The sun was high above the world, the sky blue as can be, clouds littering its every edge and corner. The blades of grass rustle in the meadow, the rivers continuing to flow, and the forests breathing in and out as sunlight graced its verdant canopies.
The world was peaceful and quiet, however, the same couldn't be said in the cities where people hustle and bustle. A certain venue in particular was especially lively, hollering cheers and thunderous applause echoing towards the heavens.
It was the final day of the Carnival of Swords, and so the conclusion was near. The semifinals of the Junior and Intermediate Divisions had just finished, and now, it was time for the Senior Division, the audience excited as can be.
"Fufufu! Someone sure looks excited." ［Miranda］
"Hahaha, how could I not be? After all, next would be Yuna's match... I have high expectations for the one who defeated me." ［Archen］
The King declared with a bright smile on his face, extending from ear to ear as he eagerly watched over the arena. His blood was bubbling from excitement, hands trembling ever so slightly as he tried to rein in himself from anticipation.
Inside the waiting area, it wasn't any less quiet. Three figures stood just behind the arena gates, a silver-haired elf sheathing her swords as she peeked at the scenery outside the waiting area, ready to lash out and cross swords with her enemy.
"Yuna, you must win, okay?! You must win for me! Don't let Lord Elian defeat you! Show him what you've got!" ［Lisandra］
"Fufufu! Thank you, Lisa, though... Are you sure you aren't just cheering on me because Lord Elian is Lord Deltran's rival?" ［Yuna］
"What?! How could Lord Elian be Lord Deltran's rival! Lord Deltran is clearly stronger than him! And by a long shot at that!" ［Lisandra］
"Sure, sure, let's just go with that～!" ［Yuna］
She was bawling her eyes out yesterday, but now, she was full of energy, puffing her cheeks as she argued with Yuna. She gave her one final and tight embrace for good luck, wishing all the best for her victory, a sweet smile afloat on her pretty face.
Letting go of Lisandra, Yuna's eyes then shifted to a certain black-haired youngster. She wanted another "good luck charm", but with Lisandra around, she couldn't just ask for something so embarrassing, eyes now filled with expectations.
'Really now... Haah... What am I gonna do with you...' ［Grey］
Such a thought revolved around Grey's mind, sighing to himself as he looked at his beloved. With her looking like an abandoned puppy, how could he have the heart to ignore her. He soon extended his hand, patting her head ever so softly.
"Good luck, Yuna." ［Grey］
His hand was warm and gentle, filled with a stream of affection and sincerity. It was not exactly what she thought of, but it wasn't any less comforting. Confidence and determination filled her heart, her lips breaking into a smile of satisfaction.
"Un! I'll do my best, so you better look forward to it!" ［Yuna］
"That's the spirit, Yuna! Show that geezer what the Heroine of Oiros os made of! Beat him with everything you've got! Crush hiー" ［Lisandra］
"Then, let's welcome our semifinalists! Lord Elian and Lady Yuna!!" ［Terry］
Laughter and giggles in the air, the announcement rang loud and clear all over the Gran Colosseum, cutting the princess off and a wave of deafening cheers followed after it. It was finally time for the fuel, the audience chanting their names.
"Then, I'll be going now! Please watch me closely!" ［Yuna］
She clenched her hands into a fist and declared such words with her chest puffed with pride. Her footsteps soon resounded in the air, drowned out by the heavy creaking of the arena gates and soon, by the thundering clamor and chatter of the audience.
Yuna was filled with determination, however, the same couldn't be said for Grey. He has full trust in Yuna's skills, yet he still couldn't help but have worry brew in his heart, concerned about his beloved. After all, her opponent was...
-----------------------------------
[Salferine]
[Name]Elian
[Race]Human
[Sex]Male
[Age]29
[Status]Healthy
[Mana Capacity]2,135 [Mana Quality]B
[Combat Power]3,672 [Threat Level]A
[Attribute]Fire [Magic Proficiency]High (55%)
[Class]Swordsman [Weapon Proficiency]High (54%)
[Physical Enhancement]77%
[Ability]『Asura (4☆)』
-----------------------------------
... Quite powerful. It was no wonder he had been often referred to as the Champion's Rival. He has the skills to back it all up.
During the weeks they have been fighting in the Gran Colosseum, Yuna's proficiency in the sword has risen from 62% to 65%, a massive increase considering it has only been a couple of weeks. She was worthy of being called a prodigy.
