Chapter 95: The Match Between Two Cousins

Chapter 95: Chapter 95: The Match Between Two Cousins

Inside the arena, the referee looked from one competitor to the other.

"You both know the rules, so I’ll keep this brief," he said.

"Attacks aimed at vital areas are prohibited. You have ten minutes to settle the match. Whoever lands more effective strikes will win, unless one of you incapacitates the other before time runs out."

Mira and Jonathan nodded. They had both participated in the previous day’s matches and were already familiar with the regulations.

"Good. You may choose your weapons. I’ll give you one minute to prepare."

After delivering his instructions, the referee withdrew to the edge of the arena, where he could observe the fight without obstructing either participant.

His responsibility was not limited to judging the winner.

He also had to intervene if the battle threatened to turn dangerous, ensuring that neither contestant suffered an accidental fatal injury.

Jonathan was the first to speak.

"Hey Cousin!" He wore the uniform of the Sinclair family academy and had a clean cut, boyish appearance. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary, well mannered young man who would not hurt a fly.

His eyes reddened as he looked at Mira, and his voice carried a mixture of regret and helplessness.

"I know you’re angry, but I couldn’t go against the elders’ decision," he said.

"I had no choice in what happened." He paused, studying her expression before continuing.

"Now that you’ve awakened the Frost Phoenix Bloodline, your future is bright again. Can’t you put the past behind you and forgive the family? You could come home, and we could return to how things used to be." His expression grew even more pitiful.

"I’ve missed you so much these past few days."

He delivered the words with such apparent sincerity that someone unfamiliar with their history might have mistaken him for a younger cousin desperately trying to reconcile with her.

Mira, however, knew him too well to fall for the performance.

A cold laugh escaped her lips. She remembered the day she had been taken to the operating table.

Even as she struggled to comprehend what was happening, she had caught sight of Jonathan’s barely concealed smile.

He had watched her lose the Celestial Core that belonged to her, knowing that its removal would leave her future in ruins.

Now he stood before her, pretending to be an innocent victim of the elders’ decisions. How convenient.

Jonathan had benefited directly from what the family had done to her.

He had received the very thing that had once been hers, yet he wanted her to believe he bore no responsibility for her suffering.

And now he was asking her to forgive the Sinclair family that had discarded her and even pursued her mother.

Did he honestly believe a few sentimental words could erase everything?

"Don’t call me your cousin," Mira said, her eyes filled with disgust. "Stop pretending we’re still family. Listening to you makes me sick."

Jonathan’s expression froze. A moment later, he pressed a hand against his chest as though her words had wounded him deeply.

"Hey Cousin, you’ve changed so much," he said, his voice trembling with carefully measured sorrow.

"You never treated me like this. You would always dote on me."

"Enough," Mira said, having no patience for his performance.

"If you have something to prove, then do it with your weapon. Let’s see what you’re actually capable of."

Jonathan’s expression hardened for an instant before he took a slow breath.

"Since you’ve made your decision, I won’t hold back," he said.

"For the sake of restoring the Sinclair family’s reputation, I’ll have to defeat you." He lifted his staff, then added in a reassuring tone, "But don’t worry. I promise I won’t hurt you."

Mira nearly laughed. What an impressive display of false modesty.

Jonathan had only reached the 4th-Level of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

He had grown up under the careful protection of the Sinclair family, with resources and opportunities readily available to him.

Compared with her, he lacked both experience and genuine combat ability. Yet he stood there as though defeating her would be some noble sacrifice he had reluctantly agreed to make.

Mira decided there was no point wasting another second listening to him. She would let her sword do the talking.

The remaining preparation time passed quickly. Mira selected a standard longsword without any special seal or restriction, while Jonathan chose an iron staff. Once both were ready, the referee raised his hand.

"Begin!" he called.

Mira moved immediately. She crossed the distance between them in a flash, her longsword cutting through the air toward Jonathan before he could settle into a comfortable stance.

