Chapter 164 - Swords Collide

Let's take this back just after Cecil's match against Friedrich Nabi.

Inside the private room of the Royal Family, the King, the Headmaster, and the Sword Saintess were all discussing about Cecil's technique.

"Did you see that? He disappeared again." The headmaster said.

"Hmmm... yes. What a peculiar technique. I'm sure that's not Shukuchi, yes?" The King asked.

The Sword Saintess responded with a nod of consent. There was no way that near teleportation skill was Shukuchi. Shukuchi only enhanced the speed of the user, but this... this was beyond that.

"I can't help but notice that just before he disappears, a golden aura rose from his body."

"Yes, Your Majesty. My, you still have such sharp eyes! I nearly missed that little detail." Headmaster Elufied said with a chuckle.

"Hmmm...It doesn't seem to be a magic spell either."

"Yes, there was no chant nor was there any magic formations conjured. The mana in the air was also not disturbed." Elufied analyzed.

The ambient mana wasn't disturbed and he couldn't sense any changes to the mana in the area. There was no precursor or sign that appeared when Cecil disappeared or reappeared, so it couldn't have been spatial or wind magic. Which means...

"It's like he's relying on solely his physical body to move around that fast." Celia said, a little unconvinced.

"...what a mystery...too bad I can't inquire more. It's been awhile since I've been fascinated by a technique."

"...we could just go ask the boy, Your Majesty."

"That'd be inappropriate Celia. As much as I am the King of this country, but that woman wouldn't allow anything to happen to her children...even if it was only a step child."

"...how is a woman like her not a sage?"

"..." Elufied stayed quiet when the King turned an eye towards him. It was obvious that they were talking about his master, Anna Yukihime.

"There are circ.u.mstances that I can't say. All I can say is that she's not an enemy, so we shouldn't do anything to provoke her into becoming one."

"...yes."

At the Golden Fox Clan's private room, many of the younger generation were looking down in awe. Cecil had just won his match so quickly. They all had heard that the boy was actually Princess Lucia's boyfriend.

"They match so well!"

"Right? Both of them are strong! Who could ask for a better pair?"

"Yeah! But did you see that at the end?"

"The Princess was clearly near the stage waiting on him, but why did he suddenly disappear like that?"

"Princess Lucia's face also darkened after they exchanged a short word with each other earlier..."

"Maybe..."

"A lover's spat?"

"Most likely, hahahaha~"

The young teenagers' discussion and gossip didn't escape the ears of the older generation. Once again they began fawning and buttering up to Anna and Zaki, a strong daughter and an even stronger step-son.

The step-son also turned out to be the Princess' future husband, just how lucky could this couple get? Possessing not only 1, but 2 talented children!

"...that last skill."

"It's Blink." Anna said in reply to her husband's question.

"Hm... I read about it from Lucia's letters. This 'Blink' skill...it's almost like teleportation, but instead of using a magic spell, Cecil uses his physical body that's been enhanced with mana to perform this near teleportation like ability. Truly astounding!" Zaki praised with a smile.

He himself was a fighter, so he was most familiar with strengthening skills and the like. But this technique totally toppled his entire understanding in regards to body strengthening skills.

"It's because of his constitution and Cecil's Mana Burst."

"Yes, it's because of that. My, we have sure raised one monster of a child."

"...why're you being so happy? He's the one who did everything by himself!" Anna teased.

"Ahahaha~ as his step-father, aren't I allowed to be proud of my son?"

"Hihihi~ who knows?"

"Look, even you're smiling in delight!"

"Ufufufufu~"

The chieftain could only stare in admiration at this golden couple. Two geniuses gave birth to a genius daughter, and then they took in a son who was also a genius who would soon turn into their son-in-law.

The chieftain began grinning in delight. With his brother finally rejoining the family, he brought with him a beautiful and strong wife and also two geniuses of the younger generation! What more could he ask? The clan's prosperity and rise was only going to begin now that they had Zaki's family.

Zaki and Anna supporting their generation, while Lucia and Cecil would support the younger generation.

Everyone in the room was also thinking something similar and they were delighted. There was only one in the room who had a strained expression. It was the father of Ariel, a person who was part of the Golden Fox's Elder Council.

He had planned on pushing forward his son into a marriage with the new princess, but now all of that had to be scrapped. The son-in-law that Zaki and Anna had found was without a doubt far superior than his own son. There wouldn't even be any competition if the two had to be compared to one another.

