Chapter 223: SS-Rank Sword Saint

The morning of the match broke under a heavy, grey sky.

Nathan stood in the team’s staging room, staring at the updated bracket projected on the wall. After the chaotic first round, thirty-two teams had been cut in half. The Round of 16 was set. Eight matches to decide the quarterfinalists.

And their next opponent was locked in: The Eastern Dominion.

"It’s Kaito Shimizu," Nathan said, turning back to the group. "He’s fast, he’s aggressive, and he’s carrying an SS-Rank class. We’re going to need everyone focused."

He caught Smithy’s eye. "You’re in the main lineup today. Your shadow control can disrupt their vanguard. We need that control."

Smithy gave a sharp nod. He had spent the last few days quietly tracing the mana signatures of the robed figures from the dungeon instance, keeping the results to himself while he investigated. But right now, his mind was on the match. "I’ve reviewed Kaito’s fight footage. He always leads with a heavy forward strike to force a gap. If we can bait that opener, we can cut him off from his support line."

Garrett picked up Volcan, resting the massive blade on his shoulder. "Then we make the gap and cut him off."

Dillon cracked his knuckles, blue sparks dancing across his fingers. "Cloudy and I are ready to go. We’ll keep their flanks busy."

Elise adjusted her coat. "My Frost Golem will anchor the center line."

Nathan turned to his summons. Mirko, Kuro, Shiro, and Ororo were waiting. He looked down at the tiny white bunny. "Ororo, you’re up. It’s time to show them what you can do."

Ororo’s long ears twitched, and she bowed her small head. ’I am ready, Master.’

The grand stadium was deafening.

Massive holographic screens hovered above the field, flashing the updated brackets to the roaring crowd. High above the arena floor, the System referee’s floating orb-face lit up with a wildly excited emoji.

"Round of 16! Central Federation versus Eastern Dominion! Both teams tore through their opening matches, but only one is moving on to the quarterfinals!"

The concrete floor shook as the crowd cheered.

Nathan led his team out of the tunnel. On the opposite side of the arena, the Eastern Dominion stepped into the light.

Kaito Shimizu stood at the front, his hand resting casually on the hilt of his katana. He carried himself with the absolute certainty of someone who had never lost a fair fight. Behind him stood his squad: Yuki, a Shadow Blade; Rin, an Elementalist; Hiroshi, their heavy-shield Iron Wall; and Aoi, a white-magic Priestess.

The referee’s face went flat and neutral. "Teams, take your marks. Match begins in ten seconds."

Kaito locked eyes with Nathan from across the field. "Don’t hold back, Cross."

"I wasn’t planning on it."

The horn blasted.

Kaito moved instantly. He was terrifyingly fast, crossing the gap between them in a sheer blur. His blade snapped out of its scabbard, aiming a lethal, pinpoint strike right at Nathan’s chest.

Mirko slammed down in front of him. [Impenetrable Fortress] flared to life as a wall of golden light. Kaito’s katana smashed into the barrier in a shower of sparks, but he didn’t even slow down. He pivoted on his heel, seamlessly launching a second strike from a blind angle. Mirko caught that one too.

"Hmph! You are fast, sword-boy!" Mirko barked. "But this Knight has faced faster!"

Kaito smirked. "Then face this."

He triggered his SS-Rank ability: [Sword Saint’s Domain]. The air around him warped, expanding into a ten-meter sphere of rippling pressure. Inside that zone, Kaito’s speed doubled. He became a streak of silver light, his strikes too fast for the eye to follow.

Mirko was forced onto the back foot, her shield flashing as she deflected a dozen blows a second. Garrett rushed in to help, swinging Volcan in a wide arc. Kaito ducked the heavy blade effortlessly and flicked his wrist, slicing a shallow, bleeding gash across Garrett’s shoulder.

"He’s too fast inside that bubble!" Garrett yelled, backing up.

Nathan swept the field with [Hunter’s Insight]. The domain was incredibly strong, but it wasn’t absolute. It was draining Kaito’s mana to maintain. If they could disrupt his flow or force him outside the circle, the buff would drop.

"Dillon! Cloudy! Hit the edges of his domain with lightning! Elise, freeze the floor under him! Smithy, lock down his team!"

Dillon and his dragon moved as one. A torrential wave of blue lightning crashed against the invisible edge of Kaito’s domain. The violent static messed with the ambient mana, causing Kaito’s territory to flicker and warp.

Elise ordered her Frost Golem forward. It slammed its icy fists into the stone, sending jagged sheets of ice racing across the floor toward Kaito. As the frost coated his boots, the Sword Saint finally stumbled.

On the other side of the field, Smithy’s Void Eel phased right through the arena floor, wrapping its shadowy coils around Hiroshi’s legs and dragging the heavy tank down. Yuki, their assassin, vanished into the shadows to intercept, but Kuro was already waiting.

