Chapter 49 - Lindwurm Finals!
"'Luke, the Extreme Swordsman, can you overturn my destiny?"
Throughout the entire 'Lindwurm,' Orphelia, who had remained silent, spoke for the first time.
To be honest, facing Orphelia, Luke didn't know what to say.
He understood Orphelia, knew what had happened to her, and was well aware that the 'destiny' she spoke of was not the superficial lamentation of a weakling.
"I don't know if I can overturn your true destiny, but if, at this moment, your destiny is intertwined with the emblem on your chest."
"Then I will certainly cut it down!"
After these two lines of dialogue, Luke and Orphelia did not continue speaking. They just stood on the stage, silently waiting for something.
As the match was yet to begin, the surrounding audience gradually grew puzzled.
However, Luke and Orphelia knew why this was happening.
Kacha—!
In the quiet arena, the crisp sound of shattering was so distinct.
One sound, two sounds...
Amid countless cracking noises and the astonished expressions of the audience, the protective barrier set up around the stage to prevent injuries shattered due to the clash of Luke and Orphelia's auras.
In the moment when this protective barrier broke, three additional layers of protection simultaneously rose around the stage.
Only then did the announcement for the start of the match sound on the stage.
For the first time, the audience gained a fundamental understanding of the 'monster' level participants.
Before, everyone knew they were powerful, but compared to other contestants, where exactly did their strength lie?
Now, Luke and Orphelia, who shattered the protective barrier solely through the clash of their momentum, made it clear to them what 'monster' truly meant.
Luke was the first to make a move. He swung Ser-Veresta forward, sending a sword qi wrapped in water towards Orphelia.
Facing this probing strike, Orphelia, just like in the previous matches, stood still.
The rapidly approaching sword qi, after tearing through her outermost miasma shield, was crushed by a large purplish-black hand.
This was Orphelia's second layer of defense and her primary offensive method.
Formed by the extreme compression of miasma, the 'Block Of Miasma' gathered countless miasmas behind Orphelia, gradually shaping into a colossal wrist, resembling the skeletal hand of an undead reaching out from the depths of hell.
Innumerable undead hands surrounded Orphelia, creating a chaotic scene as if a group of demons was dancing wildly.
Luke paid no attention to these and instead focused on the ground beneath Orphelia's feet, where a small puddle of accumulated water had formed from the crushed remains of his previous attack.
Looking at the puddle now tainted and transformed into a pool of purple poisonous liquid due to the miasma, Luke sighed.
"As expected."
Although he had anticipated that Shigure-Soen-Ryu would be countered, when it actually happened, Luke couldn't help but feel a bit regretful.
The keen senses of a swordsman allowed him to clearly sense the invisible miasma gradually spreading across the stage.
In such a situation, facing Orphelia, there was only one choice: swift and decisive action.
"Turn to dust."
Luke remained motionless, but Orphelia had no intention of staying still.
Orphelia had once detested her own power and refused to use it.
However, that was the "once upon a time" Orphelia Landlufen.
The power of time is always formidable, and in the face of the passage of time, even the greatest pain and sorrow will gradually be diluted and forced to accept by people.
Confronted with the unshakable harsh reality and having abandoned all hope, Orphelia slowly learned how to use her own power. Although clumsy, it undoubtedly boosted her strength.
With Orphelia's emotionless voice, countless undead hands spread towards Luke.
However, Luke, having decided on his course of action, didn't waste any time.
Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu·Ryūsōsen!
The undead hands approaching Luke were swiftly sliced into pieces by the high-speed slashes.
Due to his stabilized mental state, Luke could now tap into his long-lost sword qi. With the support of sword qi, even ordinary sword techniques would unleash extremely terrifying power.
After dispersing the onslaught of undead hands, Luke, who decided on a swift resolution, immediately rushed towards Orphelia.
Under the effect of "Godspeed," Luke resembled a blue meteor, instantly reaching Orphelia's front.
Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu·Kuzuryūsen!
The meteor suddenly split into nine streams of light, simultaneously sealing off all the space around Orphelia.
Even someone as formidable as Orphelia had weaknesses.
While she could recklessly dominate opponents with her abilities, she was also excessively reliant on those abilities.
Before Orphelia became the top-ranked in Rewolf Black, there were instances in official ranking battles where she was approached by ability users with short-range instantaneous movement.
In the instant the battle shifted to close combat, Orphelia's response at that particular moment was not capable enough.
Although she eventually emerged victorious, she was rarely forced into a desperate situation.
Therefore, Orphelia is acknowledged to have a deficiency in close-quarters combat, which is almost universally recognized.
Certainly, there have been subsequent challengers employing similar strategies, but none have succeeded.
After all, with the passage of time, Orphelia's abilities, tactics, and defenses have all significantly strengthened, making it nearly impossible for opponents to engage her in close combat again.
At the moment Luke closed in on Orphelia, almost everyone believed that Orphelia was on the verge of defeat.
"If you only see me as a tragic woman with formidable power, then you are truly foolish."
A blaze ignited in Orphelia's deep crimson eyes, and she suddenly unfolded her weapon.
It was a double-bladed scythe Lux, featuring enormous blades on both ends.
The radiance of the Meteor Arts Technique flashed, and Orphelia, wielding her scythe, directly faced Luke's Kuzuryūsen. Her posture was akin to the arrival of a Grim Reaper.
This astonishing turn of events stunned the entire audience.
No one had expected that the "Ereshkigal" would conceal such exquisite close combat skills.
However, Luke was not surprised at all.
Taking advantage of Orphelia's Meteor Arts, Luke first stepped back a little and assumed a stance.
"From the beginning to the end, I never regarded you as a tragic woman. I knew from the start that you are my greatest opponent in this 'Lindwurm.'"
As Luke's words fell, the full power that had only been displayed in front of Fan Xinglu appeared before everyone.
This time, the whole world witnessed the brilliance of that ultimate sword skill.
Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu·Ogi·Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki·Second Stage!
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