Man, finding free legal sources for light novels like 'Strike the Blood' can be tricky! I totally get the struggle—back when I was a broke student, I scoured the internet for hours trying to find ways to read my favorite series without breaking the bank. The official English translation by Yen Press isn’t free, but sometimes you can find excerpts or previews on sites like BookWalker or J-Novel Club’s subscription service (which has a free trial!).
That said, I’d caution against shady sites offering 'free' full translations. A lot of them are either pirated or riddled with malware. I learned the hard way after clicking one and getting my laptop infected with adware. These days, I save up for official releases or use library apps like Hoopla—some libraries even have digital copies you can borrow! It’s slower, but supporting the creators feels way better in the long run.