Chapter 642: Similar Beasts
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 642: Similar Beasts
"Good lord, these youngsters."
The moment the blade and sword collided on the stage, the protective formations instantly activated, sealing the aftershocks within. Despite the barrier, Pink Bear couldn't help but pull his neck back, muttering:
"I’m thinking I should probably stop swindling that kid so much. Otherwise, when he comes to hack me to pieces later, I won't even be able to fight back."
"That would be a lot more convincing if you threw away those pamphlets in your hand first," Hathaway remarked, pushing up her glasses. However, when she turned her gaze back to the arena, she didn't hide her awe at the collision.
"But seriously, these two are a bit too freakish. With this much commotion, it’s hard to believe we’re only watching two Fourth-Tier martial artists."
"Well, every era produces a few geniuses capable of fighting above their rank—like that 'Innate Twin Hearts' fellow," Pink Bear shrugged, stuffing the pamphlets into his shirt. He glanced in a certain direction and chuckled. "Though looking at this, someone’s going to have a sleepless night."
*
"Your Highness."
"..."
"Your Highness."
"..."
"Your Highness!"
"Ah, Teacher."
Milne, having been called three times, finally snapped back to reality. "You... you’re here."
"Don't get too sucked in," Hertz said, his expression grave. "Victory in battle isn't decided by the power of a single move alone! Experience, instinct, decisiveness—these things also weigh on the scales of victory!"
"I... I wasn't. You worry too much, Teacher. I..."
Milne took a deep breath, trying to summon his usual reassuring smile, only to realize the waiting room was quieter than he had imagined.
He turned his head. No one was paying attention to his smile. Aside from himself, everyone was immersed in the clash of blade and sword. The brilliance born from their collision wove together into a grand tapestry; every young person who hungered for progress was pouring their entire soul into observing the spectacle.
"The commotion they're making is significant, but it only proves their arrogance," Hertz said, forcing himself to sound composed as he walked to the edge of the stands, looking down with a critical eye.
"To use such obvious trump cards so casually is a sign of their conceit. You only need to seize this opportunity to devise a countermeasure. With Your Highness's talent, defeating them won't be difficult."
"Teacher is wise. I was thinking the same thing," Milne nodded seriously.
"It seems these two have been looking forward to this duel for a long time. They completely ignored my status as a Prince of the Kingdom and went all out from the very start."
"However, because of that, they will soon reveal their weaknesses!"
A sharp glint flashed in Milne's eyes as he continued, "Moves of this caliber must be incredibly taxing. They won't be back to full strength by tomorrow. Not to mention, once a beast reveals its hidden claws, it’s as good as exposing its soft underbelly. They aren't far from defeat."
"Exactly." Hertz stroked his beard with satisfaction, thinking to himself that this was indeed his most brilliant disciple. Even when facing powerful enemies, Milne could find a way to break the deadlock in the shortest time possible.
"Then... tomorrow."
"The winner will still be me!"
Milne regained his confident expression, and he and Hertz shared a knowing smile.
As they pointed out weaknesses and discussed how to win the next day, they seemed to have completely forgotten...
Initially, they had looked down on the two fighters on the field, assuming they would be the ones racking their brains to win, perhaps even resorting to despicable means.
Now, the roles had completely reversed.
They were the ones contemplating how to use underhanded tactics to secure a victory.
Of course, before that discussion could go any further, there was a more important fact: even now... the match didn't seem to be over.
*
The plain... could no longer be called a plain.
The massive crater in the area looked as if a gluttonous girl had taken a giant scoop out of a bowl of ice cream, crudely and violently altering the terrain.
All the lush greenery had been scorched dry by the intense heat. Even the sturdy roots had been torn up, flying through the air along with the dust and rubble. After that single collision of blade and sword, the scene looked like it belonged to an entirely different world; not a trace of the green fields remained.
As silence returned, only burning embers drifted down like snow.
The audience forgot to cheer for the spectacular clash; they forgot to root for their favorites. Every eye was fixed on the devastated ground.
