575 Chapter 575: Rematch

Even so, I realized that we were boxed in. With the wire meshing surrounding us on all sides, there wasn't much space we could exploit. The confined area was actually to Lilith's advantage. Then I realized something else.

"Wait a second…why the hell are you guys running away from the whirlwind? Just blast the damned spell to bits." I rolled my eyes, annoyed. "You think this is Versatile Mage, is it?"

From above, Vermillion Phoenix launched a torrent of flames that were sucked into the whirlwind, turning it into a tornado of fire. From below, White Tiger struck it with lightning. For a moment, it seemed that the devastating energies would rip apart the whirlwind from the inside out, the vortex flaring crimson and golden, but Lilith continued to infuse her mana into it.

"You think something like that will work against my mid-tier magic?" she asked. I stared at her astonished.

"What the fuck is mid-tier magic?! This isn't Versatile Mage!"

"Just roll with it," she snapped and flicked her hand. In response, the whirlwind spun about and neutralized the flames and lightning that spun rapidly within its core. Satisfied, Lilith directed her whirlwind toward me.

Her intention was clear. As long as she eliminated me, she didn't have to worry about my summoned beasts.

The reverse was true, though. As long as I could take her out, I didn't have to worry about her tremendous tornado.

From two different directions, Green Dragon and Golden Kirin flanked her launching vines, razor leaves and earth spikes. With a raise of her hand, Lilith conjured a firewall, incinerating the vines and razor leaves on one side. On her other side, her Inferno…ahem, I mean Hellfire Bear descended and smashed the earth spikes with its paws. With a bellow, it charged at Golden Kirin and the two began to wrestle and trade blows.

Her defense was as impeccable as ever. I always knew that she would be a formidable opponent, but this was just crazy.

Then her tornado was on top of me. I watched it impassively, and then held up a hand while pushing up my glasses with the other.

"Absolute Zero," I murmured under my breath.

"!!!"

Lilith spun around in horror and watched as her entire tornado get frozen solid, turning into little more than a gigantic icy sculpture that resembled some sort of monstrous, twisted building.

"How?!"

"You're not the only one with advanced spells," I reminded her. Then I had White Tiger pounce on her from behind. Cursing, Lilith threw another huge whirlwind to bat him away, but he managed to shift his body in midair and land somewhere else.

Then she created another wind buffer to knock away the lightning bolts and water geysers from White Tiger and Black Tortoise. Perspiration poured down her face as she threw out spell after spell, and her breathing got a little heavier from the exertion.

However, she wasn't the only one exhausted.

This was my final push. After fighting about 153 opponents consecutively, I was running dangerously low on mana. I could run out anytime now. I was throwing everything I had at Lilith now because I knew I couldn't afford a battle of attrition. I had to defeat her before I expended all of my energy. Staying passive and conserving as much of my remaining mana as possible would only play toward her advantage.

After all, she had much more mana than me, and she could afford to delay and drag out the battle much longer than me.

Therefore, the only viable tactic was to overwhelm her defenses and knock her out.

"You're really getting desperate, aren't you?" Lilith remarked with a smile. I narrowed my eyes, but didn't say anything. She nodded knowingly. "To be honest, I do not like this. It feels like I'm taking advantage of your situation. I would very much prefer a fair fight…to duel you at your best. Not when you'r exhausted after fighting over a hundred and fifty people. Even when I win this, from a personal standpoint, it's meaningless."

"When?" I repeated incredulously. "You're already assuming that you will win?"

"It's inevitable," Lilith replied, trying not to sound arrogant but failing miserably. "You're too exhausted. You will run out of mana anytime soon. I'm not looking down on you, but you've been fighting against so many people…against someone of my caliber, even you will not be able to hold out for much longer."

She really had quite the confidence. Black Tortoise raised a water sphere to deflect her wind blades, the ripples shimmering across the surface of the liquid shield.

"As I said, I'm not a big fan of this, but I don't have a choice. This isn't about me." Lilith raised her head and glanced at the cheering spectators, who were yelling words of encouragement and spurring their goddess on to victory. "I can't afford to let you hoard all the resources of the other departments."

"Oh, I understand that," I conceded and wiped the perspiration from my brow. It was all I could do to stop myself from heaving. My vision was swimming and I was probably looking as pale as a ghost. I was feeling light-headed, no doubt from mana deficiency. Yet, my Celestial Guardians continued to draw more mana from my beleaguered body as they combated Lilith's spells and her Hellfire Bear. "I don't expect anything less."

"You have fought well," Lilith declared, respect in her voice. "If you really need the resources, I will speak to my grandfather and get you extra funds or a scholarship."

"That would be appreciated," I responded with a grin. "But this isn't just about the resources or money."

Raising my hand, I gestured toward the spectators agitatedly, even as Black Tortoise blocked another hail of fireballs with his Water Sphere.

"Who were the ones who called me trash? A coward? A spineless wimp? The students from the other department did. Why? I didn't do anything to provoke them, yet they insulted me. I'm doing this to get back at them."

"If it's pride, you have already proven them wrong," Lilith assured me even as she launched a combination of wind blades and fireballs at me. "You have proven yourself to everybody…that you're a courageous and powerful mage. That you're an incredibly competent and successful summoner. No one will ever dare insult you after this. If they do, they are only making fools of themselves."

"Hah!" I snorted. A few fireballs and wind blades dissipated mere inches away from my face, blockd only by a shimmering layer of water. "That's what you would have said after the national tournament, right? Yet none of these guys seem to recognize me. No matter what I do, no matter what I achieve, you will always have these idiots popping out of nowhere to call me trash for no reason other than because…I don't know, I'm the protagonist?"

