Chapter 9:-The Roar of Blades and the Rise of Flame
The first strike came like lightning.
Reydan dashed forward with his heavy broadsword gripped tightly in both hands. His boots dug into the dust as he lunged. The impact of metal clashing echoed like thunder through the arena as his blade collided with Valeria Flameheart's slender yet sharp sword.
CLANG!
Sparks scattered like fireflies.
The force of Reydan's strike was immense. His muscles strained, veins bulging, sweat already dripping down his forehead. Yet Valeria—standing tall, composed, and terrifyingly calm—didn't budge an inch. Her elegant stance absorbed the force like water flowing around stone.
She didn't need brute strength.
She had control.
Her sword moved like a whisper in the wind. With one smooth motion, she redirected Reydan's follow-up strike, twisting her blade just slightly to create a counterspin. Reydan staggered for half a second—enough for her to respond.
Zing!
Her blade danced with surgical precision, aiming not to kill—but to test.
Reydan ducked barely in time, the blade slicing clean across his shoulder guard, burning the fabric. His reflexes saved him—but the cost was rising. With each clash, he burned more and more mana, reinforcing his body, enhancing his speed, reacting to the sheer grace and unpredictability of Valeria's blade.
From the audience, the candidates gasped.
"He's matching her…"
"But look at how much mana he's burning!"
"He's literally forcing himself to keep up."
Even some veteran knights murmured with rising respect.
"He's not just brave. He's skilled."
"Reydan… the boy has steel in his soul."
---
The two warriors circled one another again, blades raised, eyes locked. This wasn't just a duel now—it was a test of will.
Valeria's sword lowered slightly, her cold golden eyes narrowing. She could see it. His movements were getting sluggish, breaths growing heavier. He had used far too much mana just to defend against her Sword Rain earlier.
And she hadn't even started yet.
Then, with no warning, she whispered her next spell:
"Ignis Tempesta – Blaze Storm."
A Level 7 Fire Magic spell.
The moment the words left her lips, the arena transformed. A crimson sigil expanded beneath her feet, glowing like molten lava. Heat blasted outward in a violent wave. Fire erupted from the ground in all directions, forming a spiraling storm of flame.
WHOOSH!
The arena was swallowed by fire.
The temperature soared. Even the audience, protected by enchantments, shielded their faces from the sheer heat.
All eyes searched for Reydan.
Was he caught? Was he—?
Suddenly—CRACK!
The ground near the center of the flames shattered. A massive fissure split open, and from within, Reydan emerged—burned, bruised, but not broken.
He had used his enchanted sword like a drill, striking the earth with Giga Slash to bury himself beneath the surface before the fire could consume him. But not without cost—his right arm was scorched, trembling, and his mana core was dangerously unstable.
Still, he stood.
His breathing ragged, one knee touching the earth.
Valeria Flameheart stepped forward, her sword resting lightly on her shoulder. Her tone remained detached but oddly respectful.
"Clever… You're not the first to challenge me. But you are good fighter
Her words hit like ice.
Reydan didn't flinch.
From the audience stands, Kael screamed out, "Brother, that's enough! You've proven your worth! Come back!"
But Reydan turned only briefly—flashing a smile. A soft, peaceful smile.
Then he stood fully once more.
He planted his sword into the ground and closed his eyes. Mana surged around him—pulsing, dangerous. Golden runes formed around his sword. A new enchantment.
This was it—his final attack.
"Enchantment: Thunder Soul. Skill: Giga Slash—Level 10."
A deafening hum filled the arena.
Lightning wrapped around his sword like a dragon of storms. Each step he took toward Valeria cracked the ground. Sparks danced around him, his sword glowing with unstable energy.
With a mighty roar, he dragged his blade through the dirt—creating a trench of lightning as he charged like a warrior possessed. It was like watching Sasuke's Chidori dash, but heavier, louder, more destructive.
---
Valeria took a slow breath.
Her golden eyes blinked once.
Then she whispered:
"War Maiden's Strength."
Her body glowed—enhanced by divine battle energy. Her sword shimmered with radiant steel. As Reydan's sword came crashing down with explosive power, Valeria didn't dodge.
She met it head-on.
BOOM!!!
A colossal shockwave tore through the arena. Dust, lightning, wind, and heat exploded in a golden-white blast. The entire battlefield trembled. Yet through the chaos, Valeria didn't move. She had blocked it.
But Reydan—he wasn't done yet.
The moment their swords locked, he unleashed the real trick—a side-angled shockwave spell from his sword's edge. It wasn't meant to break her guard.
It was meant to trap her from both sides.
Valeria's eyes widened ever so slightly.
"He layered his enchantments…"
She reacted just in time—casting Elemental Shield to absorb the dual magic currents. The shield flickered under pressure but held strong.
Valeria smiled for the first time.
"Good move…" she whispered.
"…But this ends now."
---
She stepped forward slowly, her sword humming.
Then she raised her hand, and whispered something new.
Air Magic.
An elemental gust burst out of her palm—whirling wind, sharp as blades, slicing through the debris.
Gasps rippled across the stands.
"She knows fire… strength… and now wind?!"
"How many spells does she have?!"
Before Reydan could recover, Valeria moved—lightning-fast. She appeared before him like a phantom, her blade flashing down. He blocked—barely—but the sheer force pushed him backward. His heels dug trenches in the stone floor.
Valeria's eyes glowed faintly with magic.
One final strike.
She spun gracefully, a hurricane forming around her blade, and slammed the sword into Reydan's chest. He was lifted off his feet—like a ragdoll in a storm—and thrown across the battlefield.
His body slammed into the far wall with a bone-cracking sound.
Dust rose.
Silence fell.
Kael leaped from the stands, racing to his brother's side.
"Reydan!!"
He dropped to his knees, lifting his brother's head into his lap. Reydan's eyes fluttered open, smiling faintly.
"Did I… put on a good show?"
Kael nodded, tears in his eyes. "You were amazing…"
Valeria sheathed her sword quietly. Her back turned to them as the flames around the arena flickered out. The crowd was silent. No one dared to cheer.
Not out of fear.
But out of respect.
For the boy who stood his ground against a Flameheart.
For Reydan the Unbroken.