They were waiting.
Who would emerge victorious?
Muen Campbell?
Or Ariel Bugard?
Or perhaps, both had...
Crunch.
Just as everyone was holding their breath, the sound of a pebble being crushed rang out clearly in the silent battlefield.
The dust settled.
The figure revealed was... Ariel.
She was clutching a wounded arm, dragging her golden greatsword as she stumbled forward.
Dust and bloodstains covered her pretty face, and several new gashes marked her academy uniform. Blood flowed from her wounds, making her look quite battered.
But in the end, she was the one left standing. She was the victor...
"Can you still get up?"
Before the audience could erupt in cheers for the winner, Ariel suddenly spoke.
She didn't look like a joyful victor. The excitement and battle intent in her eyes hadn't dimmed in the slightest; she looked like a beast staring down its prey.
"Ha. That question is a bit insulting, don't you think?"
Another voice laughed.
Within the curtain of dust, a thin but steady figure slowly stood up.
It was as if he were placing a period at the end of a result no one had expected.
Neither had fallen.
Ariel gave her longsword a light flick. The resulting wind pressure blew away the remaining dust, revealing Muen.
He looked even more disheveled than Ariel. The clothes on his upper body had been shredded, reduced to a few rags fluttering in the wind—because a hideous wound now ran clearly across his chest.
It was an injury that would have left an ordinary person at death's door; one could even catch a glimpse of pale ribs. Yet Muen stood tall, even managing a smile.
"That’s a bit much, isn't it? Using your ultimate move right out of the gate. Can't we just play nice?"
As he spoke, he touched the wound on his chest and sighed.
"As expected, clashing with brute force isn't my forte."
"Then why did you meet me head-on?" Ariel arched an eyebrow. "With the speed you showed earlier, you could have dodged."
"Dodge? Of course I could. But if I dodged, how would I know the gap between us in that regard? Wouldn't the fight lose its meaning?"
"What do you take me for? A whetstone?" Ariel huffed.
"I wouldn't dare call you a whetstone. With my small frame, if I let someone as firm and unyielding as steel like you grind against me, I’d lose several layers of skin. I might even snap in half."
"Huh?"
Ariel’s eyes widened in anger. "You bastard, you’ve been talking about 'plains' and 'steel' since the start. Are you mocking me?"
"...No, no, no. You’ve misunderstood."
Muen’s lip twitched. He thought to himself that her intuition was indeed sharp, but he maintained a sincere face. "I was merely praising your strength. I definitely didn't have any other thoughts."
"Is that so... I’ll believe you for now. But speaking of which, I’m the one who should praise you."
Ariel lowered her gaze, seemingly remembering something. Her expression was complicated. "Looking at you a year ago, I never would have imagined you’d actually stand on the same stage as me. I thought I would leave a guy like you—who had nothing going for him but his family name—far behind in the dust."
"But I’m standing here, aren't I?" Muen said. "You didn't leave me behind."
"...Ha, yeah. You’re standing here. Not only did I fail to leave you behind, but you’ve actually closed the distance. And in just one year. But what’s the point of talking so much?"
Did they need to talk?
Of course not.
They just needed to fight. Many things could be understood more clearly through the exchange of blood and steel.
Ariel’s expression turned solemn. She suddenly pointed her sword at Muen and demanded:
"Muen Campbell, can you keep going?"
Muen blinked, then replied with a smile:
"Of course. Now that the testing phase is over, it’s time to get serious, isn't it? These wounds aren't even worth an itch to us."
Muen reached out and wiped his hand across the gash on his chest.
Deep within his pupils, a flicker of profound darkness appeared. As Muen’s hand passed over the hideous wound, something hair-raising happened: the injury simply vanished into thin air.
It was as if it had been swallowed by something.
Ariel wasn't surprised; instead, her smile grew more delighted. "Instant recovery? Good... very good. I can do that too!"
