Chapter 304: Weapon of Choice Part 2

Chapter 304: Weapon of Choice Part 2

The towers enchanted horn blared across the coliseum.

OUR DUELISTS SEEM READY TO FIGHT! Mark yelled.

Jane cupped her hands together and shouted into the horn, THEN LET THE 9TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL BEGIN!!!

Diane didnt need another cue, orange mana surged into her veins and empowered her body with agility magic. She ran across the arena straight at Sylvie. Sylvie didnt move. Diane raised her swords. Still, Sylvie didnt react. The orcs blades glistened in the sunlight, but the dire vampire simply smiled casually.

The sands underneath Dianes feet shifted and the ground exploded in a solid wave of stone. She yelped out in surprise as the ground launched her twenty paces away. She spun her body in mid-air and landed in a roll, knocking the sand up in a cloud around her.

Diane coughed and shook her head, then jumped to her feet.

Sylvie placed her hands on her cheeks and gasped dramatically with wide eyes, Oh no! Is the swordmaster in fact at a terrible disadvantage!? Who would have guessed that magic trumps steel!?

Shut up, you damn giant oaf, Diane muttered angrily.

Oh, Im just kidding, Sylvie laughed lightly. Steel kills mages as easily as anyone else. Its just that in this case, Im the better mage. Plus I have the better weapons.

What did you just say? Diane sneered.

Im saying that I have an aegis, dummy. Your swords will never reach me, but my ax will definitely reach you. So you might as well give up alread

Diane didnt wait for her to finish. She rushed back in. The sands shifted once more and exploded underneath, but this time she was ready. Diane vaulted into the air and the stone wave passed beneath her harmlessly. Sylvies lips formed an o shape as she looked up at the swordmaster falling down above her.

Sylvie flicked her hands; blue mana instantly coalesced into a giant glob of water that vaguely took the shape of a hand. The aquatic hand slapped Diane out of the air and straight into the ground. Diane gasped in pain, the wind knocked out of her. A dull stone pillar exploded from the sand and smashed into her stomach, sending her flying back into the air. She fell a dozen paces away with a hard thud.

Sylvie groaned loudly, Come on, its rude to cut someone off when theyre speaking.

Diane grimaced and coughed up bile mixed with blood. After a few moments, she pushed herself to her feet in an unsteady stance. ...You don't take this seriously, do you?

Hm? Sylvie cocked her head to the side.

Diane wiped the blood off her lips with the back of her hand, You dont take any of this seriously, do you? Not me, not this fight, and not even this tourney. Do you?

Sylvie shrugged, I dont even know what that means. Im here to fight like everyone else.

No. No one is here to fight. Theyre here to prove themselves. But you, Diane narrowed her eyes, Its like youre here just to play like this is a party or something. Whereas everyone is putting their lives on the line just to be here.

What? Do you want me to be scared of those two little metal needles? Sylvie pointed at the swords on the ground. Sorry if Im not afraid or worked up like you.

What are you even after? What do you want?

Sylvie smiled, To win, obviously.

I hate people like you the most, she sighed and picked up her blades.

Those swords wont help you, you know.

Ill be the judge of that.

Diane pointed her clenched fist at Sylvie. A plume of flames blazed to life and thrashed towards the vampire hybrid. The aquatic hand swiveled in front of Sylvie and met the raging fire in an explosion of steam.

The aurum aegis ignited to life. Bronze and golden specs of light flared around Sylvies body and formed a protective shield from the heat. As the steam cloud slowly diffused the crowds gasped in surprise. Sylvie hadnt moved an inch, but Diane was right behind and above her, trapped and suspended in mid-air by a web of shadow tendrils emerging from Sylvies silhouette.

Sylvie slowly turned her neck back and looked up at Diane, You used the steam as a distraction to try and jump me from behind? Not bad. But even if I hadnt stopped you, my aegis would have protected me just the same.

Diane tried to move, but the shadow tendrils wrapped around her more tightly. She growled in frustration, Easy for you to s

The shadow tendrils suddenly pulled back and launched the orc across the arena. Diane fell in a sprawl of limbs. She groaned in pain and tried her best to breathe through what was undoubtedly a broken rib or two.

Sylvie grinned, Those flimsy swords cant touch me! You should have gone with a spear!

All I need are my swords! Diane narrowed her eyes and kept attacking. The pain in her ribs melted away amidst her endless strikes. The sword is my will! My vision! It is the legacy of everyone who came before me! And I will not let you ridicule them!

Thin streaks of green life force swirled around Diane. Her feet shifted in a blur and her body skipped forward like an arrow, past Sylvie altogether. Sylvie stiffened and glanced down at her ax, the wooden shaft had been cut clean in two.

That was close Sylvie muttered.

Youre wrong. I finally reached you, Diane turned back around and smiled triumphantly. She raised her sword, the tip of her blade was dyed red.

Sylvie slowly raised her hand and touched her cheek. A small gash bled below her eye.

I fucking hate swords, Sylvie cursed under her breath. She tossed away her broken ax and opened her arms wide. Fine! I was wrong. I underestimated your sword

Swords, Diane raised both blades.

Nah, dual-wielding those flimsy needles is still stupid, she grinned.

Is that right? Diane smiled coldly and abruptly swung her blades at Sylvies left arm.

Sylvies body spun with pale red light and the blades passed by her harmlessly. Diane's amber eyes widened in surprise, she tried to retreat but she had overextended. Sylvie sharply slammed the side of her hand down over Dianes wrist. The crunch of bone resounded in both their ears.

Diane cried out in pain. Her wrist went limp and dropped the sword. She jumped back and stared at Sylvie with a mixture of pain and shock.

That red light. It wasnt magic Diane muttered warily.

Nope, Sylvie said casually.

It was a manifestation of concentrated life force energy?

Yup.

Diane frowned, Only a master warrior can manifest their life force

So they say.

But thats not possible Diane shook her head vehemently. You didnt use any energy techniques against me! I defeated your ax!

Yeah, I guess you did, she shrugged.

Then how!? How can you!

Sylvie dug her foot underneath the fallen sword, flipped it up, and snatched it from the air. She twirled the blade comfortably in her hand and tested its weight. Hm, how indeed?

Diane paled, No. It cant be. You cant be!

Sylvie spread her legs apart and lowered the blade behind her back. Soft red life energy crept over the sword. The wind began to blow around her as if pooling around her very being. The breeze lifted her blood-red hair up in a mass of scarlet strands and the sunlight dyed her hair in a red glow.

Dianes jaw went slack. This was more than a simple energy technique. This was precise life force control and terrifying sword skill fully realized.

Why!? I dont understand! Diane screamed. You said you hated the sword!

I do.

Then why!? Youre a swordmaster, why!

Sylvie dashed forward, her figure a red blur. Diane raised her sword and tried to block. The air imploded in a clash of steel. Dianes sword snapped in half and her arm was torn apart from the pressure of the raging life force. She spun from the sheer force of the attack and collapsed on the sand in a bloody mess of nicks and gashes.

Sylvie looked at her fallen opponent indifferently. She tossed her sword away and turned to the crowds cheering her name.

She waved and smiled widely, though it did not reach her eyes.