CHAPTER 139: BLADES IN HARMONY!

Her muscles ached from the day’s exertions.

She recalled her grandfather’s teachings:

"A warrior without resilience is no warrior at all. Strength alone is nothing without strategy, heart, and foresight."

Elysia tightened her grip on the blade, the faint glow of elemental runes reflecting in her determined eyes. Wealth and status had given her training, access to the finest masters, and opportunities her peers could only dream of—but in the arena, none of that mattered.

"I will have to prove it... ," she whispered, letting the wind carry her resolve.

The roar of the crowd echoed like rolling thunder. The arena floor shimmered under the afternoon sun, the heat blending with the feverish anticipation in the air.

Dust swirled at the fighters’ feet, and the scent of sweat and steel hung heavy.

Elysia stood at one side of the ring, her eyes locked on the two opponents before her — both seasoned swordsmen with scars to prove it. They were both armed with single swords, no shields, no tricks — just pure skill.

"Stay close. I’ll draw their attention; you go for the openings," Edwin murmured without looking at her.

Elysia’s lips curved into a faint smirk. "Just don’t slow me down."

The signal horn blared.

They moved as one. Edwin’s first strike was a clean, downward cut aimed at the Marcel.

His blade clashed against steel with a sharp clang, forcing the man back a step. Elysia slipped past Edwin’s left side like a shadow, her sword slicing diagonally toward the second opponent’s ribs.

The man parried, sparks dancing between their blades.

The air rang with the crisp rhythm of their movements — slash, parry, counter, retreat. Neither Elysia nor Edwin spoke while they continued to fight; their communication was in the sharp turns of their heads, the timing of their steps, the way their blades never tangled with each other’s space.

One of their opponents lunged at Edwin with a thrust aimed for his chest.

Edwin sidestepped smoothly, twisting his wrist to deflect the blade and countering with a swift kick to the man’s shin.

The opponent stumbled, and in that instant, Elysia darted forward, her sword flashing like silver lightning. Her blade nicked across the man’s arm, forcing him to drop his guard.

"That’s one," she muttered.

The second opponent, Terra snarled and swung his sword in a brutal horizontal arc toward Elysia’s neck.

She ducked low, the blade whistling just above her head. Before the opponent could recover,

Edwin’s sword slammed down from behind in a precise, controlled strike, disarming him with a single blow.

The man’s sword clattered to the ground, the sound swallowed by the roar of the spectators.

The first opponent — still nursing his arm — tried to rush Edwin from the side, but Elysia intercepted.

She met his strike head-on, her blade sliding against his in a grating screech of steel. Then, with a sudden twist, she shifted her stance, angling her sword to catch the sunlight.

The glare flashed into the man’s eyes for a split second — enough for Edwin to step in and finish it with a clean, blunt strike to the chest that knocked the wind out of him.

Both opponents fell to their knees. The match was over.

The referee raised his hand toward Elysia and Edwin. "Victory to Team Vandelis!"

The crowd exploded in cheers, banners waving. Elysia exhaled slowly, lowering her sword.

Sweat glistened on her brow, but her eyes were alive with triumph.

"Not bad," Edwin said, giving her a brief, approving nod.

She smirked. "I told you — just don’t slow me down."

They walked off the arena floor together, two swords still gleaming in the sunlight, their movements in perfect harmony — a pair of blades that had just carved their place in the tournament’s history.

Elysia and Edwin won the first match.

The Next Match: Team Combat Trial

The Festival of Trials pressed onward. This round was a Team Combat Trial—a grueling test of skill, strategy, and coordination.

Standing beside her was Edwin, his sword gleaming in the morning sun. Their eyes met briefly, a silent nod passing between them. They were ready.

Their opponents were Marcel Thorn and Eglos from another family—the different pair who had

underestimated Elysia in the previous duel.

Marcel’s brute strength and Eglos’s trickery posed a dangerous combination, but Elysia and Edwin were undeterred.

The horn sounded.

Thorn charged first, swinging his heavy sword at Edwin. Edwin parried, stepping lightly, his spear a whip of precision.

"You’ll need more than that!" he called, baiting Thornl further.

Elysia flowed around the battlefield like water. Her Vandelis blade sang as she deflected a strike from Eglos, pivoted, and cut through an opening that Marcel had left. Sparks of elemental energy danced along her sword’s edge.

"Elysia, now!" Edwin shouted, thrusting his spear to unbalance Marcel.

Seizing the moment, Elysia delivered a series of precise, calculated strikes, forcing Marcel to stagger back.

Eglos tried to flank her, but she anticipated it, spinning away from his attack and landing a quick strike to his shoulder.

The crowd gasped as the team moved in perfect synchrony. Edwin drew the opponents’ attention, while Elysia exploited every opening, her movements both elegant and deadly.

Eglos roared in frustration, swinging wildly. "Impossible! She’s just a girl!"

Elysia’s eyes narrowed. "I’m no one’s pawn," she retorted, pressing the attack with a decisive series of blows that left Marcel and Eglos disoriented.

Edwin seized the opening she created, delivering a final thrust that sent Thron’s weapon flying across the arena.

Elysia’s blade simultaneously found its mark against Eglos, forcing him to his knees.

The judges blew their horns, signaling the victory. The crowd erupted in cheers as Elysia and

Edwin stood tall, victorious. Their teamwork had been flawless; skill and strategy had triumphed over raw strength and arrogance.

After the Battle

The roar of the crowd slowly faded into the distance as Edwin and Elysia stepped away from the battlefield.

Dust clung to their clothes, and the faint sting of sweat and exhaustion lingered in the air. Edwin wiped his brow and shot her a playful grin.

"Not bad for a day’s work, Elysia," he said, his tone half teasing, half impressed.

Elysia met his gaze, a small, restrained smile tugging at her lips. "We made a good team," she replied softly.

Her voice carried the calm confidence of someone who knew they had only taken the first step.

"But I know this... this is nothing."

As soon as Edwin’s and Elysia’s match came to an end, the crowd’s cheers were still echoing across the arena.