However, even that 65% was still far from 74% which was almost at the "Advanced" level. The only way Yuna can equal her was to effectively use ice magic in conjunction with swordsmanship to overpower Elian. An easy-sounding fear which couldn't be any more difficult to pull off.
'Hmm... I wonder... Am I being overprotective again?' ［Grey］
There was not a need to worry so much. With the bright face she made whilst she stepped foot into the arena, he could only put his trust on her, his eyes glued on her as she went up the stage, heart now at rest.
"Wh-What's this, folks?! Am I just seeing things or is Her Highness now has two scabbards by her side?!" ［Konan］
"You're not wrong, partner! And not just her, His Grace also has four more blades hanging on his back! It seems like things are getting serious!" ［Terry］
"We have said it before, and we will say it again! This match will go down in the history of the Kingdomー No! The world! This match will be legendary!" ［Konan］
The commentators weren't exaggerating. Along the usual "Divine Sword", Yuna also now held the "Silversky Decapitator" in her hand, one of the Mythical-Grade swords Grey got as a prize for clearing the Labyrinth of flames. It was a special sword which empowers the ice attribute, perfect for Yuna.
On the other hand, Elian was equipped with six swords. Two were hanging by his sides and the other four by his back. All were of the Superior-Grade, costing dozens of millions of kiels. He sure was rich, I'll tell you that much.
"Whew～! This is the first time I'm seeing you use two swords, Your Highness. So you were a dual wielder as well?" ［Elian］
"Well, you could say that... Though, this is the first time I'm wielding two swords at the same time. I was inspired by your style yesterday, you see." ［Yuna］
"That isn't something you can decide on willy-nilly, you know? Dual wielding is much harder than it seems. You might regret acting so recklessly." ［Elian］
"Fufufu! We shall see about that..." ［Yuna］
There was only confidence in her eyes as she shook Elian's hands. After all, she was an assassin, and she has been dual wielding ever since she learnt how to fight. Be it swords or daggers, everything felt natural in her hands.
Though... there was no need to say it out loud. Elian and Yuna soon separated and headed to their respective sides. Their usual introduction followed, the commentators now more hyped than before as they riled up the crowd.
"Let the match... Begin!!" ［Konan and Terry］
BOOOOMMMMMMM
The signal rang and a shockwave followed soon after. Before everyone could even notice, the tiles were already broken, two streaks of light clashing with one another. Excitement boomed soon after, eyes sparkling with excitement.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG
Sharp and violent screeches danced in the air, Yuna and Elian hurling rapid shots towards one another, both of them dodging and parrying with eyes as their eyes cruised like bolts of lightning, their clashes following it like thunder.
The previous clashes were already fierce, but with both contestants wielding two swords, it was now even faster and even more violent, twice the devastation razing the arena and twice the enthusiasm drifting afloat the crowd.
⟨⟨ ⟨⟨Double Cross!⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ［Yuna and Elian］
Their techniques are just as fast, only needing half the time to launch such powerful strikes, the air quivering in fear and the ground quaking in terror as they exchanged blows time and time again, turbulent storms of mana brewing askew.
Elian bolted towards Yuna and raised one of his swords to the sky, another rushing from below. He brought the two of them together, rushing towards the young lady like the pincers of a crab, only more deadly and at breakneck speeds.
The streaks of his blade glimmered under the bright sky, Yuna's eyes following it close. She easily dodge the attack by planting one of her swords in the ground and propelling herself upwards with a little bit of help from wind magic.
Elian's attack was over, so it was now time for Yuna's counterattack. She gripped her remaining sword with both her hands and poured great amounts of mana towards it, glowing bright as it streaked towards Elian like a bolt of lightning falling from heaven.
⟨⟨Heavy Slash!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
Yuna's sword crashed like a falling star and connected with Elian's crossed swords. A tremendous shockwave rocked the stage once more, whilst Elian's knees were forced to bend. Another shockwave followed as he deflected Yuna away from him.
The young lady was blasted a couple distances away, but she easily landed on her foot, rushing towards Elian once again, all the while grabbing her other sword with a sharp glint glimmering inside her eyes.
⟨⟨Raging Thunder Flash!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
Her steps exploded like thunder and she bolted towards Elian at breakneck speeds. Like Grey the day before, she imbued the power of wind, fire, and lightning to her legs and rushed at speeds unimaginable inside the barrier.
