Chapter 115: Spending Energy

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Spending Energy

Thanks SinEater for the golden ticket.

....

Morning came quietly over the capital.

The excitement that had filled the city the previous evening had not disappeared.

If anything, it had grown.

People had spent the night discussing the competition. Some argued over which remaining contestant was strongest. Others replayed the battles they had witnessed, arguing about techniques, mistakes, and moments that could have changed the outcome.

By sunrise, the roads leading toward the arena were already busy.

Merchants opened their stalls earlier than usual.

Carriages arrived from every direction.

Cultivators and ordinary citizens alike made their way toward the massive arena, eager to claim a place before the gates became crowded.

Inside the arena, however, things were considerably quieter.

The preparation grounds beneath the spectator stands had been opened to the remaining contestants.

Only four people remained.

Tolu stood alone in one of the preparation chambers.

He had already changed into fresh clothes.

His injuries from the previous battles had been treated, though the soreness remained. His arms still felt heavy, and his ribs complained whenever he moved too quickly.

His hammer rested against the wall beside him.

Tolu stood before it silently.

He flexed his fingers.

Then his shoulders.

Then his legs.

Every part of his body reminded him of the battles he had already fought.

Five opponents.

Five victories.

And now only one victory separated him from the final.

He picked up his hammer.

The familiar weight settled into his hand.

He swung it once.

The weapon cut through the air with a heavy whistle.

Tolu stopped.

He closed his eyes.

Earth energy slowly circulated through his body.

Steady.

Controlled.

He wasn’t going to waste anything before the fight even began.

A knock came at the door.

Tolu opened his eyes.

Kenny entered.

He looked unusually serious.

"Ready?"

Tolu nodded.

"As ready as I’ll ever be."

Kenny looked at the hammer.

"Your body?"

"Tired."

"Your energy?"

"Fine."

Kenny nodded.

"Then you’re ready."

Tolu gave him a small smile.

"How about you?"

Kenny laughed.

"I’m not the one fighting."

"Exactly."

Kenny shook his head.

"You really don’t know how to make people feel useful."

Tolu chuckled.

The two remained silent for a moment.

Then Kenny looked toward the arena entrance.

"They’re already gathering."

Tolu knew what he meant.

Thousands of people would soon be watching again.

But this time, the atmosphere would be different.

There were only four contestants left.

Every person in the arena had come to see them.

Across the preparation grounds, the other three contestants were preparing as well.

The girl who had won the previous semifinal sat quietly on a wooden bench.

Her sword rested across her lap.

She had already changed into fresh clothing and had her long hair tied back once again.

Her eyes were closed.

She wasn’t meditating deeply.

She was simply conserving herself.

Every few moments, her fingers moved slightly along the sword’s handle.

Checking her grip.

Checking her weapon.

Making sure everything was exactly where it needed to be.

She had already fought one of the flashiest contestants in the competition.

Now she had two possible opponents.

She didn’t know which one she would face in the final.

But she knew one thing.

Neither would be easy.

A short distance away, another contestant stood before a weapon rack.

He was the second remaining semifinalist.

He inspected his weapon carefully, running his fingers along its edge.

He had spent the previous evening recovering.

There was no excitement in his expression.

No nervousness.

Only concentration.

He knew that reaching the final four had already secured him recognition.

But that wasn’t enough.

He wanted the final.

He wanted the opportunity to stand before the entire capital and prove that he belonged among the strongest young cultivators of his generation.

The fourth contestant stood in another preparation area.

He was completely silent.

Unlike the others, he had brought no companions into the preparation room.

He simply sat cross-legged on the floor.

His eyes were closed.

His breathing was slow.

Energy circulated through his body in measured cycles.

Every few minutes, a faint pressure escaped him before disappearing again.

Even without seeing his full strength, it was obvious that he had reached this stage for a reason.

The arena continued filling.

The sound of thousands of people gradually grew louder beyond the walls.

Representatives of the seven great forces began arriving in the VIP section.

The Inaara Family.

The Omimi Family.

The Ilepaja Family.

The Ologunri Academy.

The Osupa Dudu Academy.

The Ile Agbede Academy.

And the royal Army.

Their representatives took their seats.

Some spoke quietly among themselves.

Others simply watched the battlefield.

Everyone knew what was at stake now.

There were no more rounds where a contestant could afford to make careless mistakes.

No more large groups of fighters.

No more opportunities to hide behind the chaos of dozens of battles.

