Chapter 70: Kina’s little trick 2

What Kina had actually done was simple. She’d been deliberately holding back Frost Edge’s development, something she’d intentionally suppressed after figuring out exactly what needed to happen to boost its progress.

She’d never actually used it or truly tested it out, but she was confident she knew the answer, so she’d saved it, planning to use it as one small trick to play.

And here she was.

The cold energy around her raised drastically. The air turned so bitterly cold it cut straight to the bone, not quite enough to freeze the entire floor solid like her Master could, or conjure actual snow, but enough to make the floor bitterly cold purely from the temperature alone.

Kina could feel it, their shocked stares, several people rising from their seats in pure excitement.

And herself, her heart pounding hard, a smirk on her face while her opponent’s expression twisted into something genuinely awful.

[Frost Edge Progress +16.75%]

That increase wasn’t small, wasn’t decent, wasn’t even just large, it was massive, so massive its impact was immediately, visibly obvious. A shift so drastic it clearly demonstrated just how enormous the jump had been.

Kina swung her sword while Darkan, stunned enough to leave Kina a small opening, gave her exactly the chance she needed to strike.

Clang—!

Their swords collided, but only briefly, Kina didn’t waste time trying to match raw power against Darkan, immediately using that moment to create distance.

After that, her smile turned sharper.

’Finally, I’m here now.’

Kina slammed the tip of her sword into the floor, a movement deeply familiar to the Mivelo family and anyone who recognized it.

It was a movement Kina should never have known, something genuinely impossible given her actual position.

So how exactly did she possess a technique exclusive to the great Mivelo family?

Waah—!

Beneath the impact of Kina’s frozen blade, the cold effect spread rapidly, turning the floor not just glossy and wet, but bitterly cold and slick as well.

This was exactly why Kina had chosen Frost Edge, because the fundamental foundation of the Mivelo family’s swordsmanship style began with Frost Edge as its very first cornerstone, using slick floors to perfectly complement their fighting style.

"T-this...?" Darkan looked stunned, glancing around, the entire floor had turned dangerously slick.

Of course, the effect wasn’t uniform since Kina still couldn’t influence the entire floor, but it was more than enough regardless.

Darkan’s brow furrowed as he stared at Kina, finally understanding exactly why she was called a little monster. Because even as a child, a monster remained a monster.

Waah—!

Kina shot forward at tremendous speed. She still looked a bit clumsy, but it was obvious she knew exactly what to do, exploiting that slick floor to her advantage.

The smile never left her face, and she even spared a quick glance toward Cessel’s reaction, only to find the man looking utterly stunned.

"Huhu."

Kina laughed and refocused, positioning her sword beside her. Then, Darkan, his sword now wreathed in wildly dancing flames, braced himself for the incoming clash between him and Kina.

But right then, Kina deftly exploited the slick floor, sliding sideways with her body low, her hand brushing the ground, and in that position, she spun her body around, circling Darkan entirely.

"Damn it!"

Darkan struggled, trying to move, attempting to create distance, but the environment around him had turned so slippery that stable movement had become genuinely difficult.

"Ugh...!"

And that was exactly what Kina had been aiming for. Winning through raw power alone was impossible, so first, she intended to destabilize Darkan, making it difficult for him to track exactly where her next attack would come from.

And anyone trapped in that kind of situation always eventually arrived at the exact same outcome, they’d start rushing.

The blazing sword rose, and the flames wrapped around it swelled dramatically, forming something resembling a pair of massive wings, a blend of bright red and bluish hues.

The air clashed between heat and cold, melting the slick floor beneath them, and Kina’s smile never faded watching the incoming attack.

Seeing the sword about to crash down onto hers, Kina leapt backward, putting distance between them.

Baam—!

The sword slammed into the floor, creating cracks and a burst of total devastation.

The next instant, Darkan showed no intention of wasting any more time, his face flushed with fierce competitive spirit. At that point, the match had stopped being just an evaluation and had become a genuine fight, where neither side wanted to lose, and nothing was going to stop it now.

Especially since everyone present had grown thoroughly captivated watching this little monster’s talent, someone capable of holding her own against an opponent this difficult, one she should’ve had almost no chance of beating.

But well, there was a reason it was called "almost impossible." Almost didn’t mean impossible.

Darkan surged forward, wind exploding beneath his feet, his massive blazing sword finally sealing off every escape route Kina had left, the situation making it clear Kina had nowhere left to run.

The floor burned, forming a wall of fire behind Darkan, and Kina had retreated too far behind herself, nearly reaching the wall.

In this scenario, Darkan had successfully cornered Kina, to the point where she had nowhere left to flee.

Feeling the melting air and facing a sword wielding a massive flame ready to burn her to a crisp, Kina’s smile looked genuinely nervous.

"This is over!"

Darkan shouted and swung his sword toward Kina. He was certain this was the end, but unfortunately for him, the cooldown had already finished.

Baaam—!

The sword slammed into the floor, creating a light tremor and a burst of raging flames. But Kina wasn’t there, Darkan realized it immediately, his face draining pale, cold sweat pouring down his face.

"Haha... damn it..."

He smiled helplessly, breathing hard, then turned and tried to look behind him.

Kina stood there, One Slash already primed and ready to release. Her eyes flashed with a dim, flickering bright blue light, the smile on her face never fading, radiating a confidence utterly unnatural for a girl from the Slums.

And right before that, Darkan raised both hands and, with certainty, spoke:

"I surrender."

The match ended with Kina’s victory, a razor-thin win, since Kina’s Mana had genuinely been on its last legs by the end.

The reaction came instantly, spontaneously, the moment it happened.