Chapter 516: The Swordswomans Spotlight

Chapter 516: The Swordswoman's Spotlight

"Give up?"

Sonya was just about to turn around when Louisa grabbed her back, forcing her to face forward. "Stop moving! I'm trying to fit this on you!"

Left with no choice, the country girl straightened her spine and stared straight ahead. "They want me to surrender voluntarily?"

Adele explained, "Not surrender. It is more like stepping off the stage after giving your absolute all and falling short. Thousand Star Entertainment believes that taking severe injuries on the verge of death during a nationwide broadcast will severely damage your popularity and lower your commercial value. If you recognize the gap between you and your opponent and voluntarily step down, you leave everyone with a lasting, positive impression. It only benefits you."

"That makes sense." Louisa adjusted Sonya's accessories as she spoke. "I don't think any participant has ever surrendered in the Meteor Calamity finals before."

"That is because most participants were third- or fourth-year students. They might only get one chance in their entire lives to compete in the finals. Why would they ever stop before fighting to their absolute last breath? Besides, the Starshot Guard, Gryphon Corp, and Bastion Legion all monitor the intercollegiate league closely. Abandoning a match out of fear heavily damages the future of a combat sorcerer. But Sonya is different.

"She is only a first-year student. Her making it to the Meteor Calamity finals is already a miracle. If she voluntarily steps down, nobody will look down on her for it. She still has her second, third, and fourth years ahead of her. Damian graduates next year, leaving her plenty of future opportunities to compete for the title."

The country girl looked thoughtful. At that moment, Louisa pulled the waist strap of the battle suit tight, causing Sonya to jolt and instinctively arch her chest.

Louisa stared at the tightly stretched fabric, her expression growing confused. "Did my family make this battle suit too small, or did you grow again?"

Sonya's default battle suit had been heavily damaged during the semifinals, leaving no time for repairs, so she could only wear a spare.

"I've been using my Sword Body spirit to train lately," Sonya explained. "Maybe I just put on some muscle?"

Louisa gave her chest a light squeeze. "Doesn't feel like muscle at all. It's still soft and bouncy."

Adele leaned in. "Really? Let me try—"

Sonya shoved her away. "Stop messing around. So, do you agree with Thousand Star Entertainment's proposal?"

"The team running the Claw-Stretching Club discussed it, and we think it's very feasible," Adele said. "Thousand Star Entertainment is one of the top three media companies in the Starry Kingdom. If you ever want to pursue a career as an actress or singer, they are an incredible choice. Their contract offer is extremely generous. They are even willing to tailor an entire series of films and dramas around your rise, just like your favorite Didarose!

"But they made it clear that a crushing defeat with serious injuries in the finals will drop your value. Thousand Star does not need a bloody, broken swordswoman after the Meteor Calamity. They need a graceful, dazzling young swordsmanship master capable of drawing praise despite defeat."

Angelica voiced an objection, "People tend to be more forgiving toward those who fail."

Adele shook her head. "People are far more forgiving toward good-looking people who fail."

She pondered for a moment before continuing, "Besides, if defeat is pretty much guaranteed, surrendering is the only rational choice. You lose either way."

Angelica disagreed. "It is not the same. For a sword practitioner, going into battle planning to surrender is entirely different from charging in blindly until your final defeat. One rusts the blade. The other sharpens it."

"I do not understand any of that," Adele said, throwing up her hands. "I am not a swordswoman."

She turned to Sonya. "You decide. Will you temporarily set aside the glory of a swordswoman to step onto the bright path you always dreamed of? Or will you reject Thousand Star's suggestion and fight Damian to the very end?"

"Hmm..." Sonya spread her fingers while Louisa fitted the sleeve guard over her middle finger. "Can I have both?"

Adele blinked in surprise. "You mean you want to take a severe beating from Damian and then surrender?"

The Claw-Stretching Club President smiled softly. "Reject Thousand Star Entertainment for me. Anything can happen in a competition. Aside from Damian and me, four powerful competitors returned through the loser revival round. I might not even reach a one-on-one duel with Damian. Thousand Star's plan is far too idealistic."

Adele immediately realized this was not Sonya's true reason.

Since Sonya had made up her mind, Adele could only follow her wishes. Still, she could not help asking, "Sonya, are you not afraid of losing?"

"Of course I am. Who isn't? Especially with the Death Prohibition Miracle active, competitors often end up losing in very ugly ways," the country girl sighed. "To me, looking pathetic feels far worse than simply losing."

"Are you planning to surrender then?"

Sonya replied, "I may be afraid of losing, but surrendering is out of the question."

***

With the final, twilight descent of the luminaries, the sky's warm embers cooled, and the stars resumed their rightful thrones.

At this moment, the Cailleach National Arena stood completely packed, bursting with excitement. Students from Truth University had effectively shifted into full celebration mode. A few had even raised banners early to congratulate Senior Damian on his victory.

The other university sections stayed far quieter, creating a sharp contrast with Truth University.

