“Hey, have you heard the news? There’s going to be a duel!”
“What? Who’s dueling, and where?”
“Who else but the notorious ‘Black Princess’ from Dorm 818?”
“Haha, this marks the fifth time this month. I recall her previous four opponents were all thoroughly thrashed; I wonder which poor soul has incurred her wrath now.”
“Why bother with such details? There’s a spectacle to behold! Come on, let’s hurry, or we’ll lose our prime viewing spots.”
…
Similar whispers frequently rippled through the crowd, quickly escalating into a fervent buzz. In short order, the dojo’s perimeter was completely enveloped by a vibrant throng of young women, each adorned with an expression of eager anticipation for the impending spectacle.
Standing solitary in the dojo’s core, You’er’s vexation deepened, and he shot a menacing glare at the dorm manager.
“Oh, don’t glare at me so. Good things are meant to be shared, aren’t they? That’s the essence of a girl’s romance,” the dorm manager quipped, whistling nonchalantly and teasing with a knowing smirk.
You’er found himself disinclined to waste further breath on her. He began to entertain the suspicion that she had discerned something, for why else would she so ruthlessly set him up immediately upon their acquaintance? The chatter among the surrounding girls made it abundantly clear that the dark-haired maiden was by no means an agreeable character.
‘What an unfortunate turn of events this year has brought,’ You’er mused with an inward sigh.
“The ‘Black Princess’ is here! Clear the path, quickly, or you’ll face her wrath!”
In an instant, the girls recoiled as if confronted by a primordial beast, instinctively clearing a two-meter-wide aisle. Down its center strode the dark-haired maiden, now resplendent in a school uniform. Her cascading black hair was bound into a long, elegant plait with a ribbon, complementing the crisp blue and white of her attire, lending her an air of vibrant heroism and considerable presence.
“I allotted you ten minutes, yet you failed to capitalize on the opportunity.” The maiden stood at the opposing end of the dojo, her gaze meeting You’er’s from across the expanse. Her fair features betrayed not a hint of arrogance as she spoke, but rather an air of unassailable certainty.
“I am rather curious as to what you concealed within that dorm room, necessitating such drastic measures,” You’er stated, not deigning to directly address her previous remark, but merely offering this understated observation.
“You shall pay dearly for those words!”
You’er’s declaration caused the maiden’s countenance to abruptly chill. With a swift motion, she plucked two hairpins from her forehead, and in the very next instant, they transmuted into a pair of half-meter-long, crimson short blades.
Clang!
Hidden Edge emerged from its sheath, its keen edge gleaming menacingly.
“Gugu You’er Guinevere, I request your instruction!”
“Annachimia… I request your instruction!”
As the maiden’s words concluded, the two short blades she wielded erupted with Elemental Energy, their forms undergoing an abrupt metamorphosis. They expanded, morphing into two straight swords, each approximately a meter in length. The lower halves of these blades were forged purely from flowing flames, imbuing them with an aura of profound mystery and palpable danger.
Beneath his mask, You’er’s gaze sharpened perceptibly. The twin weapons in Annachimia’s grasp were unequivocally magic artifacts of considerable power.
Yet, this was not the foremost concern occupying You’er’s thoughts.
‘She didn’t even state her surname…’ For a Sword Wielder, announcing one’s full name during a spar is a crucial formality. To neglect this is to openly declare one’s disdain for the opponent.
Indeed, this time, he had truly been underestimated.
A long-dormant surge of anger ignited within You’er. Should he fail to thoroughly chastise the maiden before him today, he would truly be doing himself a disservice.
“Draw your swords… No, never mind. I declare this contest—now officially commenced!”
Boom!
As the dorm manager’s declaration resonated, both You’er and Annachimia simultaneously erupted with formidable auras. To You’er’s utter astonishment, the maiden, despite being roughly his age, had already attained the rank of Mid-tier Sword Master.
“Wow~ they’re both Sword Masters! This is finally getting interesting!”
“This is a bit precarious. The Black Princess possesses the might of a Mid-tier Sword Master, and her ‘Crimson Twin Blades’ are Fourth-tier magic artifacts. The advantage she holds is simply too immense…”
…
The maidens murmured amongst themselves, none appearing to favor You’er’s chances. Only the dorm manager, propping her chin thoughtfully, cast her gaze towards You’er, a faint smile gracing her lips. “I merely intended to stir up a little trouble for that dark-haired lass, but I never anticipated finding her such a formidable opponent. To have comprehended ‘sword intent’ at such a tender age… Yet, why does this white-masked girl deliberately conceal her abilities? If she refrains from utilizing her sword intent, I fear she’ll suffer a significant setback at the hands of that other girl.”
