"What does Arch-Sabre even mean, Quinn!?"
Apparently, Quinn is the one responsible for putting 'Arch-Sabre' as my nickname.
"Ah, it just suddenly come to my mind!"
"Eh, then how about you rename it in the contestants list name! Just put some normal sounded nickname like Evans or something can't you?"
"Come on! We already on a battle Evans, don't sweat it too much!"
"Easy for you to say!! I don't need nicknames because they always sound weird!"
So, as expected, we are being surrounded by total of one hundred and twenty-five groups. I guess I must go through this with the best ability I have. Mom, Eva and her friends and entire audience are sitting on their seats watching us, I can't give them a poor performance.
"They are coming," Elea reminded.
"Yes," I replied.
"Roger!" Quinn replied.
"Elea, Quinn, when I say 'stay', you two stays under me and start your riot alright?"
Damn, I just give out a princess an order…or rather, a plan.
"Eh, you have a—" Quinn tried to ask.
"Got it." Elea cut in and replied instantly.
I take a long breath.
"LET THE FINAL ROUND STARTS!!" Carl and Hana announced together.
The moment the MCs announced the commencing of the match, all of the student start coming to us running with their sword, spears, flail, Warhammer, bow and more. There even some of group enchanting their magic attack to us.
"Wand skill: Ice Block!"
"Activate Dark Gravity Sphere!"
[Dark Gravity Sphere(D-rank): Conjure a dark sphere with small power of gravitational force once.]
"Activate Magic Spear!"
[Magic Spear(E-rank): Conjure a magic spear once.]
"Warhammer skill: Enchant Lightning!"
The spells from the people among the participants are heard but I can't see their location. Just when I realised, the magical attacks are floating ready to be directed to us.
"Activate Enhanced Jump," I chanted.
[Enhanced Jump(D-rank): Enable user produce strong jump once.]
My body emitted dim blue light for a second and I can feel my leg strength is increased multi-fold. Here I go. I jump to the air about 10 meters upwards, analysing every single magic attack near us while jumping.
"About thirty magical attacks in about to launch, another twenty are in static state. Then…" I muttered.
I hold my bow with my left hand, then a magical bowstring appeared right after I put my right hand to the bow grip as getting ready in a gesture to pull the glowing strings and commence my attack. Several students that realised my jumping attempt start targeting me with their magic and bows too.
"You are all…sloppy," I uttered.
"STAY!!" I ordered them and they both went under my jumping spot quickly.
I pull my bow's thin, glowing red bowstring and hold my breath for three seconds, deepening my focus and determination.
"Bow Skill: Multi Arrow Technique, Scarlet Rain!!!" I activated my bow skill.
Right after saying the skill, I released the bowstring, unleashing the magical red arrows multiplied into one hundred in number, directed to each magic attack and contestants I targeted. Some of the magic successfully cancelled out and the most people targeted that got hit by the arrows fall onto the stage floor. The arrows doesn't went directly to Elea and Quinn since I make sure to not shoot there.
"W-W-WHATT IS THATT!!! IN JUST A MOMENT, THE ARCH-SABER REPELS MOST OF THE MAGIC ATTACK POINTED TO THEM AND AT THE SAME TIME KNOCKED OUT HIS OPPONENTS IN ONE MOVES!!
"WOOOOAHHHH!!!!" The crowds were surprised and amazed.
The audience are getting excited now I guess.
"Let's show them what we've got Elea, Quinn!"
As soon as I landed on the stage, Elea and Quinn already charged to the surrounding enemies at a perfect timing. The skill I used just now, is an improvised ultimate skill of my bow. I charge the magical arrow as how my ultimate move should be, but I multiplied it instead, but the damage lowered. The backlash is I can't shoot any arrow for 15 seconds.
Wait… isn't weird for a main character to use his special skill first? Whatever.
Elea is using her spear. She didn't use her Flash Step spell yet, maybe because it is not the right moment to use it here since the enemies is still so many and her skill will have to charge after a use. But, as Eva have told me, she is amazingly swift and nimble. She knocked the opponent in front of her just in a blink of an eye. Every strike is repelled easily by her swift dodging and precise spear control.
Looking at Quinn which quite unexpected for me, he is excellent with his sword. His slashes and defends with his shield do look professional. He struck his opponent quickly but carefully just enough to knocked them out at the right spot. No wonder he is—
"QUICKSILVER!!!! QUICKSILVER!! QUICKSILVER!!"
