??Bck Star!?? ［Lisandra］

  Lashing gusts of wind burst forth, a star of darkness born from a dozen strikes. It cruised uhe blue sky, shining brilliantly despite its pitch darkness, like a bck diamond uhe sun, darting like a bolt of destructive lightning.

  BOOOOMMMMMMM

  A crisp explosi out in the Grand Colosseum, pilrs of smoke rising towards the sky and clouds of dust enveloping the stage. A lone figure flew out of the veiling mist of dust, leaving a trail of white in his wake. A resounding crash eg as the said figure crashed into a wall.

  The thin veil soon vanished into oblivion, a fair dy left standing alone oage. Her scarlet hair flowed like roses fluttering in the wind and her blue eyes shining brighter than the sky above her, holding her sword with pride.

  "Huff... Huff... Huff... Huff..." ［Lisandra］

  She anting heavily, sweating bullets as ragged breaths escaped her mouth. Her hands quivered from pain and fatigue, barely remaining standing with wounds riddling her body. Yet she was smiling, a triumphant expression painted on her lovely face.

  "The winner is Her Highness! Gdiator Lisandra defeats Gdiator Asn and moves on to the quarterfinals! What a beautiful match!" ［Konan］

  "Whoohoo!! Long Live Graystohe pride of our Kingdom!"

  "You did your best, Yhness! That was amazing!"

  "Ohh!! That's our princess for ya! Truly outstanding!"

  Cheers filled the air and support came from all dires. A fanfare of screams and squeals resounded like screeg flog seagulls. It was extremely loud and noisy, but strangely enough, it was refreshing to the ears.

  The medical team quickly went up the stage and helped out both the princess and her oppo. Warm and golden light shone in the arena, their wounds slowly closing up and their plexiourning to normal, breathing stabilizing soon after.

  The crowd was still full of excitement and the two testants soon made their exit. She was still quite dizzy aeps were clearly groggy, but she braced herself towards the waiting area, two familiar silhouettes waving their hands at her.

  "You did well, Lisa. Good job～!" ［Yuna］

  "Stay still for a moment, Lisa... ??High Heal?? ??Rejuvenate??" ［Grey］

  Of course, they were her than Grey and Yuna. Though the priests and healers already casted many recovery spells ohere was nothing wrong with making sure, casting even higher level recovery spells of their own.

  The pain and fatigue which stung every fiber of her body quickly melted away as light swallowed her body, warmth and fort washing away all the pain and disfort in her being as if they were all fleeting lies. She heaved a sigh of refreshment,

  "Waah... Thank you so much, Grey. It feels like I'm taking a hot bath..." ［Lisandra］

  "Fufufu! Should we take a hot bath together once we get back, Lisa?" ［Yuna］

  "Oh, that sounds good! A's use those haircare and skincare products you made some time ago. They're really amazing!" ［Lisandra］

  "Un! No problem!" ［Yuna］

  For one reason or ahe topic suddenly shifted to bathing together, the young dies now talking about the etic products they once used a couple days aghtly smiling as if they were chatting casually in their own parlor.

  Grey was still unsure about naked skinship, but it seemed to be quite normal in Merusia. He had already bathed together with the children before, but never before with someone his age, and he won't be anytime soon. It was his principle.

  "Anyway, you did really well in your match, Lisa." ［Grey］

  "Haha... That was a close call, you know? Didn't you see how injured I was? I would have lost if I wasn't lucky." ［Lisandra］

  "Well, your oppo was quite a bit strohan you, after all... Still, you're now in the quarterfinals. One more and you'll get your prize." ［Grey］

  "Fufufu! I'll do my best then!" ［Lisandra］

  Laughter resounded in the waiting room and the audience tio cmor above, a fierce csh of swords blowing dust and debris all over the arena. Both swordsmen unched heavy strikes, sparks, shocks, and quakes raging over the whole arena.

  Time passed and the bells of high n. The round of 16 for the Intermediate Division was soon fihe event proceeding with the Senior Division without a sich, even fiercer and mgressive battles unfolding oer another.

  If yesterday's matches were already inte was even more so today. Most of those who remained were High-rankers, walking camities g violently with one another, massive shockwaves rog the Grand Colosseum.

  BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

  They were already restrained, yet each of their blows were still powerful enough to cleave the Grand Colosseum in half. If it weren't for the barrier enveloping the pce, everyone would have already been blown away, the city in tatters.

  Two dies now in the midst of battle, fierce red fmes raging oage and deep blue icroag from below. A battle between fmes and frost, trasting lights enveloping the arena, shining like stars in the midnight sky.

