Chronicles of Legends

Volume 3 Chapter 17 - Pinnacle of Swordsmanship

|Alistair|

The grand finale of the tournament had finally arrived. As the Director made her way onto the stage, the anticipation in the air was palpable. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the most anticipated event of the year, the magical tournament finals!" she announced to the enthusiastic crowd. "The participants have exceeded all expectations, displaying their extraordinary talents and strategic prowess in each of their battles. Please join me in welcoming the finalists, Prince Alistair Eralith and Gary Whiteborn!"

I confidently strode up the steps of the stage, feeling the weight of the audience's expectations on my shoulders. Gary followed suit, his muscles tense and his amethyst eyes fixed on mine. Despite the adrenaline pumping through my veins, I maintained my composure and suppressed any lingering nerves to the best of my ability.

Cynthia, the tournament referee, scanned both of us before declaring, "If both contestants are ready, then let the match begin!"

With that, the stage was set for an epic showdown between two formidable opponents.

"Get ready," the Director's voice boomed throughout the arena, "On your mark... Begin!"

The command signaled the start of the epic clash between Gary and me. In a swift motion, I summoned my trusted weapons, Faithkeeper and Argentum Fang, from my spatial ring. But before I could even make a move, Gary was already on the attack.

His sword sliced through the air with lightning-fast speed, catching me off guard. I barely managed to block his horizontal strike with both of my swords, feeling the intense force of his blow reverberate through my arms.

Gritting my teeth, I stepped back and prepared myself for his next move. With lightning-fast reflexes, Gary closed the distance between us and switched into another swordsmanship style.

The mesmerizing display of swordplay unfolded before my eyes, the same technique he had used to defeat Arthur and me in the Capture the Flag. However, this time it didn't seem nearly as unbeatable.

I took a deep breath and focused on my training, analyzing Gary's movements and finding any possible weaknesses in his technique. I countered his every strike with equal skill and precision, gaining confidence as the battle progressed.

The intense energy in the arena fueled our fight, and the audience roared with excitement as they watched the two of us clash. The final moments of the tournament had arrived, and we were determined to give it our all in this exhilarating showdown.

The enlightenment that I had gained had bridged the gap between the two of us in terms of swordsmanship skill, to the point that I could hold him back with the use of my superior visual acuity. 

Gary's indifferent purple eyes sent shivers down my spine as he spoke. "Is this it?" he questioned, and before I could even ask him to clarify, I felt the fabric of space itself warping around me, causing the world to spin.

"You aren't even worthy of me using my sword," he sighed, his body coiling protectively with aether.

I responded with a burst of powerful blue flames, aimed directly at Gary. But to my dismay, they harmlessly bounced off the aetheric shield surrounding him.

With a flick of his hand, Gary effortlessly turned the gears of his power, causing the fabric of space to warp again. This time, my body was tossed around like a ragdoll by his sheer strength.

Despite the overwhelming power that Gary possessed, I refused to give up.

My mother's teachings had instilled in me the knowledge that aether was a far superior power to mana. The scale of power between the two was so vast that mana could barely break into aether.