⟨⟨Dual Winged Phoenix Flash!⟩⟩ ［Elian］
Elian's steps also shattered the tiles as she dashed towards Yuna, flames enveloping his whole body and his swords. An explosion of sparks erupted as he crossed his swords, rushing towards Yuna with the intent to win.
Elian was fast, but Yuna was even much faster. Every step the man took, Yuna could take two, not giving him any chances to escape her grasp. She chased after him time and time again, flames razing the stage as two streaks cruised all over the place.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
The clanging of metals ceased to exist, thundering explosions then taking their place. Yuna struck as aggressively as she could and Elian defended against her ferocious blows, craters forming one after another every single time their blades clashed.
'Kugh... As expected of an S-ranker... So powerful...!' ［Elian］
Each of the young lady's blows were heavy, Elian clearly pushed back. Their physical prowess may now be equal, but with such explosive power backing her, Elian could only grunt as he bore the brunt of her furious cascade of blades.
Unlike Agatha from his match before, Yuna wasn't showing any signs of fatigue nor rapid mana exhaustion either, looking rather calm if anything. It was only then that it dawned on him that he couldn't simply play around and do things half heartedly.
The glint in Elian's eyes finally changed. Yuna's flurry of slashes continued, yet Elian halted his steps in rebellion and bore down on of her attacks with a single blade, a bit of pain cruising in his veins, hand trembling from the impact.
Yet Elian didn't falter. He didn't waste the opportunity and poured mana into his other sword and thrusted it towards Yuna, twisting his arms a little bit as he aimed for the young lady's neck without hesitation.
⟨⟨Wild Thrust!⟩⟩ ［Elian］
The thrust parted the air and pierced through the storming torrent. Yet another loud crash danced in the air, a metallic clash echoing as his sword connected with Yuna's, an explosion of mana following, a cloud of dust brewing in the stage.
His thrust wasn't able to wound Yuna, but it was able to blast her more than a few meters away. It gave Elian more than enough room to prepare his counterattack, a scarlet glimmer burning ablaze in his eyes like the flames of hell.
Of course, Yuna didn't just stand by and no nothing. As Elian's flames raged, the air around her started to freeze and snow started to fall. Ice slowly crept on the stage, a storm or blue brewing all over the arena at her command.
⟨⟨ ⟨⟨Scorching Crescent!!⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ［Elian］
There wasn't just one, but two waves of raging flames rushing towards Yuna. One rushed from above whilst the other one from below. They painted the stage red, the winds bursting forth with rage and the tiles melting from the heat.
⟨⟨ ⟨⟨Mountain Cleaving Frost!!⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
On the other side, two waves of blue burst forth from Yuna's blade, leaving trails of ice and frost in their wake, cruising like sharks in the oceanic depths. The morning breeze turned into freezing winds, lashing out all over the place.
BOOOOMMMMMMM
The blades of frost and flames clashed, a shockwave of destruction razing the ground and ripping the whole stage without mercy. It resounded louder than thunder, people forced to cover their ears despite the barrier protecting them.
Light soon faded away and all there was to be seen was destruction, the boundaries of the stage erased from existence yet again. Only a single figure could be seen left standing on the stageー or rather, only one could be seen.
⟨⟨Double Cross!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
One of them was veiled by the large pillars of steam, smoke, and dust, only revealing herself as she launched yet another attack towards Elian. Such thick clouds were parted by her slash, a massive hole bored through in the shape of a cross.
Elian didn't let his guard down either. With his quick reaction time, he quickly jumped away from Yuna's blades, the already jaded stage destroyed even more the moment it crashed towards the ground, another pillar of smoke rising to the air.
"Haah... You really are relentless, aren't you?" ［Elian］
"Fufufu! Then I'll take that as a compliment. I feel honored, Lord Elian." ［Yuna］
"Haha... So you can still laugh in such a situation, huh.... Then let's see if you can still keep on laughing after seeing this...!" ［Elian］
The air tensed up all of the sudden, the winds brewing eerily and the ground quaking ominously. A terrifying premonition struck Yuna's heart, instinctively fixing her stance, her guard raised to the highest level. A shocking scene unfolded before her.