'Looks like I have to change my plans a bit...but I guess it wouldn't harm anyone if my son only built a close relationship with these two, right?'

As the father was quickly adjusting his plans, the son was doing the opposite. He was strengthening his plans to quickly befriend Lucia and win her heart over. It was too bad for him that he was 100 steps too late for that.

Lucia's eyes were already on Cecil and after her aggressive expression of affection; she was now even more dead set on him. Not to mention that the girl didn't want to lose to her belated ally-c.u.m-love rival, Serilla.

The top 8 had finally been announced and the matchups were shown, the first match between the Sword King and the Student Council President had just begun. Once again, everyone in the stadium turned their attention towards these two young contestants.

"FIGHT!!!"

******

With the starting gong, Robert activated multiple strengthening skills and magic. The same went for Zephyr.

Robert was the first to make a move, his activation of skills and magic was a step faster than Zephyr so he immediately flickered forward. He raised his large great sword and slammed it down on Zephyr who had just finished applying his skills and spells.

"HAAAHH!!!"

BOOOOOOMMMMM CRAAACCKKK

Zephyr quickly raised his great sword and blocked Robert's attack. The two swords collided and the ground below Zephyr smashed apart from the resulting force. Zephyr held his grounds, but with Robert pressing down on his blade, he was slowly sinking down into the stage's floor.

Zephyr took longer than Robert to finish his strengthening, but there was a reason. A storm of wind elements began to rage around Zephyr. Robert quickly jumped back and put a distance between the two.

Zephyr had been parallel casting his strengthen skill and magic with the top mid-tier magic Windstorm.

After repelling Robert with the Windstorm, Zephyr dashed straight towards him, bringing along the storm of wind elements with him.

Robert's response was to send multiple combat skills at his approaching opponent. Vorpal Slash, Crimson Cut, Mountain Splitter, Ground Slam. He unloaded as much combat skills as he could in that short period of time just to keep Zephyr away.

Robert knew that if he let Zephyr approach him with that Windstorm, he'd only be trapped later when Zephyr finished conjuring a Wind Domain, a magic spell that chained together with Windstorm.

Wind Domain created an area of wind elementals that worked in the favor of the caster. The wind elements in the domain would constantly harm any opponent within it and it could not be dispelled.

Not to mention that the spell could even last for over 1 hour if it wasn't interrupted beforehand. That's why Robert did all he could to stop Zephyr from approaching. It was this combat style that Zephyr normally used whenever he sparred with Robert.

The Wind Storm died down after receiving Robert's outburst of combat skills. Seeing as the Wind Storm was dispelled, Robert once again dashed in and the two contestants began to exchange sword blows.

CLANG CLANG BANG CLANG BOOOOM

The resounding blows continued for a long while, it was literal a slugfest of sword skills from this point on. The two didn't bother conjuring any magic spells. They only exchanged blow for blow with their sword skills.

The unrelenting onslaught continued and the two contestants began to pile up wound after wound. Along with the wounds, fatigue and mana depletion began to catch up with them.

"Haaa...haaa...ha..."

"fuuu...fuuu..."

As the two were panting in exhaustion, Robert smirked and he opened his mouth.

"Haha, this is really refreshing!"

"Heh...you said it."

"This next blow will end it."

"I could say the same thing to you!"

After Zephyr's reply, the two readied their swords once more. Robert raised his sword overhead while Zephyr brought his sword behind him.

"HEAVEN CLEAVER!!!"

"SPACE BLADE!"

The two combat skills collided and the arena burst apart as the mana raged at the epicenter of their clash. When the dust settled, there was only one contestant left standing.

In the Kings' waiting room, Ghost Queen Alice was gripping her hands tightly, as she gazed worriedly at the stage. All the other older Kings had solemn looks on their faces as they waited for the results to be announced.

While in the Student Council's waiting room, every member was already on their feet, even though everyone had absolute faith in their President, they still couldn't help but be on edge. The President had already experienced a loss at the hands of his sister, they couldn't help but grow worried at the thought that he might once again lose.

This was Sword King Robert! Although they couldn't determine whether Elizabeth or Robert was stronger, but it was well known that Robert and Zephyr's strength were practically on par with one another.

Up in the stadium's support beams, Cecil was looking down on the stage with his Mana Eyes.

"Oh...what a pity."