  ??Scorg Crest!??

  A sword wave waved, silver glimmers turned int red, maws of hell rushing all throughout the stage, razing everything in its path. Its crisp crackles and rustles danced in the air, dang like a dy in red.

  Yet her oppo didn't flinch a si, rather, she faced the raging fmes with a smile on her face, g the sword of ptinum in her hand as she braced herself for what's about to e. She brandished her sword and...

  ??Mountain Cleaving Frost!?? ［Yuna］

  ... A wave of blue surged forth iage, running rampant like a deadly tsunami as it waved the scorg fmes of red. It was merciless, not leaving a sirace of its enemy on the field. An encroag shark of the depths.

  It didn't just stop at dev the fmes it tio rush towards the harbinger of fmes, a cold breeze swallowing the air. A loud bang resounded in the air, gcial iow enveloping everything in sight.

  BANG BANG BANG BOOM

  It owerful, but not powerful enough. Through sheer determination and a will of steel, the dy was able to withstand the frost. She brandished her trusty swords as she broke through the deep yers of ice, eyes still burning with determination.

  "Huff... Huff... Huff... Huh...? Snow...?"

  She was out of breath, hands now shaking. The moment she broke through it all, a curtain of white and a cascade of snow greeted her ice. It was beautiful, making her heart beat in aweー or at least, it did for a short while.

  Such awe soon turned into fear and anxioushe moment she id her eyes on the young dy before her. She tried to defend herself, raising her sword even though her hands were evidently shaking. However... It was far too te.

  ??White Dream: Fluttering Snowfkes!?? ［Yuna］

  The young dy's frosty voice rang out in the air, the once gentle gentle brewing into a deadly blizzard of white and blue. The snowfkes danced and the snowfkes rushed as if there was no tomorrow, fluttering iune. An orchestra led by her bde.

  Yuna swung her bde, a merciless tide of frost bursting forth like a crazed horde of buffalos on a deadly stampede. It was more powerful and much more destructive than before, engraving a frosty sense of despair into everyone's hearts.

  ??Scorgー Kugh...!"

  The fmes couldn't even start ignitihe wave of blue already swallowed the dy whole, encaged in a prison of absolute zero. The ground quaked as ice razed the ground into ruin. A throne of id Yuna was its queen.

  Silened over the Grand Colosseum, pierg cold drifting along the afternoon breeze. All eyes were oage, their hearts quivering from the sight before them. It was simply too overwhelming, only a young dy standing amidst the cold.

  "Th-The whole arena has been swallowed i again! Gdiator Olivia had been encaged in a gcier! Yet aerrifying and overwhelming victory!" ［Terry］

  "Her Highness, Gdiator Yuna, takes victain! As one would expect of the Hero of Oiros! She advao the quarterfinals!" ［Konan］

  "Th-That was amazing!! Did you see that?!"

  "Hey! Stop shaking me! I'm going to write about this this afternoon!"

  "Waah～! Yhness, that was an amazing performance～!"

  It was rowdy as ever, everyone cheering with awe and delight as they sung praises for the young elf. It was still the sed round, yet she already dispyed a show worthy of the championship. How could o be excited?

  The young dy sooed the stage, not a single wound on her person. She walked away unscathed, a bright and satisfied smile on her face as she hummed to herself, skippieps from time to time as she marched towards the waiting area.

  Of course, she also thawed away the throne of ice, otherwise, it would have caused quite a bit of problems. If one didn't see what mess she just made, one wouldn't be able to believe such a delicate looking girl was actually a walking disaster.

  "Grey, what do you think? How fast was that?" ［Yuna］

  "2 minutes and 43 seds... Are we really still doing this, Yuna?" ［Grey］

  "Un! Of course! Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to determine who's faster betweewo of us! It's a petition! A petition!" ［Yuna］

  "You say that, but you just want to py around, don't you?" ［Grey］

  Yuna didn't answer Grey's question directly, only smiling mischievously, showing her silly little tongue. She really was quite the pyful one, even fooling around when they were in such a grand and prestigious petition.

  Meanwhile, Lisandra's eyes kept gazing at the arena, glued towards a certain familiar figure as he walked up the stage. He marched with pride and dignity, the crowd in a craze as they cheered for him, their voices ringing towards the sky.

  "Oh, looks like it's His Majesty's turn now... The crowd sure is excited." ［Grey］

  "Fufufu! It's not everyday that we see a King fight, after all. I wonder who His Majesty's oppo is..." ［Yuna］

  "He seems to be a Royal Guard... A ker..." ［Grey］

  A King dueling against his guard... It was not a sight one would see in their everyday lives. There may be a rge gap in power for both sides, they were both respectable swordsmen whose bdes had been sharpened for decades of experience.

