In the world of anime and manga, the best partners

“Clearly, you have met the minimum requirements to become disciples, which is why we have met here.”

"But don't worry, I won't force you, and I will give you the right to choose."

As Kagami and Saki took a step forward, they simultaneously emitted astonishing energy, which immediately caused Kurono's expression to change.

Having once encountered that level of power, Chairwoman Kurono was naturally able to recognize what that power was immediately. She looked at Ikki and Stella with some concern, but chose not to speak up to stop them.

Or rather, by the time Mirror Stream and Skykirk arrived, it was already beyond her control to stop them.

"If you become my disciple, I will guide you to surpass your limits and become stronger than before in the shortest possible time."

"If you refuse, I will still guide you with relevant practical skills in class, but only to help you become stronger, not to 'exceed your limits.'"

this is the truth.

Among the world's top experts, only a very small minority can reach the level of a demon. Ikki and Stella are definitely capable of reaching it on their own, but the time it would take is unknown…

Make a choice!

"Will you become our disciple, or train on your own?"

"Don't worry about our feelings, just decide according to your own true feelings."

Mirror Stream & Silky Knight: Chapter 19 "The Demon's Potential"

Now that things had come to this point, Stella and Kurogane Ikki understood what Mirror Stream and Silky Kirk meant.

Isn't this just like becoming an apprentice?

In the past, neither Ikki nor Stella would have agreed.

But yesterday's events slowly resurfaced, making them hesitate... Even though the teacher seemed to have done nothing, Ikki and Stella broke through their limits and reached a new level.

And most importantly, there seemed to be something about these two teachers that was attracting them!

"I'm willing to become your disciple!"

The first person to respond was Ikki Kurogane.

At his age, Ikki should have been in his second year of high school, but because of the previous chairman, he was forced to repeat a year.

The freshmen in the academy were unwilling to associate with him, an F-rank knight, and even ordinary teachers rarely had the opportunity to help him.

Ikki Kurogane grew up in such an environment, without any support and having to rely on himself!

Now that he finally has friends to fight against and a teacher who respects him, how could Ikki not be moved?

Of course, Ikki's decision to become a disciple was also a well-thought-out one. Since the appearance of this Kagami-ryu master, Ikki had never been able to see the upper limit of this master's strength.

From this, he could conclude that Jingliu was an absolutely unparalleled powerhouse! Even in the Far East, he was among the top-ranked individuals!

For Ikki, becoming an apprentice to such a powerful figure would be a good thing, and he couldn't think of a reason to refuse.

"Huh? If Ikki wants it, then I want it too!"

"Master Jingliu, please take me as your apprentice!"

Stella was also able to sense the change in her own strength, but she clearly did not expect that Ikki would agree so quickly.

Even so, her mind would not change. Since Ikki agreed, then I would agree too!

However, things seemed to be a little different from what Stella had imagined…

“I am not your teacher, Stella.”

"it's me."

Since entering, the white-haired beauty who hadn't said much spoke up. She looked very similar to Jingliu, as if she were Jingliu's sister, but upon closer inspection, there were many differences.

"Um, why is it Teacher Silky?"

There are two teachers with practical experience in the class, one of whom is Kagami-ryu. Ikki and Stella have witnessed his strength and genuinely acknowledge his abilities, but Skyki...

They're not familiar with each other!

Most importantly, they had never seen this teacher, Silky, fight, so they had doubts about whether she could be as powerful as the Mirror School.

“Ikki Kurogane is someone who uses swordsmanship as his primary means of attack, but you are different, Stella Vermillion.”

"The reason you were in the back mountain last night was because you found your direction, right? Compared to your superb swordsmanship, you are more suited to using absolute magic and fire to crush your opponents."

"In other words, you are more suited to manipulating elements for attacks, just like Kurogane Ikki's sister, both of whom are element-manipulating swordsmen."

"So I will be your mentor and guide."

Skorth's meaning was clear: she would be Stella and Shizuku's teacher for the time being, instructing them on how to use elemental manipulation techniques in combat.

Although Stella's element type is fire, it does not prevent Skork from teaching element type techniques.

Skykirk, a disciple of Surtroch, the "Wicked Knight" from the Genshin Impact world, possesses a technique called the Seven Transformations of the Serpent, which allows her to simulate and manipulate elemental forces.

For Kurogane Shizuku, who manipulates water, and Stella, who manipulates fire, they could definitely gain some good inspiration from this, and it's not impossible for them to go even further.

In contrast, while the Mirror School can also use the power of ice, it focuses more on swordsmanship and technique, which complements Kurogane Ikki well, as well as the violet-like boy behind him, Arisuin Nagi…

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

"After all, Ichiki and I are roommates, so it's better for us to study together, right?"

Upon hearing that she would be separated from Ikki, Stella immediately became shy and even glanced at Ikki from time to time.

Clearly, Stella prefers to be with Ikki rather than with Shizuku Kurogane.

“Teaching should be tailored to individual needs. You and Ikki are not the same type. If you force him to train together, your skills will be far surpassed by his.”

"I understand. Please train me hard, Ms. Skykirk!"

During yesterday's training, Stella already knew that there was a gap in strength between her and Kurogane Ikki.

Even now, Stella still hasn't found a way to counter that so-called "One-Sword Rakshasa." If she were to confront it head-on, she would only be killed in one hit.

In other words, Stella has fallen behind!

If the gap continues to widen, she might not even be able to see Kurogane Ikki's back anymore.

"Only with strength can we avoid falling behind!"

