Chapter 46 - Post-Match and the Agreement!
"It turns out to be... a... secret... technique?"
Not only could Sylvia not move her body, but she also gradually felt that even speaking was incredibly difficult.
"Why... would... this... happen?"
Realizing that she had lost, Sylvia reluctantly asked Luke.
Swoosh—!
A sword light flashed, and Luke effortlessly cut Sylvia's school emblem in half.
Drip—!
The match concluded, and the winner was Luke Ashburn from Jielong Seventh Institute!
After the game ended cleanly amid the cheers of the audience, Luke explained to Sylvia.
Amidst the cheers of the audience, after cleanly concluding the match, Luke explained to Sylvia.
"Don't waste your effort, thinking that I overlooked the fact that the glow at the muzzle of your weapon has yet to dissipate."
Her attempt to buy time exposed, Sylvia looked at her sliced school emblem, now split in two on the ground, feeling somewhat dejected.
She had precariously held onto the final energy bullet at the muzzle, aiming to catch Luke off guard and potentially compel him to retreat or, better yet, secure a victory.
However, she underestimated the ability of 'Jiunoka' and underestimated Luke's decisiveness.
Although Luke knew that even if he didn't rush to end the match, Sylvia couldn't quickly shake off the Tranquility effect of Jiunoka.
Still, he decided to prioritize ending the match. Even if there was a slight chance of mishap, he didn't want it to happen to him.
Unless it was a friendly sparring where the outcome didn't matter, he always aimed to resolve the battle as quickly as possible.
With things having come to this point, Sylvia had no choice but to stand there, looking sullen, and wait for Luke to explain why she suddenly couldn't move, and why she couldn't even speak now.
Seeing Sylvia before him, frozen like a statue, yet still trying to convey an 'I'm very angry' expression, Luke couldn't help but find it amusing.
"The reason you can't move isn't because time has stopped or space is restricted. It's because I 'tranquilized/calmed' you."
Luke placed his hand on Sylvia's shoulder, using his Prana to release her from the current embarrassing state.
"T-tranquilized? W-What do you mean?"
Gradually getting rid of the 'tranquilized' state, Sylvia's speech became smoother.
Watching the idol princess, who seemed to stutter and speak intermittently, Luke found it particularly amusing.
"In simple terms, it's like 'delay' or 'slow down,' causing an effect similar to 'deceleration,' I guess?"
At this point, Luke himself felt a bit difficult to explain it correctly.
After all, the 'tranquilized' effect of Shigure-Soen-Ryu, rather than being described as slowing down, was more like spatial stillness. However, fundamentally, it was indeed a form of deceleration.
It was a kind of deceleration that approached an almost complete standstill.
This effect not only affected the body but could also act on Prana flow. Moreover, at a deeper level, it could even affect one's thoughts and soul.
The final attack in Sylvia's hands just now, even if successfully launched, would be suspended in mid-air due to the 'tranquilized' effect.
After listening to Luke's explanation, Sylvia's mood became quite complex. She realized that the reason this technique succeeded was because, at the beginning, she had overlooked the move 'Chinsei Ame.'
At the beginning, she didn't notice anything unusual because the 'tranquilizing' effect hadn't taken effect yet.
By the time the 'tranquilizing' power invaded her defenseless body with the rain, the ongoing fierce battle could no longer allow her to be distracted.
The current outcome was predetermined when she initially overlooked 'Chinsei Ame.'
Because Luke couldn't reproduce the concept of 'Rain Flames' recorded in Shigure-Soen-Ryu, he took a different path and integrated Seisenjutsu and Star Swordsmanship into Shigure-Soen-Ryu, creating his own 'foreign style.'
Luke's modified Shigure-Soen-Ryu, when compared to the original version, couldn't be declared superior or inferior; they simply had their own advantages.
The spirit of inheritance in Shigure-Soen-Ryu lies in the continuous refinement and progress of later practitioners.
After the explanation, Sylvia had mostly recovered from the 'tranquilized' state. The two of them then left the stage together and returned to the contestant's lounge in the 'Sirius Dome.'
…
"Well, according to our previous agreement, I will help you temporarily suppress mental issues before tomorrow's finals."
Sylvia still felt somewhat unwilling.
At this moment, the two of them were resting in Luke's contestant lounge.
Although she was quite unwilling, Sylvia had to admit defeat in her heart.
She knew that in this match, Luke didn't showcase his full strength.
Thanks to this, she gained a clear understanding of the gap between herself and Luke and Orphelia at this level.
"I've already composed a song specifically affecting mental fluctuations. I'll sing it for you privately before the match tomorrow, but let's make it clear – no recording allowed!"
Whenever Sylvia mentioned this song, she couldn't help but feel a bit shy.
"Oh, no recording allowed, huh? Does that mean..."
Luke was initially puzzled but quickly caught on. He looked at Sylvia with a slightly surprised expression.
"There's nothing I can do about it! The only songs that have the power to affect emotions and need to be created in a short time are obviously love songs!"
Thinking about singing a love song to Luke privately tomorrow made Sylvia even more bashful.
However, she had no choice; after all, they had made an agreement in advance.
If Sylvia had won this semifinal match, Luke would have to apologize to her and refrain from contacting her in the future.
If Luke won, Sylvia had to create a special song for him and help him overcome his mental issues before the finals.
Now that Sylvia had lost, she had to fulfill her promise. Regardless, using her singing to help others was, indeed, a good thing.
"Uhm... Well, I'm sorry for my previous misconduct."
Luke's unexpected apology left Sylvia completely stunned.
"Huh? Wait a minute, didn't I lose? Why are you apologizing?"
"After all, I did something wrong, so an apology is the least I can do. I won't deny what I've done, but since it was a mistake, I should at least apologize to you, right?"
Sylvia looked at Luke in silence. She could sense the sincerity in his words. Unlike her, he wasn't intending to brush off the incident as if it never happened.
In truth, Sylvia felt more annoyance than resentment towards Luke. She knew he did what he did for certain reasons, so she didn't harbor any real ill will.
Even though she had already indicated that she didn't mind the situation, and considering their agreement, Luke didn't really need to apologize anymore. However, he took the initiative to genuinely express his regret.
This final, sincere apology from Luke melted away the last bit of annoyance in Sylvia's heart.
"Alright, I forgive you."
"Then, can I record tomorrow?"
"No!!!"
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