Chapter 249: Quarter-finals (4)

As Zerah lunged forward, Valeria's body stilled completely. The entire arena seemed to hold its breath, the crowd's cheers faltering as silence descended like a veil.

Valeria didn't shift, didn't flinch, her Zweihander held steady but unmoving. Her eyes closed, her breathing even, as if she were in a state of immense concentration. To some, it looked like surrender—a knight resigning to her fate. To others, it was something else entirely.

"She's giving up?" a spectator murmured, uncertainty rippling through the stands.

"No," another countered, their voice tinged with awe. "Look at her… she's preparing."

Zerah's gaze sharpened as she closed the distance, her saber igniting with a fierce, howling wind. She pushed her body to its limit, her mana roaring from her core in waves, empowering her final, desperate strike.

"This ends now!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the stunned silence. The air around her swirled violently as she activated her strongest technique.

—

"Cloudpiercer Blade: Soaring Gale."

The saber in her hand became a tempest of mana and wind, glowing with blinding intensity as she slashed toward Valeria with everything she had left. The strike carried the full weight of her cultivation and resolve, aiming to cleave through Valeria's defenses and end the match decisively.

But Valeria didn't move.

Her eyes opened at the last moment, gleaming with an unshakable calm. Her body radiated a faint, golden light as her mana surged—not outward like Zerah's chaotic storm, but inward, forming a protective shell that enveloped her entirely.

"[Sword of Olarion: Knight's Resolve],"

she whispered, the words carrying a weight that resonated through the arena.

As Zerah's strike descended, Valeria didn't meet it with a block. Instead, she stepped forward into the attack, her Zweihander lowering slightly. The crowd gasped in shock, their voices rising in a cacophony of disbelief.

"What is she doing?!"

The saber slashed into her body, the wind howling as it struck true. Zerah's blade tore into Valeria's armor, cutting deep into her side. Blood spattered onto the sandy arena floor.

But then, the blade stopped.

It didn't pierce through completely.

Zerah's eyes widened in disbelief as her saber met an invisible barrier just beyond Valeria's skin—a shimmering line of mana that refused to yield. Her strongest strike, her

Soaring Gale

, had been halted not by a parry, but by sheer resolve.

"Impossible…" Zerah whispered, her voice trembling.

Valeria's body trembled slightly from the impact, but her gaze remained firm, her expression unyielding. "A knight's strength isn't just in her blade," she said quietly, her voice cutting through the storm of mana around them. "It's in her resolve."

It was as if she was having an enlightenment.

Zerah's arms shook as she pushed harder, trying to force her saber through the barrier. But it was no use. The energy around Valeria was unshakable, a manifestation of her will made solid through her mana.

With a surge of movement, Valeria twisted her body, stepping forward into Zerah's space. Her Zweihander rose, the blade shimmering with renewed energy as she swung in a controlled, deliberate arc.

CLANG!

The strike didn't aim to harm—it disarmed. Zerah's saber was wrenched from her hands, spinning through the air before clattering to the ground several feet away.

Zerah staggered back, her body trembling, her mana spent. Her wide, disbelieving eyes met Valeria's calm, steady gaze. Searᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"I didn't need to match your speed," Valeria said softly, her voice carrying the weight of her triumph. "I needed to endure."

The arena erupted into cheers, the crowd roaring with excitement and awe.

Valeria took a single step back, lowering her Zweihander and standing tall despite the blood seeping from her side. Her breathing was steady, her presence commanding.

Zerah fell to her knees, her body collapsing under the weight of her exhaustion. For a moment, she simply stared at the ground, her expression a mixture of disbelief and reluctant respect.

"You…" she began, her voice barely audible. "You really… stood through it."

As the roar of the crowd faded into the background, Valeria stood in the center of the arena, her bloodied armor glinting faintly under the sunlight. Her Zweihander was heavy in her hand, but it wasn't exhaustion that gripped her—it was something far more profound.

Her gaze softened, falling to Zerah's trembling form, but her mind was elsewhere. A realization began to crystallize within her, like a long-forgotten truth rising from the depths of her soul.

