I knew better than to say something stupid like, “You don’t need to thank me,” or, “I only helped you because I wanted to.” If someone felt gratitude, they thanked you, and if you weren’t an idiot, you accepted that gratitude and said…
“You are welcome.”
They were just three simple words, but they caused Fay to smile at me, which I returned before the two of us turned back to the window. Hellen and Arild had just emerged onto the arena. The people had become lively once again and were cheering and screaming. I guessed that meant they had gotten over their shock from my battle.
“Who do you think is going to win?” asked Fay as the two women took their places on the arena floor. Hellen unsheathed her single sword, while Arild reached behind her and removed her short swords from their sheaths.
“It’s hard to say.” I narrowed my eyes and used Spiritual Perception to judge the two combatants. “Hellen doesn’t have as much raw power as Arild, but she seems to have more control. What’s more, she has a water affinity, while Arild’s is fire, which puts them on even ground in terms of power since she’s got the elemental advantage. A fight like this will come down to which of them is more skilled.”
“I suppose so.” Fay glanced at the two as Rainer announced that the battle had begun. “I’ve heard of Hellen Bryndhild before. She’s a captain of the Nevarian Spiritualists and is currently considered the most powerful among the ten captains. She earned the nickname Water Goddess Brynhild due to her unique style of combat.”
As Fay spoke, Arild released her Spiritual Power, activating her aura, which took on the shape of a dense flame. Unlike Grant, whose flame was red, hers was blue. I’d heard from a member of the Alchemist Association that blue flames were the hottest type of flame in existence. According to him, it had something to do with the amount of oxygen flames consumed. A flame that consumed a high amount of oxygen would turn blue and the heat would increase. I didn’t know how hot they got, but I’d seen someone else whose flames were blue, and their flames could melt steel with ease.
Unlike Arild, Hellen did not produce a Spiritual Aura. It wasn’t because she couldn’t. Hellen had already reached the Second Stage of Spiritualism. A soft simmering blue glow surrounded her body like a second skin.
“Hmm… her combat style seems to rely mostly on being incredibly fast and overwhelming her opponents,” I analyzed her battle from yesterday. “But I assume you are actually referring to how she uses her element. Come to think of it, I never saw her use the water element during the preliminary round yesterday.”
“That’s because she didn’t get injured yesterday,” Fay said.
“Ah.”
And just like that, I realized what sort of fighting style Hellen Brynhild had.
I turned back to watch the fight, which was now underway. Arild was swinging her swords in a manner that seemed wild at first glance, but it had a definite rhythm to it, and each swing unleashed a powerful crescent-shaped wave of blue flames. I couldn’t feel the heat from inside the waiting room. However, each crescent wave scorched the arena floor, turning the ground into a black mess.
Despite a seemingly uncountable number of attacks heading toward her, Hellen remained calm as she slowly walked forward, swinging her sword with precise and swift strokes. A horizontal slash sliced apart the first crescent. Her downward stroke split another flame in half. Spinning on the balls of her feet, she swung her blade from the ground on her right, moving diagonally toward her left shoulder. Not only did this attack destroy the flame crescent, but a wave of water flew from her blade. Hellen then swung back down, creating another wave of water, which increased both the size and speed of her first Spiritual Technique when the two connected.
Arild dodged the technique instead of taking it head on. The powerful wave of water kept going. It slammed into the wall several dozen meters behind her, exploding with enough power to dent and crack the stone.
When Arild dodged the attack, Hellen used that moment to shoot forward, pushing off the ground with her powerful legs and blitzing toward her opponent. Arild suddenly found herself trapped within an intense melee battle. While she tried to do her best, Hellen quickly overwhelmed the girl, who obviously lacked the years of experience that she had. It wasn’t long into the battle before Hellen disarmed her opponent and placed a blade against Arild’s throat.
“Surrender,” Hellen said.
Arild sighed. “I give up. It seems you really do live up to your reputation as the Nevarian Spiritualist’s most powerful captain.”
