Chapter 308: A Silent Challenge

The arena’s cheers followed me all the way into the tunnel, but the moment the heavy gate shut behind me, the world finally went quiet.

Well, on one side at least. I was still taking the full frontal assault of this cacophony of voices through Feyt’s ears. Another reason why I should really get out of here as Feyt as soon as I could.

The moment I stepped inside the prep room, Olivia was already hurrying over with a clean towel and reaching for the buckles of my chest piece with quick efficiency.

“Lady Carine! Congratulations on your victory!” Her eyes were glittering; all the flustered panic from the earlier inspection was gone. “The noise out there was deafening! I swear the whole prep room was shaking when you were out there! You must’ve put on an absolute spectacle against Miss Attila!”

“Spectacle might be an exaggeration,” I murmured as she deftly unfastened the straps. “I just… gave her my best.”

“Ah! So you were holding back this entire time?”

“No,” I answered immediately.

Okay, maybe I should learn more about proper phrasing.

Olivia took the chest plate, turning around to rack it back onto the wooden boards. “If I may be so bold to assume… was the bout fulfilling, Lady Carine?”

I paused, rolling my shoulders. “Why do you say that?”

She turned back to me with a soft smile as she gently took my practice blade to inspect the wood. “Because you don’t look tense. Well, not as much, at least…” she said with a murmur, her words trailing off. Then, her eyes shot up as she waved her hand, carrying the sword, frantically. “I-I didn’t mean it as an insult, Lady Carine! It’s just that, right now, you look quite… calm.”

“Calm, huh…”

I thought this face was practically unreadable, given how dead it is.

I let out a mild scoff. “You’re right. It was an enjoyable fight. However… My expectations lie even further beyond.”

She blinked, tilting her head ever so slightly. “What do you mean, Lady Carine?”

The third day.

I had actually done it. I secured my spot in the semi-finals.

Which meant… Mother and Father were actually coming tomorrow. Knowing I’d cleared that hurdle felt like taking off several weighted plates tied to my chest.

However, I wasn’t ready to be calm yet. After all, there were still several things to look forward to, and to watch out for.

Tomorrow’s semi-finals were secured for Carine and Feyt, but the bracket wasn't finished. There were still two matches left today to close out the Round of Eight. Two matches that would decide the final two opponents waiting for both of me on the third day.

Thing was, there were three names I wanted to see reach tomorrow.

By the time I made it back up the stairs and approached my seat beside Lionne and Eve, the noise from the crowd had barely changed. Though it had slightly shifted from cheers to discussing what just happened.

I caught several mumblings and conversations amongst the recruiters near the front rows, through both Feyt and Carine’s ears, though the former caught most of them.

They were talking about how this seemed to be the most promising first-year showing yet. How it was a shame they wouldn’t be able to recruit or sponsor Carine, but they were also mighty interested in Attila.

We both put on quite the show, hadn’t we?

The moment Lionne and the others saw Carine approaching them, they immediately started beaming.

“Congratulations, Lady Carine!” Lionne shouted, leaning over with an ecstatic grin. “Those last few seconds was incredible!!! You looked like you just stood there but she missed every single time!!”

“A truly magnificent showing, Lady Carine,” Eve followed up smoothly, offering a polite, composed nod.

“An impressive victory as always, Lady Carine,” Leila added with a small nod.

“Thank you. Attila was a truly wonderful opponent,” I replied as Carine, keeping my tone polite while secretly enjoying the praise.

Lionne leaned back into her chair, but as she looked out across the arena, her eyes drifted over toward the far side of the stands. Right where Feyt was sitting, where I was sitting calmly, leaning back slightly, eyes closed as if deep in thought.

Lionne crossed her arms, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

“Honestly, why is he sitting all the way over there? It’s not like anyone’s stopping him from coming up here… Is he really that dense?”

It was low enough that she clearly didn’t intend it for me to hear. But, thanks to Feyt’s ears, and Carine being near her, I caught every word.

Hearing her say that… brought me joy.

Yes! Please keep thinking that! Spread the word!

If people saw Feyt constantly keeping his distance or being “dense,” as Lionne put it, maybe the ridiculous rumors would finally start losing steam. Maybe they would realize there wasn't some kind of romantic connection between the two of me, and that we were just professionals.

I kept my mouth shut, letting her sit in confusion without confirming or denying a thing. Silence was my best weapon here.

Before Lionne could dwell on it any longer, the energetic voice of the narrator echoed once more through the arena.

“And now! The next match is about to begin!!” the announcer’s voice boomed.

I leaned forward ever so slightly as Carine, flicking my sight on both gates, waiting for either of them to open.

Then, as the eastern gate rose, stepping out into the sunlight with both of her blades held firm, was Ravilenna.

There she is.

Time to see what Ravilenna’s been hiding.

The opponent she was fighting was a Class B commoner student named Larren. He showed great promise so far, mainly in his unique style of combat.

