Kaelen and Guinevere stood on opposite ends of the platform, their eyes locked in a silent exchange of determination and mutual respect. The air between them was thick with tension, crackling with anticipation as the duel was about to begin.
"Get ready Kaelen, I won’t go easy on you" Guinevere suddenly said with a serious look on her face.
"Neither am I" Kaelen replied with the same expression on his face. When Guinevere saw this, a small smirk suddenly crept up on her face.
Guinevere was the first to move, her body a graceful blur as flames began to swirl around her. Her crimson hair, fiery like her aura, flickered with the power of her magic as she called upon the elusive arts of flame that she had mastered through years of relentless training.
A ring of fire erupted from her feet, expanding outward as she leaped into the air, her hands moving in precise, fluid motions as she conjured massive pillars of fire that shot toward Kaelen with terrifying speed.
"I think I will stick with long range attacks if you don’t mind" While the torrent of fire was hurtling towards Kaelen, Guinevere exclaimed with a small smile on her face. But Kaelen didn’t give any response as he readied himself for the pillars of fire coming his way.
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Kaelen, calm and focused, quickly shifted his stance. He had seen the power of Guinevere’s flames before, but today he was different—more refined, more in control. His grip on the Blade of Eternity tightened as he dashed forward, his movements swift and deliberate. With a swift arc of his sword, he sliced through the approaching flames, dispersing the fire in a brilliant shower of embers.
But Guinevere wasn’t finished.
Landing gracefully, Guinevere thrust her hand forward, summoning a torrent of flame that spiraled toward Kaelen like a ravenous beast. The flames twisted and coiled around him, trapping him in a searing inferno. The heat was intense, the roar of the flames deafening, but Kaelen stood firm. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he prepared to unleash his counter.
Minimal Aura of a Swordsman!
Intermediate Swordsmanship!!
With a sudden burst of energy, Kaelen raised the Blade of Eternity high above his head. The sword gleamed in the light of the flames, its now mastered power pulsing through his veins. He took a deep breath, centering himself as the world around him slowed. Then, in one fluid motion, he brought the sword down in a powerful swing, calling upon the technique he had honed in the tomb—the Sword Rain.
Boom! Boom! Boom!! Boom!!
The air around Kaelen shimmered as countless ethereal blades manifested above him, glimmering with an otherworldly light. With a shout, he unleashed the storm of swords, each one moving with deadly precision. The blades cut through the flames like they were nothing, tearing through the fiery barrier that Guinevere had created.
The Sword Rain descended upon her with relentless speed, forcing her to go on the defensive.
Guinevere gritted her teeth, summoning walls of flame to block the oncoming swords, but there were too many. The blades slipped through the cracks in her defenses, grazing her armor and scorching the ground at her feet. She desperately conjured a massive pillar of flame to push Kaelen back, but he was already moving.
Sword Arc!!
With a flash of speed, Kaelen dashed through the remnants of her flames, closing the distance between them. His blade, glowing with radiant energy, sliced through the air with incredible force. Guinevere barely had time to raise her arms in defense before Kaelen’s sword struck with a thunderous impact.
Bang!!
The force of the blow sent her skidding across the platform, her flames dissipating in the wake of Kaelen’s attack. She struggled to regain her footing, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she looked up at him, her body weary from the exertion of her flame arts.
Kaelen stood tall, his sword still glowing with residual energy from the Sword Rain. His expression was calm, but there was a quiet intensity in his eyes that spoke of his mastery over the blade and his refusal to be defeated.
Guinevere knew she had lost. Despite her strength and her mastery over flame, Kaelen’s skill and precision with his sword had overwhelmed her. She took a deep breath, allowing the last remnants of her flames to fade away as she lowered her hands in surrender.
"You win, Kaelen," she said, her voice filled with both exhaustion and respect.
Kaelen lowered his sword, offering her a respectful nod. "You fought well, Guinevere."
The crowd roared with applause, their cheers echoing throughout the coliseum as the platform returned to its neutral state. Kaelen stood victorious, his Sword Rain technique having secured him another win in the tournament.
General Cao sat with his arms crossed, his sharp eyes observing the match from his seat in the VIP section. When the duel between Kaelen and Guinevere concluded with Kaelen’s victory, a quiet smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He had expected nothing less from Kaelen, whose mastery over the blade had been honed through intense training.
However, just as he was about to settle into the moment, he felt the presence of Carmilia and Vlahiç close in on him.
Carmilia, the Ice Queen, leaned back in her chair, a sly smirk playing on her lips as she spoke in her cold, melodic voice. "So, General Cao," she began, her tone dripping with mock sympathy, "it seems your protégé couldn’t handle the pressure. She put up a good fight, but perhaps she’s not quite cut out for the intensity of this tournament. Losing to someone like Kaelen must sting."
