CHAPTER 199: FLAME AND STEEL

The sound of steel hitting steel could be heard multiple times in the coliseum. The knights and other sword users were quite curious about Lucen’s sword style.

It was a bizarre fighting style. At first glance, it seemed to be a style born purely for speed, a technique meant to catch an opponent off guard with sudden draws. But after several exchanges, confusion began to ripple through the crowd.

Every time Lucen’s strike ended, the sword flashed back into its sheath in a blur of motion, so fast the sound came a heartbeat later, a metallic whisper followed by a sharp click that rang louder than the clash itself.

It looked inefficient, even foolish, yet the results spoke otherwise. Though technically slower than fighting with an unsheathed sword, each draw came so swiftly, so cleanly, that it felt faster than sight itself.

The air cracked each time the blade left its sheath, a sharp, thunderous pop that echoed across the coliseum.

Even the faintest trace of his sword carved pale streaks through the air, each afterimage shimmering like molten silver in the heat of Elyra’s aura.

Unlike the others, Elyra had already seen this style before and was not caught by surprise. Still, the speed and power behind the strikes had greatly increased.

Despite Lucen only achieving his first mantle, against her, who was at the third, the difference in both speed and power were not that much different.

Elyra exhaled once, slow, deliberate; it was like she breathed out mist. She was getting ready to use the Runescar techniques.

[Runescar swordsmanship first form: Blazing flame!]

Elyra’s sword blazed to life, the flames along its length condensing into a razor-thin edge. The heat shimmered in waves, bending the very air.

This was a technique that people had already seen before. It was meant to sharpen the blade with flames produced by the Runescar’s aura.

The air rippled from the sudden surge of heat, distorting the space between them until even the crowd’s silhouettes wavered like phantoms behind a curtain of fire.

The once-crisp morning breeze turned scorching as Elyra lunged forward, her sword slicing arcs of fire that painted burning trails in the air.

’Hoh, she’s faster than before.’

Despite Elyra’s increase in speed, Lucen, with his physical abilities plus the skills granted to him by his system, was able to keep up.

The first strike came from the left. Lucen enveloped his scabbard with his aura mantle and parried the flaming blade by hitting the flat side of Elyra’s longsword.

Lucen then quickly drew his sword and struck at Elyra. Seeing the incoming attack, Elyra evaded by swaying her body backward.

Her boots skidded lightly against the stone. Of course, Elyra did not let up and used [Runescar footwork: Hazy Steps].

This was the same footwork she used against Mireya in the semi-finals. The way she moved made it seem like there were several Elyras circling around Lucen.

This was meant to confuse the opponent so that they wouldn’t be able to know where the attack would be coming from. Of course, for Lucen, who had the battle instinct skill, this wasn’t really a problem.

’Well, using the same tricks despite already showing them in previous matches. Does she think that I won’t prepare for this kind of trick? I guess I don’t really need to prepare too much, since I have skills that counter this technique. Whatever, let’s just see if she got a hidden trick.’ Lucen mused to himself as he waited for Elyra’s attack.

Elyra’s way of breathing changed again as she was about to use another Runescar sword technique. [Runescar swordsmanship second form: Burning Blossom!]

Unlike in the battle against Mireya, the second Elyra used this technique there were more petals scattering away from her aura mantle. Each petal burned hotter and brighter.

Lucen exhaled slowly; his demeanor had once again changed as he drew his sword at a blinding speed.

After he had changed the character he was acting as using [Acting Adept] Lucen, then used RELEASE for a brief moment to be able to make this burst of speed happen. He was not able to perform the technique the same as that hero samurai, but it was good enough.

The sword swing had cut every petal near him. Lucen then shifted back to the character he was using before. In that brief moment, Elrya had gotten behind him and slashed downward.

Lucen did a sidestep that second; it was as if he had eyes in the back of his head. Elyra’s blade missed by a few inches. Lucen then performed a back kick, Elyra quickly pulled back her sword, and blocked the kick.

Elyra flew backward, and the second she landed on the ground, she performed a new technique she had recently learned.