"You should just ignore those trolls. I don't know what they are smoking." Lilith sighed, her hands gesticulating to cast another few spells. "Regardless of the outcome, you have already proven yourself and forced them to eat their words. No doubt you've already crushed several lof them among the hundred and fifty or so, or if they haven't, then they are cowards who have no right to insult you in the first place."

"They might not have the right, but they continue to insult me anyway. This is me showing a middle finger to them and punishing them for their insults. So that in future, if they ever insult me again, they will remember this day, when they feel the pain and despair of losing all their resources."

"What about those other students who didn't insult you? Are you punishing them along with those trolls?" Lilith scowled, even as her fireballs and wind blades smashed uselessly against Black Tortoise's water sphere. To the side, her Hellfire Bear clashed with White Tiger, their claws turning into blurs of death. "Don't you think you're going overboard?"

"Don't you think that, rather than blaming me, you guys should be blaming those idiots who provoked me in the first place? If you're unhappy about this, go find the guys who insulted me."

"I see…so an apology would suffice? If we get them to come out and apologize, to lower their heads, and to get their faces slapped, you would call this off?"

"Maybe," I replied. More of my opponent's spells broke themselves against the wall of water that Black Tortoise conjured for me. "But that is neither here nor there. I'm not going to give up just because you tell me to. If you want to defeat me, you will have to work for your victory, not demand it from me."

"Fair enough," Lilith conceded with a nod. "Then let's settle this once and for all."

"Good idea." Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand and dismissed all of my Celestial Guardians. Before they vanished, I gave them a grateful nod. "Thanks, everybody. You have worked really hard. You can rest now."

My five Celestial Guardians all gave me a worried look before they disappeared. However, they understood my intentions because they were connected to me mentally. Additionally, they were aware that I couldn't afford to maintain their existences for much longer.

If I wanted to end this duel, then I would do so with a bang.

Lilith also understood her intentions. She drew her sword and ignited it with flames. Beside her, her Hellfire Bear shimmered before disappearing.

If we were going to settle this, it would be with blades and not with our Soul Beasts. That was perfectly fine by her.

"I'm sorry, Richard," Lilith said as she placed her flaming sword by her side, almost as if she was going to do a sword draw. Her hands were unaffected by her own flames, probably because she had gained an immunity of all sorts to her own magic. Or her own magic or enchantments protected her from her own flames. "I know you're in terrible shape and exhausted after fighting over a hundred and fifty students."

The flames around her blade appeared to blaze even more intensely and she smiled.

"But even so…I still can't help but look forward to this match."

An inferno burst to life around her, shrouding her figure.

"After all…ever since our last duel, I had always wanted a rematch. Against someone of your calber…only someone of your strength can make me this excited!"

"I concur." I smiled as I held both Hei Yue and Bai Ri in both hands. Even though I had vowed not to use them in this battle, against Lilith, not using my real swords would be a sign of disrespect. Not to mention, if I didn't use them, I stood no chance against her in a sword duel. "Now that I'm standing before you, I have no intention of putting on an embarrassing display."

Hei Yue flared with black energies with Bai Ri glowed with white mana. Against my mystical black and white, a crimson inferno enveloped Lilith Porter.

"Oho…" Director Henry Porter leaned forward as he watched this battle. "Will Richard be able to triumph again, or will my granddaughter finally get her revenge? Though…given her opponent's condition, it almost feels unfair."

"Who do you think will win, Director?" Dean Xiao asked. The old man shrugged.

"Not sure."

"Oh? You don't think your granddaughter will win? Richard has certainly done well, but he's on his last legs."

"From what I know of Richard, it never pays to underestimate him." Henry Porter chuckled. "I'm sure he'll show us a few more surprises."

As if some invisible signal had gone off, the both of us moved at the same time.

"Miyamoto Style: Black Heaven and White Earth."

Imbuing myself with the last of my mana, I dashed forward. I had aleady made my resolve. If I wanted to defeat an opponent as formidable as Lilith, then I wasn't going to use any tricks. I was going to challenge her head-on.

Lilith had dropped to a crouch, her face determined. I could tell what she was thinking, even as I closed the distance.

"He's coming straight at me. If I can avoid him once…then it's my victory."

Her eyes narrowed.

"However…I have no intention of screwing around like that!"

Flames billowed about her as she gripped the hilt of her sword, getting ready to draw it. Watching her, I didn't stop.

I could only probably deliver one attack. If that was the case, then I was going to put everything into this single strike.

At the same time, I could see what Lilith was thinking. "I'm the Inferno Princess of the Porter Clan. How will I ever be able to show my face if I refuse to take on such a challenge directly?"

I felt honored, and was determined to return the respect that Lilith was showing me. Not only that, I viewed this as a challenge to myself…one that I had to overcome.

Lilith also felt similarly. "I'll face this challenge head-on! With my strongest Inferno Strike!"

I no longer cared if this battle was unfair or rigged in the other departments' favor. Similarly, I could tell that Lilith wasn't fighting because she wanted to preserve the resources of the other departments, contrary to what she said earlier.

The both of us were fighting because we wanted to put everything on the line and defeat the proud and noble mage before us.

"Miyamoto Style: Black Moon and White Sun!"

"Inferno Strike!"

Lilith drew her sword and blasted me with what seemed like an overwhelming torrent of hellfire.

From the beginning, I knew that she was strong. That she would be the most formidable opponent I had faced out of the hundred and fifty-three students I had fought so far. I was aware that in terms of firepower, I was inferior. I was physically weaker, even discounting my exhausted state. And I also knew that Lilith was better than me in swordsmanship.

Even so, I didn't care. I swung both of my swords with everything I had.

There was a blinding flash as I hurtled past her, our swords clashing in a shower of sparks. Then I skidded to a stop behind her.

For a moment, there was a long silence as the spectators watched our still figures, unconsciously holding their breaths.

Then…one of us fell.