Vlahiç, seated beside her, chuckled darkly as he crossed his arms. "I thought Guinevere was supposed to be the embodiment of fire. Where was that burning passion today? It looked like she was doused with water by the end of that match." His voice was laced with amusement, and he shot General Cao a sideways glance. "It seems like your talents aren’t translating as well as you’d hoped, old friend."
The taunts hung in the air, but General Cao remained unmoved. He sat still, his expression calm and composed. His eyes, however, gleamed with an intensity that warned of the depth of his experience. Slowly, he turned his head toward Carmilia and Vlahiç, regarding them with a look that carried both wisdom and authority.
With a deep breath, he responded, his voice steady and measured, "Guinevere fought well. She’s young, and like all young warriors, she has her own journey to complete. A loss doesn’t diminish her fire; it tempers it. Defeat is a lesson in disguise, one that prepares her for greater battles ahead. I have no doubt her flames will burn brighter after today."
He paused, his gaze unwavering as it settled on the two of them. "As for Kaelen, perhaps you’ve underestimated him. He’s not just any opponent. He’s a fighter forged in hardship and discipline, and his strength only grows with each battle. You’d do well to remember that."
Vlahiç raised an eyebrow, his grin fading slightly as General Cao’s words struck deeper than expected. Carmilia’s icy expression faltered for a brief moment, though she quickly recovered with a slight tilt of her head.
"Very well," Carmilia replied coolly. "We shall see if your faith in them will pay off in the end. The tournament has just begun, after all."
General Cao gave a faint smile, his gaze returning to the coliseum. "It always does," he said simply, his voice filled with an unshakable confidence that neither Carmilia nor Vlahiç could shake.
And with that, the conversation ended. General Cao’s focus shifted back to the tournament, his mind already anticipating the next moves of his students.
But unbeknownst to any of the people in the room, Lila fixated her gaze on Kaelen while he was getting recuperated. And slowly, a blissful smile crept up on her face as she thought.
’Am rooting for you’
Back on the arena, Eldric who normally goes into meditation right after he finishes his duel didn’t do so this time. Instead, he paid close attention towards the match between Kaelen and Guinevere. And after the duel ended, an intrigued smile slowly appeared on his face as he thought before he went into a meditative state.
’Seems like the next fight won’t be an easy one’
As Kaelen caught his breath after the intense battle with Guinevere, the platform beneath him hummed softly, signaling the end of the match. The screen above his head flickered, its light casting a faint glow over the entire platform. He glanced up instinctively, wiping the sweat from his brow, his focus sharpening as the next match-up was about to be revealed.
The crowd murmured in anticipation, and even the spectators in the stands leaned forward with bated breath. Kaelen could feel the energy in the air shifting, tension rising as the screen finally solidified into clear text. His eyes widened slightly as the names appeared in bold letters:
"Kaelen vs. Eldric"
A ripple of surprise passed through the audience, and even some of the other competitors who was observing this platform from theirs exchanged looks of intrigue. The whispers began to swell in the stands, buzzing with excitement. It was the match everyone had been waiting for—two formidable warriors, both with their own mastery of the blade, now destined to clash.
Kaelen tightened his grip around the hilt of the Blade of Eternity, its subtle hum of energy coursing through him. He looked across the platform, where Eldric remained seated, his eyes closed in deep meditation. A calm, eerie stillness surrounded him despite the announcement. He hadn’t even flinched when the match was declared.
Eldric slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and penetrating. His lips curled into a faint, confident smile as he met Kaelen’s stare across the platform. He rose gracefully to his feet, his movements fluid and practiced. There was no tension in his body, only a quiet resolve that seemed unshakable.
"Finally," Eldric said softly, more to himself than to anyone else, his voice barely audible over the noise of the arena. His gaze never left Kaelen, and there was an unmistakable gleam of anticipation in his eyes. "I’ve been waiting for this."
Kaelen remained silent, but his heartbeat quickened. He had seen Eldric’s prowess in the earlier rounds, watched him effortlessly cut through his opponents with lightning magic and sheer skill. This would be no easy battle. Yet, there was something in Kaelen’s chest—an unwavering confidence, a sense of readiness that had been building since the beginning of the tournament.
The platform between them seemed to shrink as they sized each other up, the crowd’s noise becoming nothing more than background hum. This was the fight that would test them both, to see whose blade would reign supreme.
With a slow exhale, Kaelen raised the Blade of Eternity slightly, feeling its power pulse beneath his grip. He could tell Eldric was a skilled opponent, but Kaelen had his own secrets—techniques he had yet to fully reveal.
The tension mounted as they both stood still for a moment, locked in each other’s gaze.