Chapter 223: Competitive Challenge.

Seriu's matches were immensely popular, drawing so many swordsmen that tickets were almost impossible to obtain. If Seriu hadn't enjoyed priority ticket purchases as a competitor, the Light Squad probably wouldn't have gotten seats at all.

Now an entire row of Mage Apprentices occupied some of the best seats in the arena, attracting curious glances from the surrounding swordsmen.

"What's with those Mage Apprentices?"

"Who knows? Instead of watching the matches next door in the Mages' Hall, they've come here to take up seats in the Swordsmen's Hall."

"Judging by their robes, they must be students at St. Velia Magic Academy."

"All the more reason they should be watching the matches next door, then."

"Shh! I saw Seriu bring them in earlier."

"Don't tell me they're magic swordsmen who practice both magic and swordsmanship, too?"

"Impossible! How could there be that many magic swordsmen? Human talent has its limits. Mastering even one discipline takes all the energy a person has."

"Even Seriu is more accomplished in swordsmanship than magic."

"He may insist on calling himself a mage, but he's much better suited to being a swordsman."

"Exactly. Every time I watch him fight, I can feel my own sword energy stirring."

"Quiet, everyone! Seriu's coming out!"

As two swordsmen entered the arena, the noisy spectator stands gradually fell silent.

The Light Squad had been listening eagerly to the gossip around them, but the moment the competitors appeared, they turned their full attention to the arena.

The first swordsman to challenge Seriu was a towering, muscular man clad in heavy armor. He carried a massive sword as tall as a person, and his helmet concealed his face. Judging by the badge on his breastplate, he was an Intermediate Great Swordsman.

Shu Li shifted his gaze to Seriu.

Unlike his heavily armored opponent, Seriu wore a suit of light armor without a helmet. He held an ordinary-sized silver sword and stood with his back perfectly straight, looking far too refined to be a swordsman.

Yet neither his challenger nor the spectators dared underestimate him.

Every swordsman who had underestimated Seriu in the past had suffered defeat at his hands.

This seemingly delicate young man had won match after match, becoming a champion who commanded everyone's attention.

Having witnessed Seriu's strength yesterday, the members of the Light Squad watched with eager anticipation.

In the arena, the challenger introduced himself politely.

"Hello. My name is Galen, and I come from the Holy Path Kingdom. It's an honor to face you."

The Holy Path Kingdom was a small country northeast of the Central Court, not far from Igya City. Swordsmen and mages from the kingdom frequently traveled here to exchange knowledge and improve their skills.

"Hello. I'm Seriu. I'm pleased to accept your challenge," Seriu replied.

His expression remained indifferent and his voice perfectly calm, betraying not the slightest hint of pleasure.

Galen didn't mind. He assumed a fighting stance and shouted, "Let's have a good match!"

The moment the words left his mouth, he swung his enormous sword and charged toward Seriu with thunderous force.

As he advanced, a powerful surge of sword energy erupted from him, sweeping toward Seriu in a semicircle.

Seriu stood his ground, utterly unperturbed. He raised his silver sword before his chest, his handsome face turning solemn as a razor-sharp surge of sword energy shot skyward.

Galen roared, "Just what I wanted! Radiant Slash!"

His enormous sword swept horizontally like a streak of white light.

Just as the blade was about to strike Seriu, golden light burst from around his body, stopping the attack dead.

A sword energy shield!

Galen's eyes widened in astonishment.

What incredibly dense sword energy! It had blocked his Radiant Slash with almost insulting ease!

Although both men were Intermediate Great Swordsmen, Seriu's sword energy was several times purer and more refined than his own.

"Again!"

Galen retreated several steps and gathered his strength. His enormous sword began to blaze with dazzling light.

"Blazing Slash!"

Roaring flames engulfed the massive blade as he brought it down with tremendous force.

It collided with Seriu's sword energy shield, sending countless sparks flying.

Boom!

Seriu's shield shattered under the blow.

Seizing the opportunity, Galen immediately unleashed another Radiant Slash.

But just as the attack was about to connect, Seriu vanished.

When he reappeared, he was already ten meters away.