There was no warning whatsoever. Shadows suddenly crept all over Elian's body and his whole being underwent a transformation. Two pairs of shadowy hands appeared on his back and two dark faces grew beside his face, his muscles growing stronger and tougher than they had ever been.
The four scabbards were finally released, four longswords unsheathed as two pairs of arms drew from them. Each blade glimmered with sharpness and intimidation, ready to slash away the moment Elian wills it.
Asura (4☆)... Such was Elian's ability which not only grants him extra strength, but also grants his four extra limbs and two extra heads in the form of shadows. This allows him to attack much faster in a wider range, all the while observing the whole battlefield and multitasking with the use of his extra heads.
"H-Here it is, folks! The moment we have been waiting for! His Grace has finally shown his trump card and has transformed into the great terror of Avalon! The Six-Bladed Asura!" ［Konan］
"Hohoho! And here I thought I won't see it again this year, Partner! It looks like things are getting serious! The battle is getting heated up, folks!" ［Terry］
"What will Her Highness do?! Will she be able to keep on fighting or would His Grace finally take victory with his trump card?! Ohh! Things are getting exciting!" ［Konan］
The crowd's excitement rose up to cloud nine, yet one figure couldn't be any more different. It was none other than Yuna, her eyes now filled with worry and trouble, hands trembling a little bit, not from fear, but uneasiness.
Grey had already warned her before about Elian's ability, but standing in front of the now-transformed Elian, it was much more concerning than she thought. Two swords were already troublesome, and now there were six. It couldn't get any worse.
"Then, here I... Go!" ［Elian］
There was no need for second thoughts, Elian quickly pouncing towards Yuna. He may have gained extra heads and limbs, but since they were all but shadows, they didn't weigh him down at all. He was still just as fast.
BOOOOMMMMMMMMM
The first clash echoed, two blades bearing down towards the young lady. Yet there was no time to be relieved. Whilst both her blades were busy, Elian's other swords thrusted towards her, lunging from four different directions.
Yuna's eyes were fast, able to see them perfectly, but her body couldn't keep up with her reflexes. She was able to deflect two, but the other two continued to rush towards her, albeit shallowly, wounding her left arm and her right leg.
Elian didn't just stop there. Before Yuna could even recover, he quickly lunged his other swords towards her and trapped her in a torrent of swords, wounds appearing all over her delicate figure as Elian continued to pour out a cascade of swords.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG BOOOOMMMMMM
It didn't take too long before Yuna concluded how disadvantageous close combat was. When she did, she immediately poured all her strength towards her legs and increased the distance between them with explosive steps.
In an instant, she was on another edge of the stage, mana brewing like a storm with her at the center of the vortex, freezing winds lashing out as her eyes glowed as deep and frosty color. Winter gales screamed all over the place.
⟨⟨ ⟨⟨Mountain Cleaving Frost!⟩⟩ ⟩⟩［Yuna］
Yet another two blades of frost bolted across the already devastated stage, crystals of ice and glaciers running rampant towards Elian. Yuna poured even more power in that strike, packing enough power to sweep away entire villages.
Of course, Elian didn't just sit still and let the storm of ice devour him. He ignited his flames once again, all his swords clad in raging flames. He unleashed all of them at once, racing like stampeding buffalos in a gorge.
⟨⟨ ⟨⟨ ⟨⟨ ⟨⟨ ⟨⟨ ⟨⟨Scorching Crescent!!⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ［Elian］
Six whole waves of flames dyed the arena a scarlet hue, lashing out without mercy as they rushed towards Yuna. Two collided with Yuna's blades and booming like thunder as an explosion of heat and steam laid waste on the arena once more.
But such thick veil didn't last too long, dispersed by the other blades of flame which rushed towards Yuna. Explosions thundered once more as blades collided with the ever so sturdy barrier, not a trace of the young lady to be seen.
She appeared soon enough, but not where she was before. She was now behind Elian, a silver glimmer sparkling ever so brightly as she thrusted both her swords towards Elian, boosting it with the explosive powers of the elements.
CLANG CLANG
However, it was all too unfortunate. With two more heads on his person, Elian quickly saw the sparkle in her swords and parried it with two pairs of swords, then twisting his body to launch a counterattack with the other two.
Yuna immediately exploded her steps and bolted away from Elian as soon as she saw her attack fail. Blood trickled down her wounds and dripped towards the stage, her remaining sharp as she evaluated the situation again.