  "Who do you think would win, Lisa?" ［Yuna］

  "It's already obvious... Father may be rowdy at times, but he's one of the best in the Kingdom. Only a few defeat him in the way of the sword." ［Lisandra］

  "Haha, Quite proud of your father, aren't you?" ［Grey］

  "I-I'm not! I'm just stating the truth!" ［Lisandra］

  They may argue at times, but the King was still one of the Princess' inspirations. He was her first teacher and also her first fan. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be the person she is today. Not as a King, but as a father... She was her pride.

  She closed her eyes and she prayed silently for his victrey and Yuna smiling warmly beside her. Especially Yuna, after all... The winner of the match would be up against her . Her heart was rag iement.

  ""Let the duel... Begin!!" ［Konan and Terry］

  The signal rang quid two figures bolted at insane speeds, a massive shockwave thundering throughout the whole arena as their swords ected with one another, a myriad more following suit after the first csh.

  G G G G

  Both their strikes were swift and heavy, striking each other without fail. One of them attacks and the other defends, then terattag, and the cycle repeats itself. It was a true exge of swords, no mana involved, only pure swordsmanship.

  A trail of silver glimmered and amber sparks erupted from the heavy strike. The Royal Guard raised his sword and defended against the King's downward ssh, sharp and irritable screeches bellowing as the swords crossed.

  Yet however sharp the Royal Guard was, he wasn't able to deflect the King's sudden bo. The tter twisted his arms and forcefully ged the trajectory of the sword, bringing it back for an upwards ssh towards the sky.

  ??Heavy Ssh!?? ［Ar］

  Panic struck his heart for a short while, but he pinned down his own weakness. He let go of his sword and pulled himself away. A loud g echoed as the King struck the Royal Guard's sword, bsting it into the air, spinning untrolbly.

  The Royal Guard's bance brokeー or so it seemed, but rather than falling, he bent his body and performed a back handspring, distang him away from the King. The moment he nded on his feet, he quickly leaped to the air and grabbed his sword before if fell towards the ground.

  "Oh, yood. I didn't think you would recover from that." ［Ar］

  "I am honored, Your Majesty."

  "With that said... Shall we get started with the real show?" ［Ar］

  The King's voice was drowned out by the crowd, his figure vanishing along it. The moment he reappeared, he was already high up in the air, his sword raiser towards the blue sky as he packed both strength and mana into his bde.

  ??Heavy Ssh!?? ［Ar］

  It was the most basic sword art, but it was not to be uimated. The moment he saw the King, the Royal Guard quickly took a couple steps back to dodge his strike. A loud cmor thundered in the arena as the Ki a crater on his wake.

  ??Cleaving Crest!??  ??Cross Ssh!?? ［Ar］

  The Royal Guard performed a terattack, brandishing his sword towards the King, a massive bde of mana rushing forth towards the tter. A cross bolted out from the opposite dire as the King responded in kind.

  Yet another loud explosi out iage, sparks and dust flying everywhere. The Royal Guard didn't waste the opportunity and rushed forth towards him, gripping his bde uhe sunlight, ready to nd a decisive blow to his liege.

  ??Halt, you fool!?? ［Ar］

  However, it was all for naught. As the King's voice rang inside his ears, his footsteps suddenly halted on their own, terror encroag his heart. Terror that only intensified the momenessed a number of sharp glints gleam in the veil of dust.

  There wasn't just owo, or three, but more than a dozehen bdes appearing as the dust cleared out, massive hands of stone holding them, raised towards the vast blue sky as the King raised his bde.

  ??Heavy Ssh: Multiple!?? ［Ar］

  The King brought down his bde, the winds howling with it. A dozen massive swords sshed from the heavens, leaving deep and wide gashes oage, shattering the tiles without a single shred of mercy, as if a dragon id his wrathful cws.

  Fag such a ferocious attack was tantamount to suicide. There was no other choice left, the Royal Guard fleeing the moment he had the ce. The bdes rushed to his dire, but he was able to deflect them using brute force.

  However, the Ling was not finished yet. Not that the enemy was several ways away, he pnted his foot firmly towards the ground, creating a crater with a step. The winds cmored as he ched his sword, swinging it widely soon after.

  ??Cleaving Crest!?? ［Ar］

  They were the same attack, but entirely different at the same time. The King's bde was more massive and powerful, sweeping away every broken tile and debris off as it streaked towards the Royal Knight, a wave of ruin drawing near.

