F-ranker Sword Saint: My Soulbound Sword is Secretly SSS-tier!-Chapter 285: The Pig Eating The Tiger

In one of the upper box seats, a young man with medium-length black hair tied into a messy ponytail was having difficulty breathing.

Worse, he was quite smart and sensible, knowing that it would be better not to scream and let his overwhelming joy out.

The young man held everything in as though his life depended on it.

Poncho could not be happier that he was struck with a moment of madness back then and actually listened to the mysterious SS-ranker, Ascalon.

At the start of the competition yesterday, his life plan was being tested and stressed hard, and there was a good chance of it being annihilated, but with the most impressive of odds.

Now, those odds were only one victory away from working to his favor.

He had two tickets, one was "Omaru-Finalist," and the other was "Omaru-Champion". Just the payout from the first one would tremendously brighten his future. If, somehow, the second did, too...

He would be set for life!

Poncho could choose to convert his Swordcoins directly into cash through long-established and reputable currency exchange shops; he could utilize it to further the ceiling of his career as a Bladeborn, and many more.

The sky was the limit with the amount of Swordcoins he would earn...and he did not want to share them with anyone except his most trusted and cherished people.

The ones he was with were nothing but opportunistic comrades from the same guild — mere colleagues.

He would be dumb to let them know he won the jackpot.

When they asked him earlier about his ticket, he lied, saying he already lost, and that it was fine, since he didn’t bet a huge amount anyway.

With how mighty Omaru turned out to be, even the next battle with Taiya didn’t worry Poncho much. Not after how his bet decimated the promising Hidden Dragon in a few exchanges.

All he had to do now was wait.

**

Meanwhile, at the commentator’s desk, Nathalie was still in deep regret that she wasn’t able to make the crowd go even crazier at the one-sided battle.

She should’ve highlighted the possibilities more.

How the F-ranker, Omaru, was probably well on his way to shake the Sky Prince’s throne.

Something along those lines.

Unfortunately, she, too, was way too dumbfounded to have thought of everything at that instant. There was still a lot for her to learn, including being more resistant to impossible things.

Hostess Nathalie took deep note of this as she moved on.

Finally, after a short presentation using a different device provided by another sponsor, which showed a summary of all the known details about the remaining four competitors, the short break ended.

It was time to put those theories to the test.

"Ladies and gentlemen. It’s time!! Class 8’s Taiya, Class 19’s Alopecion, Class 1’s Ourion, The Sky Prince, and last but definitely not least, the darkest horse in history, Class 70’s legendary F-ranker, Omaru. Who among these four most capable youngsters of Noravia’s Southern Bladeborn Academy will move on to the finals? We are about to find out!"

The crowd’s wild and passionate roars rumbled across the arena.

This Inter-Class Representative Competition had been nothing but pure flames, and everyone doubted that the ones happening in the other Bladeborn Academies could surpass the entertainment it brought.

The sponsors were all probably beaming right now...except for a certain betting station that brought the most impressive odds.

Better yet, the highest-level battles are only about to unfold.

The semi-finals with a roster of two S-rankers, one SS-ranker, and one, mind-boggling F-ranker, were starting.

"For our first match. Hailing from the renowned Baldemar Family thriving in the Southwestern District of Edgehaven, Former Sword Prince of Dalton Elite High School, and fighting for Class 32, everyone, give it up for Alopecion!!"

The crowd happily cheered, whistling and applauding. The young man who didn’t look so young had been nothing but the finest of entertainment, after all.

He deserved his spot, at least, even if only barely.

Soon, the thunder settled, and Nathalie introduced Alopecion’s opponent.

"...the second young master of Ashwind Family’s seventy-seventh generation, a true son of heaven, the one and only Sky Prince, and Class 1’s Representative, Skylar Ashwind!!"

Nathalie could’ve said Ourion, but she chose to use Skylar’s real name, as there was truly no contest in the weight brought by his feared and respected family name.

The crowd did cheer, but not as much.

The young tyrant wasn’t too well-liked. However, Skylar didn’t seem like he cared much, the playful smile back on his face.

The two youngsters soon stood a fair distance away from each other, eyes locked.

"Skylar, we may be future comrades in Ashen Crown, but I, Baldric Baldemar, will not hold back, and today, I shall strike at your reputation, Sky Prince!" Alopecion declared, pointing his sword at his opponent.

It would’ve been convincing had his previous victories been reliable. Most of the spectators only shook their heads, some holding in their laughter.

This guy truly is NeoNet content material.

After his shaky performances, he dared to say such crap seriously to the one guy who defeated all of his opponents with a single strike using the same move?

Nonetheless, sheer entertainment again.

Even Skylar seemed to find the challenge rather interesting. The Sky Prince failed to suppress a slight, mocking grin.

"Fine, I accept your challenge, Baldric Baldemar. Better back your words up, or you might end up like a useless subordinate of mine."

With those words, Skylar drew his Jikdo, and Baldric his falchion.

"Begin!"

The moment the referee raised his arms, Alopecion exploded into action.

"RRAGH!" the balding young man roared, his movements causing eyes to almost pop out of their sockets.

The crowd burst into cataclysmic cheers.

The bastard...had been pretending all along — playing the pig to eat the tiger!

Alopecion’s speed, for one, was already a level higher than what he showed in his previous matches.

The moment he got close enough, his muscles contracted, and he jumped, turning into a silver hurricane at the exact moment Skylar drew his sword to slice him as he had his previous opponents.

The sounds of shattering glass echoed, and the balding S-ranker continued with his forward momentum under the bewildered gazes of the crowd.

For the first time since the start of the Inter-Class Representative Competition, someone had broken through the Sky Prince’s terrifying first strike.