Jonathan barely managed to raise his staff in time.

The impact sent a sharp vibration through his arms. Before he could recover, Mira launched another attack. Metal rang repeatedly across the arena.

Their weapons collided in rapid succession, producing a rhythm almost like a musician playing a fast, forceful melody.

Jonathan was not slow. His reactions were reasonably sharp, and he had enough training to defend himself against an ordinary opponent.

Unfortunately, Mira was anything but ordinary. The difference in their strength was too great. Every time he blocked one of her strikes, the force behind it pushed him farther onto the defensive.

He struggled to regain his footing, much less create an opening for a counterattack.

Mira was using the Wind and Thunder Sword Technique, a 5th-Grade martial art she had recently begun mastering.

Her progress had accelerated after she obtained Lydia’s sword cultivation visualization diagram in the Hunting Ground Secret Realm.

The diagram had given her a much clearer understanding of sword intent and technique, allowing her to make remarkable advances in only a few days.

She had already reached the entry level of the 5th-Grade technique.

Jonathan, meanwhile, relied on the Mad Demon Staff Technique, a 4th-Grade martial art inherited by the Sinclair family.

He had cultivated it to the minor mastery level, which would have been respectable for someone of his age under ordinary circumstances.

But the difference between their techniques, physical strength, and combat experience was glaring.

Within ten seconds of the match beginning, Jonathan was already struggling to hold his ground.

The spectators could see the outcome taking shape.

"Mira is clearly the stronger one," one guest remarked.

"Arcadia Academy has found itself an outstanding talent this year!" Turning toward Vice Principal Johnny, he added, "Congratulations, Principal. You must be proud to have a student like her."

"That sword technique looks familiar," another spectator observed. "Isn’t that the Wind and Thunder Sword Technique? It’s a 5th-Grade martial art! For someone her age to have already begun mastering it is remarkable."

Johnny laughed modestly.

"Mira’s achievements are the result of her own hard work," he said. "Our academy has simply provided her with the environment and support she needs to develop."

"You’re being too humble," someone else replied. "She may have exceptional talent, but Arcadia Academy has certainly benefited from having her. If she continues at this pace, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her name on the Valemont’s national prodigy rankings."

Several guests nodded in agreement. Mira’s performance was already enough to establish her as one of the most promising young cultivators in the region.

One middle aged martial artist watched her swordplay with undisguised admiration.

"Such a gifted young woman!" he said. "If I had stronger swordsmanship, I’d certainly want to take her on as my personal disciple."

A man seated nearby burst out laughing.

"You’re only at the second level of the Spirit Platform Realm," he said. "What exactly do you think you could teach her?"

The first man frowned, but the other continued teasing him.

"Give her another year or two, and she might surpass you altogether," he said.

"Even Minister Bush, who’s at the peak of the Spirit Platform Realm, hasn’t tried to claim her as a disciple. What makes you think you stand a chance?"

Their exchange drew a round of laughter from the surrounding guests.

Throughout the conversation, the spectators continued watching Mira dominate the match.

Xavier, seated among them in his Mr. X disguise, felt a quiet sense of pride.

The crowd was praising Mira’s talent, her swordsmanship, and her potential, but he knew how much effort had gone into helping her reach this point.

Her progress was not merely the result of awakening the Frost Phoenix Bloodline.

The resources he had invested in her, along with the opportunities he had helped her obtain, had played an important role in her rapid improvement.

Seeing her display that strength before so many influential figures made his efforts feel worthwhile.

But just as everyone began to assume the match would end in Mira’s favor, something unexpected happened.

Jonathan, who had spent the entire exchange struggling to defend himself, suddenly opened his mouth.

A mass of dark red flames erupted from within him.

The fire spread with terrifying speed, surging outward until it covered an area more than ten meters across. In an instant, the space before Jonathan was engulfed in a violent sea of crimson fire.

Mira was caught directly in its path.