REINCARNATION OF THE STRONGEST WAR HERO-Chapter 68: COLLAPSING PRIDE

Lilith pushed herself up and sat down with difficulty.

"What a monster," she spat on the ground, then slowly stood up.

Rowan didn’t move. He didn’t press the advantage. Instead, he simply watched her, calm and poised, giving her the chance to rise.

Up in the noble balcony, Emily’s fist clenched slightly. She was an experienced adventurer—danger, injuries, and even casualties were familiar sights to her. And Lilith wasn’t some fragile flower. That attack hadn’t truly put her in danger. Still, her mother’s heart ached, just a little.

It seemed even the strongest people had weaknesses.

Beside her, Noah sat with a calm expression. As if all this was within expectations. He knew Lilith’s personality—and her strength. That last hit wasn’t enough to break her, not physically, and certainly not mentally.

Back on the stage—

Lilith stood upright once more. Her breathing was heavy. But her eyes were still burning with conviction.

In the stands, her fan group exploded in cheers, hands waving in rhymes, voices howling with renewed excitement. Rowan’s supporters weren’t silent either. The energy wasn’t that of a duel—it was a celebration.

The noise of the crowd, the clink of coins, and the sharp cries from the betting corners added to the chaos.

"Two-to-one odds on Rowan!"

"Are you mad? Lilith’s not done yet. Look at those eyes! She’s gonna turn this around!"

"Dumbass, if she could, she would’ve already. The prince hasn’t even used half his strength!"

It wasn’t the most action-packed match of the tournament so far.

But was it more breathtaking and heart-pounding?

Hell yeah.

It was the final, after all.

Whether noble or commoner, everyone in the arena was trapped in a whirlwind of amazement and anticipation.

Lilith cracked her knuckles. The sound was sharp and clear even over the crowd.

"Don’t think you’ve already won. I was just warming up. Here comes the real fight."

She didn’t wait for Rowan to respond.

And Rowan, as usual, wasn’t the type to reply anyway.

Lilith shot forward again. The ground cracked beneath her feet. An air blade formed in her right hand. Long-range attacks were a disadvantage for her against Rowan—he was too precise, too fast. And his spells were too devastating for Lilith to block. So this time, she would close the gaps. She didn’t want to give any scope to Rowan for casting long range attacks.

" Let’s see how you still maintain that cool expression in close combat," Lilith whispered.

Rowan stood ready.

Seeing the condensed mana swirling in Lilith’s hand, he already guessed her plan.

Her blade came slashing at Rowan with a loud whoosh, slicing the air itself.

Rowan didn’t dodge.

Instead, he raised both his palms forward.

A surge of lightning erupted. It was concentrated and crackling violently. His each palm was holding this condensed orb of raw energy.

Lilith’s slashes rained down, but Rowan parried every strike with his crackling lightning orbs.

From the crowd:

"Damn it! What are those? Is he using his bare hands to stop mana blade slashes?! What the hell man?!"

"No, dumbass! He’s condensing his lightning into his palms—it’s acting like a shield!"

"What shield? Then why not make it big enough to see?"

"Because the more compact it is, the harder and stronger it hits!"

"Woah! So that’s what’s going on."

"That’s the Third Prince for you. He even fights with style—like a hero out of mythology."

Each clash sent sparks bursting into the air. As if they were residual flames dancing like remnants from a dying blaze.

The air rumbled with cheers.

Lilith’s blades came faster. Sharper. Harder. Each one laced with her rage.

She kept slashing, but couldn’t gain any advantage. What’s worse...

She knew Rowan wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

She gritted her teeth and pushed further.

Then, she manipulated gravity around her. Its burden pressed on Rowan.

Rowan’s movements slowed. His body suddenly weighed down by an unseen force.

But so did Lilith’s.

She had the same affinity as Logan—but she hadn’t gone through the same brutal training. She was trying to mimic Logan’s trick. But without his level of control, it backfired.

She was affected too.

And her opponent?

Rowan, who had already fought—and survived—the better version of this move, already saw through its weaknesses.

Lilith facing the same effect wasn’t the only drawback. Her manipulation wasn’t continuous and equally distributed. Rowan already found the weak spots and his hands moved like a blur.

BAM!

A figure flew backward and crashed hard against the ground with a heavy thud.

Lilith. It was her again.

But this time, she didn’t stay down.

She bounced back up and charged again, fury in her eyes.

This was the first time she had taken so many consecutive hits. Each blow felt heavier than the last—not just to her body, but to her pride.

She had always stood above her peers. Always.

And now, even as the crowd cheered for both fighters, it felt—to her—like they were mocking her. Mocking her for losing ground.

And she couldn’t accept that.

Another blade-like shape formed in her left hand—buzzing with lightning.

Wind blade in her right.

Lightning blade in her left.

She looked like a war god’s kid version.

Her face twitched with anger. Her brows trembled. It almost felt like tears would swell up at any moment—if she didn’t win.

Up in the balcony, Noah and Emily both felt the shift.

"She’s losing control of her emotion," Noah whispered.

And beside them one figure was watching the match with a calm and cool face but his eyes were sparkling with every new move. It was Logan. He could feel the shift in air as well.

Lilith was a prodigy. A rare talent. Four elemental affinities. Already a Tier 2 mage. Among her peers, she had no equal. Even against older teens, she often stood undefeated.

But above all of that—

She was still a twelve-year-old kid. fгeewёbnoѵel_cσm

Strong. Mature. Experienced. But still a child.

And her heart couldn’t accept this new feeling.

The feeling of defeat.

She wanted to win.

In any way possible.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr(e)𝒆novelkiss