Chapter 291: Third Week [4]

Chapter 290

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Episode 76 - Third Week [4]

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The air twisted around the two of them, and in the blink of an eye, sword and greatsword clashed.

Bang!

The impact of their weapons made the air tremble. Julian and Lhor’Sael moved at speeds that most of the cadets simply couldn’t follow with their eyes.

Their figures left afterimages as they exchanged blows and executed different sword techniques.

In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged more than a thousand consecutive attacks.

However, up until that point, their exchange had been nothing more than a contest of physical strength.

Realizing that they were evenly matched, Mana instantly surged from their bodies.

Through Mana Reinforcement, they enhanced their physical abilities and sharpened their senses.

However, the temperature around Julian rose so dramatically that everyone in ’The Arena’ could feel it.

Julian’s Attribute was the Solar Attribute, a far more powerful variant of the Elemental Attribute of Flames.

His sword became enveloped in an orange-golden radiance, resembling the color of the sun.

Then, in the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared.

Sparks and golden trails lingered in the spot where he had been standing.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Julian closed the distance between himself and Lhor’Sael.

Meanwhile, Lhor’Sael raised his sword with an extremely swift motion, his eyes barely able to follow Julian’s movements.

Clank!

Both swords collided.

However, Lhor’Sael was forced back more than ten steps.

"....!"

His expression immediately turned serious. His hands trembled slightly from the overwhelming difference in strength demonstrated by that single attack.

Then...

Whoosh!

Julian disappeared again and closed the distance once more.

However...

"Reinhard Style Sword Art, First Form, Burning Solar Sovereign."

"....!?"

Julian’s sword gleamed amid a storm of solar flames, as if a true solar storm had come to life.

His figure moved so quickly that a dozen afterimages appeared around him as he attacked from every direction.

Finally, he swung his sword toward Lhor’Sael.

A solar storm descended upon the Arena.

Boom!

An explosion of twilight-colored flames engulfed the entire Arena. The scorching heat even pierced through the barrier separating the battlefield from the seats of ’The Arena’.

As the dust began to settle, Julian remained standing with flawless posture, not showing the slightest hint of exhaustion.

He flicked his sword, dispersing the dust that still lingered in front of him.

Then, at the center of the Arena, countless shattered crystals appeared.

Amid the fragments lay an unconscious Lhor’Sael, his body covered in burns that had slowly melted away parts of his flesh.

At that moment, the professor appeared and announced:

"End of the match."

The moment the professor announced the end of the first match, the excitement that had been building amid all the anticipation finally erupted.

Loud cheers, applause, and shouts echoed throughout ’The Arena’, especially among the female cadets.

A smile appeared at the corner of Julian’s lips.

He bowed with one hand over his chest and the other extended toward the air.

Then, he repeated the bow again and again, facing different directions.

Shortly afterward, he was given a potion to restore his Mana.

After drinking it, he raised his gaze and saw his next opponent appear.

She was a girl whom anyone would have considered exceptionally beautiful at first glance.

But Julian’s mind was focused solely on the battle, so his thoughts immediately turned toward the fight that was about to begin.

She was Lya’Vert, the Rank 2 cadet of Elvenheims Academy.

’A Five-Star opponent.’

Lhor’Sael was also a Five-Star Awakened. However, Julian could clearly feel the difference between his previous opponent and the girl standing before him.

"Begin!"

The instant the professor in charge of the matches shouted the command...

Whoosh! Boom!

The figures of Julian and Lya’Vert disappeared.

One was like a solar storm, while the other was like a star falling from the sky.

Lya’Vert’s Attribute was the Stellar Attribute.

Clank!

Their swords clashed again and again as the figures of the two combatants constantly disappeared and reappeared.

The watching cadets could only stare at two blurred figures appearing and disappearing throughout the Arena, attacking from every possible angle.

Julian immediately changed his stance and muttered:

"Reinhard Style Sword Art, First Form, Burning Solar Sovereign."

A solar storm enveloped his sword. Fierce flames of multiple colors, resembling a twilight sky, radiated from it.

On the other hand, Lya’Vert’s sword became covered in clusters of white and blue points resembling stars in the night sky.

The cluster enveloped her sword, leaving white trails resembling frost along the path of her movements.

Boom!

Both attacks collided.

Solar flames and stellar clusters crashed into each other amid a raging storm.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind swept across the entire Arena as dust rose dozens of meters into the air.

However, within the cloud of dust...

Boom! Clank!

The exchange of sword strikes between the two continued relentlessly.

Stars and solar flames collided again and again as the figures of the two cadets left afterimages in their wake.

"Reinhard Style Sword Art, Second Form, Scorching Heavens."

Solar flames swirled and spread throughout the entire Arena.

The sand that made up the ground began to crystallize, forming countless fragments of crystal.

"..."

Seeing this, Lya’Vert’s expression became completely serious.

Then, she changed her stance as well.

Immediately, small clouds of stars emerged around her sword and expanded across a radius of dozens of meters.

