Chapter 49: Found You... Or Not
Elira smirked as she circled Dahlia, swirling her glowing sword.
"Now what will you do, huh? You can’t dodge forever."
Dahlia’s eyes moved left and right. For once, she didn’t know what to do.
The floaring light blade hung in the air around her, each one ready to strike her.
Damn it... I can’t tell which one is the real one.
Elira’s grin widened.
"Scared? You should be? No one managed to dodge or even counter this skill... not even once."
But behind her confident look...
Sweat rolled down her face, and her breath was slightly uneven as her mana was burned faster than she thought.
Damn it! These Mirage Strikes... They’re powerful illusion skills, but they drain too much of my mana.
But if I don’t use it, then I will lose. Damn it. Let’s just finish this now, as it seems she doesn’t know which one is real.
She raised her sword, intensifying the light even more until it disturbed the eyes of those in the front row.
"If you won’t choose, then I’ll choose for you. Let’s end this!"
Her sword blurred, slashing multiple times. Dozens of glowing arcs appeared again, going toward Dahlia.
The crowd gasped.
"She’s finished!"
"No one can dodge all that!"
Dahlia squinted, scanning desperately. Then suddenly her eyes widened.
Among dozens of them, one slash shone brighter than the rest. Her lips quickly curled.
"Found you!"
She stepped aside, dodging that bright slash, twisting her hips, ready to counter with a strong fist.
But suddenly, Elira laughed, mocking her.
"Too bad! You’re wrong!"
In the blink of an eye, Elira vanished from the front and reappeared behind Dahlia, cutting down in a clean arc.
"Mirage Cut!"
Dahlia’s eyes narrowed.
Damn it! To think it is behind me!
She spun, crossing her arms, trying to defend against the sword.
For a moment, everyone thought the fight was over.
Elira’s smirk grew wide. "It’s done!"
But then... CRRK!
Her sword barely cut into Dahlia’s arms, leaving only shallow gashes.
The blade had stopped dead, unable to slice through completely.
Elira’s eyes went wide.
"W-what the hell?!"
Dahlia blinked, just as confused.
"Uh... I don’t know either, but thanks for stopping yourself."
Before Elira could think to pull back, Dahlia grinned, grabbed both her wrists, and yanked her forward.
BAM!
Their foreheads smashed together, making Elira’s eyes roll back, and her body went limp in an instant.
Her sword fell to the floor, and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
For a moment, silence was in the arena.
Then the crowd erupted.
"She beat Elira!"
"Impossible! Elira, the favorite, lost!"
"What the hell just happened?!"
Up in the premium seats, Garion threw his head back and laughed so hard the chairs shook.
"AHAHA! That’s my girl!"
The gray-robed elder’s eyes were wide, not understanding what had just happened.
"What... what just happened? How did Elira fall so easily? How did Dahlia even block that final cut?"
Garion grinned, pointing down at the arena.
"Hey, old man, didn’t I tell you before? I trained my disciple’s body first."
Garion turned his finger to Elira.
"That Elira kid... she’s fast and her illusion skills are crazy. But still, she is not a strength type that can cut a stone."
He flexed his own arm, veins bulging.
"Even if Dahlia just stood there and let her hit her, she’d still be standing. It’s not that Elira is weak, but Dahlia is just the worst possible opponent for her."
The gray-robed elder frowned, stroking his beard, but he didn’t argue. His eyes stayed on Dahlia.
All around, the other elders began whispering to each other.
"So that’s it..."
"She isn’t just relying on speed or tricks."
"Her body itself is like armor. That’s why Elira’s sword couldn’t finish her."
Garion’s grin grew wider as he heard what the other said about his disciple.
But the gray-robed elder didn’t share their awe. His eyes stayed sharp as he turned back to Garion.
"Quite impressive, but don’t forget that there was still another one left, Larris."
He stroked his beard, smirking.
"If I remembered correctly, he is a strength type competitor, right?"
Garion tilted his head, still grinning.
"So what?"
The gray-robed elder leaned in, lowering his voice, making the tension sharp.
"That Larris boy has been gathering mana this entire time. He’s preparing to deliver one final move. One that will shatter anything in his path."
He pointed his wrinkled finger down the arena.
"Now tell me, Garion. Do you still think that your disciple can win against that?"
The other elders turned their eyes on Garion, some nodding at the gray-robed elder’s words.
"He’s right. Stone Fang techniques are famous for their brute force."
"If he unleashed everything at once, even that girl’s body won’t hold."
"This might be the end of her streak."
The tension grew heavy, but Garion’s grin didn’t fade at all.
He just chuckled, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.
"You old men love to talk, don’t you?"
He raised his hand and waved dismissively.
"But words won’t decide this fight. Strength will."
The gray-robed elder narrowed his eyes.
"So you admit there is a chance she could lose?"
Garion’s smirk widened again.
"I admit nothing. I’ve trained her with all my might, and I somewhat knew her power."
He stood up, turning back to the elders.
"So let’s stop wasting breath on guessing which one is the winner. Let’s just watch the show."
He sat back again, folding his arms, his eyes locked onto the arena.
"It’s almost over anyway."
The gray-robed elder studied Garion for a long moment, then turned back to the stage, smirking.
On the arena floor, Dahlia and Larris squared off.
Dahlia was still okay with a bit of cut in her arms, and her stance was still firm.
On the other hand, Larris’ body glowed faintly, and his axe seemed to have a really strong power gathered inside it.
The crowd grew louder, stomping their feet in anticipation.
"Larris! Larris!"
"Dahlia! Dahlia!"
The two names clashed like thunder, the arena trembling from the roar.
Up above, Garion smirked again, his confidence unshaken.
"Now, old man... Let’s see which body breaks first."