  There was only one solution. If such a massive bde hits him, the round would thetled. The Royal Knight then poured his all into sirike, his fighting spirit burning abze as his cry thundered across the Grand Colosseum.

  ??Fsh Rain!??

  A torrent of bdes rained down upon Ar's strike, but rather than a merciless barrage, he trated it all into a sirike, thrusting faster and faster even when his muscles were already screaming in pain and agony,

  CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK SHATTER

  And he persevered! The bde of mana was broken, shattering like gss, fragments of light soon vanishing into oblivion. Relief and delight surged in his heart, his hands still trembling. He won against the strike, but the battle was still far from over,

  ??You coward! Hold your step!?? ［Ar］

  He tried to move his legs, but it was all for naught. The moment the King opened his mouth, terror once again creeped inside his heart. His already tensed muscles now screamed in fear, uo move even a single fiber in his body.

  In front of him, the King was ready to day down his judgement. The ground quaked as he raised his sword, tons upon tons of rocks gathering by his and. His eyes glowed a golden sheen, his might ready to bear down towards the physical pne.

  ??Falling Rush!?? ［Ar］

  His voied throughout the Grand Colosseum, the rumbling of rocks apanying it. It was a rockslideー no, it was an avanassive boulders rushing down a steep cliff as the earth shook in fear and awe.

  The Royal Guard tried to defend from the King's strike, but his sword didn't even st a couple seds, snapped in half after bearing the brunt of the King's might. A crater was formed uhe stage, the Royal Knight lying unscious over it.

  His Majesty waved his swain and p towards the ground. A smile soon bloomed on his face as he watched the honorable knight before him. Had he been a High-Ranker like him, the battle would have proven to be more difficult.

  "You did well. That was a good match." ［Ar］

  The Royal Guard had already fallen unscious, but the King still had his si gratitude towards the former. The King then raised his fist towards the sky, bringing the audieo a wild uproar.

  "The duel had reached its clusion! His Majesty has won the round of 16 and will advao the quarterfinals! Glory to Graystone!!" ［Terry］

  "Glory to Graystone! Glory to His Majesty! Long Live!!"

  "Your Majesty! You're the best!"

  "Your Majesty for the Grand Finals! You're amazing!"

  He truly was the champion of the masses, people singing and raining down praises for him as he walked out of the arena. He carried the unscious knight with him, calling the priests and healers to make sure the man was alright,

  In the waiting room, a pair of blue orbs watched him from afar. She may not be able to gratute him, but she was still thankful that he won without a hitch. It was her than the Kingdom's very own Sed Princess, Lisadra, now smiling warmly.

  "See? What did I tell you? This much is nothing to Father." ［Lisandra］

  "Fufufu! That's right. His Majesty really is amazing, and... You really are proud of him, aren't you, Lisa?" ［Yuna］

  "N-No! It-It's not like that at all! Like I said! I'm only stating the truth! Nothing more, nothing less, okay?!" ［Lisandra］

  "Sure, sure, let's just go with that～! Fufufu!" ［Yuna］

  "Geez!! Stop teasing me already, Yuna!!" ［Lisandra］

  The teasing tinued and so did the matches. The g again and again, loud crashes and quakes eg every time the testants dueled. They all gave it their all, not wasting the ce that was given to them, swinging with all their might.

  The crowds excimed cheerfully, the cshes thundered proudly, the winds howled violently, and the clouds tio drift iernal blue sky. The day went on like that, people snag and chatting iween.

  Of course, with every mates victory and loss, deafening fanfares cheering the winners and aion of screams and squeals danced in the air, people yelling oop of their lungs. The entators were especially rowdy.

  "Hohoho!! What a fierd crushing victory!! His Grace, Gdiator Elian takes Lady Jimena out of the petition and moves on to the quarterfinals with pride!" ［Terry］

  "His Highness strikes with pride! With Lord James out of the stage, Gdiatrey advances and moves forward to the quarterfinals!" ［Konan］

  "As expected of ning champion! The oppo didn't stand a single ce! With this, His Grace, Gdiator Deltran, joins the roster of quarterfinalists and moves on to the round!!" ［Terry］

  One victory after another, big shots making their names known as they brandished their swords. The crowd only grew more excited with each duel, their hearts rag in anticipation as they looked forward to all which will unfold.

  "Alright, folks! Let's take another 30-minute break and make sure to savor it sweetly as if it would be the st for the day!" ［Konan］

  "Grab your drinks and ready your snacks! up would be the rounds of 8! The quarterfinals! Hohoho!" ［Terry］

  Onwards! The fierce cshes tinue!

  CHAPTER 323 END