This marked an extremely rare sight. In previous iterations of the Meteor Calamity competitions, the Truth University representative almost always entered the finals as the heavy favorite. However, the loser's revival round consistently brought back elite students from rival schools. If those contestants agreed to target Truth University's representative first, they could often force that favorite out early in regret.

In fact, this exact scenario played out in nearly half of all tournaments, making it a very real threat.

Because of that dynamic, previous Meteor Calamity finals always brought intense energy. Students from rival universities never bowed before Truth University. They fought to make the most noise, and real brawls in the stands occurred frequently.

Before the Meteor Calamity even started, the spectator seats usually turned into a battlefield of their own.

The silence from the other universities tonight pointed to one reality. Nobody believed their contestant stood any chance of winning the finals.

After the halftime performance ended, Earth Class sorcerers reconstructed the arena terrain. The voice of host Arsen completely overwhelmed the noise inside the stadium.

"Thank you to the Zero Dance Troupe for that wonderful opening performance! Up next is the highlight of this year's intercollegiate league, the Meteor Calamity Grand Finals!"

"Please welcome the competitors!" the female host announced. "Entering the arena now are the two top contestants advancing to the finals from the winners' bracket. Representing Truth University is fourth-year student Damian Vlozrada, and representing Sword and Roses University is first-year student Sonya Selby!"

Sonya stepped onto the stage under the glow of countless rays of starlight.

The applause surrounding her sounded enthusiastic, but lacked true passion. Across the eight giant projection screens, only one displayed Sonya's dazzling figure. The remaining seven all competed to display Damian from various handsome angles.

The thought suddenly popped into Sonya's head. No wonder Felix has such a bad relationship with his brother...

Once the four contestants from the revival round stepped into the arena, the host gave the command. "The Meteor Calamity finals officially begin!"

Arsen continued, "To provide a deeper analysis for this match, we've invited Swords and Roses University's swordsmanship professor—the renowned Rhythm Sword Saint, Lady Nidala! Lady Nidala, what impact do you think this battlefield will have on the contestants?"

Far from her usual sharp-tongued self, Nidala was now remarkably professional, giving a commentary fully worthy of the high salary Swords and Roses University paid her. "An abandoned city terrain provides sufficient space for movement, cover, and combat. The damaged buildings divide the battlefield into separate areas, making it a terrain that is fair to all sorcerers. The more combat experience a sorcerer has, the better they can search for opportunities to strike in this kind of environment. Ah... and there goes the first eliminated contestant of the tournament."

With a voice tinged with regret, Arsen announced, "It is Contestant Connelly from Trajectory University. He failed to escape Contestant Vlozrada's Wave Sword Slash in time and had his chest torn open by it, triggering the Death Prohibition Miracle! He couldn't even block a single attack."

"His attempt to flee was the real reason he lost," Nidala hit the nail on the head. "Damian's strike had indeed reached the level of a Three-Winged sorcerer, but it was not impossible to defend against. However, someone focusing solely on escaping and exposing their back to an opponent is effectively handing over their right to live."

"Another contestant has been eliminated! The one responsible is Contestant Selby!"

Arsen suddenly noticed something. "Lady Nidala, are the other contestants running away?"

"That's right," Nidala's voice carried a hint of mockery. "A cowardly trick from people thinking they are clever."

"They don't dare confront Damian directly, so they hope he will eliminate the other contestants first. Then, when only they remain, they can fight him in the final battle and simply glide into a higher Meteor Calamity ranking. They never intended to compete for the title from the beginning. They are simply here to make up the numbers."

Arsen asked, "But Contestant Selby seems different."

"Yes. She is looking forward to fighting Damian. In terms of skill, she may not necessarily surpass the two contestants eliminated earlier. But she is indeed the only person here deserving to remain on the battlefield."

She smiled. "Ha. Now all the obstacles have been cleared away."

While they were commenting, Sonya and Damian had already defeated the remaining two contestants from the revival match.

Sonya jumped onto the rooftop of a ruined building and looked toward Damian on the other side of the battlefield.

Damian flicked the blade of his sword and spoke aloud, "It's rare to encounter a practitioner of the Wave Sword style in a competition. I'll do my best to suppress my strength to the Two-Winged level, so don't worry."

Sonya tightened her grip on her sword and activated Decade of Swordcraft, enhancing her blade's cutting power.

"Why not suppress yourself to the One-Winged level instead? That would make it more challenging."

"That won't do," Damian said, shaking his head. "You are an opponent worthy of respect."

The moment his words fell, both of them charged toward each other.

The sword energies they unleashed collided like falling stars crashing together.

"Blood Moon Shattered Lake!" Arsen shouted excitedly. "Contestant Selby has used her self-created Miracle right from the start! Ordinary defensive Miracles would have great difficulty resisting it. Huh? Contestant Vlozrada managed to block it with little to no effort using his Earthlight Wave!"

"It's the difference in sorcery class rank," Nidala explained. "Blood Moon Shattered Lake may be vicious and powerful, but there is no denying it has many weaknesses. Damian's Earthlight Wave directly targets those weak points, so naturally he can dissolve the attack with ease.