Popular with girls. The cheering from the crowds is from girls' voices only. How lucky…
Alright, my 15 second duration have ended!
"HYARGH!!" a guy appeared behind me barked.
The guy is using a war axe trying to strike me from behind, but I successfully dodged it. If I were a minute late, I would have been struck.
"Hey, you should not scream when attempting a sneak attack."
I fired an arrow to him, knocked him out.
"I guess I will provide support from here," I said to myself.
I am being vigilant with my surrounding, looking of each spot, edge if there are anyone want to try a shoot at me or my teammate. Found one. I shot three arrows to three people trying to hit Elea from behind.
"Don't mention it!" I said to Elea.
"I don't need it!" She replied.
Eh… yeah maybe she can handle it but well… Next is…
"Quinn! Duck!"
"Eh!!"
I fired three arrows to the foes in front Quinn right after he ducked thus sending them to unconsciousness.
"Don't mention it!" I said to Quinn.
"I just about to defeat them!!" Quinn replied.
"Ah… oh… okay…"
So, our battle continues until most of the participants is lying down on the ground, blackened out. The battle was going the way we predicted that that at the early battle they will ganged up on us until we break their formation, they lose focus and start to attack each other group to seize a winner spot. Even so with everything went as smoothly and we need to defeat the enemy in front of us, the battle really takes a lot of times and it's already 30 minutes. This round consumes a crazy number of stamina I swear.
"IT'S ONLY THREE TEAM LEFT ON THE STAGE!! WHO WILL EMERGE VICTOR ON THIS FINAL ROUND AND PROCEED TO THE SECOND STAGE!!" Carl declared.
"Woo… this is it," Quinn takes a deep breath.
"You sound like you are tired, Quinn," I guessed.
"Nah, I can still beat these teams by myself," he replied.
"But I guess I will I take the left team," Quinn declared and start charging to the team on our left.
"I will take on the right," Elea said and commencing her attack.
"Eh, then what about me? Okay sure I will just provide you both support."
Quinn strikes the guys who was in front of his team while his members try to back him up with a strengthening spell. One of them use a wand to support the team with boosting skill. Quinn takes several steps backwards, getting ready in a stance to activate his skills and spells.
"Shield skill: Tremor!"
The stage suddenly quaking and cause the opponent team in front of him to become unbalanced. Then he launched his next attack.
"Activate Firm Ground!"
[Firm Ground(C-rank): Enhance stability on any surface for 3 minutes.]
"Activate Enhanced Magic!"
[Enhanced Magic(C-rank): Boost magical power output once.]
"Sword skill: Slash of Blue Light!"
His sword emitting blue colour lights, and the moment he swings his sword to his, a blue energy force in form of crescent moon appears from his sword, floating and launched to his opponents. All three of them were impelled to several meters backwards. They are all knocked out the moment they landed on the stage floor.
"Woah that's cool, now what about Elea…"
Well… of course… She already finished them all.
"THE ROUND WINNER IS DECIDED!!" Carl announced.
"YES!! OUR FINAL MATCH TODAY HAS COME TO AND END!! THE WINNER IS TEAM PRINCESS ELEANOR, QUICKSILVER AND ARCH-SABRE!!!" Hana continued.
"Ah again, what with that Arch-Sabre thing…" I sighed upon hearing my nicknamed given by Quinn.
"It's okay Evans, I think Arch-Sabre is a cool nickname, it's like symbolising a great sabre! I like it. Plus given your specialty is sabre…"
"Alright stop right there! Sheesh… but well… thank you…, I can agree with that now alright… fuh…" I replied.
For once in my life, I'm grateful to be granted with a weird nickname.
--- [Outside of Grand Arena] ---
"That terrific Evie!!! I don't know you are so good with bow!!"
Eva bawled at me because she thinks I show a great opening for the match. So, she can't believe I can use the bow that good.
"I learned it with gramps for two years okay! It's just experience! Nothing so special." I replied.
"Eh!! No, it is great!! But how dare you try to outshine me with bow!!"
"Ha..." I sighed.
"You really show us a magnificent opening Evans," Helena praised.
Eva hissed at Helena.
"Thanks Helena. Where is Ace?" I asked.
"He already went home," she answered.
"Oh… alright…" I replied.
