Chapter 88
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Visitor
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Seeing her arrive at an entirely unexpected moment left him flustered, but only for a moment.
Abel quickly composed himself and replied.
“Hello, Lady Deborah. I’m Abel. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“The honor is mine.”
Deborah spoke with a faint smile in her eyes.
“I’m sorry to interrupt while you’re heading to prepare for the match. Your previous fights were so impressive that I wanted to have a chat.”
“Not at all. Even a brief conversation with someone like you, Lady Deborah, feels like good fortune.”
“Oh? You know of me?”
“Of course. Your reputation precedes you.”
As he spoke, he wondered if he’d laid it on too thick, but there was a reason for it.
‘She loves compliments, according to the notes.’
Nothing about disliking excessive flattery or being wary of overpraise.
Deborah was far removed from that… or so it was written.
“Heh.”
Deborah gave a mysterious smile before opening her mouth again.
“Your eloquence exceeds my expectations.”
“You flatter me.”
“I mean it. Ah, I’ve kept you too long. If you’re interested, could we talk again sometime, even briefly?”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll send a carriage soon.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Sure thing. I’ll be cheering for you.”
With that, Deborah said her farewells and vanished somewhere.
Abel watched her retreating figure for a moment before heading to the waiting room.
Excitement about a new patron was budding in his heart, but right now, his focus lay elsewhere.
‘Jackal.’
Even without Deborah, losing without landing a single blow was something his pride wouldn’t allow.
Of course, he didn’t think raw passion alone would carry the day.
Abel did have a clear advantage.
‘He knows nothing about my visions.’
Jackal had fought his previous matches without any intent to hide his visions.
He might have some hidden trump cards, but it meant his full arsenal was largely exposed.
In contrast, Abel had kept most of his visions under wraps until the very end.
The key now was how to deploy them.
‘I need to review the plan again.’
With that thought, Abel opened the door to the waiting room.
* * *
The spectators in the stands buzzed with more excitement than ever.
The finals were about to begin, which was reason enough to be thrilled, but today’s fervor burned even hotter.
It was probably due to Abel—the dark horse who’d stirred up storms all the way to the finals.
“A first-year pulling that off? How strong will he get down the line?”
“He’s bound to be huge someday. This might be our last chance to see him up close.”
“Exactly. Even that guy from ten years ago who made it to the finals is a big name now.”
A seasoned ex-mercenary reaching the finals was par for the course.
But a first-year student, not even half a year into enrollment, making it this far? That was extraordinary.
Some admired his talent; others rooted for him as the underdog.
The result was this scorching heat filling the stands.
Abel’s name would be on everyone’s lips for a while.
-Ladies and gentlemen! We’ve kept you waiting!
The chattering crowd turned as one toward Doyle’s voice echoing through the arena.
-Yes! All preparations are complete! The competitors will enter any moment now!
-Waaaaaaaaah!
A roar of cheers erupted immediately.
The ground shook with the sheer volume.
Doyle grinned, stoking the atmosphere further.
-Here we go! From the left! The tournament’s dark horse! The whirlwind himself! Abel takes the stage-!
-Waaaaaaaaah!
-Abel! Abel! Abel!
-Thanks to you, we’re rolling in it!!
As the crowd screamed their lungs out, the left entrance swung open.
Thud, thump, thump-!
Abel emerged riding his Gigant.
He raised his massive sword high in response to the cheers, then leaped onto the arena floor.
Boom!
Even his light landing on one side sent the spectators into a frenzy.
‘Turns out I might have a knack for the spotlight…’
Abel chuckled softly and glanced across. Right on cue, the opposite entrance opened.
-And now! From the right! The comeback mercenary! Twinblade Jackal makes his entrance-!
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Jackal strode forward slowly, crossing his twin swords in salute.
Another massive wave of cheers crashed back at him.
Jackal acknowledged them for a good while before leaping onto the arena like Abel.
-This finals arena is far wider! And sturdier than before!
As Doyle said, the field dwarfed the previous ones.
‘They want us to go all out.’
Bloodbaths in tight spaces had their appeal, but Gigant battles truly shone in open areas.
Cramped confines limited movement too much.
Even Percival would’ve been trickier if their fight had more room.
‘Though more space isn’t always a pure boon.’
Abel methodically checked his machine.
The engineers had guaranteed it was fine, but this was for his peace of mind.
Like a pre-match ritual, say.
‘Good.’
After inspecting every joint himself, Abel stomped his foot—boom—to signal readiness.
Jackal had been staring at him silently the whole time.
-Alright, no more dragging this out or we’ll have rocks flying! Introductions over!
Moments later, Doyle announced the match’s imminent start.
Abel assumed his usual stance, sword at the ready.
