Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: The Final Match
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The final match was held in the late afternoon, after the lunch break.
The competitors had each fought only one match in the morning, so they had plenty of rest.
Though, I didn't really need a break.
"The final match of the student council president selection will now begin. Competitors, please come to the arena."
The referee gave a brief announcement, almost like a master of ceremonies.
It seemed they were trying to add a bit of formality, likely because the distinguished guests had just taken their seats and it was the final match.
Of course, Franz and I had little interest in our surroundings.
We just stared at each other.
"I knew we would face each other someday, but I didn't expect that day to come so soon."
The Second Prince spoke in a relaxed tone, slowly twirling his fingers.
I was curious about his intentions, but I remained silent and feigned indifference.
I deliberately looked toward the guest seating, showing Franz a bored attitude.
His next words immediately sounded like an interrogation.
"It seems you've grown arrogant after beating Ellington."
"Hardly."
I finally turned back to the Second Prince and scoffed.
"If not that, have you already accepted Ellington's offer?"
"Didn't you see me crush him? You have to make sense."
"Then I can assume you're leaning more toward my side than his. Am I right?"
"No, you're not. I don't particularly like either of you yet."
"What's the reason?"
"You're both ridiculously weak."
"..."
For a moment, Franz's brow furrowed.
He seemed to think my answer was absurd.
And why wouldn't he? The Second Prince's confidence was currently soaring through the roof.
'How do I know? He's the type who wears it on his sleeve.'
Look at him, puffing his chest out like he's already won.
It was a common sight among talented individuals of his age.
His expression looked like he was about to lunge at me, but Franz ultimately suppressed the anger welling up inside him.
Then, he suddenly put on a phony smile and shrugged.
"Well, if you have the skills to back it up, a little arrogance isn't so bad. I happen to like people with high self-esteem."
"Ah, is that why you keep Bizolt around? For his overinflated ego?"
"Ahem! That's..."
In my eyes, Bizolt Railton was a mirror reflecting the Second Prince and his greatest weakness.
The Railton Marquisate's influence in the northern region was certainly formidable.
But it wasn't so powerful that everything could be overlooked.
At least, not for a prince who had grown enough to vie for the title of Crown Prince.
Letting a guy like that run wild could be seen as a lack of leadership.
Franz couldn't hide his momentary bewilderment, seemingly well aware of what I was pointing out.
'His emotional control and poker face are worse than Ellington's.'
I gave a small nod, inwardly assessing the Second Prince.
"If you don't decide quickly which flag to stand under, you'll only make things difficult for yourself. A third faction cannot exist in Venderford."
"But why would I need to create a faction?"
"Let me correct myself. There's no place for a fence-sitter."
"So you're going with black-and-white logic? Fine. I understand that your performance at Venderford is important to you princes."
"Are you making a decision?"
"I'm going to watch a little longer. It's not like I'm the only one on the fence, right?"
I subtly gestured with my head toward the stands where the students were lined up.
There were countless individuals who hadn't been properly recruited yet.
There was no need to rush into choosing a side.
Besides, it wasn't as if these princes had shown me anything particularly impressive.
I'd have to at least like them a little before I'd make one of them the Crown Prince.
"Hah! You're a difficult one. That makes you all the more appealing."
"What are you talking about? I'm not interested in men, so cut the greasy talk."
"..."
Now that we had confirmed each other's positions, the preliminary probing was over.
It was time to assess skill, not character.
Of course, I had already observed his swordsmanship plenty.
But experiencing it firsthand would be another story.
Drawing my practice sword, I glanced at the referee who was just standing there.
Seeing that we were ready, the instructor prepared to announce the start of the final match.
The referee's voice boomed across the arena as a red flag was raised high into the air.
"The final match... begins!"
Unlike with Solberg, Franz didn't charge in immediately.
I thought he would take the initiative, so this was quite unexpected.
'He's being cautious? Is he trying to show me he's different when a fight starts?'
When I made no move, the Second Prince pulled his sword far back and slightly lowered his stance.
His sword completely vanished from my line of sight.
A moment later, Franz suddenly reversed his step and unleashed a strike into the empty air.
*Swish—!*
'Oh!'
A pale blue energy shot toward me in an instant.
I reflexively swung my sword upward with force.
Sensing a slight crisis, the Demonic Soul hidden within me stirred, replenishing my aura with its potent energy.
Thanks to that, my strike was nothing short of perfect.
*Thwack—!*
"Hah! That was a move I'd been saving, and you just parried it..."
When I split the aura that had flown right up to me, the Second Prince looked completely dejected.
He must have thought it would work on anyone, since it was a technique he'd never shown before.
But not on me.
'Shooting aura like an arrow... impressive.'
