BSS 74

Chapter 74

An unprecedented new type of match was quickly prepared.

As I stepped onto the arena amidst the noisy crowd once again, I wondered just how far my fate was tied to incidents and accidents.

Judging by my bad luck since leaving Dmitri, it was clear that I was not meant to travel.

“Next time I go back to the Academy, I’ll just stay there.”

It was to the point where I realized the Academy felt like heaven compared to how dirty and petty the world outside was.

• Announcement: From now on, there will be a special match prepared by His Majesty the Emperor between the champions.

Because of the strong championship candidates, the tournament had been somewhat dull, but the spectators’ cheers were deafening.

And most of them were shouting Robenin’s name.

What a disgusting feeling.

• Considering the age and profession differences, Lord Robenin Pedri is restricted from using his left hand.

Some people really have no sense of respect.

• Competitors, greet each other.

Even now, after hearing that tiresome line countless times during the tournament, I had to hear it again.

“Robenin Pedri, swordsman.”
“Jini Crowell.”
“It’s my first time fighting a spirit user.”
“I don’t want to talk to you.”

• Ready.

“Undine.”

I threw off the cumbersome Academy cloak at my feet and summoned Undine.

This was already my third match today, and my insides ached unbearably.

My internal injuries were worsening rather than healing.

The doctor would be angry. I should have drunk more green juice earlier.

[Undine, become invisible as soon as the match starts. And somehow restrain him. Make it rain across the arena.]
[Yes!]

I busily gave Undine instructions while keeping an eye on Robenin.

Feeling nervous because of my opponent was a new sensation. Until now, I had only faced little kids in the academy, so I’d never experienced this feeling.

To suddenly face such a powerhouse—my luck was definitely cursed.

Three, two, one. Go!

As soon as the match started, Undine vanished.

Robenin’s eyes twitched slightly as he looked at where she had been.

In that brief instant, a large stream of water gathered around his body.

Normally, that would mean he would be caught and finished in one move, but Robenin easily evaded it.

He lightly pushed off the ground and sprang forward.

He moved far faster than the water could wrap around him, making him untouchable. Just as I expected.

“Undine!”

Undine, waiting in the middle, appeared and transformed into water to strike Robenin.

Still, she could barely catch his ankle because his speed was too much.

As soon as he was grabbed, Robenin pressed down on the water with his sword.

But the water from Undine, now solidified like slime, held onto his ankle heavily.

It wasn’t ordinary water—it was compressed, so he couldn’t escape easily.

[Master! I’ve caught him!]

The water gradually expanded, fully enveloping his lower body, but he remained expressionless and composed.

That was when the bluish aura entwined with his bladeless sword.

What rose like heatwaves around his sword was unmistakably sword energy.

It was the first time I had seen it in person.

What made it terrifying was that sword energy could cut through anything—including spirits.

Sword techniques capable of nullifying magic were called sword energy.

As long as he used sword energy, the fact that his sword had no blade was irrelevant.

• Here it is! Finally showing it! This is the first time Lord Robenin uses sword energy in this tournament!

[Run, Undine.]

The water cut by his sword also completely escaped the spirit’s control.

Undine flew high before he could slice her and began raining down on the arena.

Creating rain consumed a tremendous amount of mana, so I felt a twinge of nausea.

I had to finish quickly.

“So this is a spirit…”
“…so calm.”
“Exactly. I want to feel more of what a spirit is.”

Robenin, standing in the rain, looked leisurely, as if he were out for a stroll in front of his house.

The sword energy momentarily vanished from his blade.

It was well-known that the youngest swordsman using sword energy on the continent was Robenin Pedri, and the next youngest swordsman was a nineteen-year-old paladin—a huge difference.

Feeling his genius again made me feel even worse.

“What, so you’re not attacking?”

The rainwater around me rose into a long, prison-like cage, surrounding me.

But it offered almost no real defense.

Its only purpose was to trap him if he got close.

“That looks dangerous.”
“Right.”

The entire area around me was filled with puddles, all traps, waiting for a chance to catch Robenin.

As soon as he stepped in, I would have to bind his hands and feet and throw him out of the arena.

The problem was, I couldn’t catch him—he moved faster than water.

• Yes! Lord Robenin, having completed his search, attacks again.

“Tch.”

Annoying commentator.

I slid across the water to avoid him as he approached.

It was faster than running on my own and possible because of the marble floor.

The water naturally aided me like breathing, and he strictly hindered me, so I was barely keeping him at bay.

Still, he quickly adapted to the water’s interference, slicing through the puddles with his sword as he ran.

Compressed water could hold him only if it had time to trap him—but he jumped before it could, making him untouchable.

[What do we do, Master!]
[Annoying.]

If I couldn’t catch him with that, there was only one way left.

Creating a water droplet the size of the arena.

• Wha—what is that!?

There was no way to avoid that enormous water mass, and Robenin was pulled entirely into it for the first time.

The water surrounding him quickly shrank.

The purpose of compressing water was to exert pressure on a human.

Like pushing someone into the deep sea without protective gear—crushed to death.

“Crazy.”

But Robenin used sword energy while being compressed and cut the water mass apart.

My precious water! Do you know how much mana that takes!?

• Escaped!

“This won’t do. Undine! Remove.”

I really didn’t want to use this technique, but it was less terrible than losing.

If I didn’t give it time to compress, there was no choice.

The water masses clinging to him started turning red.

It was… a kind of…

• Why is the water turning red?

Bloodsucking.

It was draining the opponent’s moisture. Honestly, it was a technique too difficult for a low-level spirit like Undine, but to win, I had to do everything I could.

Humans would feel numb as their blood drained.

Robenin finally realized what the water was doing and began slicing it with sword energy.

As he cut the water on his shoulders, waist, and knees, the water at his ankles had turned almost bright red like blood.

The droplets were small so he wouldn’t die of excessive blood loss—they weren’t large enough due to mana limits.

But Robenin wasn’t the type to get dizzy from just a little blood loss.

He cut through the blood-red droplet at his ankle and charged straight at me.

I was unfortunately cornered.

“Damn it, Fog!”

I couldn’t dodge, so I intended to block his view.

The rain turned into fog, swallowing Robenin first.

[Undine, make it as thick as possible!]

Within seconds, the fog covered the entire arena.

The problem with this technique was that I couldn’t see Robenin well either.

• Could this be Miss Crowell’s spirit magic? We can’t see anything!

I was running following Undine when she suddenly pushed me.

I stumbled, and a sword slashed horizontally where my head had been.

“You crazy bastard!”

I screamed and grabbed Undine, sliding as far away as possible before he could swing again.

By now, I was too out of breath to even speak. In terms of stamina and technique, the longer the fight went, the more disadvantageous it was for me.

If I ran out of mana, I couldn’t do anything—but he could still swing his sword even if out of mana.

“Damn… knew this would happen.”

I muttered and made a drastic decision.