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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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The stadium was silent.
Even Reus, Tesha, and Tia were holding their breath, their eyes glued to the duel.
‘Ethan… you have to win.’
Sepia prayed, her hands clasped to her chest. She cared about them both.
But if there could only be one winner, she wanted it to be Ethan.
‘Arthur, win!’
Arianna cheered for Arthur.
And Sepia wasn’t the only one rooting for Ethan.
Sylvia, sitting in the stands with her arms crossed, watched her disciple with pride. Dania, beside her, was speechless.
Ethan’s growth was astounding.
‘You’ve gotten stronger, Dan-ah.’
Sylvia smiled.
She had even skipped her work to watch Ethan’s match.
‘That boy… it’s been less than a year…’
And yet, Ethan was already one of the strongest Hero Candidates in the academy.
And his opponent, the boy with the blonde hair, was at least a 5-star Hero Candidate. They were both skilled enough to participate in a real hero mission.
“Who do you think will win, Sylvia?”
Dania muttered.
“The one with the greater will to win.”
Sylvia replied, her voice low and steady. Dania tilted her head, puzzled by her cryptic response.
Just then, their blades sliced through each other’s bodies.
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Their blades cut into flesh.
Ethan’s vision blurred.
The virtual reality even simulated pain. He and Arthur were both bleeding.
A long gash ran diagonally from their shoulders to their waists. They were mirror images of each other, their iron-clad uniforms torn and shredded.
“Huff… huff… Ethan…”
I Blinked, putting some distance between us. Arthur did the same.
We gasped for breath, the battle reaching a temporary stalemate.
“Summon your spirits. You promised.”
He was telling me not to hold back. I chuckled. That was so like Arthur.
I hadn’t expected the fight to be this intense. Our white uniforms were stained with blood.
“Runtar! Rutea!”
My two spirits appeared behind me. They looked at my wound, their expressions grim.
Flames erupted from Arthur’s wound, cauterizing it.
Runtar’s flames also sealed my wound. I gritted my teeth against the pain.
Round two.
Crimson flames and mana swirled around my black blade. Arthur activated his skills.
Full Body Armor.
Battlefield Commander.
Blessing of Light.
Arthur’s body glowed, and a suit of armor materialized around him.
He had obtained Full Body Armor from Zagan, Battlefield Commander from Vine, and Blessing of Light from the skill orb in Atlan.
And he seemed to have activated his Battle Focus skill as well.
Even with my spirits, this wasn’t going to be easy.
“Haaa—!”
Arthur charged. A barrage of crimson fireballs shot towards him.
But he ran through them, his body protected by the Blessing of Light.
‘Linchester Swordsmanship, Sixth Form: Shattering Sword.’
I had to give it my all.
I would shatter his weapon, dispel his mana.
–Clang!
But Arthur’s mana was strong. I couldn’t dispel it. I pushed him back with my shoulder.
He didn’t lose his balance.
I Blinked repeatedly, moving from side to side, then behind him.
Arthur tracked my movements, his eyes sharp.
I managed to land a few blows on his armor, but he was unfazed.
He was predicting my every move.
“Rutea—!”
Ice erupted from the ground, trying to trap him. He leaped into the air, dodging the attack.
“Runtar!”
Flames shot towards him. An opponent in the air was a vulnerable target.
Even for Arthur.
Blessing of Light wouldn’t completely nullify the flames. His skill level was still low.
The explosion would knock him off balance. I would seize that opportunity.
But he used the explosion as a foothold, propelling himself forward. A magic circle appeared beneath his feet.
“Ah…”
Aerial Step.
He had already learned a skill from his second year?
He was growing stronger at an alarming rate. I didn’t have time to think.
He charged through the explosion, a cinematic hero.
—Swish!
Our blades clashed, slicing through each other’s arms. Blood splattered, but Arthur didn’t retreat.
Was it because of his buffs?
His gauntleted hand struck my forehead. The impact rattled my brain.
I stumbled back, crashing through the arena floor. His sword was aimed at my heart.
Should I Blink?
No, that wouldn’t end the fight.
—Thwack!
His blade pierced my left hand.
And my chest.
If it had been a little deeper, it would have pierced my heart.
“Huff… huff…”
I could hear someone gasping for breath. I wasn’t sure if it was me or him.
Blood dripped onto the floor. Arthur stumbled.
My blade was embedded in his shoulder. A mutual strike.
Blood seeped through his armor.
I Blinked away. We both staggered, our left hands hanging limply at our sides.
“You didn’t dodge, Ethan.”
“We have to end this, right?”
A draw would be a waste of time.
Arthur chuckled. He seemed to think I had planned this.
I hadn’t. I had been caught off guard by his attack.
Arthur’s mana surged, and so did mine.
This was the final blow.
I gritted my teeth, ignoring the pain. Adrenaline surged through me, and my heart pounded.
Runtar’s flames and my mana intertwined.
‘Linchester Swordsmanship, Second Form: Sword Soul.’
The world fell silent. My consciousness sank into the depths of my shadow.
It was a familiar sensation.
—Clash!
Our mana collided.
If our strength and speed were equal, there was only one option.
Use my overwhelming mana, and a spell that Arthur couldn’t use.
Flash Strike Sword Soul.
Master had forbidden me from using it. I had sworn never to use it in a real battle.
But this was a virtual arena. We could both die here, and we would be fine in the real world.
My mana took the shape of a dragon and surged towards Arthur. He held his ground, his sword raised, and tore through the dragon’s jaws.
I leaped forward.
‘Linchester Swordsmanship, First Form: Flash Strike.’
A flash of light.
A pillar of mana erupted from the ground.
The arena floor shattered. Arthur, trying to resist the attack, released more mana and dug his heels into the ground.
But even the user couldn’t withstand the recoil of the First Form.
Flash Strike Sword Soul.
My ultimate technique. If this didn’t work, I would accept defeat.
I was thrown back by the recoil, my body floating in the air.
Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. I saw Arthur, also thrown back, floating in the air outside the arena.
The protagonist who always gave his all.
The one who never took shortcuts.
I smiled sadly.
You have your path, and I have mine.
I had promised to give it my all.
I couldn’t hesitate. But I had hesitated because of Arthur’s unwavering determination.
But holding back would be an insult.
Arthur was the one who had been thrown out of the arena. He didn’t have the strength to return.
I Blinked back into the arena. Blood trickled down my left arm.
My wounds had opened up, and my body was battered and bruised.
I was exhausted. I couldn’t stand any longer.
I collapsed.
The world went dark, and then I was back in the real world. I looked at Arthur.
He was smiling.
As if he didn’t care about the outcome.
“You won, Ethan.”
I smiled back. Something felt strange. I looked around.
Even the professors and judges were silent. The referee, recovering from his shock, shouted,
“That was an amazing match! And the winner is… Ethan!”
Applause erupted. Arianna was the first to clap.
She stood alone in the stands, applauding enthusiastically.
The applause grew louder, filling the stadium.
“That was amazing! A great fight!”
Someone shouted. It was a fight where the outcome didn’t matter.
Arthur and I smiled at the audience.
It really didn’t matter who won.
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