Jackal adopted his signature crossed twin-sword guard.
Tension peaked.
-Let the match beeeeegin-!
Doyle’s signal dropped.
What unfolded next surpassed everyone’s expectations.
KABOOM!
The instant the signal hit, Abel charged forward.
The crowd, expecting an initial probing phase like before, widened their eyes—then erupted in wild cheers.
Above all, spectators craved spectacle.
The underdog Abel charging for first strike was pure adrenaline.
Thud-!
Closing the gap, Abel swung his sword diagonally without hesitation.
For a sword, its reach was impressively long—hard to dodge easily.
Jackal chose to block rather than evade.
Screeeeech-!
His crossed blades intercepted Abel’s path.
Sparks flew amid the shrill metal scrape, leading to a brief test of strength.
But only briefly.
Whoosh!
Abel shifted power downward mid-push, then thrust forward in a snap.
Jackal didn’t panic, moving to parry.
Clang!
His quick reflexes twisted Abel’s blade off course.
Left like this, the sword would slice empty air, leaving Abel open for Jackal’s counter.
Whoosh!
Yet impossibly, Abel’s wildly deviated blade snapped back on track.
An unnatural motion.
Jackal twisted aside in haste.
Crunch!
But Abel’s sword still tore through Jackal’s left shoulder armor.
Whooooom!
A chance was a chance—Abel pressed the attack, but Jackal offered no further openings, swinging threateningly.
Abel had no choice but to retreat without a follow-up.
-Waaaaaaaaah!
Cheers thundered unabated, but Abel’s face showed dissatisfaction.
For unleashing a hidden vision, the payoff was meager.
‘Blocking Double Attack that easily.’
Double Attack made his sword strike twice in one motion, like doubling up.
That’s why it returned to its original path despite the parry.
Yet Jackal, unaware of the vision, dodged a lethal hit on pure reaction.
‘He’s on high alert already.’
The same trick wouldn’t work again.
Thud, thump.
So Abel circled right around Jackal at a deliberate pace, no reckless rushes.
Jackal didn’t stand still either, mirroring to the left.
-Abel lands a solid hit! Jackal keeps his guard up, maintaining distance!
The moment Doyle bellowed—
Jackal surged forward this time.
Thud!
Not as fast as Percival, but the attack’s sharpness was superior.
Closing in, his twin blades whipped from different arcs.
Dodging one meant eating the other.
Thus, Abel didn’t dodge.
Screeeeech!
His long swing batted both blades aside.
Jackal’s swords flew up, flung wide. But as if anticipated, he slammed them down instantly.
Abel, likewise prepared, triggered Double Attack without hesitation.
Whoom, whoooom!
The double slash cleaved empty air.
Jackal had feinted the overhead, launching sideways instead.
Thud!
From Abel’s blind spot, the twin blades coiled like serpents toward his right leg.
Abel countered with yet another vision.
Whoosh!
His Gigant blurred for an instant, reappearing several paces away.
-Oooooh! A new vision! Seems specialized for mobility!
Doyle exclaimed in awe. The vision’s name: Shadow Step.
Meant for ambushes, but no time for secrets now.
Whooooom-!
Clashing swords with Jackal, Abel assessed.
‘No standout strengths.’
But that didn’t make him easy prey.
Jackal excelled evenly across the board.
Not raw talent.
Just overwhelming experience.
Battle-hardened instincts crushed Abel.
Thud!
Boom!
Each time Abel tried a new ploy, Jackal read it and struck back.
Repeating this, Abel finally understood Iolin’s desperation in her match.
‘Yeah, the longer it drags, the worse it gets for me.’
Obvious, really.
Jackal’s stats outclassed his, but the info gap forced caution.
As that gap closed, Jackal grew bolder.
Abel knew this to some degree.
Hence the opening blitz.
‘Didn’t pan out, though.’
No giving up now.
“Hoo.”
Abel exhaled hot breath.
Overflow, triggered mid-swing, set his whole body ablaze.
Pushing output far beyond normal wrecked him with strain.
‘Maybe three minutes in this state.’
Too short, but necessary.
Otherwise, defeat would come in seconds.
Key was landing real damage in those three minutes.
Thud-!
Sensing danger, Jackal unleashed a barrage.
Abel swung madly, twisting to block.
Then, at some point.
Tap-.
Abel’s machine hit the wall.
Jackal raised his sword but held the swing.
Likely scarred from Iolin’s surprise hit in a similar spot.
But this time, it gave Abel his window.
Time for a true blow.
Crackle-.
Abel poured mana in, unleashing his ultimate.
‘Thunderblade.’
KAAAAABOOM-!
The sword, wreathed in blue lightning, hurtled forth.