“I appreciate the compliment.” Hellen smiled. “It’s high praise indeed to receive such a compliment from a member of the Kriger Family.”
“The winner of this match is Hellen Brynhild!” Rainer announced, causing many people in the audience to burst with applause and cheers. “Will Finn Søkere and Fay Valstine enter the arena now?”
“I guess that means it is my turn,” Fay said.
“I would wish you luck, but I don’t think you will need it.” I placed a hand on her shoulder. “Show everyone how strong you are.”
Fay’s smile seemed to have an extra shine as she nodded at me. “I will.”
I removed my hand and watched as Fay walked toward the door, then when she and her opponent disappeared, I turned back to the arena so I could watch my friend fight in her first one-on-one battle.
* * *
Fay’s opponent this time was a man named Finn Søkere. He stood about one head taller than her, was broad shouldered, and wielded a sword that was long and narrow. It didn’t look like a standard broadsword. He also appeared to be a Nevarian Spiritualist because he was wearing their traditional leather armor. With his bright blue eyes, blond hair, and immaculate appearance, someone might have mistaken him for a prince.
As she stood there, Finn glanced at something above and behind her, causing Fay to frown. The only thing behind her was the viewing booth. Maybe he was looking at Empress Hilda, who was admired by nearly everyone who aspired to rise through the ranks with their strength.
“Are the two of you ready?” asked Rainer.
“Yes,” Fay said as she slid her feet apart and adopted a fighting stance.
Finn returned his gaze to her, held his sword up to his face, and stood with his back straight. “I am also ready.”
“Then this fight is officially underway.” Rainer sliced his hand through the air. “Fight!”
Perhaps it was because of her previous fight during the preliminaries, but Finn launched an attack the moment the battle started. His bright yellow aura activated as he took two steps forward and thrust out his sword. A powerful bolt of yellow lightning erupted from the tip and formed a spear point.
Fay responded on instinct. She clenched her hand, spun it around in a circle, and then thrust it forward. A fireball flew from her fist and slammed into the lightning bolt. However, Fay found herself surprised when the lightning bolt tore her fireball apart and continued toward her. This forced Fay to leap out of the way, but Finn, who must have been anticipating what she would do, stepped forward and launched another powerful bolt of lightning at her.
Left with no other choice, Fay used the Flash Step to avoid the attack. The world around her blurred slightly as she suddenly reappeared ten meters from where she’d been standing. She eyed Finn, who stared at the spot where she had been, and then turned to face her.
“I think I understand the basic principle of your Spiritual Technique,” he declared. “I don’t know how you activate it, but that fast movement of yours is clearly done by generating an intense burst of kinetic energy by sending your Spiritual Power to the ground through your feet. It’s a simple technique, but it is also very ingenious. No wonder those people who fought you during the preliminaries had so much trouble countering it.”
“You’re awfully perceptive,” Fay said with a grimace. She didn’t like that he’d already seen through the Flash Step. If he knew how it worked, then he might have also found a means to counter it.
A
s if reading her thoughts, Finn smiled. “Unfortunately for you, while I don’t know how you do it, I am capable of at least countering it.”
Finn began shuffling his feet along the ground, moving in seemingly random patterns that Fay couldn’t understand. Then he swung his sword. Lightning burst from it like a tempest. Fay tried to use the Flash Step to escape, but then she realized, to her shock, that she couldn’t use it.
Incapable of using the movement technique Eryk had taught her, Fay was left with no choice but to hurriedly dodge.
* * *
“Now this is interesting.”
Kari glanced at her mother, who was studying the battle with keen interest. “What is interesting?”
“That young man has figured out a way to counter Fay’s movement technique.” She gestured toward the battle. “Take a closer look at him. What is he doing?”
Kari frowned as she studied Finn, who continued to shuffle his feet along the ground. She didn’t see anything at first. However, her mother wouldn’t have suggested she take a closer look at Finn if there wasn’t a reason.