"Even if I have to train separately from Kazuki, I absolutely refuse to be left behind!"

This was Stella's will, and even the chairperson behind her, Kurono, couldn't help but show an expression of admiration.

Sure enough, this princess of Familia knew exactly what she should and should do.

"In that case, come with me!"

—

Do you know why I'm taking you as my disciples?

In the bamboo forest where Jingliu and Sikerk were temporarily resting, the two teachers sat in the main seats, gently brewing several cups of tea and handing them to their respective students one by one.

"I...I don't know."

"Because we have potential?"

Kazuki, Shizuku, and Stella exchanged bewildered glances, while only the last boy, Nagi Arisuin, remained silent.

"After all, Stella is an A-rank knight, and she excels in every aspect. Shizuku also graduated first in her class and came to the Po Jun Academy... They are both outstanding."

"As for Ikki and Arisuin..."

"Although Ikki is rated as an F-rank knight, it can be seen from yesterday's battle that Ikki's talent is amazing. At least most of the students in the class are no match for him, and even I lost to him."

"I haven't seen Arisuin's strength yet, but he seems to be rated as an E-rank knight, right? Since he was chosen by Kagami-sensei, perhaps he also has talents similar to Ikki's?"

Before Jingliu and Silky could say anything, the boys and girls had already deduced part of the truth from it.

Furthermore, because Ikki, Shizuku, and Stella were close friends, they all turned their suspicions toward the last boy, Nagi Arisuin.

Although they are not familiar with Arisuin yet, since he was chosen by a teacher like Kagami, there must be something special about him, right?

"That's right, because you have potential."

Just then, Skirk spoke up.

"And it's not just ordinary potential, it's the potential to become a 'Demon'!"

Mirror Stream & Silky Knight: Chapter 20 The Demon Who Transcends Fate

"Demon"?

What is a demon?

Neither Ikki nor Shizuku, nor even Princess Stella, had ever heard of the so-called "demon." Only Nagi Arisuin remained silent, not uttering a single word.

"This is a realm that ordinary people can never reach, so it's understandable that you haven't heard of it. So I'll just give you a brief explanation."

The so-called "Demon" is a special realm for those who wield the sword, which only true powerhouses can reach, and it is an existence that transcends fate.

The so-called "Demon Man" realm was quite a shock to the group's worldview, as it was completely different from the existing Blade Master system.

"Magic is predetermined from birth"—this is the meaning of the Blade Master, and "the magic of a demon will continue to grow."

The world's top powers all possess strategic weapons like demons, and even in the Far East, there are several demons.

After hearing this, Kurogane Ikki and his sister Shizuku were completely stunned. This was a new system they had never encountered before, which greatly shocked them.

But Stella on the other side had already lowered her head, making it impossible to see her expression.

Only when a tiny flame ignited beside Stella did the crimson-clad girl raise her head, looking at Mirror Stream and Silky with an extremely serious expression.

"Jingliu-sensei, Skykiku-sensei... are you demons from the Alliance?"

"No, we have absolutely no connection with the alliance, or even with any other forces. We only represent ourselves."

When Stella asked, Jingliu gave a direct negative answer. They were beings from outside the world. Although they were temporarily living in the Far East, they had not joined any faction.

Even if it was just a nominal appointment, it wasn't, because Nango Torajiro really didn't dare to cause trouble for these two powerful figures, otherwise he might end up getting himself into trouble.

"If that's the case, then do you know... why the Alliance hasn't revealed the secret of the 'Demon'?"

The Kingdom of Familion, as one of the member states of the alliance, has never heard of a realm called "Demon Man." What does this mean?

The alliance deceived most countries, allowing only a few to monopolize the demon's technology!

This is a major diplomatic event; if not handled properly, it could very well lead to global unrest!

"know."

"Why? Please tell me!"

The Kingdom of Familion isn't large, but that doesn't mean Stella is a useless princess. On the contrary, this princess is more powerful than ever before and hopes her country will become better and better.

Therefore, upon learning that a realm like "Demon Man" still existed in the world, Stella felt genuine anger and disappointment towards the Alliance...

"Because the path of the demon is more difficult than anyone can imagine."

"Stella, where do you think your talent ranks among the world's Bladebreakers?"

"Absolutely top-notch!"

Although Stella is proud, she has a clear understanding of her own strength. If even she, a 4A Knight, is not top-tier, then are there any powerful knights in the world?

"That's the reason."

"Even an A-rank knight like you hasn't become a demon, so how could those less talented sword-wielders possibly have a chance?"

The realm of the Demon is beyond the reach of 99% of the world's population. Even a powerful being like Stella has never understood the truth about the Demon.

If it weren't for Mirror Flow, she probably wouldn't have known all this until the future in the original story.

"Try to think about it: if everyone in the world knew about the Demon's realm, what would those with ill intentions do?"

"They'll probably... collect children from all over the world and then raise them in the cruelest way possible, right?"

The person who took the camera's turn to speak was Stella herself. Although she was a bit slow in some ways, she was still a princess and must have been involved in politics frequently.

So Stella quickly figured out what had happened, and her expression turned grim. She understood why the Alliance had concealed the "Demon Man," but now even greater questions lay before her.

"Teachers... since only those who have reached the Demon Realm can know the Demon Realm's secrets, why did you tell us this?"

"Could it be that they intend to... train us in that way?"

As Stella just mentioned, some people might use inhumane methods, sparing no expense, to cultivate demons. If this is true, are Mirror Stream and Skylar among them?