This wasn't a mage's teleportation spell, but a swordsman's Flashstep.

The higher a swordsman's rank, the greater the distance they could cover with Flashstep. At Seriu's current rank of Intermediate Great Swordsman, he could travel as far as a hundred meters in a single movement.

However, the arena was only twenty meters long. After retreating ten meters, he immediately launched his counterattack.

"Radiant Slash!"

He used the same technique as his opponent, but his Radiant Slash was a ranged attack infused with powerful sword energy.

As his silver sword swept forward, dozens of streaks of white light hurtled toward Galen.

Galen was horrified. He raised his enormous sword across his chest and released his sword energy to block the incoming light.

The impact was so tremendous that it forced him backward four or five meters.

That Radiant Slash had been far more than a single strike. It was as though Seriu had unleashed more than a dozen slashes simultaneously!

He had actually mastered Radiant Slash to its absolute limit!

Galen had barely managed to withstand the attack when Seriu's next move arrived.

"Blazing Slash!"

Dense sword energy transformed into a fiery serpent, roaring toward Galen amid scorching flames.

Galen's eyes widened in disbelief.

But Seriu wasn't finished.

He sprang into the air, his body shooting forward like a shuttle as he charged alongside the fiery serpent.

"Gale Slash!"

Galen found himself engulfed in flashing blades and raging flames, without the slightest opportunity to counterattack.

His armor shattered. His helmet split in two, and a streak of blood appeared across his cheek where sword energy had sliced through his skin.

Bang!

Seriu delivered a merciless flying kick straight into Galen's chest.

Crack!

Galen's breastplate caved inward.

His massive body flew backward and slammed into the defensive barrier surrounding the arena before rebounding and crashing heavily to the ground.

His enormous sword slipped from his grasp and landed with a metallic clang.

"Bleurgh!"

Blood gushed from his mouth.

Seriu stood elegantly in the center of the arena, silver sword in hand.

The spectator stands erupted in an uproar.

The match had ended barely ten minutes after it began!

Wasn't that a little too efficient?

Shu Li and his companions stared in disbelief.

"S-so amazing!" Dixio exclaimed, swallowing hard.

"Seriu's sword energy is exceptionally pure," Kumandi observed.

Just as the surrounding swordsmen had said, Seriu was better suited to swordsmanship than magic.

His talent with the sword far surpassed his magical aptitude. Given enough time, he might even become a Sword Saint.

"We absolutely must never break the academy rules," Hector murmured, cupping his cheeks.

Compared with what they'd just witnessed, the kicks Seriu had delivered to Luvis yesterday were practically child's play.

Even an opponent as enormous as Galen had been kicked so hard that he coughed up blood and couldn't get off the ground.

"Do you think his ribs are broken?" Amanda asked.

That kick had been extraordinarily powerful, penetrating straight through the protection of his opponent's armor.

"They've definitely got to be broken," Angel said, casting a sympathetic glance at the huge man struggling helplessly on the ground.

Shu Li held one of Falm's horns between his fingers, trying to suppress the excitement surging through him.

How strange.

Watching Seriu fight had made his blood boil. An inexplicable thrill had risen from the depths of his heart, filling him with an almost irresistible desire to fight alongside him.

The feeling was utterly baffling.

"He's incorporated magic into his sword energy," Ace said.

"Huh? Really? How come I couldn't tell?" Budno asked in surprise.

The others turned toward Ace, waiting for an explanation.

Ace took a book from his storage pouch and flipped to a particular page.

"The advantage of being a magic swordsman lies in the ability to draw upon elemental power and merge it with sword energy, creating an entirely new kind of force. That's why his Radiant Slash and Blazing Slash are so much more powerful."

Shu Li glanced sideways at the book's cover.

The Secrets Between Me and the Magic Swordsman.

Another book borrowed from the academy library.

Just how many books had Ace read last night?

Surely he hadn't stayed up all night?

Shu Li studied Ace's face. Seeing no dark circles beneath his eyes, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Kumandi took out his notebook and quill and began scribbling furiously.

The Little Fairies were already accustomed to their quiet, studious companion taking notes at every opportunity.