It took her awhile, but she eventually discovered what her mother had already noticed.
“He’s sending electricity into the ground!” she exclaimed.
“Correct.” Her mother smiled. “That strange dance he is doing is generating a sort of static electricity that has spread across the whole arena floor. It doesn’t cause any physical harm. In fact, I’m almost certain Fay hasn’t even noticed it, but the electricity is messing up her ability to channel Spiritual Power into her feet. He’s completely cut her off from being able to use what might be her greatest trump card.”
Now worried, Kari clasped her hands, watched the battle, and prayed that her friend would be able to find some way around this man’s counter.
* * *
Fay knew she was in trouble. She couldn’t use the Flash Step, and this man wasn’t letting her get in close. Every time she tried, he would shoot one of those powerful lightning bolts at her. Now she was being forced to run around the arena just to avoid being struck.
For just a moment, Fay cursed the fact that Eryk hadn’t taught her any Spiritual Techniques except for the Flash Step. If she had a more powerful offensive technique than the one her father had given her, then maybe she could have simply overpowered this man. Then she remembered Eryk’s words: Someone who knew a thousand techniques was nowhere near as powerful as a person who had completely mastered one. She agreed with him.
Still, that did leave her in a bind.
Finn launched several more lightning bolts at her one after the other, leaving her little time to create a plan, but it wasn’t like all she was doing was dodging. Fay made sure to watch Finn carefully. She had already noticed that his Spiritual Lightning Technique relied on the simple thrusting motion of his sword to activate, and he hadn’t used anything else, which meant this was probably his only offensive technique.
If she could just get close, she could end this, but she couldn’t use the Flash Step. That strange shuffling of his was somehow stopping her from using it. She could tell this wasn’t a true Spiritual Technique. More than likely, he was using it to just channel lightning into the ground somehow.
As she continued to dodge, Fay looked around at the arena to see if there might be something she could use. All she saw was the arena walls, however. Those wouldn’t… help… her…
The walls!
Changing direction as inspiration struck her, Fay rushed over to the nearest wall, avoiding lightning bolts as they zipped past her. She leapt into the air when she was less than half a meter away. Twisting her body around, her feet slammed into the wall as she bent her knees to absorb the impact. For one second, it almost seemed as though she were standing on the wall in complete defiance of gravity.
And then the second was up as Fay pushed forward and used the Flash Step. Her body disappeared to the eyes of others. Even Finn could no longer see her, though he seemed to realize she was coming for him.
Because she couldn’t take that many steps, Fay landed on the ground about five meters from Finn, but just as he sent a lightning bolt at her, she activated her fiery red Spiritual Aura, tucked her elbow into her torso, and thrust out her hand, slamming it into the ground as she activated her only Spiritual Fire Technique to launch herself into the air. Finn’s attack missed as she soared over his head and landed on the ground behind him. He tried to spin around and attack, but Fay rotated both fists in a circle as she tucked her elbows into her torso, then thrust them forward.
This time, when the explosion went up, Fay did not experience the pain of her knuckles and fists being burned. A powerful detonation of fire slammed into Finn, sending him sailing away from her, striking the ground, and rolling across the dirt. The force of her attack was extreme enough that she also skidded across the ground, but the pain from being burned didn’t come like last time.
Fay took several deep breaths as rivulets of sweat poured down her face. Her knees were shaking and she felt a little lightheaded. Her battles during the preliminaries had been relatively easy since everyone underestimated her, but Finn had not, which forced her to use more effort and cunning than before.
It was strangely exhausting.
Finn did not get up after being hit by her technique. His Spiritual Aura was already gone, and his leather armor had scorch marks on it. Furthermore, the cloth underneath the armor had been burnt, leaving his lower back exposed and showing off the blistering skin from where her attack had hit him. His sword was lying several meters away.
“The third match of round one is over! Winner by knockout is Fay Valstine!” Rainer declared to the cheers of the crowd.