Close quarters combat was already a no go from the start, yet now, even long ranged attacks and sneak attacks are nullified by Elian's extra heads and arms. The only way to win was to maximize the input of ice magic to her sword and slash with all her might.
'The problem is the rebound... I could only exert about 60% now. If I exert more than 70%, it might become aー' ［Yuna］
"What are you thinking so deeply about?" ［Elian］
Yuna couldn't even think properly, when Elian's swords once again lashed at her. All she could do was dodge and parry, using a bit of magic to aid her strides and trying to endure the heavy curtain of blades as much as she could.
A series of clashes echoed in the air once more and fresh wounds appeared on the young lady's body. She was fully suppressed, the suffering only ending the moment she escaped with all the strength she could muster.
"Hey... Your Highness... I don't know you that much, but I could tell that you're still not giving it your all. Why don't you use 'that' already?" ［Elian］
"By 'that', you mean..." ［Yuna］
"The one you used against Lord Lazareth. That was your ability, wasn't it?" ［Elian］
Elian was totally right. Since the first round, Yuna had sworn to not use her ability as it was too unfair for the other contestants. Not only does it conceal her, it could also make her practically invincible against any sort of attack.
To make matters worse, the Carnival of swords is a competition to measure one's skills with the sword. Using such an ability would deter its very meaning useless and could be taken as an insult to the Kingdom's history. She was hesitating.
"No... That ability is too unfair..." ［Yuna］
"Unfair, you say... Well, suit yourself. Though, you might regret it now if you don't use that card. It would be your loss, you know?" ［Elian］
Loss... Such a word resounded clearly inside Yuna's mind. Ever since she started training, she only considered herself losing to two people, and they were none other than the Azure Sword Emperor and Grey, two people who are truly strong.
To tell her that she would be losing against another, a swirl of emotions stirred her heart. It was not a matter of losing or winning, nor was it a matter of confidence and pride. It's just... She had a promise to keep.
"Haah... Sorry for showing you such a sight... Then, I'll get serious too. Don't regret it when you lose." ［Yuna］
"Hahaha. Now that's more like it! Bring it on!" ［Elian］
Yuna's eyes suddenly changed their glow. As Elian's voice rang in the air, the hot winds fueled the flames. It rose and danced, covering Yuna's figure. The moment it lowered down, Yuna was nowhere to be seen, only the crackling of flames to be heard
All of Elian's heads turned and surveyed the arena, not missing a single spot and not letting go of any little disturbances. He was fully on guard, his six blades in a defensive position and ready to strike Yuna down the moment he saw her.
"Huh...?" ［Elian］
It was all too sudden. Before he could even notice, a wound had opened up on his left leg and a crystal of blood and ice bloomed from it. He couldn't even stop and think, another wound opening up, now in his cheeks.
Legs, torso, back, arms, chest, and all over his body. Wounds opened up again and again, ice starting to devour him whole. He tried to swing his blade, but he only sliced air, a silent whistle resounding in the air.
Not just her body, but even her steps and her traces. Yuna activated her "Nihility" to the highest and utmost degree, only deactivating for shorter than a split second to attack, not even giving Elian time to counterattack.
⟨⟨Silver Rush: Blizzard!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
She rushed all over the place, inflicting wounds all throughout Elian's body. The latter tried to counterattack, but it was all in vain, only receiving stinging and freezing pain every time he moved his body.
Dozens... Hundreds... Thousands... The number of wounds slowly grew, Elian slowly but surely swallowed by ice as time continued to pass. The tides of the battle had finally turned, Elian bearing the full brunt of Yuna's fury.
⟨⟨White Dream: Fluttering Snowflakes!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
A cold voice rang out in the midst of chaos, a storm of white and blue brewing along the hollering winds. Two blades of ice appeared as the snowflakes danced in the air, the once burning breeze now dropping into shivering chills.
Elian couldn't move his swords from the restraining frost engulfing his body. A smile appeared on his face as he accepted his fate. The blades of blue engulfed him whole, massive glaciers appearing on the arena. All flames were extinguished at its wake.
As the whistling winds blew and silence loomed over the Grand Colosseum, the silver-haired elf once again appeared on the jaded arena, her eyes cold as can be. She opened her mouth, only a few words escaping it.
"See? I told you you'd regret it." ［Yuna］
CHAPTER 328 END