Then, the two exchanged glances as beads of sweat formed on their foreheads, only to evaporate instantly due to the heat of the solar flames.

Whoosh!

The figures of both cadets disappeared.

And in the very next instant...

Boom!

A thunderous explosion reverberated throughout the Arena, sending a shockwave crashing into the dome surrounding it.

However, the dome didn’t even tremble or suffer the slightest damage.

Flames and stellar clusters scattered throughout the Arena as their swords collided with tremendous force.

A curtain of dust rose into the air, completely obscuring the center of the Arena.

And then, suddenly...

"End of the match."

The professor’s shout echoed throughout the Arena.

With a simple wave of his hand, the dust began to disperse, revealing the scene at the center of the battlefield.

"Both cadets ended in a draw. However, since neither of them won, they have both been eliminated."

Rather than feeling disappointed by the professor’s words, the cadets erupted into excited cheers.

Meanwhile, Julian and Lya’Vert lay on the ground.

Both of them had lost their arms.

The clash between their Attributes had triggered a devastating explosion upon impact.

Their arms had been completely shattered, and on top of that, both of them had exhausted all their Mana in a single attack.

Seconds later, two men dressed in white robes appeared in the Arena.

They approached the two cadets and, shortly afterward, disappeared with them.

Then, the professor snapped his fingers.

The Arena returned to its original state, as if it had never suffered any damage.

The minutes passed quickly as the cadets waited for the next match.

Finally, the participants of the next battle appeared from opposite ends of the Arena.

It was Charlotte.

And on the other side stood Kael’Drunn Valtheris, the Rank 6 cadet of Elvenheims Academy.

The two stared at each other as they waited for the signal to begin.

The professor appeared in the center of the Arena, directly between the two cadets.

Without wasting any time, he shouted:

"Begin!"

Boom!

Charlotte’s figure erupted in an intense radiance, leaving behind clusters of stars that appeared as tiny points of light.

In the blink of an eye, she appeared in front of Kael’Drunn.

".....!?"

Startled by Charlotte’s sudden movement, Kael’Drunn raised both one-handed swords.

He was a dual-sword wielder. Each weapon had been specifically designed to be wielded with one hand rather than both hands.

Boom!

Gritting his teeth, he crossed both swords into an X and blocked Charlotte’s descending strike.

However, the attack possessed overwhelming force.

Kael’Drunn was forced back more than fifteen steps, leaving two deep trenches in the ground.

With a calm, almost expressionless look, Charlotte moved one foot.

In an instant, she appeared in front of Kael’Drunn.

Clank!

Her sword, covered in brilliant stellar clusters, cut through the air and crossed the distance as if it had sliced through space itself.

Boom!

Kael’Drunn managed to block the attack.

However, the force of the impact sent his body flying and crashing into the dome of the Arena.

Charlotte moved again as she murmured:

"Eternal Void Divine Art, Second Form, Wrath of the Eternal Dream."

Her figure blurred, and in the next instant, she appeared in front of Kael’Drunn.

Without giving him any chance to defend himself, her sword struck him directly.

Boom!

Charlotte reappeared at the center of the Arena as she sheathed her sword.

Then, the professor shouted:

"End of the match."

Cheers once again flooded ’The Arena’, accompanied by thunderous applause that echoed throughout the venue.

The battle had been completely one-sided.

Kael’Drunn Valtheris had lost without even getting the chance to swing a single one of his swords.

Charlotte, meanwhile, sighed and thought:

’The only person I consider a true opponent is Adel.’

Of course, there was also Lumina.

However, Charlotte was much more familiar with Adel than she was with Lumina.

In any case, Charlotte’s next opponent was Adam’Leth Cristalys, the Rank 3 cadet of Elvenheims Academy.

Unfortunately, Charlotte lost.

However, it was far from an easy defeat.

Adam’Leth lost an arm and sustained numerous injuries during the battle, causing him to fall unconscious just three seconds after defeating Charlotte.

Since there had been no draw, the next match was postponed for about ten minutes.

When Adam’Leth returned after receiving medical attention, his body was healed and his mana reserves were restored to 100%.

Then, his opponent for the next match appeared.

It was Leon Starlight.

Like Charlotte, Leon also ended up losing.

Considering that he was slightly weaker than Charlotte, the difference became apparent, especially since he didn’t possess a Sword Art.

Adam’Leth’s next opponent was Rinna.

However, because she was a Mage, the battle ended rather quickly, similar to the match between Charlotte and Kael’Drunn.

After that battle, only three cadets remained between the two Academies:

Clana, Adam’Leth Cristalys, and Princess Very’Daal.

The next match was won by Clana within seconds, defeating Adam’Leth with relative ease.

Finally, the match the cadets of both Academies had been waiting for arrived.

Princess Clana of the Holy Continent versus Princess Very’Daal of the Floating Continent.

The two stared directly at each other, clear smiles on their faces—one filled with amusement, the other with absolute confidence.