As soon as she spoke, the wounds on Ariel’s body began to writhe and heal at a visible rate. Her recovery was no slower than Muen’s; in the blink of an eye, she was restored. If not for the lingering bloodstains, one wouldn't even know she had been hurt.
I have the devouring and transformative power of the Black Flame. What does Ariel have?
Muen gave a self-deprecating chuckle. He quickly gave up on trying to remember which of Ariel’s countless abilities from the original novel was used for healing.
There was no point.
It didn't matter which was which. In an all-out duel, they would naturally use every ability at their disposal.
Muen beckoned with his hands, and Elizabeth flew up automatically, landing in his palm.
He took a deep breath.
Aside from the Black Flame, which wasn't suitable for use in front of so many people, what other powers could he use?
The ones he had worked so hard for.
The ones he had gained through constant struggle.
The ones he had claimed while fighting for his life on the brink of death.
The ones proven through blood and fire... all of them.
Boom.
A low hum resonated, but this time it wasn't the sound of thunder. It sounded more like the echo of countless war drums.
The sound came from within Muen’s body, like a hundred hearts beating in unison. Every muscle vibrated with excitement, showcasing the power he had gained through relentless cultivation.
On his bare torso, intricate golden runes began to surface, gradually constructing a precise and profound matrix. Surging mana flowed through them, powering the sun-hot Alchemy Cores.
And now, besides the two "suns" that were already blazing brilliantly, a third Alchemy Core began to brighten amidst the constant drumming!
Muen’s aura climbed steadily. Though his realm remained at the early Fourth-Tier, the pressure he exerted with every movement was a level higher than it had been during the previous collision.
This left many in the audience incredulous. The previous clash wasn't even his full power?
"...I see. It’s not that you weren't going all out, but that you’re improving mid-battle."
Ariel saw through Muen’s state instantly. The scene was far too familiar; she had done the same thing many times when facing enemies.
Now that the roles were reversed, she felt... a sense of novelty and excitement.
"I see. You don't look like someone who can be easily knocked down anymore. In that case... I don't need to hold back either!"
Ariel slammed her greatsword into the ground in front of her.
[Boiling Blood!]
A flush of crimson rose to Ariel’s face. Unlike Muen, whose aura had simply increased, Ariel’s actual cultivation level began to climb step by step, only slowing down once it reached the threshold of the Fifth-Tier.
But it didn't stop there.
[No Self.]
[True Transformation.]
[Dragon Scale.]
[Beast Heart.]
[Divine Will.]
Layer upon layer of enhancements poured into Ariel’s slender frame.
Every one of her attributes skyrocketed within a few breaths.
[Ancient Magic: Void Celestial Armor.]
[Ancient Magic: Domain of Chaos.]
[Ancient Magic...]
By the time all the buffs were applied, Ariel was shrouded in various halos of light. She looked like a "pay-to-win" player from some trashy MMO, covered in visual light pollution.
She looked up at Muen.
Muen’s cheek twitched slightly, but he quickly suppressed it.
The two locked eyes again.
This time, words were truly unnecessary.
A pebble, kicked up when Ariel had slammed her sword into the ground, was slowly falling.
Amidst their silent stare-down, with a soft thud, the pebble finally hit the dirt.
As if it were a starting signal, both figures vanished instantly.
The calm air was violently disrupted, growing increasingly turbulent until it gathered into a raging gale.
Within the shadows of this gale, blade and sword collided again and again!
Sparks flew; thunder roared.
Ordinary people could barely catch a glimpse of their forms, only able to follow the lingering aftershocks.
Every collision left a terrifying mark on the surroundings. The All-Manifestation Simulation groaned under the strain, seemingly unable to bear the burden.
However, this was no longer a simple exchange of blows like before.
This was the convergence of all their experience, power, speed, and enhancements into every single move.
Blood sprayed; flesh tore.
But whenever they paused for a split second, there was no fear or hesitation. They were entirely immersed in the heart-pounding rhythm of the fight.
No, this was no longer a fight.
These were two beasts following their instincts, using their fangs and claws to tear at each other in a mindless, ecstatic slaughter!