Chapter 641: Clash
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 641: Clash
"Your Highness? Are you alright?"
Cordes’s voice, tinged with concern, finally snapped Milne back to his senses. His hand paused for a moment as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the dripping red wine, his expression gradually regaining its composure.
"I’m fine."
"Just now, you..."
"I was just... slightly shocked by Muen Campbell, that’s all."
Milne’s gaze fell upon the plain created by the All-Manifestation Simulation.
The vast plain remained a sea of green, but a distinct scar now marred the landscape—a terrifying sight, as if a merciless blade had swept across a fragile body, flaying the flesh open.
That "scar" stretched for a hundred meters. Even from their high vantage point, it was strikingly clear, spanning nearly the entire diameter of the original arena. It was truly difficult to imagine that such a strike could be delivered by a martial artist rumored to be only at the early Fourth-Tier, someone supposedly known only for "exceptional speed."
Consequently, anyone seeing the power of Muen Campbell’s blade for the first time—especially those from the Kingdom who had dismissed him as a clown relying on petty tricks—couldn't help but ask themselves... Could I have done that?
"Indeed. I doubt anyone expected a single strike from Muen Campbell to be that powerful."
Cordes was still reeling from the shock. As a fellow blade-user, he could better appreciate the sheer technical mastery behind that strike.
"Powerful... I suppose so. It seems we were thoroughly deceived by him."
Milne’s lips curled into a stiff, cold smirk. He tossed the handkerchief aside and said icily, "Purposefully taking a bye for two rounds to preserve his strength, spreading rumors to create the illusion of a lecherous playboy, and then finally making a stunning debut in this match... The contrast he created was so immense that it was enough to shock everyone. Just look at those young girls in the stands cheering for him... Heh, to think that despite all our planning, we were outdone by him in this regard. Muen Campbell’s schemes are far deeper than we imagined!"
"Y-yes, exactly! He’s too despicable!"
Cordes followed suit, cursing loudly to mask his own fear. Then, he glanced at Milne with some trepidation.
"Then, Your Highness, your plan..."
"What are you panicking for!"
Milne barked, seemingly enraged by Cordes’s cowardice.
However, while Cordes flinched at the sudden display of authority, he also sensed something slightly off...
In such a quiet room, the Seventeenth Prince didn't need to shout so loudly. Snapping at him so suddenly felt more like Milne was trying to hide something...
Of course, this was merely a guess. Cordes didn't dare dwell on such a terrifying thought.
"Rest assured."
Milne glanced at Cordes and then at the others, speaking with a calm, steady voice as if to instill confidence in everyone.
"If this is all he has, it won't affect the final outcome. The ultimate victor—will still be me."
*
"Impressive... You’re even more impressive than I imagined, Muen Campbell!"
Ariel shouted with excitement.
A strike that others found soul-shaking was, to her, merely an appetizer that whetted her appetite. It was just enough to make her blood boil after the two boring battles she had endured previously.
But her instincts, honed through life-and-death struggles against countless enemies, told her one thing.
This time, she wasn't facing a little lamb she could toy with and slaughter at will, nor was she facing the useless dandy she once understood and loathed...
She was facing a fierce beast with sharp teeth and claws, one that had thirstily drunk the blood of many!
She hadn't been entirely blind to his progress, nor had she ignored everything. But the world was not a transparent plane; everyone strove forward within their own domains, and it was difficult to know what those on the other side of the mist had experienced on their own paths. One could only see the other person as they appeared at the moment of their meeting, and the people walking beside them.
Therefore, many things could only be revealed bit by bit upon this truly fair stage. Only now could she "see with her own eyes" the things she had previously failed to notice.
"Good... this is good. Seeing you like this makes me feel a bit more balanced, doesn't it?"
Ariel whispered softly, though it was unclear who she was speaking to.
At that moment, she tightened her grip on her greatsword once more.
The bandages wrapped around the greatsword unraveled on their own, revealing a dazzling blade of flowing golden fire. Surging flames erupted, blanketing the area, and the searing air currents sent her raven hair dancing like a chorus of shrieking demons.
A terrifying pressure condensed, like ten thousand miles of dark clouds about to collapse downward.
"Here it comes!"
Muen, who had remained on high alert, felt his heart tighten at the sight. Without hesitation, he swung his blade once more.
Dozens of thunderclaps converged into a single, sharp line of blade-light, crossing the hundred-meter gap in an instant, aiming straight for Ariel’s face.
But...
In that same instant, the flames swirling around Ariel suddenly expanded and solidified, transforming into the head of a massive, hideous magical beast. It opened its maw, filled with fangs of fire, and bit down on the blade-light!
The moonlight-like blade-light was gnashed and consumed by the intense, high-temperature flames, eventually vanishing into nothingness within the fire beast's mouth.
