Sword Saint's Reincarnation-Chapter 75: Tournament (10)

Wearing simple clothes, Rylan, Aelfric, and Sarah waded through the streets of Caer Rhelon. Rylan had chosen to forsake the hood in order to appear more inconspicuous.

“It’s so lively,” Aelfric said in a low tone.

Rylan and Sarah nodded but were no longer surprised. In a way, they had already gotten used to the capital’s bustling atmosphere and roads. Making their way through the crowds of people on the sidewalk and the carriages on the streets, they finally reached the small stadium they were looking for. Rylan looked at it with critical eyes.

This one’s a bit better.

Beige in color, the circular stone stadium stood proudly in the middle of a busy district. Tall and imposing, it looked like nothing could ever make it crumble. Holes on the walls depicted parts of the stands, while also allowing the wind to pass through them.

People continuously entered and headed towards the stands after flashing their tickets. A single corridor led to the arena proper, where the fight would happen. Even from this distance, Rylan could see a familiar figure.

“Come on, let’s go,” he said to the other two.

He showed the three tickets to the guards at the entrance, then made his way to the stands. Soon, they stood on the very front row.

“Wasn’t this spot too expensive?” Aelfric asked while looking at Rylan with concern.

“The quests I cleared with the soldiers made me some money. Besides, it’s not too expensive. If it were, nobody would show up, leaving the stands empty. The whole purpose is to get people to come. It’s as much of a show as it is an exam,” Rylan replied, shrugging.

His gaze zeroed in on the two people on the paved arena in the middle of the stadium. The one on the left was a girl, maybe sixteen or seventeen, with brown hair and eyes. With average height and build, her only single noteworthy physical feature was her sharp eyes. They burned with competitiveness and desire to win, but this was also tempered by a degree of calmness. Rylan nodded to himself. This was the right mindset one needed in a tournament like this. It was obvious how she had gotten so far.

He looked to the right. Jasmine stood with her head held high, her blonde hair moving in the breeze. It almost glowed as the sun shone on it. Her piercing blue eyes looked like gemstones, even from this distance away. She didn’t wear a robe, displaying the full leather armor that wrapped around her body tightly. A single sword rested on her waist, sheathed. A wand was in her grasp.

Rylan grinned. Even in a tournament like this, she hadn’t chosen to leave her sword behind. It was admirable, from his point of view. In a world like this, where swordsmen were shunned and treated as weaklings who couldn’t learn magic, her determination to stick with swordsmanship deserved his respect. Even if she was a Mage at her core, he could tell she respected the blade.

The announcer stepped forward after looking at the four judges and pointed at Jasmine with a smile.

“Jasmine Lamollet! The only daughter of the city’s Lamollet house, famed for her skill in both magic and swordsmanship!” The announcer exclaimed, looking a bit excited himself as he glanced at her. “One of the strongest contenders to reach the end of this tournament, widely acknowledged as a genius! Sixteen years old, Third Circle!”

Then, he pointed at the other girl.

“Lara of Ornn! Without hailing from a noble house or influential family, she clawed her way through the ranks and reached this point! The very proof that talent matters more than background! Also sixteen and in the Third Circle!”

Rylan raised his eyebrows a bit surprised.

“She got this far as a commoner?” Aelfric said next to him, wonder in his voice.

Very good.

Both in his past life and in this one, background was greatly important. Children from noble families didn’t need to worry about working to earn money and could focus fully on improving their abilities. They had access to good teachers and knowledge, therefore increasing their chances of getting into a good Magic Academy or Swordsmanship Institute in his past life. On the other hand, how could a commoner who needed to work to support their family manage to train as much as a noble? A day had twenty-four hours for everyone, but they weren’t equal.

With interest, Rylan looked at Lara. Deep in her eyes, he could recognize the desire to prove herself. He smiled. Jasmine could end up struggling a bit.

The announcer stepped out of the paved arena. A mana barrier took shape around it, encasing it fully.

“Begin!” the announcer shouted.

Jasmine rested her right hand on the sword’s hilt before pulling out her wand with a small sigh. Lara raised her staff with a serious expression.

