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

"I’ve been observing this for a bit now," Kagami whispered, his eyes narrowing as he shifted forward in his chair. "Junior Reina’s swordsmanship is... unconventional. It lacks a set form or a specific school of discipline. Has she actually developed something entirely new during her training?"

Lucas offered no immediate reply to the inquiry.

Instead, his entire attention was fixed on the intense confrontation occurring in the arena below.

The way Reina moved—previously a clumsy imitation of various sword styles—had transformed today.

It was polished. Sharper. A sense of unity was finally beginning to emerge from the previous disorder.

"It is subtle," Lucas remarked eventually, his tone deep with thought. "But she might have begun practicing the Heavenly Swordsmanship."

"The Grand Duke’s style?" Kagami’s eyebrow shot up. "I understood that simplified versions were circulated across the continent for novice knights... but this—" He pointed toward Reina, whose sword flashed like a streak of vibrant silver. "This is nothing like those diluted forms. Her current swordsmanship is clearly... something far beyond that."

A faint, nearly prideful grin crossed Lucas’ lips.

"Indeed. It appears junior Reina has matured significantly since her last duel."

Kagami gave a slow nod, his gaze following the lightning-fast exchanges on the field.

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

Even so, her movements—typically so fluid they bordered on elegant—seemed slightly out of sync.

Somewhat... reactive.

"Well, regardless of how refined and balanced Reina’s swordsmanship has become," Kagami noted, letting out a breath, "it still isn't enough. Clara isn't even attempting to cause her harm. She is merely controlling the rhythm, staying within a safe limit. Her reactions are only slow because she is caught off guard. The victor is still quite obvious."

Any spectator with a discerning eye could recognize the truth.

Clara Luminaria had not yet begun to fight seriously.

It was not a matter of pride—it was simply the reality of the situation.

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

"I believe Reina will be the winner."

Kagami whipped his head around. "What?"

He looked at Lucas, completely baffled.

Was he being blinded by his own bias?

Even Kagami, who respected Reina's diligence, could easily see the massive gap in their levels.

Yet Lucas did not appear to be dreaming, nor did he seem to be forcing himself to hope for a miracle.

On the contrary, his eyes sparkled with sincere curiosity—almost like anticipation—as if he were observing a fascinating riddle rather than a competition.

Brushing off Kagami’s shocked expression, Lucas kept his eyes on the stage, a knowing smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

...

Strange...

That was the nagging sensation bothering Clara as her battle with Reina continued to escalate.

Her brow furrowed slightly—not due to the physical strain, but because of an inexplicable feeling of wrongness.

CLANGG!!

SHIINNG!!

CLINNG!!

Every one of Reina’s strikes arrived with sharp sincerity, fueled by pure resolve.

And every single time, Clara’s levitating blade blocked them with effortless accuracy, directed only by a fraction of her concentration and the smallest amount of mana.

Reina circled her—darting left, right, and above, shifting her center of gravity in sudden lunges that would have overwhelmed any ordinary first-year knight.

To Clara, however, the entire display was predictable.

It was a loop.

A repetitive cycle of offense and defense that never deviated.

Reina was pouring her soul into the fight.

Clara had not moved from her starting position. She hadn't taken a single step since the duel commenced.

Yet, despite the obvious disparity in skill that Clara understood so well...

Something felt wrong.

A shivering sensation traveled down her spine—a primal, instinctive warning.

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

A small, whisper-like alarm rang in her mind:

"Finish this now."

But for what reason? Reina was nowhere near strong enough to beat her.

So why were her instincts screaming of danger?

The winds picked up—Reina adjusted her footing.

Clara’s eyes widened just a bit.

That stance—

That flow of mana—

That movement of the feet—

It was different from what she had shown before.

Reina took a sharp breath.

A subtle ripple of mana spiraled around her blade.

[Heavenly Swordsmanship – Hell Style]

[Heaven’s Tempest]

Suddenly, Reina became a blur—her body spun in the air, her momentum coiling around her like a localized hurricane.

Her sword struck down like a falling star, a fierce wind exploding behind her as she dropped.

Fast.

Significantly faster than her previous attacks.

CLAAANG!!!

A massive shockwave rattled the arena floor.

But naturally—Clara’s telekinetically controlled sword met the blow, stopping it cold.

Reina touched down, her jaw set and frustration visible in her gaze as she looked at Clara, who still...

Still hadn't moved an inch from her spot.

"Haah!"

Reina didn't allow the momentary setback to break her rhythm.

Instead, she lunged forward once more, her breathing becoming sharper and her focus tightening.

This time, a flicker—no, a transformation—occurred in her eyes.

