How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game Chapter 654 - Capítulo 654: Reina's troubles Interlude (2)

Capítulo 654: Reina’s troubles Interlude (2)

“I’ve been observing this for some time,” Kagami whispered, his eyes narrowing as he shifted forward in his chair. “Junior Reina’s swordsmanship is... irregular. It lacks a definitive form or a traditional school of thought. Has she actually developed something entirely new during her training?”

Lucas offered no immediate response to the inquiry.

Instead, his entire focus remained fixed on the violent exchange occurring in the arena below.

Reina’s style—which used to be nothing more than a fragmented imitation of various techniques—had transformed today.

It was refined. It was sharper. A sense of unity was finally beginning to bind the previous chaos together.

“It’s subtle,” Lucas finally remarked, his tone deep with thought. “But she might have begun practicing the Heavenly Swordsmanship.”

“The Grand Duke’s style?” Kagami’s eyebrows shot up. “I was under the impression that only simplified versions were circulated across the continent for trainee knights... but this—” He pointed toward Reina, whose sword moved like a streak of radiant silver. “This is nowhere near that watered-down garbage. The swordsmanship she is displaying right now is clearly... something far greater.”

A faint, nearly proud grin played upon Lucas’ lips.

“Yes. It appears junior Reina has matured significantly since her last duel.”

Kagami gave a slow nod, his gaze tracking the high-speed clash on the field.

Despite being a mage, Clara manipulated her hovering arcane blade with masterful skill, parrying Reina’s aggressive charges with minimal exertion.

Even so, the flow of her movements—typically so fluid they bordered on elegance—seemed slightly off-center.

She was being... reactive.

“Regardless of how impressive and balanced Reina’s swordsmanship has become,” Kagami noted, letting out a sharp breath, “it still isn't enough. Clara isn't even attempting to cause harm. She is merely governing the rhythm, keeping the situation under control. Her slow reactions are just a result of her surprise. The eventual victor remains obvious.”

Any spectator with a trained eye could perceive the truth.

Clara Luminaria had not yet become serious.

It wasn't a matter of arrogance—it was simply the reality of their power gap.

However, Lucas spoke up beside him without a shred of doubt.

“I believe Reina will win.”

Kagami whipped his head around. “What?”

He stared at Lucas, completely baffled.

Was the man blinded by bias?

Even Kagami, who respected Reina's relentless effort, could clearly see the massive disparity in their levels.

Yet Lucas didn't appear delusional, nor did he seem to be clinging to a desperate hope.

On the contrary, his eyes sparkled with genuine fascination—almost as if he were watching a mystery reach its climax rather than a simple match.

Paying no mind to Kagami’s shocked expression, Lucas continued to watch the stage, a meaningful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

…

Something is wrong...

That persistent thought gnawed at Clara as her confrontation with Reina persisted.

Her brow furrowed slightly—not from the physical strain, but from a strange sense of discord.

CLANGG!!

SHIINNG!!

CLINNG!!

Every one of Reina’s strikes was sharp and sincere, fueled by pure resolve.

And every time, Clara’s telekinetic blade intercepted them with flawless accuracy, steered by only a fraction of her concentration and a tiny amount of her mana.

Reina circled her—darting left, right, and above, shifting her momentum in explosive bursts that would have overwhelmed any standard first-year knight.

To Clara, however, these actions were entirely predictable.

It was a loop.

A repetitive cycle of offense and defense that refused to break.

Reina was pouring out her soul.

Clara hadn't even moved from her starting position. She hadn't taken a single step since the bell rang.

Yet, despite the overwhelming gap in skill that Clara was fully aware of...

Something felt wrong.

A cold shiver ran down her spine—an instinctive, primal warning.

Her muscles tightened, and her senses sharpened of their own accord.

A faint, whisper-like alarm echoed in her mind:

“Finish this now.”

But why? Reina was nowhere near the level required to defeat her.

So why were her instincts screaming of imminent danger?

The winds began to swirl—Reina adjusted her stance.

Clara’s eyes widened slightly.

That posture—

That flow of mana—

That footwork—

It was completely different from before.

Reina took a sharp breath.

A subtle ripple of mana began to coil around her blade.

[Heavenly Swordsmanship – Hell Style]

[Heaven’s Tempest]

In a heartbeat, Reina became a blur—her body spinning in midair as momentum gathered around her like a localized hurricane.

Her sword descended like a falling star, a fierce gale erupting in her wake as she struck.

She was fast.

Significantly faster than she had been moments ago.

CLAAANG!!!

A heavy impact vibrated through the arena floor.

But naturally—Clara’s floating sword met the blow, stopping it dead.

Reina touched down, her teeth gritted and frustration visible in her eyes as she looked at Clara, who still...

Still hadn't moved an inch.

“Haah!”

Reina refused to let the momentary failure dampen her spirit.

Instead, she lunged forward once more, her breathing becoming sharper and her focus narrowing to a point.

This time, there was a change—a shift—deep within her eyes.

A spark of realization, as if something had finally clicked into place.

Her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword.

[Heavenly Swordsmanship – Hell Style]

[Hell Storm]

The tempo shifted.

The air began to crackle.

Her mana transformed—becoming sharper, wilder—as tiny bolts of electricity danced along the steel like frenzied snakes.