Normally, the aura imbued in a sword carries a sharp edge, but separating it is extremely difficult.
Unlike an aura blade, the energy doesn't cohere and tends to dissipate like a heat haze.
Yet, Franz had succeeded in this highly advanced technique in one go.
Of course, the preparation took quite some time, so he probably couldn't use it again.
In any case, there was no doubt he was a man of considerable talent in both swordsmanship and aura.
Honestly, reaching such a level in one's early twenties is no easy feat.
'He does seem like the type who'd be easy to control.'
Ellington was quick-witted and sharp, which would make him difficult to manipulate.
This one, on the other hand, seemed to have put all his stats into swordsmanship, making his thinking a bit simpler.
He wasn't stupid, but he was honest about his desires and overly confident in his interpersonal skills.
It was as if he was intoxicated by the illusion that he could sway people's hearts.
Plus, I didn't like the look of the guys who stuck to him either.
If I were to choose Franz, I'd have to start by taking out the trash.
'For now, let's just wait and see.'
*Clang! Crash—!*
After the Second Prince's clever opening move, we began to clash swords in earnest.
In terms of physical ability and swordsmanship talent, Franz was clearly ahead of Ellington.
Their levels were similar now, but it seemed the gap would gradually widen over time.
'From the Imperial Sound Lock Sword to the Slothful Tyrant Dragon Sword, and even the Golden Path Reversal... He's mixing them all together so naturally.'
The Slothful Tyrant Dragon Sword was an imperial sword art with origins similar to the Imperial Sound Lock Sword.
It was a heavy sword style that suited the Second Prince quite well.
Every move was a finishing technique; even a graze would be a critical hit.
Most students would probably have been brought to their knees within a few exchanges.
Needless to say, I was parrying every one of Franz's attacks.
*Clang-clang-clang-clang!*
It was similar to what Solberg Cayenne had shown in the second semifinal match.
But unlike him, I was in no position to go easy on the Second Prince.
*Thwack! Clang!*
"Urk!"
When I struck the middle of his blade hard, the Second Prince let out a short groan, clutching his right arm.
The impact had nearly bent his wrist backward.
The force was so strong that he seemed to feel a sharp pain even while gripping the hilt with both hands.
'He should have used the Golden Path Reversal there. Tsk, tsk.'
The Golden Path Reversal, a technique that uses the opponent's strength, would have allowed him to dissipate some of the shock.
He could mix and match sword arts freely, but it seemed he still couldn't use them in the right place at the right time.
I, on the other hand, was facing Franz using only the Imperial Sound Lock Sword.
And only up to the second form of the middle part, Extreme Chilling Cold.
Officially, I had only learned five forms, so it was an unavoidable choice.
But to those watching the final match, it was an astonishing sight.
"Wait a minute, that Ray Carter... Is he intentionally only using up to Extreme Chilling Cold?"
"He probably has no choice. The basic class hasn't finished learning the middle part yet. He's likely the furthest along."
"No, is this even possible? I can't believe a half-baked guy like him made it to the finals."
"Just watch a little longer. He's already shown all his cards. His Highness Franz will wipe the floor with him soon."
Most of the students were utterly astonished.
But at the same time, they firmly believed that the Second Prince would defeat me.
'What a shame. I'm going to shatter all your expectations today.'
It went without saying, but I was determined to secure the student council president position.
There was no way in hell I was going to watch some random punk act like a big shot executive.
Besides, if I wanted to reap the sweet benefits, I absolutely had to snag an executive spot.
I had now grasped the extent of Franz's power.
Even with the Seven-Joint Face-Changing Technique and various other weights holding me down, he wasn't an opponent I couldn't beat.
In fact, he might even be easier than Ellington.
Because this time, a finishing move like the Wave Knight Sword wouldn't come out of nowhere.
*Clang! Thwack!*
"This is boring. I'm ending this."
Having bought a moment of time by knocking his sword aside, I muttered with a deadpan expression.
Franz's face immediately turned beet red.
He tried to act composed, but he couldn't completely hide that he had taken the bait.
"Hah!"
His breathing was already unsteady; the match was as good as decided.
I subtly added the Demonic Soul's power, increasing the force of my offensive.
The Second Prince would likely be unable to withstand the gradually increasing power and would crumble at any moment.
But just as Franz was losing his composure, his aura suddenly transformed in an instant.
*Craaack!*
My Imperial Sound Lock Sword, woven like a dense net, was shattered by four consecutive strikes.
*Shwiiik—! Boom!*
A mysterious blue-white energy flashed and shot forward.
A deep blue aura, wrapped in a halo of white light.
'A single strike of Heaven-Severing?'
The source of this beam of light, containing immense power, was none other than the secret art of the Riverune family, the Heaven-Severing Nine Harmony Sword.