It was a spark of realization, as if something had finally clicked.

Her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword.

[Heavenly Swordsmanship – Hell Style]

[Hell Storm]

The tempo shifted.

The very air began to crackle.

Her mana changed—becoming sharper and more erratic—releasing tiny bolts of electricity that slithered along the metal like frantic serpents.

Swiishhhh!!!

Crackle!

BOOOOM!

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

The entire stadium shook from the sudden surge of speed.

Clisssh!!

CLANG!!!!

A thunderous collision echoed across the stage.

Clara’s eyes grew wide—truly wide—for the first time in the fight. A single blade, Reina’s blade, had nearly struck her throat.

"What—!?"

It occurred too fast even for her to process.

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

The sheer velocity and accuracy... it was almost identical to—

Her brother.

That realization hit Clara like a physical blow.

But Reina didn't give her the chance to dwell on it.

Before Clara could bolster her shield, Reina’s figure blurred again—zig-zagging, spinning, vanishing and reappearing in violent bursts as lightning wrapped around her.

The air vibrated.

The stage creaked.

Reina moved with a peculiar, chaotic grace.

Sensing another gap in the defense, she took it without a second thought.

[Heavenly Swordsmanship – Hell Style]

[Rain]

Her sword lunged forward in a piercing strike that had been refined to its absolute peak.

CLANG!

It was blocked—but only barely.

Reina did not pause.

She couldn't afford to. Utilizing the force of her own strike, she spun, stepped, and lashed out again.

Then again. And again.

A non-stop storm of thrusts—sharp, accurate, and each faster than the last—descended like a torrential downpour of lightning-charged rain.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLAANG!

Every impact hammered against Clara’s telekinetic swords, and one after another—

Crack.

Snap.

Shatter.

Her floating blades crumbled under the relentless assault.

Sparks flew with every strike, showering the stage like glittering fragments of light.

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

This wasn't some accident.

This wasn't a lucky streak.

This—

—was the true swordsmanship of Reina Hell finally coming to life.

Is she... experiencing enlightenment?

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

A genuine sense of dread crept up her spine for the first time since the start of the match.

The expression in Reina’s eyes—composed, centered, razor-sharp yet oddly distant—was unmistakable.

It wasn't the look of someone merely fighting.

It was the look of someone who was seeing the truth.

Understanding a deeper mystery.

And that was terrifying.

Realizing this, Clara finally surged her mana—truly unleashed it.

The casual, playful attitude she had maintained was gone.

She could no longer treat this as a simple sparring match.

"Fufu... it seems I underestimated you, junior—"

But Clara couldn't even finish her thought.

Her eyes flew open.

Blood suddenly trickled from her lips.

"W-What...?"

Her legs gave way as her body swayed, agony radiating from every part of her.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of tiny puncture wounds appeared all over her body, as if invisible needles had pierced her through.

Clara’s levitating swords fell uselessly to the floor.

As her sight grew dim, she caught a glimpse of Reina’s sword—its metal still humming softly with golden lightning, an nearly invisible thread of electricity pulling back into the blade.

Did... did she really just—?

Clara’s breath caught in her throat.

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

"Haha..."

A faint, stunned laugh left her lips as her body started to glow with the emergency golden light of the academy’s protection system.

Gradually, her form began to dissolve into particles of light—teleporting her away before any fatal damage could occur.

The entire arena went silent.

Reina dropped her stance, gasping for air, yet her eyes still held that lingering sharpness, as if she were returning from a distant place.

Then—at last—the announcer found his voice.

"W-Winner...!!! R-REINA HELL!!!"

The spectators exploded.

Gasps, shouts, and cheers—all merged into a single blast of noise as everyone struggled to process what they had just seen.

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

"Well, damn... it looks like both of those siblings are monsters..."

He couldn't help but wonder if Reina had truly created that swordsmanship on the fly... because that level of combat genius was frightening.

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

"Well done, junior..."

....

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

her hands shook slightly as she tried to calm her breathing.

...What had just happened?

That clear vision she saw just a moment ago...

Was it real?

Had she actually won?

Her mind felt hazy, like she was waking from a vivid dream.

Slowly, she raised her head toward the massive announcement screen above the stage.

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

She was still standing on the arena floor.

People were yelling.

Cheering for her.

Chanting her name.

"I-I... won...?" she whispered, almost afraid to believe it.

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

She couldn't hear a word over the deafening crowd, but she didn't need to.

She could read his lips, his face, and the pride in his gaze.

"Good job, junior..."

Just those silent words made her heart swell.

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

Reina squeezed her fist, raised it high above her head, and stood there proudly.

Big bro... I won!

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