He carried a large, heavy shield in his right hand, paired with a short wooden sword in his left. From the earlier matches I’d seen as Carine, my internal library classified him as embodying an impenetrable wall.

Despite its size, he handled that shield as if it weighed next to nothing, snapping it into position with obscene speed to shut down attacks from basically any angle. He was a patient fighter who played the long game, only ever committing to a counter once his opponent exhausted their momentum.

Against Ravilenna’s relentless dual-wielding rhythm, I wondered how she’d crack open a wall like that.

Larren marched out to his spot, adjusting the straps on his forearm while cracking his neck. He rested his shield to the front, resting both hands on the upper rim, flashing a smile across to Ravilenna.

“I must say this before we start, Lady Ravilenna. I won’t be holding back,” Larren called out, his voice caught by Feyt’s ears. “Commoner or aristocrat, once we’re on these sands, only our blades will—"

“Shut your mouth and draw your sword,” Ravilenna said coldly, her chin slightly raised, as if annoyed. No, knowing her, she was annoyed. Her voice was flat and sharp as flint.

Larren’s smile froze, and I noticed his eye twitched, but he shook his head and lifted both his shield and sword, holding them properly. “Very well, have it your way.”

“Three… Two… One… Begin!”

Larren immediately planted his boots onto the sand, kicking up a small cloud of dust in front of him. Just like his past matches, he planted his weight, snapping that oversized slab of wood forward, while keeping just one eye watching the fast approaching Ravilenna.

Like his last few matches, he was probably expecting her to probe around or circle around him to look for openings. That was how he won his past few fights after all, by showing his opponent there was no way through that wall.

Ravilenna, however, charged for him in a straight line.

She raised her right blade up and brought it down with extreme speed as she approached Larren’s range. And just like the matches before, he was quick to react and raised his shield to meet her blade.

However… the moment he lifted that shield, Ravilenna thrust her left blade underneath it. With violent force, she yanked upward, utilizing Larren’s own upward momentum against him.

In just three seconds, the impenetrable wall was breached.

Ravilenna didn’t waste a single second and stepped into that breach to deliver a powerful strike straight to his chest.

Larren let out a wheeze as the impact drove all the air from his lungs. He staggered backward, dragging his boots across the sands, before dropping to one knee and catching himself against his shield.

“F-First point to Ravilenna of Class Bison!” the announcer blurted out, frantically clearing his throat to catch up with the pace.

Larren scrambled back up almost immediately; his face was a mix of confusion and embarrassment. But he let out a heavy breath and shook his head. He gripped his sword tight, adjusting his shield while glaring holes through Ravilenna.

Ravilenna, meanwhile, calmly returned to her position without even looking at him. When she turned around, her face showed utter indifference as she assumed her stance once more.

“...Begin!”

Larren didn't wait. He abandoned his earlier strategy altogether as he charged forward with his shield leading the charge. He let out a war cry as his heavy steps kicked up plumes of sand behind him.

From a patient turtle to a raging bull, huh?

I let out a sigh. Larren lost one round, and he immediately forfeited his strongest card and went for a reckless charge. Judging from the way he was charging, there was a big blind spot which Ravilenna could use to move and surprise him.

However… Ravilenna didn't move. She stood perfectly still, both blades held at her sides, watching the oncoming charge without so much as a twitch.

W-What is she doing?

Larren began to close the distance, and he was closing on Ravilenna at dangerous speed. If she were to be hit by that shield…

M-Move! Move already! Don’t tell me you’re daydreaming now?!

The shield was closing in on her.

Closer.

And closer.

At the absolute last moment. Ravilenna moved. She stepped to the left, slipping past Larren's right side as his shield came crashing through empty air.

What?!

Did she just—?!

Larren’s own momentum carried him forward as he tried his best to slow down. But it was a futile effort.

Ravilenna turned to face the bull she had just passed, and with one quick step forward, delivered another thrust with her right blade, straight to Larren’s back.

The impact sent Larren spiraling forward, dropping flat onto the sand, kicking up a cloud of sand as his shield landed with a heavy thud beside him.

“T-That’s the match! The winner is Ravilenna of Class Bison!!”

The arena exploded with cheers and applause. Almost as loud as it was when I won as Carine. However, the cheers were the last thing on my mind.

Ravilenna rolled her shoulders once before looking up at the spectator stands. It didn’t take long for her eyes to lock onto Carine’s.

She stared at me without saying a word. Then, she turned around and made her way back to her gate.

I couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle as Feyt, and glaring with excitement as Carine.

That last-second dodge against Larren’s reckless charge… that wasn’t just a simple dodge. She could’ve easily avoided his charge before that. But she chose that timing deliberately. That was her challenge to me.

A way for her to say, ‘I can do that too, don’t get cocky.’

A small smirk tugged at both of my lips.

Well then, challenge accepted.

See you in the semi-finals, Ravilenna.