Chapter 548

Defeating Kamikita Emika without using consumption.

It was a kind of resolution to live as ‘Noname’ by casting off the sins of my previous life.

My power, in your world.

Your power, in my world.

It wouldn’t have been difficult at this point, considering my sufficiently built basic stamina, as opposed to last year.

I finished the update of the Cheonghwa Sword and entered the training hall.

Emika greeted me with a slight smile.

But her eyes weren’t smiling at all.

Returning to the start position, I waited for the judges’ signal as usual.

After completing her meditation, Emika opened her eyes and fiddled with her sword.

I too held and released my wand, just for a bit.

I didn’t feel like the match would go into extra time.

In the last 15 minutes, Emika would likely push me to my limits.

And when the match ended, I hoped that someday she would realize it too.

“I must be perfect.”

In this world, there is not perfect and imperfect separately; when I look back, there are only things I thought were mistakes.

<[Prêts?]>

Vwoom—

10 seconds to the clash.

I squeezed out my aura heart to its limit, maximizing my output.

My vision cleared, and my brain began processing more information.

Aura dwelled between my muscle cells, maximizing the strength of contraction and relaxation.

Let’s enjoy this final moment.

<[Allez!]>

[Spell: Amplified Light Ray]

Paaah—

If Light Release is a magic that emits light, Amplified Light Ray is a magic that adjusts the amount of already existing light.

The bright LED lights and spotlights illuminated the stadium.

Against the painfully bright background, Emika gripped her sword and struck a defensive stance.

But she didn’t approach; it was simply to buy time.

[Creation: Setting the Barrier]

[Casting: White Out]

Inside the barrier.

White snow piled up thickly on the grass.

It became difficult to distinguish between the ground and the sky, and spatial sense and perspective vanished.

From now on, vision would no longer be a useful reference.

Emika went a step further and chose to close her eyes instead.

“That’s a good idea.”

[Casting: Black Aurora]

Whoosh—!

A sword strike came flying as soon as I cast the spell.

The first movement was a feint, but from the second to the eighth, Emika’s fierce sword techniques surged forward with the intent to slaughter.

Clang-!

However, I already grasped the Katsuhata style last year.

I stepped back carefully, blocking every sword falling like hail.

[Imperial Palace Sword Method 75th Style – Weeding]

A sword technique that cuts off the ankles and constrains movement.

Emika responded by positioning her sword vertically.

We confirmed each other’s presence, delicately maneuvering the aura spread throughout our bodies.

[Katsuhata Style Omote no Tachi – Kasumi no Tachi]

[Imperial Palace Sword Method 111th Style – Spinning Cut]

The swords, rotating at high speed, made sharp resonating sounds as they collided, twisting clockwise and counterclockwise.

We exchanged dozens of strikes in the center of the training hall.

Avoiding the muddy floor, we changed positions again and exchanged dozens more blows.

Swish—

Emika showcased the Hakanotachi, which she demonstrated earlier, piercing through her opponent’s chest.

“…!”

But an unexpected ninth movement came.

She passed by with a short sword raised in her left hand, slicing my right arm.

Splosh-!

Droplets of water bubbled up on the barrier, followed by a small explosion.

[Katsuhata Style Essence Small Sword – Suigetsu no Kodachi]

Instead, she used White Out for her own sword techniques, adapting and creating variations.

Even though she lost ground, she displayed tremendous confidence.

However, the inter-country exchange competition had a one-wand-per-person rule.

Holding twin swords meant that the output of the other weapon would weaken.

It wouldn’t be easy to block with just swords against a fourth circle.

[Casting: Ignis Respicio]

[4th Circle Unique Magic: Stellaris Atraho – Supernova]

A massive fireball orbited around Emika like a satellite.

While my gaze wandered, 36 vertices embedded themselves around her.

Blue light gradually intensified on 630 segments, perfectly filling the surface.

Boom-!

Mana erupted, soaring dozens of meters.

Emika’s body, striking a defensive stance, was lifted along with the barrier.

I exploded the respicio magic circle set in the sky.

Kwahh-!

Retrieving the Schiavona, I deactivated the barrier.

Emika fell, her white robe fluttering, suddenly drawing a magic circle in mid-air with her sword.

[Casting: Denko no Yari – Spear of Lightning]

“Ugh!”

Two flashes flew in and struck the ground.

A foreboding electromagnetic field surged ominously.

Shine-!

A thunderstorm descended from the sky, burning the grass black.

Even after landing, Emika continued her family’s vision magic.

[Casting: Hiryuu no Yari – Spear of the Flying Dragon]

[Joint Casting: Koryuu no Yari – Spear of the Departing Dragon]

Two dragons intertwined like electromagnetic waves, flying towards me.

Just as I was about to use Schiavona to counter—

One shot up into the sky while the other descended to the ground.

And Emika charged in with the assumed sword in the center.

