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“Airn Pareira!”
“Airn Pareira! Airn Pareira!”
A battle that lasted almost one hour was finally over.
The winner was Airn Pareira. Cheers flowed in for him, who showed off his skills despite the prediction that Camrin Ray would win.
There were people who were skeptical about it.
The offense of Camrin Ray was fierce and sharp.
A feast of Aura, which roared like the wind and rain. It was as if several swordsmen with different styles were working together at the same time.
If they were down there, could they have stopped it? It was a powerful swordsmanship that made people look back on their skills.
“Is there no energy left?”
Jet Frost mumbled.
He couldn't figure out the fight between the two people who were on a higher level than him, but he thought that Camrin Ray wasn’t in a situation where he was being pushed back.
He was sure that Camrin had enough stamina to fight. If he felt an overwhelming sense of stability from Airn, it would have been better to lead a fight in a different direction.
For the experienced Camrin Ray, it wouldn’t be impossible.
“Why surrender?”
Airn Pareira had a similar question. He asked that question to himself as he looked at Camrin Ray descending down the stage.
Of course, he himself might not have thought that he would lose. Because who would?
Instead of running and crouching in fear of the wind, Airn succeeded in growing a thick tree that was strong enough to be not swayed by external factors.
‘Besides, it wasn’t just wind and rain.’
It could be felt.
It wasn't just the Aura of Camrin Ray which was being felt.
Families praying for the safety of their loved ones. The friends who supported them with warm hearts.
The teachers who were rejoicing at the growth of their students.
Even the people of the Holy Kingdom who were responding to their fight for the sake of true peace and the well-being of the continent.
All of their wills were conveyed in their hearts, and that gave him strength.
Even in the border between sorcery and swordsmanship, which was blurred, it miraculously made him stronger.
However, that didn’t mean he was the only one who managed to show something.
‘Sir Camrin Ray, there are things he didn’t show.’
He was curious, and he couldn’t stand it.
So, he asked him. It was a rude question to someone who had made such a decision, but he was too curious.
“Isn't this a contest for the future of the continent?”
Camrin Ray opened his mouth and said that in reply.
His face was serious, but it was softer than before.
He looked at Airn with warm eyes and spoke.
“Belief, will, future… from every point of my view, you seem more suited to bring hope to the continent than me.”
“…”
“Of course, that doesn’t mean that I gave up on a match I could win. You, you still have a card you haven’t shown right?”
“Uh?”
“Don’t even think about lying. Just as I hid one move, you have something you are saving up, right?”
“…”
“Of course, if I had done my best, you wouldn’t be able to hide it any longer…”
Showing a clear smile, Camrin Ray said.
“… I want to see that in the finals.”
“…”
The last time.
He was defeated. However, he was leaving the arena with a dignified and confident walk, and Airn looked at him for a long time.
‘… thank you.’
In the sight of his departure, his heart was fully conveyed.
Another tree in Airn’s heart, which inherited the will of another swordsman, grew one more span.
[I think Ignet Crescentia will win. There is a misconception that people have, but Ilya Lindsay’s skills were never inferior to Arin Pareira or Camrin Ray. Although she isn’t at the level of Dion Lindsay, who ruled the skies in the past, she is blessed by the wind. Anyone who reached the Master level will agree. How great her steps in the wind and her sword movements were. I will tell you again. Ilya Lindsay isn’t weak. It’s just that Ignet Crescentia was incredibly stronger. Perhaps the stronger the opponent, the more her flames burn -Ralph Penn]
[Want me to make a prediction? Ha, is there any other contest where predictions are meaningless, as in the Warrior’s Festival? Both the good and old Masters who spoke up initially picked Camrin Ray, me, and Devan Kennedy as the contenders for the title. Some idiots even looked forward to Jarrot and Zakuang winning. And what happened? Most of us lost miserably in the Round of 16, and so did Devan Kennedy and Ralph Penn. Camrin Ray, too lost as a result. Ah, sorry. When I was talking about the loss to a 25-year-old kid, my voice rose, and my words turned more intense. Haha… so, what I want to say is, we won’t know until we watch it. Airn Pareira might not have shown us his full skills yet, or maybe in the match with Camrim Ray, he attained enlightenment. Maybe he will grow up when he is fighting with Ignet. Well… if I had to bet on one side, I would be tilted towards Airn. Still, the person who defeated me has to win to make me look better, right? -Inashio Karahan]
[Airn Pareira. -Ilya Lindsay]
[Ignet Crescentia. -Devan Kennedy]
[Ignet Crescentia will win. -Karim Jenkin]
[I will not speak of it. What is clear is that no matter who wins, it will be a good match -Camrin Ray]
[Both of them are great young people who will rewrite the history of swordsmanship, but looking at it now, I want to support the Black Knight Commander -Lord Alan Ray]
[Whoever wins, I will break them the next time. -Judith]
[Judith, I love you -Bratt Lloyd]
“Is this part of Bratt Lloyd saying this okay? If we leave it as it is, Judith might come and break my head. Umm, I was thinking of trying to include a special corner…”
“If we get a special couple interview, it would be amazing right? There was something flaring, but also the subtle feeling of being wanted…”
“Ehh, a double couple interview? Bratt and Judith, Airn and Ilya… a rare love story of Master level people. Let’s try our luck. If not, we cannot help it.”