'A knight's strength isn't just in their blade,' she repeated to herself, the words echoing in her mind. Her breath slowed, her heartbeat steadying as clarity washed over her. 'It's in their resolve. It's not just about winning, not just about honor or skill. It's about why I fight…'

For so long, she had struggled to define her purpose. Was it for her family's honor? For her name? For the expectations placed upon her as an Olarion? None of those reasons had ever felt complete. They had driven her forward, yes, but they had never filled the void she felt in her heart.

'What is a knight?'

The question burned in her mind, sharper than any blade she had faced. And now, as she stood in the wake of her victory, it all became clear.

A knight wasn't just a swordsman, wielding skill and technique to defeat their enemies. A knight wasn't just a symbol of honor, bound to the weight of tradition.

A knight was a protector. A pillar of strength in the face of despair. Someone who stood unyielding, not for their own sake, but for others. Their strength came from their resolve, and their unwavering belief in what they fought for.

Her father's teachings, her family's techniques—they had always emphasized this truth. She had been blind to it before, focused on the mechanics of the sword, on perfecting her stance and swings. But now, she understood. The Olarion way wasn't just about power or precision. It was about purpose.

At that moment, Valeria felt a shift deep within her core.

The air around her seemed to still, the weight of the revelation settling into her very being. Her mana, which had always felt like a steady current, began to swell. It surged through her body, filling every corner with warmth and energy.

A faint, golden light enveloped her, shimmering softly as if responding to her thoughts. Her breathing deepened, her senses sharpening as the truth of her resolve resonated within her.

This was it.

The bottleneck that had held her back for so long—the uncertainty, the hesitation—it all dissolved in an instant. Her mana surged, breaking free of its previous limits as she felt the barrier shatter.

The crowd, still caught in their celebration, began to notice the change. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the arena as they watched Valeria's figure, glowing faintly with golden mana, standing tall and unwavering.

"What… what is this?" Zerah whispered, her eyes wide as she felt the sheer force of Valeria's presence.

Valeria closed her eyes, letting the moment sink in. Her family's teachings, her father's lessons—they all aligned in her mind, their meaning finally clear.

She wasn't just fighting for honor, or pride, or recognition. She was fighting to be the kind of knight her family had always envisioned. A protector, a symbol of strength and hope.

When her eyes opened again, they shone with a renewed determination. Her lips curved into a faint, calm smile, not of triumph, but of peace.

"I understand now," she said quietly, her voice carrying the weight of her enlightenment. "This is what it means to be a knight. To stand for something greater than myself. To endure, to protect, to fight with purpose."

The golden light around her flared for a moment, and the crowd erupted into cheers once more, realizing what had just occurred.

"She...she had found an enlightenment!"

The arena's atmosphere swelled with jubilation as the realization dawned on the crowd: Valeria Olarion, the steadfast knight, had achieved enlightenment. Cheers erupted, the spectators' voices merging into a thunderous roar of admiration. The announcer, his voice almost lost amidst the cacophony, bellowed the declaration.

"Valeria Olarion wins! The match is over!"

The words echoed across the arena, cementing Valeria's triumph. Zerah, still on her knees, cast a lingering gaze of both respect and disbelief at Valeria's retreating form.

Valeria sheathed her bloodied Zweihander, her movements deliberate despite the wound on her side. She turned and strode toward the arena's exit, her face resolute, yet her golden aura flickered subtly with her newfound clarity. As she crossed the threshold of the gate, leaving the deafening cheers behind, the noise of the crowd faded, replaced by the subdued sounds of the preparation room.

And there he was.

Lucavion leaned against the stone wall just beyond the arena's entryway, his arms crossed casually, a faint, knowing smirk on his lips. The golden light reflecting from Valeria's presence cast shadows over his face, giving his features an air of mystery. His gaze met hers, holding it effortlessly as she approached.

"Congratulations….for finally breaking through your bottleneck…." Explore stories at m,v l'e-NovelFire.net

And as expected, he was aware.