"What powerful flames. To think they could solidify into a physical form instantly."
Muen’s gaze darkened. He watched as the fire beast, after devouring his attack, actually shot him a provocative look.
This wasn't magic.
Ariel wasn't Milne; she didn't possess the so-called "Innate Twin Hearts." Therefore, while clearly charging a certain move, she couldn't possibly be chanting magic at the same time, and the rules of the competition forbade the use of magic scrolls.
Even if it were magic, given Ariel’s current magical realm, even if she were a once-in-a-century genius, she couldn't possibly chant a spell with such a "living spirit" in such a short time.
Furthermore, like most "Soaring Phoenix" archetypes, Ariel’s raw talent wasn't the absolute best in the world. In terms of "pure talent" alone, she couldn't even compare to Milne and his Twin Hearts.
But the strength of a Child of Destiny didn't lie in so-called talent, but in... opportunity!
"As I thought. The source of these flames is..."
"Divine Blessing!"
In the waiting room, another person of noble birth and exceptional insight also guessed the source of the flames, crying out in shock once again.
Divine Blessing—as the name implied, it was the favor of a god. It granted the recipient terrifying potential that allowed an ordinary person to reach the heavens in a single bound. However, there were very few in this world favored by the gods; the number of Divine Blessing users on the continent could be counted on two hands.
That person, naturally, did not have one.
Ariel had somehow used a method to mask the "Divine Will" within the flames, which was why it was only now that someone realized the terrifying nature of this power.
Muen, however, wasn't surprised. He had known all along that Ariel would have mastered the power of a Divine Blessing by this point in time.
And just as in the original novel, the first one she mastered was—the Blessing of the God of Fire!
"To think she’d reveal such a trump card right from the start. Should I be happy that she’s taking this seriously?"
Muen let out a soft breath.
"It seems long-range blade-light attacks won't work anymore."
Under the current circumstances, no matter how many blade-lights he threw out, they would all be incinerated by those flames.
While they didn't possess the power to devour everything like his own Black Flames, it was still a divine blessing that commanded all fires in the world, representing the pinnacle of heat and intensity.
Coupled with Ariel’s control over it...
"It sounds like a pretty dire situation. However..."
The corners of Muen’s mouth lifted. Every bone in his body began to crackle, and every muscle hummed with excitement.
The alchemy core in his back had long been operational. Within a single breath, Muen’s countless thoughts finally converged on one point...
The blade-light couldn't break through, but his blades could.
Forged by Grand Magister Mela Domir using a Holy Sword Embryo as a base, these dual daggers could cut through even flames commanded by a Divine Blessing.
Therefore—
Muen’s figure vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of Ariel.
Under the influence of nearly a hundred-fold Time Acceleration and the addition of Shadow Step—ignoring all side effects—his speed had reached a point where most of the audience could no longer track his movements.
But... Ariel still caught him.
The fire beast roared, lunging accurately at Muen.
At that moment... Muen raised his hand and delivered what looked like a very ordinary... strike.
No wind-up was needed, no warning signs given. Countless overlapping vibrations caused even the solidified flames to scatter for a moment.
He didn't need to charge his attack—or rather, he was always charging it.
Ariel’s techniques required time to charge, and time was exactly what he controlled!
Boom!
The muscles in Muen’s arms bulged. Terrifying power, condensed by the accelerated dimension of time, was unleashed in that brief moment. A mist of blood once again erupted from the pores of his body, which was pushed to its limit. The bloody mist spread, and his elegant noble demeanor vanished completely, replaced by a beast-like ferocity!
Thunder roared as if the world were about to end.
Yet, the sky over the plain remained clear. All that remained was a figure that seemed to blot out all light.
The dual daggers fell—Hundred Stacks!!
This time, there was no dazzling blade-light, nor any earth-shattering force. Instead, the flames surrounding Ariel were suddenly blown aside as if erased from existence.
A gap opened.
Revealing Ariel.
She looked up, her face showing no fear of the strike. Instead, from those ordinary, common black eyes, a brilliance erupted that was so intense no one would dare look her in the eye!
The scattered flames suddenly contracted, turning from normal orange-red to blue-violet, then to blue, and finally to pure white.
This pure white brought with it pure heat. The hundred miles of lush green fields were instantly scorched into a wasteland. At the very center of the space distorted by the high temperature, the white flames condensed further, becoming the Sword of Judgment in Ariel’s hand—a weapon representing ultimate power!
"Heavenly Fire—Judgment!" Ariel laughed fiercely. "Take this, Muen Campbell!"
The greatsword slashed toward Muen.
And just as Ariel had named it, it would bring... equal destruction!
With that, blade and sword collided fiercely!