“I’ll beat you,” she said. Her voice brimmed with determination.

The audience went silent, trying to listen to their conversation.

“I don’t plan on losing before I fight him again,” Jasmine replied with a calm expression. “But you’re welcome to try.”

Lara furrowed her brow.

“Him?”

Jasmine raised her wand.

“A man who surpassed me.”

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This single statement made the crowd freeze. In a few seconds, it erupted in a storm of whispers and questions.

“Him? Does she mean that one commoner?”

“Probably. Nobody else comes to mind.”

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Rylan perked up his ears. A commoner who was considered to have surpassed Jasmine? Interest and curiosity filled him. Before he could listen to more conversations, the voices died down as both girls started chanting. They finished at the same time.

“Tide.”

“Fireball.”

Water appeared out of thin air around Jasmine, then burst forward as a flood, covering almost half of the arena in a few moments. Simultaneously, the Fireball formed in front of Lara’s staff, then shot forward. Jasmine waved her wand. The water rose, creating a wall. The Fireball crashed against it and exploded in a burst of flames. The two spells pushed against each other, giving rise to steam. They collapsed almost at the same time, the steam spreading throughout the arena.

“Gust,” Jasmine said, waving her wand again. Wind gathered around her and moved forward, pushing the steam to the side and giving her a clear line of sight of Lara.

Suddenly, she took two large steps to the side. The floor under her previous position collapsed and rose, seeking to restrain her, but she was no longer there. She drew a circle with her wand. The wind she had summoned followed her movement, pushing the steam right to Lara’s surroundings.

Jasmine dismissed Gust and started chanting. Lara burst out of the steam cloud, also chanting.

“Earth Spikes.”

“Magic Shield.”

The floor around Lara rose as spikes that pierced at her legs and belly. A translucent layer of orange mana took shape around her and blocked their advance, stopping them in their tracks. Barely a second after it had completely blocked the Spikes, the Shield disappeared. Lara weaved between them and ran to the side as they crumbled. She pointed her staff at Jasmine, still running.

“Fire Lance!”

Mana ignited and coalesced in front of her in the shape of a large, fiery spear. It pointed at Jasmine, then flew toward her. Rylan could feel the heat from the stands. Hot air washed over him as the Lance approached Jasmine, but her expression didn’t even change. The spear got closer and closer, but she didn’t stop chanting. Once the spell was within two meters of her, she abruptly threw herself to the side, spinning. The spell passed her and crashed against the mana barrier, exploding in a maelstrom of flames that devoured the back mana wall.

“Water Sphere,” she said as she quickly found her footing and pointed her wand at Lara.

Water slithered across the floor and surrounded Lara. It started to rise, but Lara jumped over them and rolled on the floor. She climbed to her feet, chanting.

Rylan watched all of this with appreciation.

They’re good.

Both of them could cast while moving and didn’t lose their composure when faced with powerful spells that could result in serious injuries. They accurately chose the correct spells for each situation instead of relying too much on Third Circle spells alone.

Jasmine swung her wand, throwing a Firebolt at Lara, who raised a Magic Shield. The flames crawled over the Shield’s surface but disappeared without achieving anything. Without hesitation, Jasmine cast another Firebolt. Rylan realized what her plan was.

Relentless pressure.

A barrage of Firebolts crashed against Lara’s Magic Shield. The moment one disappeared, the next one was flung. The continuous bombardment forced Lara to keep her Shield up. As if she didn’t care about the mana costs, Jasmine continued to cast. Her movement speed didn’t slow down even a bit as she kept running, throwing her spells from different angles and distances.

Lara’s Shield disappeared as she shot to the side and ducked. An orange mana arrow took shape in front of her staff and shot toward Jasmine as she sidestepped another Firebolt. Jasmine avoided the Magic Missile and continued to cast, while Lara avoided each Firebolt in turn.

Casting spell after spell, the two combatants alternated between offensive and defensive spells quickly and effectively. Magic Shields were raised and then dismissed as soon as possible. They avoided most of the other’s spells through movement, without needing to cast Magic Shield and hinder their offensive. It was a far cry from someone like Isaac, who relied on defensive spells alone to halt an enemy’s attacks.