A flash sparkled in Emika’s eyes.

The following triple casting.

[Casting: Adele]

I sensed a crisis from the simultaneous incoming attacks along three directions.

I was tempted to use consumption, but I endured to the end.

As Emika’s sword was right in front of me,

Ssss—

I executed the Imperial Palace Sword Method at the very last moment.

Since this was the last chance, there was no turning back.

Yet, if I had to use it, in the end, it would be settled by pure power.

I drew Schiavona slowly from high above, slicing through the air.

Before that, I would tear apart the connection of the three destinies.

A dragon hidden in clouds and shadows sprang out, opening its mouth wide.

Avoiding the Heavenly Dragon, I plunged my sword into the head of the Earth Dragon.

I bowed my head to evade Emika’s sword aimed at my head and reflected the storm above with my sword.

Crackling-!

[El – Arhen – Psyche – Nellimero – Rivatlis]

[Casting: Aquilis Superbo]

Kuuwaaah—!

With lineage magic, I exploded the head of the Thunder Dragon.

This would be the last, as my mana was almost depleted.

If lucky, I might still be able to cast one more first-circle spell.

I had to rely only on aura and the sword.

[Imperial Palace Sword Method 496th Style – Binding Sword]

In the beginning, it was the unnamed dancer who created it, drawing the laws of the world through the Imperial Palace Sword Method.

The first Emperor of Kaizen was captivated by its perfection, making it the imperial sword of the empire and honoring the dancer as the master of the royal lineage.

After the Emperor’s death, the dancer lived for another ten years, leaving behind this testament.

“When the empire walks the path of decline, I will die pierced by the binding sword.”

In fact, it may have been closer to a well-meaning statement than a curse.

A confident statement that the means to topple the empire could only be through the Imperial Palace Sword Method she created.

Of course, due to its bad luck, the second Emperor sealed the 496th style forever into secrecy.

No one knows what her true intentions were, but I really like this story.

Because I killed the Aryogen Emperor, who led the tribal war, with the binding sword.

I remember feeling quite good that I directly fulfilled the prophecy with my own hands.

Binding sword first movement.

Swaaa—!

I swung the sword from above to the left.

A golden trajectory wrapped around me, spinning.

With the following backwind, Emika steadied her grip on the sword.

Binding sword second movement.

[Casting: Linear Momentum Adjustment]

Paaah—!

Like breaking through the corridor in the emperor’s audience room in one go.

With a single acceleration magic circle, I leaped right in front of Emika.

Thwack—!

I pierced her chest, breaking her balance and knocking her back.

The light radiating from my sword shone brightly even in the dark night sky.

The horns of the Demon Lord, which had been sucking up mana until the end, gradually faded.

Binding sword third movement.

Tension appeared in Emika’s eyes.

Her sparkling pupils contained the electric charge of Schiavona.

I infused all the swirling magic into my sword.

Her hair billowed wildly.

Just at the moment the waves of mana settled.

“It was fun, Emika.”

A short comment, along with a victorious smile.

I inverted Schiavona and drove it down in a single stroke.

Vwoom—!

A golden pillar soared into the night sky.

The thunderbolt overwhelmed the spotlight, flashing and gradually tapering down.

The mana, which had lost its owner, shimmered like starlight, swirling around before dispersing into fine particles.

“What a beautiful sight…”

But the result of the match was what mattered more.

If I had executed a finishing blow but Emika still had a barrier left?

I had already crossed a river of no return.

I laboriously raised my head and gazed at the scoreboard.

[Final Match Match 128]

[Time: 28:51]

[Noname (South Korea)] [25% / 40%]

[Katsuhata Emika (Japan)] [☠7% (Complete Destruction) / 38%]

“Ha, it’s done…!”

Remaining barriers: 25 to 7.

Joy surged from the depths of my heart.

Maybe I relaxed because I saw the results.

Or perhaps it was because I had squeezed mana and aura too much.

Thud—

My legs gave way, and I collapsed right onto Emika’s abdomen.

“Indeed, Noname is strong. Too strong.”

A warm hand gently stroked my back.

She must have lost too, but due to her mature demeanor, I found myself apologizing without realizing it.

“I’m sorry, sister.”

“Phew… No, you did well. Hehe, congratulations on the victory.”

Hearing her trembling voice, I had no choice but to spring up.

I held both of Emika’s tear-stained cheeks with my hands.

We leaned our faces together, foreheads touching, and I opened my mouth.

“I was much happier to have a sincere duel with you than winning the inter-country exchange competition. No future duel will excite me as much as this one with you.”

A talent unmatched even in my previous life.

Is this the difference between medieval times and the modern era?

I showered Emika with unreserved praise, expressing all the admiration I could muster.

“Then let’s fight only me from now on.”

“Hihihing.”

Emika’s mischievous retort made me burst into laughter.

It was a day with an exceptionally bright full moon.