“Is this, then, the wellspring of your confidence?” Annachimia inquired, her brows knitting slightly as she perceived the distinctive aura of a Sword Master emanating from You’er, a subtle hint of disappointment coloring her tone.
You’er, however, merely offered a faint smile, electing to answer not with words, but with action. His form, light as a drifting willow catkin, closed the distance to Annachimia in mere breaths. He raised his arm, pressing his sword forward.
Annachimia’s expression remained utterly unperturbed. Her twin blades fanned upwards like a blossoming flower, effortlessly deflecting ‘Hidden Edge’, then swiftly converged like a closing fan, arcing towards You’er’s shoulders.
You’er merely took a slight step back, deftly evading the converging slash. Then, his foot paused momentarily before he surged forward once more, the tip of his sword now trailing a fierce, ‘rustling’ whirlwind—a single, explosive strike, [Sword Wind Thrust], launched without the slightest warning, piercing forth with the speed of lightning!
As the surging sword wind swept towards her, Annachimia’s dark eyes narrowed imperceptibly. She had clearly discerned the formidable power of this thrust, and rather than attempting to meet it head-on, she twisted her body, deftly evading.
While [Sword Wind Thrust] possessed formidable power, its destructive force was concentrated solely on a single point. With keen enough awareness, evading it proved relatively straightforward.
“Drag Saber Slash, Water-Severing Flow!”
However, just as Annachimia successfully circumvented the sword tip’s whirlwind and before she could even contemplate another reaction, You’er abruptly shifted his attack. With a sudden twist of his blade, he drew his sword horizontally, simultaneously unleashing a two-meter-long sword aura that arced directly towards Annachimia’s left shoulder.
Had Hansen been present at that very moment, he would undoubtedly have been utterly astonished by You’er’s maneuver. Not only had You’er secretly mastered and deployed his ultimate technique, but he had done so in a seamless transition from another sword skill.
Caught entirely off guard by this abrupt turn of events, Annachimia was visibly startled. In her haste, she had no time to evade, and instead abruptly pivoted, raising her twin blades to parry.
Such a rushed defense left Annachimia no time to even marshal additional Elemental Energy. How, then, could she possibly contend with You’er’s raw power? With a resounding ‘clang,’ her slender form was instantly propelled backward, nearly tumbling from the dojo’s confines. Fortunately, her innate sense of balance proved exceptional; she executed an acrobatic twist mid-air, dragging her twin blades along the ground to effectively dissipate the formidable recoil.
A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers!
“No way! The Black Princess actually took a hit? Who is that white-masked individual facing her? Do we even have someone like that in our First Division? And it’s a girl…”
“Don’t speak too soon! The Black Princess hasn’t even unveiled a single sword technique yet!”
…
“Are you some kind of monster, possessing such immense strength?” Disregarding the incessant murmurs that swelled around them, Annachimia gazed at You’er, who stood poised with his sword. She flexed her slightly numb arm, and for the first time, a distinct expression settled upon her comely face—one far more grave than any she had displayed before.
“This sword, for someone of your stature, likely weighs a good two to three hundred kilograms, wouldn’t you agree?” You’er mused with a faint smile, casting a brief glance at Hidden Edge cradled in his grasp.
In the throes of combat, he possessed the ability to inject magic power, thereby alleviating Hidden Edge’s apparent weight and reducing his own burden. However, the sword’s inherent mass remained unaltered. When it struck an adversary, the impact delivered the genuine force of hundreds, even thousands, of kilograms. For a female opponent, in particular, this was a crushing weight, more than enough to overwhelm them.
Indeed, the mere fact that Annachimia had managed to parry a full strike from Hidden Edge head-on, albeit in haste, and emerge entirely unscathed, spoke volumes of her truly exceptional prowess.
Annachimia’s eyes remained placid as still water, yet her entire comely face had now settled into an expression of profound seriousness and resolve. She lightly elevated her twin blades, her voice chilling as she declared, “I have sampled your offense. Now, it is my turn…”
Fwoosh!!
Crimson flames surged with ferocious intensity. In that precise moment, Annachimia’s twin blades underwent yet another transformation: they expanded, elongated, and their length doubled with astonishing speed!
Two formidable, two-meter-long crimson flame blades now crossed before Annachimia’s chest. Tongues of fire erupted and danced, their brilliant light dazzling and utterly astonishing the eyes of every single spectator.
“Heavens…! What tier are these two weapons of hers, truly?!”