Swiishhhh!!!

Crackle!

BOOOOM!

With a single light step, Reina’s body exploded forward like a bolt of lightning thrown from the heavens.

The entire stage shook under the force of her sudden acceleration.

Clisssh!!

CLANG!!!!

A thunderous impact echoed throughout the stadium.

Clara’s eyes widened—truly widened—for the first time in the duel. A single blade, Reina’s blade, had nearly pierced straight through her throat.

“What—!?”

It had occurred too fast even for her to process.

If her layered telekinetic shields hadn't reacted automatically on pure instinct, she might have actually been killed in that instant.

That speed and precision... it was almost exactly like—

Her brother.

That realization struck Clara with the force of a tidal wave.

But Reina didn't grant her the time to ponder it.

Before Clara could bolster her magic, Reina’s form blurred again—zig-zagging and spiraling, vanishing and reappearing in violent bursts of lightning.

The air hummed with power.

The stage groaned under the pressure.

Reina moved with a peculiar, chaotic grace.

Sensing another opening, she lunged without a second thought.

[Heavenly Swordsmanship – Hell Style]

[Rain]

Her sword thrust forward in a piercing strike that had been honed to its absolute limit.

CLANG!

It was blocked—but only barely.

Reina did not halt her assault.

She couldn't. Utilizing the recoil of her own strike, she spun, stepped, and attacked again.

Then again. And again.

A non-stop barrage of stabs—sharp, accurate, and each faster than the one before—descended like a storm of lightning-charged rain.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLAANG!

Every strike pummeled Clara’s telekinetic swords, and one by one—

Crack.

Snap.

Shatter.

The floating blades disintegrated under the relentless force.

Sparks flew with every hit, spraying across the arena like shards of broken light.

Reina’s focus never faltered. Her breathing stayed constant.

This wasn't a fluke.

It wasn't a lucky streak.

This—

—was the true swordsmanship of Reina Hell finally coming into its own.

Is she... experiencing enlightenment?

That was the sole thought Clara could muster as she stared at Reina.

A genuine sense of apprehension climbed up her spine for the first time.

That expression in Reina’s eyes—composed, sharp, yet strangely detached—was unmistakable.

She no longer looked like someone who was just fighting.

She looked like someone who was seeing something deeper.

Understanding something profound.

And that was incredibly dangerous.

Recognizing this, Clara finally unleashed her mana—truly unleashed it.

The casual, playful demeanor she had maintained vanished instantly.

She could no longer afford to treat this as a mere sparring match.

“Fufu... it seems I underestimated you, junior—”

But Clara couldn't even finish her sentence.

Her eyes bulged.

Blood suddenly sprayed from between her lips.

“W-What...?”

Her knees buckled as her body swayed, agony lancing through her from every direction.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of tiny puncture wounds opened across her skin as if invisible needles had skewered her.

Clara’s remaining swords clattered uselessly to the floor.

As her vision began to fade, she caught a glimpse of Reina’s weapon—its blade still humming with golden lightning, an almost invisible thread of electricity pulling back into the metal.

Did... did she really just—?

Clara’s breath caught.

Did this girl actually invent such a technique in the middle of a battle?

“Haha...”

A soft, incredulous laugh left her lips as her body started to glow with the golden emergency light of the academy’s safety barrier.

Slowly, her form began to dissolve into particles of light—teleporting her away before a fatal blow could land.

The entire arena fell into a stunned silence.

Reina lowered her blade, gasping for air, yet her eyes still held that lingering sharpness, as if she were returning from a distant plane of existence.

Then—finally—the announcer found his voice.

“W-Winner...!!! R-REINA HELL!!!”

The stadium exploded.

Gasps, shouts, and cheers merged into a deafening wall of sound as the audience struggled to comprehend what they had just seen.

Kagami, who had watched the entire duel with intense focus, felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple.

“Well, damn... it seems both siblings are absolute monsters...”

He couldn't help but wonder if Reina had truly birthed that swordsmanship on the fly... because that kind of creative genius in combat was terrifying.

Lucas, meanwhile, simply leaned back in his seat with a gentle, proud smile.

“Well done, junior...”

….

Meanwhile, Reina—whose awareness was only just returning—stared down at her sword.

Her fingers shook slightly as she tried to catch her breath.

...What just happened?

That clear path she had seen a moment ago...

Was it real?

Did she actually win the match?

Her mind felt hazy, as if she were waking from a vivid dream.

Slowly, she looked up at the massive announcement screen hanging above the arena.

And there, glowing bright and undeniable, was her name.

She was still standing on the stage.

The crowd was screaming.

Cheering.

Chanting her name.

“I-I... won...?” she whispered, almost afraid to acknowledge it.

Instinctively, she glanced toward the VIP box. Lucas was there, his eyes fixed on her, smiling warmly.

She couldn't hear him over the thunderous roar of the crowd, but she didn't have to.

She could read his lips and the pride in his eyes.

“Good job, junior...”

Those silent words made her heart swell.

A faint blush colored her cheeks as a wave of happiness washed over her.

Reina squeezed her fist, raising it high above her head in a proud gesture of victory.

Big bro... I did it! I won!

She cried out in her heart, her smile finally shining bright.