting spells.

Thanks again to magic—it had saved countless paper mills.

Although her outfit was rather H, Duke merely glanced at it before withdrawing his gaze. The same clothing on someone else would only invite salacious thoughts, but on Kanzaki Kaori, it was entirely different. Her indifferent face and cool eyes gave her an aura of pure sensuality, making it difficult for anyone to harbor disrespectful thoughts toward her.

Instead, it was the two-meter-long blade in her hand that made Duke look repeatedly. Weapons valued length—an inch longer meant an inch stronger—but longer was not always better. On the contrary, the longer the weapon, the harder it was to wield. Any master skilled with long blades was inevitably a kendo expert deeply versed in sword techniques.

While Duke sized her up, Kanzaki Kaori was also assessing him. From his appearance, Duke wore a lab coat and had refined features, placing him in the harmless-looking category. But eyes were the senses best at deceiving the brain. Every time Kanzaki Kaori blinked, she could sense the cold, fierce aura radiating from Duke, as well as the vast power hidden deep within him.

"Kanzaki…" Stiyl, dragged all the way over by his collar, turned his head, which had been physically inflated three sizes, opened his mouth missing two front teeth, and weakly said, "Be careful… He… he’s very strong!"

"Stiyl, you…" Kanzaki Kaori was wary of harming the hostage and did not dare act rashly.

Duke nodded with a smile and casually flung Stiyl aside. Getting straight to the point, he asked, "Lady magician, the long blade in your hand isn’t merely a tool for casting spells, is it?"

"I am Kanzaki Kaori. May I ask your name?" Seeing Duke throw Stiyl aside, Kanzaki Kaori quietly breathed a sigh of relief and asked politely.

"My name is Duke. Please continue answering my earlier question."

"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with my Seven Heavens Seven Swords?" Kanzaki Kaori frowned slightly as she coolly asked.

"When I see an expert who uses a long blade, I can’t help feeling the itch to test my skills." Duke loosely curled one hand. Cold Qi gathered in his palm, forming an ice-blue blade of ice, though it was slightly shorter than two meters. Then, beneath Kanzaki Kaori’s astonished gaze, a cluster of black light emerged from Duke’s palm and spread across the blade, dyeing it black.

Duke swung one hand down at his side. The blade sliced through the air without making the slightest sound. Ten meters away, in the direction of his swing, a standing streetlamp went dark and snapped in half at the waist, its cross-section smooth as a mirror.

Kanzaki Kaori warily placed a hand on the hilt of Seven Heavens Seven Swords. Though she still did not understand how she had provoked him, his hostile intentions could not be dismissed with a few words. As one of fewer than twenty Saints in the world, Kanzaki Kaori had her own pride. Her dictionary did not contain the words "flee without fighting."

"Hey, hey, what are you still spacing out for? Hurry up and help me get out of here!" Pig-Head Stiyl shouted at the dumbfounded Kamijou. His tone was hurried, but his speech leaked air, leaving it with no sense of urgency at all.

Kamijou stood there in a daze. Hearing Stiyl’s words, he hurriedly hoisted him onto his shoulder and jogged away. Only after they had gone several dozen meters did he lean Stiyl against a wall.

"Go farther. This distance makes me feel very unsafe."

"Isn’t this far enough?" Kamijou asked, not understanding.

"Idiot, they’re both monsters!" As he spoke, Stiyl braced himself against the wall and stood up. Supported by Kamijou, he slowly shuffled toward the distance.

On the field, Duke stood motionless with his blade in one hand. Only after Kamijou and Stiyl had gone far away did he lower the long blade to his side. Kanzaki Kaori almost instinctively took a step back. Duke had merely assumed a sword-drawing stance, yet she already felt the imposing Sword Qi faintly prick the artery in her neck.

Unseen Divine Wind Style: Flood Dragon!

Thanks to readers ‘Dragon Literature Big Boss Horse,’ ‘Collecting 16 to 25 Year Old Beautiful Girls,’ ‘Reader 20180316191528235,’ ‘Era Rustic Flavor,’ ‘Flowers Fall Forest Peak,’ ‘Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals 2015,’ ‘Edge of the Boundary,’ and ‘Meat Bun Beats Dog 123’ for their tips!