Four contestants remained.

Two would fight first.

The winner would advance to the final.

The loser would finish among the top four.

Then the second semifinal would determine the other finalist.

And after that—

The final.

The entire competition would come down to two young cultivators standing across from one another.

Outside, the crowd grew louder.

The arena gates opened.

The roar of thousands of spectators rolled through the preparation grounds like thunder.

Tolu looked toward the entrance.

Kenny stepped aside.

"That’s your signal."

Tolu nodded.

He tightened his grip around his hammer.

Then he walked toward the arena.

The other three contestants began doing the same.

Four young cultivators.

Four different paths.

Four different reasons for standing there.

And only one of them would eventually leave the competition as its champion.

The semifinals were about to begin.

....

The arena was louder than it had been on any previous morning.

There were no longer dozens of contestants waiting below.

There were only four.

And everyone knew what that meant.

The semifinals had begun.

The referee stepped into the center of the battlefield as the four remaining contestants stood at opposite ends of the arena. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

He raised his voice.

"First semifinal!"

The crowd erupted.

"Tolu of the Omimi Family !"

A tremendous cheer rose from one section of the spectators.

Tolu stepped forward, his hammer resting against his shoulder.

His eyes swept across the arena.

Thousands of people were watching.

The representatives of the seven great forces sat in the VIP section above.

He could see Jide among the Omimi representatives.

Kenny stood among the people permitted to remain near the contestant area.

Then the referee announced his opponent.

"His opponent— Aramide from the general pool!"

A young woman walked into the arena.

She was slender and athletic, with dark skin and long black hair tied tightly behind her head. Her clothes were light and fitted for movement rather than protection.

There was no heavy weapon in her hands.

Only a pair of short, curved blades.

The air around her moved strangely.

Small currents twisted around her ankles and wrists.

Tolu’s eyes narrowed.

Wind affinity.

She stopped several meters away.

Unlike many of his previous opponents, she didn’t immediately look toward his hammer.

She looked at his feet.

Then his shoulders.

Then his breathing.

Tolu noticed.

So did the people in the VIP section.

One of the representatives leaned forward.

"She knows she can’t overpower him."

Another nodded.

"She doesn’t intend to."

Jide’s expression became serious.

"What is she planning?"

The answer came quietly.

"To make him spend everything."

Tolu understood the moment he heard it.

The girl wasn’t here to defeat him through overwhelming power.

She was going to make him chase her.

Make him swing.

Make him miss.

Make him spend energy moving his heavy body around the battlefield while she used the wind to remain just beyond his reach.

Tolu looked at her again.

She smiled faintly.

She knew that he understood.

The referee raised his hand.

"Begin!"

The wind exploded beneath her feet.

She vanished.

Tolu’s eyes widened.

He turned.

She was already behind him.

Her blade flashed toward his shoulder.

Tolu spun and blocked with the hammer.

CLANG!

She immediately used the impact to push herself backward.

The wind caught her body.

She glided across the battlefield.

Tolu charged after her.

She moved again.

Left.

Then right.

Then upward.

She wasn’t simply running.

She was using the wind itself as a second set of limbs.

Every movement carried her farther than a normal human could travel.

Tolu swung his hammer.

She slipped beneath it.

The hammer smashed into the ground.

BOOM!

Dust and broken stone flew into the air.

She was already gone.

Tolu pulled his hammer free.

He looked around.

Nothing.

Then he heard a whistle of wind.

He turned.

Too late.

A blade scraped across his upper arm.

He swung backward.

She wasn’t there.

Tolu frowned.

The crowd cheered.

She appeared again several meters away.

She wasn’t trying to damage him.

Not seriously.

She was testing him.

Making him move.

Making him turn.

Making him attack.

Tolu’s grip tightened.

He knew exactly what she was doing.

And yet there wasn’t an easy answer.

His hammer was powerful.

But every swing required commitment.

Her blades were faster.

Her body was lighter.

The battlefield belonged to her.

Tolu slammed his hammer into the ground.

Stone erupted.

Several jagged pillars rose from the battlefield.

The girl jumped.

Wind carried her between them.

Tolu swung.

She passed over the hammer.

He turned.

She was already behind him.

A blade struck his back.

Not deeply.

But enough.

Tolu grunted.

He spun around.

She was gone again.

The VIP section had gone quiet.

They understood the battle.

Tolu understood it too.

But knowing the strategy didn’t mean he could stop it.