Far from central Osaka, in the bay area, skyscrapers stood tall just like those in the bustling city. But most of the time, this place was eerily deserted, like a ghost town.

Decades ago, during an urban development boom, countless buildings had been constructed here. However, due to poor commercial planning, no tenants ever moved in, and the area was abandoned.

Yet it hadn't fallen into total ruin for one reason only:

Here stood the Bay Dome—the venue of the annual Student Knight Festival: the Seven Star Sword Art Festival.

And during this time of year, the "ghost town" suddenly surged with life. Street vendors lined the sidewalks, and crowds poured in from all across Japan.

Charles arrived at a hotel arranged by the Alliance to accommodate the participating contestants.

Exhaling slowly, he stepped toward a certain room.

He raised his hand and knocked. The hallway was so quiet that he could hear his own heartbeat speeding up.

"Coming!"

A familiar voice rang from inside, and then the door swung open.

The girl had grown even more beautiful—or more precisely, her current appearance emphasized her charm more than ever.

Stella was dressed in a flame-colored evening gown, as if she were a blaze herself, accentuating her striking figure in full.

She had even changed her hairstyle; her twin tails were now pinned up, revealing her fair, delicate neck.

With a light touch of makeup enhancing her features, and no jewelry whatsoever, she still radiated elegance and nobility.

Charles had often forgotten, due to her cheerful and down-to-earth personality, that Stella was in fact a princess. But right now, she was showing him that other side—equally captivating.

When she saw who stood at the door, Stella froze for a moment, then immediately threw herself into Charles's arms.

"Charles, you're back!"

He instinctively caught her, and in that moment he could clearly feel her soft form pressing against him.

Because of her powers, Stella's body temperature was always hotter than normal, and that warmth now passed into him.

Despite being a fire dragon slayer who could bathe in magma, Charles actually felt like he was getting burned.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm back."

Stella let go, her smile radiant enough to melt hearts. "Mm, welcome home!"

Charles smiled as well. "Are we just going to stand and talk in the hallway?"

Stella blinked, realizing what she was doing, and quickly pulled him into the room.

The hotel room was fairly standard, but what stood out most was the open suitcase on the floor and the clothes scattered across the bed.

Stella blushed, hurried over, and frantically bundled up the clothes, stuffing them into the suitcase before kicking it aside.

The sight made Charles burst out laughing.

Fuming, Stella balled her fists and moved to hit him, but Charles caught her by the wrist. Their eyes met—and her face turned even redder.

After a long pause, she asked, "So… have you taken care of everything?"

Charles shook his head. "It's only a temporary break. But I'll be free for quite a while now. That means I can be with you for a long time."

The two sat down on the sofa. Charles began to tell her about everything that had happened after he left this world.

Stella listened quietly, enjoying the way he shared his adventures with her.

Then she told him about everything that had happened since he left—including how she'd grown.

That reminded Charles. "By the way, dressed like that… are you heading to a party?"

Stella snapped her fingers. "Ah! I almost forgot. The banquet's about to start! It's a social gathering for the contestants in the festival."

She turned to look at him. "Come with me, Charles!"

"I've already withdrawn from the Seven Star Sword Art Festival," he said. "Is it really okay for me to attend?"

Stella frowned. "It was those jerks who made you withdraw in the first place. Otherwise, you'd be one of the contestants."

Charles had fairly earned his spot in the tournament through Hagun Academy's qualifiers. But under Bakuya Tsukikage's political manipulation, the Alliance had asked him to step aside so Japan could field more domestic contestants.

So Charles had simply given up his slot to Toudou Touka.

Stella had been furious about it ever since, holding a deep grudge against the tournament committee.

Charles smiled. "Alright then, let's go take a look. There are a few interesting people this year—I'd like to meet them."

Stella crossed her arms—drawing even more attention to the "sins" of her chest—then rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Well, then we need to get you a suit."

She snapped her fingers and called the front desk to request a men's formal outfit.

This was a top-tier hotel, and it took less than five minutes for a team to arrive with various suits and accessories.

Charles was treated like a mannequin as they took his measurements, then left behind a selection of well-fitting options.

Stella held a tailcoat up to him, frowned, then swapped it for a white suit. Still dissatisfied, she finally handed him a black suit with red pinstripes, along with a white shirt and charcoal gray vest.

Charles wasn't a fan of shopping for clothes, but he couldn't waste her thoughtful gesture. Besides, since he'd be appearing as her partner, he had to look the part.

Without complaint, he took the clothes and stepped into the dressing room. As expected of a luxury hotel, the changing space was quite large.

He took off his dragonscale scarf and began to remove his outerwear when the door suddenly opened.

"I forgot the—bowtie…"

Stella's voice trailed off as she froze at the sight before her.

Charles was bare-chested. His muscles were lean and perfectly defined, exuding both power and a kind of aesthetic grace.

The dressing room fell completely silent—then came the sound of someone gulping.

Stella had barged in. Charles blinked in surprise, then stood up when he heard that familiar voice.

"Do you like what you see?"

Stella instinctively nodded—then her face turned crimson and she spun around, dashing out of the room.

Charles looked at the frosted glass door, now cracked from the force of her retreat. Clearly, she'd been very flustered.

Outside, Stella leaned against the wall, smacking her burning cheeks. What was that?! What did I just do?! That was so embarrassing!

But as her embarrassment faded, her mind was filled with images of Charles's body. And in that moment, she had no choice but to admit…

She was kind of a perv.

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