Chapter 8
The Second Round
Kari observed the current fight between Marko and Catalyna Kriger. While she wouldn’t say it was a boring match, as the two were trading fast-paced strikes and numerous C-rank Spiritual Techniques back and forth with incredible finesse and skill, she would admit that she wasn’t very interested in this battle.
Down below, a beautiful woman in her early 20s swung a large sword that was bigger than a broadsword but smaller than a claymore. It had jagged edges. As she swung it, nine crackling spheres of lightning appeared in front of her, which shot off seconds after they were formed. Their target was the powerful-looking man whose hands were clad in gauntlets made of steel and brass. The man’s fists glowed a brownish-green as he punched each sphere into oblivion, using the earth element to negate the power of lightning.
Both of their Spiritual Auras were flaring wildly as they attacked. They had an impressive amount of power. The dense Spiritual Auras were like bright flames that protected them from attacks.
“Those two are fairly impressive,” Mykkel murmured. “Neither of them have reached the Second State of Spiritualism, but they seem to have mastered a lot more Spiritual Techniques than other people their age.”
“Hmph!” Geirolf scoffed. “I know more techniques than they do.”
“The Spiritual Lightning Technique that Catalyna is using is called Nine Spheres Lightning Chapel,” Earland said with his arms crossed, eyes focused only on the battle. “It’s a C-rank Spiritual Lightning Technique that uses the motion of her swings to generate compressed balls of lightning that she launches at her opponent.”
“And Marko’s technique is Glowing Fist of the Giant, right?” asked Mykkel. “I think it creates a giant fist that can be used as both attack and defense. It’s supposed to be a B-rank Spiritual Earth Technique, but it doesn’t look like Marko has mastered it to the point where he can create a fist out of his Spiritual Power, so he’s just coating his hands in Spiritual Power instead.”
“That seems to be the case.” Earland nodded.
“Don’t ignore me, you two!” Geirolf snapped.
As they spoke, Catalyna leapt back, spun in a complete circle, and then swung her sword up and down. Lightning exploded from the sword and transformed into a powerful dragon with glowing white eyes. It roare
d and charged at Marko. Meanwhile, Catalyna ran swiftly behind the beast, hiding within its shadow.
Marko pounded his fists together exactly three times, generating an intense brownish glow before he slammed his hands into the ground. A wall suddenly appeared in front of him. Made from brown earth, the wall looked sturdy, about maybe a half a meter thick.
The dragon crashed into the wall and broke apart, sending pale arcs of electricity scattering everywhere. Catalyna, who seemed to have some idea about what her opponent would do, ran up the wall instead of around it. She landed on top of the wall and swung her sword down, shooting an arc of powerful lightning at Marko.
This attack was something that Marko expected. He had already summoned another wall. However, after Catalyna fired a powerful blast of lightning at him, she used his inability to see to her advantage, slipping around and attacking him from behind. Her powerful swing crashed into Marko, sending him to the ground as pale arcs of lightning exploded from his body and disrupted his Spiritual Aura.
“Looks like that is it,” Empress Hilda muttered as Marko’s Spiritual Aura flickered and vanished. “They seem to know quite a few Spiritual Techniques, but they haven’t mastered any of them.”
“They were wasting a lot of Spiritual Power,” Kari said. Although she was mostly talking to herself, her mother still glanced at her. “If those Spiritual Techniques they were using were B-rank or above, they wouldn’t have been able to keep that pace for very long. The only reason Marko could even use Glowing Fist of the Giant is because he turned it into a C-rank Technique.”
“You are correct. You have a good eye,” her mother complimented.
“The winner of match four is Catalyna Kriger!” Rainer announced. “The next match is between Bardi Torden and Sigrid Bladene.”
As the crowd roared in approval and the contestants left the arena, Kari placed her left elbow on the armrest, leaned her head on her hand, and sighed.
WIEDERGEBURT: Legend of the Reincarnated Warrior: Volume 4 Page 12