[Shadow Lock]. Pitch-black chains erupted from the floor, binding Yuki tight.

Seeing her team falling apart, Rin raised her staff to cast a massive fire spell.

"Ororo!" Nathan shouted. "Now!"

The tiny white bunny leaped from Nathan’s shoulder. Mid-air, a blinding flash of silver light consumed her.

When the light cleared, a tall, elegant woman in a sleek white-and-silver bodysuit landed gracefully on the arena floor. Long, silver-white hair cascaded down her back, and her pale blue eyes locked onto the enemy. A glowing wooden staff hummed in her grip.

The stadium went dead silent.

Then, a voice shrieked over the broadcast mic. "ANOTHER ONE?!"

The commentators lost their minds. "That’s—that’s a fourth humanoid summon! The Bunny King has FOUR humanoid summons!"

High up in the nosebleed section, the grey-robed figures shifted, their hidden faces locking onto the arena floor.

Kaito froze mid-swing, staring at Ororo in shock. He looked back at Nathan. "How many of those do you have?"

"None of your business," Nathan shot back.

Ororo slammed the base of her staff into the floor. [Healing Field]. A massive ring of soft, warm light exploded outward. The gash on Garrett’s shoulder sealed shut instantly, and a fresh wave of stamina washed over the whole party. Rin’s massive fireball slammed into the group, but Ororo simply raised a hand. [Negate Ailment] flared, catching the blast and absorbing the burning damage before it could even touch them.

"Their healer!" Kaito yelled. "Take her down!"

Yuki forcefully shattered Kuro’s shadow chains, vanishing and reappearing directly behind Ororo with her daggers raised.

Mirko was faster. She blurred across the field, intercepting the assassin with a massive swing of Dragon’s Fang. "Hmph! You will not touch our newest sister! This Knight protects her own!"

Ororo didn’t even flinch. She raised her glowing staff. [Magic Aura]. A crushing wave of heavy mana radiated outward. Yuki hit the pressure zone and instantly slowed to a crawl, her daggers suddenly feeling like they weighed a ton.

Kuro slipped out of Yuki’s own shadow. [Shadow Lock]. The black chains wrapped around her again, and this time, she didn’t have the strength to break them.

The Eastern Dominion’s backline was completely dismantled.

Kaito was all alone.

His team was down, his domain was flickering, and his mana pool was running dry. But the Sword Saint didn’t drop his weapon. He raised his katana, his eyes burning with absolute pride.

"I am Kaito Shimizu. Sword Saint of the Eastern Dominion. I do not yield."

He charged. Even exhausted, his speed was terrifying. He slipped past Mirko’s shield, ducked under Garrett’s swing, and shoulder-checked Dillon out of the way. He closed the gap in a heartbeat, his blade snapping straight for Nathan’s neck.

Nathan didn’t dodge. He raised Moonlight, catching the katana right on the reinforced riser of his bow.

The impact cracked the stone beneath Nathan’s boots, sending a shockwave rippling across the arena. His arms screamed in protest, but he held the block.

"You’re strong," Kaito grunted, pushing against the bow. "But strength isn’t enough."

"It never was," Nathan replied.

Nathan dropped his bow hand, activating the skill he had copied from the Overlord. [Tyrant Dragon Fist]. He slammed his free hand squarely into Kaito’s chest. A spectral, roaring dragon head manifested around his fist, exploding on impact.

The shockwave launched Kaito backward. He slammed violently into the arena wall, cracking the concrete. He slid to the floor, completely unconscious.

The referee’s face flashed a stunned emoji, then quickly swapped to a massive party popper.

"The Central Federation advances to the quarterfinals!"

The stadium exploded into a deafening roar. The massive screens replayed Ororo’s blinding transformation, Mirko’s flawless blocks, Kuro’s shadow traps, and Nathan’s brutal finishing strike on loop.

Across the field, the Eastern Dominion’s healer finally managed to wake Kaito up. He looked battered and exhausted, but as he got to his feet, he was actually smiling.

He walked slowly across the ruined stone toward Nathan. "You beat me."

"We beat you," Nathan corrected him. "It was a team effort. I couldn’t possibly take on an SS-Rank alone, right?"

Kaito paused, then let out a sharp laugh. "Right. Your party. Your summons. They aren’t just tools to you, are they? They’re... family."

"They are."

Kaito held out his hand. "I look forward to facing you again, Cross. When we’re both stronger."

Nathan shook it firmly. "So do I."

---

High up in the shadows of the upper stands, the grey-robed figures watched the celebration on the arena floor.

"The Archer," one of the voices murmured. "He has four humanoid summons. The Demi-Beasts are gathering... Again."

"The lowly Shepherd lord failed to consume them. But... we will not."

"This paltry human tournament ends soon. We will make our move then."

Without another word, the figures dissolved into the shadows, leaving behind nothing but the cold.