"That little Sonya has truly drawn the short straw. Damian practices the same sorcery class as her, and to make matters worse, they even use the same sword style. The Miracles she uses are techniques Damian mastered long ago. All her tactical intentions are completely transparent to him. To top it all off, Damian can even use the Sacred Realm. In short, Damian is practically an enhanced version of herself."

Just as Nidala analyzed, Sonya kept taking the initiative to attack, yet Damian effortlessly dismantled every assault. Damian had not even dipped into his Two-Winged Miracles, keeping his mana consumption far lower than hers. To an outsider, it almost looked as if Sonya were the one with the greater mana reserves to burn.

The difference in strength was simply too obvious. From this point onward, the battle seemed destined to become nothing more than a one-sided beating. Many spectators in the audience chose to leave early, unwilling to watch Truth University continue displaying its overwhelming dominance.

However, Professor Trosan blocked the exit passage for Sword and Roses University. The students had no choice but to return and continue watching.

As time passed, everyone gradually began to notice something strange.

"Contestant Vlozrada, is he perhaps..." Arsen's voice became uncertain. "...having a little trouble keeping up?"

"How interesting." Nidala smiled. "Sonya is copying Damian's techniques! Damian made a mistake this time. He is practically teaching the Vlozrada family's inherited combat arts to Sonya in person. As sorcerers of the same class and style, Sonya is picking up far too much from this battle! Even if Damian gets serious now and stops playing around, Sonya has already gained more than enough!"

On the battlefield, Damian suddenly asked, "You have a good relationship with Professor Nidala?"

"I don't get along with her," Sonya said, taking the opening to strike with a Darklight Slash. "I get along with her students."

"She seems to really want you to learn as much as possible from me," Damian said, his demeanor shifting drastically. "If you can truly comprehend the essence of the Vlozrada family's Wave Sword style in the heat of battle, who am I to hold back? Be careful now."

Still relying solely on ordinary Two-Winged Miracles, Damian transitioned into an all-out offensive stance. A relentless barrage of waves forced Sonya backward step by step.

Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!

Sonya did not dare clash head-on with such razor-sharp attacks. Weaving through the ruined city terrain, she bided her time, watching for an opening. As she constantly retreated and defended, she slowly carved out opportunities to strike back through Damian's dense web of sword energy.

Blood Moon Shattered Lake!

Facing the crimson waterfall of sword energy capable of tearing apart heaven and earth, Damian stepped forward and unleashed Darklight Slash, dissolving the attack. He quickly followed up with more attacks, attempting to overwhelm Sonya's defenses with relentless offense.

At that moment, dozens of threads appeared before Damian.

Arsen screamed, "Blood Blossom Watermoon! That's Contestant Selby's Miracle! Will it work? Ah!"

Clang!

As the threads tightened, they transformed into dozens of sword energies tearing toward Damian.

Damian didn't bother dodging. He allowed the Wave-style sword energy to strike him head-on, sending ripples cascading across his body.

Sacred Realm.

A single line of thought was all it took for Damian to form a perfect Sacred Realm.

"What a pity!" Arsen gritted his teeth. "Just a little more! Contestant Selby was only a tiny step away from creating history!"

Nidala echoed, "What a pity indeed."

Arsen nodded. "If Contestant Vlozrada had been unable to activate his Sacred Realm in time..."

"No," Nidala interrupted. "I was not talking about Damian failing to react."

She stared at the two figures on the battlefield. "I meant Sonya was only a tiny step away from defeating Damian."

Damian raised a hand and touched his neck. A wound marked his skin. In other words, Sonya's attack had almost severed his throat.

He was certain his Sacred Realm had activated without delay, meaning this injury had appeared after the Sacred Realm was already active.

He looked up. Beside Sonya's right hand holding the wooden sword was a faint, almost invisible phantom of another right hand. In the phantom hand was a translucent blade.

Nidala stood up. "Damian's Sacred Realm was completely useless! Sonya used Hidden Hand Secret Blade. It's one of those rare, dangerous Miracles capable of ignoring a Sacred Realm entirely!"

Arsen froze. "Hidden Hand Secret Blade? Isn't that..."

"That's right," Nidala's voice echoed throughout the Cailleach National Arena, broadcast to every corner of the Starry Kingdom. "This is the signature technique of Hidden Hand Sword Saint, Trosan. She once used this technique to defeat three Sacred Realm sorcerers consecutively, earning her renown in that single battle."

As Nidala explained, students throughout the arena recalled information about this Miracle. It was knowledge taught in mandatory classes. They could not possibly have missed learning about it. Based on their memories, however, this Miracle was clearly...

"Wait, I'm confused," Arsen asked, "Hidden Hand Secret Blade... isn't that a Space-attribute sword technique reserved exclusively for Sacred Realm sorcerers?"

"That's right," Nidala's voice echoed across the entire arena. "Sonya Selby is also a Sacred Realm sorcerer."