[Runescar Swordsmanship Fourth Form: Infernal Bloom]. This technique can only be performed after the second form, Burning Blossom, was used.

The ground beneath Elyra cracked as a shock of crimson light burst outward. The petals that were on the ground that Lucen did not cut down, since they weren’t near him, gathered into a concentrated storm, swirling violently around Elyra’s blade.

The air trembled. The petals, once drifting lazily like embers, now spun into a furious cyclone. Each fragment of flame burned with intense heat.

The tiles beneath them began to glow faintly red; even the air above the stage shimmered like molten glass.

This was one of the more visually striking Runescar techniques. In the game, Lucen remembered this technique, which was one that could do AOE damage. Seeing it in reality was truly a sight to behold.

The gathered petals formed a spiraling inferno that extended her blade several meters long. The ripples of red heat made the entire area look hazy. She swung her sword.

This was not a move you could dodge at such close range. Lucen decided to take it head-on. Lucen once again used RELEASE.

His physical abilities pushed the very limit, as his aura and mana burst out. Lucen’s stance became lower, his eyes sharpened as he waited for the right timing.

The second Elyra’s sword was close enough, before the petals could reach him, Lucen countered, his sword enveloped with his aura mantle, enhanced by RELEASE, met with Elyra’s burning storm-like blade.

The moment their blades met, the clash rang out like thunder, sharp and resonant. Sparks scattered in arcs of red and white, glimmering against the morning sun.

Lucen’s attack was able to make Elyra’s hands push upward as she lost her footing and was about to stumble backward.

Of course, Lucen would not miss this chance and was about to press forward, but as he was about to sheath his sword again, it cracked and shattered like glass.

Elyra was then able to get her footing back and was the one who attacked with a horizontal slash.

Lucen used the scabbard enhanced with his aura mantle to block. The second he stopped the slash for a second, backed away. The scabbard, despite being enhanced by Lucen’s aura mantle, could not fully withstand the heat and melted a little bit.

Lucen tossed the scabbard to the side. Now he had neither a sword nor a scabbard. "I guess that’s as far as I could go with a sword of that quality. Well, I guess you are in the same situation." Lucen spoke while shrugging his shoulders.

"That means nothing. Mine did not break despite being of the same quality, simply because I have a stronger aura. I did not win against you in skill, speed, or power. This just proves that if we had the same rank of aura mantle, I would be no match for you."

Elyra responded, sounding a little disappointed, not in Lucen but in herself. "Still, this is truly an exciting battle. Since I was able to break your sword, that means you’ll need to use your unique magic. Come on then, Lucen, show me everything you got! Make this battle even more exciting than the one you had with Eisen! Make me enjoy this more! This time, I will show you how my sword will reach you!"

Elyra Runescar, who despite on the outside seemed like the opposite of her father, was in fact, very similar to Kaelvar Runescar. When the battle gets heated up, so does she, and she finds that the more difficult the battle, the more excited she becomes.

Her lips curved into that wild, feral grin Lucen remembered, a look that belonged more to a warrior who lived for the clash than a noble heiress.

"You’re getting a little bit too excited," Lucen spoke as he was once again reminded of one of Elyra’s character traits, battle-crazed, the same as her father, Kaelvar Runescar.

To those two, winning or losing doesn’t matter; what matters is how much fiery passion they felt from battle. Lucen shook his head as he showed his confident smile.

"Well, I guess I, too, am getting a bit more excited." Lucen created two familiar revolvers in his hands.

"... Tsk, I know you can create a better thing with your unique magic. The larger one you use against Eisen. The thing that penetrated through his floating fortress of stone."

Lucen paused for a second and then realized that Elyra was talking about the bolt-action rifle he used. "These two are actually better, if you want to go all out." Lucen then got into a fighting stance as he pointed his two revolvers at Elyra.

[Runescar Swordsmanship Third Form: Crimson Veil!]

Elyra’s sword blazed to life. Flames roared outward, twisting like a blooming lotus, and the air itself warped around her, which looked like a flaming crimson veil.

"Then show it to me!" She roared her voice like flames wanting to devour Lucen.