“But it seems like people are leaning towards the Black Knight Commander.”
While scanning the interview, Hinz, the elf chief reporter, smoked a cigarette and mumbled.
What stood out was the high chances of Ignet winning.
No one could deny it. Except for one match, the Black Knight Commander had one-sided victories.
Thanks to that, people's thoughts of Judith changed.
They slowly accepted that Judith didn’t move up because of luck but because of her skills and her ability to be a runner-up, too… people were saying that she could have moved to semis.
‘Then… whose side should I take?’
Hinz, who spewed out smoke, looked at the two names. In fact, the opinions of the reporters weren’t important.
No matter how good the participants looked in their eyes, the interviews they got were the ones people would look at.
Aren’t they Masters who had made names for themselves? There were probably not many people who cared for the opinion of the reporters.
‘But apart from that, I want to say something.’
Moreover, in his case, his words were better than other reporters.
This is because his articles always put Bratt Lloyd, Judith, Ilya Lindsay, and Airn Pareira as strong contenders from the start.
Thanks to that, the fame of Weekly Arena had increased not just in the west but the entire continent. Thinking about the bonus he could get later, Hinz felt better.
But…
‘This time, I’ll go with my heart.’
Eventually, the elf wrote down the name 'Airn Pareira' for no apparent reason.
He just wanted to see a miracle happen once again. He rubbed off the cigarette butt and wrote the articles. Finally, when he had finished everything, he stretched out his body.
“Though other people don’t know… What do the parties think of each other?”
There is no special case between the two, like Ilya and Ignet. At least that was what they knew.
But somehow, it was a hunch that made him think that they were strongly conscious of each other.
‘Maybe there was something special that the public didn’t know… fine. After the match is done, I’ll have to ask Airn for a favor.’
He remembered Airn's warm smile.
He had risen so high compared to before, but he still treated everyone the same.
That was why he felt closer to this hero, the greatest young man in his entire journey as a reporter.
“… I hope you win.”
A word of support flowed from Hinz’s mouth as he pulled out another cigarette.
A personal exercise room for just the commander-level people in the Holy Kingdom. Of course, the place wasn't used alone.
The commander of Black Knights, Georg Phoebe, and Anya would come to see the training matches.
She was quite calm in front of others, but she was foolish and loud in front of these two.
However, that wasn’t the case recently.
To be precise, it had been that way since the Round of 32.
It was because her captain was taking the training more seriously, and it was the same today too.
In the center of the training hall, both Anya and Georg stayed silent as they looked at the commander meditating.
It had already been more than 5 hours, but they didn’t seem bored or weirded out. Rather, they looked at her with a curious expression.
It was the silver-haired swordsman who broke it.
Ilya Lindsay.
“I request a spar.”
“… now? you want it now?”
Ignet opened her eyes and asked with a puzzled expression.
After the match, she told Ilya that she could come to see her whenever she wanted. But didn't expect it to be this soon. And also, the finals were tomorrow.
‘We didn’t talk much, but she isn’t a rude child.’
So, this didn’t feel like there was some intention behind it. So, she thought that there was an important reason for her to act like this.
But she didn’t like it now. Things were complicated for her presently.
Before this, she didn’t want to face anyone. After further thinking about it, she decided to refuse.
“That’s too bad. I am so full of energy since I was hugging and kissing Airn all this time. Okay then.”
“…?”
“I thought if I had to fight in full strength, I would have a higher chance of winning… I can’t help it. I will come another time.”
With that, Ilya turned away.
Ignet, who looked at her, got up as she drew her sword.
“Come.”
“…”
“Come at me, you bastard.”
There was burning anger in her eyes which clearly indicated that she forgot that she was a noble now.