The battle went on.

Jasmine and Lara ran around. Small injuries started mounting, but their casting wasn’t disturbed even as they frowned and gritted their teeth in pain. Rylan nodded in appreciation again. Earth rose and tried to wrap itself around them; fire scorched the stone floor and roiled within the barrier, flooding the arena with flames. Wind and water battered the arena in the shape of small hurricanes, blades, and floods. Second and Third Circle spells poured out whenever there was a bigger opening, but they still used First Circle spells as the core of their attacks.

Rylan watched all of this with wonder. This was a battle between experienced spellcasters. Could he beat them without resorting to swordsmanship? He didn’t know the answer. That only made his heart throb with anticipation. This battle itself was a display of how powerful Mages fought. Even though he had sparred with Gerard while using magic alone, the gap between them was too large to grasp how a Fifth Circle Mage fought. This battle, on the other hand, was between two comparable opponents.

With his heart thumping within his chest and shining eyes, Rylan stared at the two girls. Spells were cast and dismissed in a dazzling display. However, this wasn’t the kind of situation that could be maintained forever. They didn’t have infinite mana or resources. He looked at Jasmine.

Sweat flowed down her brow as she frowned, even though she had no serious injuries. Her hand grasping the wand trembled, and her steps were no longer as steady as they were in the beginning. Her movements were slower and less effective. Lara was in the same state.

This will end soon.

It happened as Jasmine avoided a Firebolt that aimed at her face by stepping to the side. She swung her wand upward. The floor beneath Lara caved in and rose, wrapping around her legs and making her stumble with a tug. The earth promptly crumbled as Jasmine dismissed the spell. The opening had been successfully created.

Now.

There was no room to cast a powerful spell; the opening wasn’t large enough for that. Jasmine needed a spell that was both quick and effective. Rylan recognized her chanting. He smiled.

“Magic Missile,” she gasped out.

The arrow of blue mana pierced through the air and landed on Lara’s left thigh, drilling into it. Blood fell to the scorched and ruined floor, glinting in the sunlight as Lara screamed and kneeled. The mana she had been gathering dispersed. The judges immediately stood up. Jasmine lowered her wand with a deep breath as the mana barrier came undone and vanished.

“Victory goes to Jasmine Lamollet!” the announcer exclaimed, walking to the middle of the arena.

The audience cheered and yelled the names of both girls, but Jasmine only walked up to Lara after both of them were healed. Lara’s expression was filled with bitterness, but Jasmine only smiled and extended her hand.

“You’re amazing, Lara. If we fought again, I’d definitely lose. I hope both of us make it into the Royal Magic Academy. You will finally be in an environment where your talent can really shine,” she said, appreciation clear in her voice.

Lara blinked, raising her eyebrows. After a moment, she shook Jasmine’s hand with a grin.

“Thank you. Next time, I won’t lose. You are great, too.”

“Would you be willing to be supported by my family? I can’t let talent like yours go to waste. You won’t have to join us.”

Lara blinked, clearly caught off-guard. Almost absent-mindedly, she nodded.

“S-Sure.”

Jasmine widened her smile, making the crowd cheer only louder. She started scanning the audience, as if she was looking for something. Was it something done on a whim? She slowly spun in place with a serious expression. Rylan raised an eyebrow with a bad feeling. Before he could stand up and tell the other two to follow him out, Jasmine finally locked eyes with him.

She immediately froze.

Shit.

Barely a moment later, she drew her sword and pointed it at him with a determined look. Her eyes blazed with fighting spirit. The audience’s cheering stopped as almost one thousand people followed Jasmine’s gaze and looked at Rylan. Sarah and Aelfric glanced at him.

“Next time. Next time, show me what you can really do. I’ll make up for my defeat,” Jasmine said while staring at him. Her voice was completely firm. “Show me your pinnacle.”

Rylan ignored all the stares and wide eyes around him as he smiled.

“I’ll be waiting for you,” he replied in an equally firm tone.

It was a promise between swordsmen.