"Maybe I will go too, bye!"
"Bye Helen!" Eva waving her hands to Helena.
"Then, how about we go home too, I will cook us a feast tonight for you two"
"Alright!! Thanks mom!!" Eva replied happily.
"Ah, I will go back in a little bit, I want to talk with Quinn and Elea for a bit. Bye mom, sis."
"Alright, make sure you are not too late!" Mom reminded me.
"Alright mom!"
"If you are late, I will eat all of the food!" Eva threatened me.
"You will be fat in not time Eve!" I warned.
I wave to mom and Eva as they are walking back to our house to rest for the day. Now, it's four in the evening, it's still early so I guess I can chat or walk a little bit.
"So, do you two have any after event activities to do?" I asked to Quinn and Elea.
"Well, I am not particularly having any idea, I usually went back home after the class," Elea answered.
"I have! How about we visit some of the school booth and have fun a little bit!" Quinn forwarded his idea.
"I agree. How about you Elea?"
"Well, okay I guess…" Elea answered, a little bit hesitated.
"Let's go then!" Quinn looked so excitable.
Then we take a stroll around the Blade Festival and join some of the featured game. It is unexpectedly fun. I rarely having fun like this but today, I feel so refresh and satisfied. Honestly, I am happy that I succeed to win the tournament because it's my first event that I never even think of joining. The feeling of being able to apply my skill that I learned back when with my grandfather was worth it.
During my 16 and 17, I learned on how to use the magical bow with high precision and focus. Gramps was strict when he taught me. He taught me everything he knows about archery skills and developing my sight. He is exceptional in teaching those things.
I able to master the archery in two years, because of the three years before that. It was when—
"Evans, it's almost seven, I think we should go home now," Elea suggesting.
"Ah yes, that's right. Let's go home!" I replied.
"Thank you for today guys, keep the hard work for tomorrow too!" Quinn continued.
We wave our hand to each other us before going on our separate way. We lived in completely different residential area, and quite far from each other. The dusk is starting to appear. I walk as I sealed my eyes on the grand view of the vast red sky. Suddenly I remembered a quote from a novel I read.
"A large drop of sun lingered on the horizon and then dripped over and was gone, and the sky was brilliant over the spot where it had gone, and a torn cloud, like a bloody rag, hung over the spot of its going and… and…"
What was it…?
"And dusk crept over the sky from the eastern horizon, and darkness crept over the land from the east."
Someone continued the quotes. I turned to my back.
"Hey…" she said.
"E-Elea…w-why are you not going back yet?" I replied with a question. A little bit startled.
"Hm… I have a question…" she asked.
She was standing there, looking a little bit restless as the light of dusk rest upon her body adding the shade of red on her skin. Her small body frame and cute face prevents me from averting my gaze of attraction to her.
"Hey?" She called for me that have been in a daze for a while.
"Ah yes!! Sorry... what is the question?" I finally got back to my senses.
"Why did not you use the sabre that I have bought for you?" She asked.
"Um… that was…"
"Was?"
"Well, I rarely use sword in my battle, so for today, I think I will just go with the bow, the sabre is wicked strong too so you don't have to worry, when I'm in disadvantage, I will draw the sword," I tried to convince her.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Thank God, I thought you don't like it since it was me the one choosing…" she was so relieved.
"Eh, n-n-no! Impossible! Of course, I love it! It's just too special to me, so I just don't want to use it yet!" I stuttered.
Her face suddenly become red.
"Ah… I-I see…well… then, s-see you tomorrow!" She replied.
She turned back clumsily and goes on her way home running. Eh, she stuttered a little bit like nervous… that is not usual for her… did I say something wrong? Eh…
--- [In front of Reinhard Residence] ---
"Finally, home sweet home," I welcomed myself to my house.
"Evans Reinhard."
Again.
This man.
His voice has successfully registered among voices that I can't ever forget. I turned to my back.
"What business do you have with me today?" I asked sternly.
"Relax, I won't do anything to you or your family. I just want to say, I, shadow want to congratulate you on winning the first stage of the tournament."
"Is that all? If it is then get lost from my sight and drop dead already," I replied.
"The next one will be harsher than today. Therefore, I wish you good luck. farewell."
Then he vanished into thin air as if dispersed to the surrounding, just like the first time we met.
"…"
"Freak," I said to him knowing he isn't there.