Siti and Hector, however, were fascinated. They leaned closer for a look, only to freeze in astonishment.

Wasn't this a little too detailed?

There were even illustrations alongside the explanations!

And they were incredibly vivid!

Down in the arena, Galen admitted defeat and was helped away by the staff.

The spectators erupted in cheers for Seriu, and excitement swept through the entire hall.

Having won his first match, Seriu remained completely unmoved by the acclaim. He waited silently for his second challenger.

The next challenger was a middle-aged swordsman in his early forties.

He wore light armor similar to Seriu's and wielded a sword in each hand.

Without wasting words, he launched his attack.

Seriu immediately responded, and the two began exchanging blows in close combat.

Neither used sword energy techniques. This was a contest of pure swordsmanship.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The twin swords clashed against Seriu's single blade, producing a succession of crisp metallic sounds.

The middle-aged swordsman possessed exquisite technique. Every strike was precisely executed, and his two swords worked together seamlessly.

His defense was flawless, as impenetrable as a fortress of iron and stone.

Yet Seriu's swordsmanship was every bit as accomplished, if not superior.

His reactions were faster, his movements more agile, and his body more flexible.

It was obvious that he'd built an exceptionally solid foundation through years of rigorous training.

Realizing that his swordsmanship alone couldn't overwhelm Seriu, the middle-aged swordsman's eyes flashed.

He quickly retreated, putting distance between them as he prepared to unleash a powerful technique.

Seriu gave him no such opportunity.

Moving like a phantom, he closed the distance and pursued his opponent relentlessly, interrupting him every time he tried to gather sword energy.

At last, frustration appeared on the middle-aged swordsman's face.

Once a fighter lost his composure, defeat was usually not far behind.

Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, Seriu's blade rested against the middle-aged swordsman's neck.

Another half inch, and it would draw blood.

The man froze, then slumped in defeat.

"I've lost," he sighed.

His main reason for challenging Seriu had been to achieve a breakthrough.

He'd been stuck at the rank of Intermediate Great Swordsman for nearly ten years, unable to advance any further.

He was no longer young. If he couldn't improve soon, he would remain an Intermediate Great Swordsman for the rest of his life.

Seriu withdrew his sword.

Looking at his thoroughly disheartened opponent, he frowned.

"Although you took the initiative and attacked first, once I counterattacked, you devoted yourself entirely to defense. You lost the will to attack. I couldn't sense any determination to press forward in your swordsmanship."

The middle-aged swordsman stared at him blankly.

"You're saying... I lack the determination to press forward?"

That was it!

He'd originally intended to seize the initiative, but when he discovered how fierce his opponent's attacks were, he'd been unable to fight back and had resorted to defending himself.

Yet the longer he defended, the more hesitant he became, until he could no longer find an opportunity to counterattack.

Sometimes, the best defense was a good offense.

Understanding suddenly dawned on him.

The middle-aged swordsman bowed solemnly to Seriu.

"Thank you for your guidance."

He hurried out of the arena, eager to return home and reflect on his newfound insight.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Thunderous applause filled the spectator stands.

Both challenge matches had ended in less than an hour, and the performances had been as spectacular as ever.

The members of the Light Squad were the most excited of all, cheering together at the tops of their lungs.

Seriu slid his silver sword back into its sheath and left the arena at an unhurried pace amid the audience's applause.

Fifteen minutes later, having changed back into his mage's robes, Seriu led Shu Li and the others to the service counter to collect his winnings—the challengers' wagers.

The two challengers had wagered a total of ten thousand gold coins. After the arena deducted its twenty-percent commission, Seriu received eight thousand gold coins.

The Little Fairies and the young dragon stared at the glittering coins, practically drooling.

S-so much money!

Even more than they could earn from an adventuring assignment!

Seriu seemed to recognize what Shu Li and the others were thinking.

After putting the gold coins into his storage pouch, he said, "I was fortunate today. Both challengers were weaker than I am. If they'd won, I would have lost ten thousand gold coins instead."

Arena competitions offered enormous winnings, but the potential losses were just as great.

The thrill came from putting everything on the line!