Mage Manual-Chapter 655 - 518: Sword Maiden’s Stage (Part 4)

"Eyes!"

Just as the audience almost unanimously rose to their feet, Arsen’s voice echoed through the sky, "Sevi’s surprise attack on Vosloda’s eyes could be the pivotal turning point of the final match, couldn’t it?"

Boom!

Although Vosloda had to close his injured eyes, Demi easily neutralized the Blood Moon Shattered Lake and instead of counterattacking, he quickly retreated. It was now Sonia’s turn to press her advantage and fully Anchor her victory with this significant upper hand!

"That was a brilliant move," Nidara commented, "but Demi... or should I say a Sword Master of the Vosloda family, has never been a foe to be defeated by schemes and tricks. Only with complete suppression of power can one overcome the legacy of star-forging because they..."

"Have no weak points."

Only seconds had passed when Demi wiped the blood from his eyes and reopened them; the damaged eyeball was astonishingly healed—even in the midst of intense combat, he was capable of efficiently treating his own injuries!

Sonia’s hidden killing move was so easily countered!

Demi drew a circle, and the Circle Wave almost exploded everything around it, forcing Sonia to retreat in defense.

Then he took a step forward and said aloud, "I understand your idea, Miss Sevi. Indeed, my offer of a tie was nothing more than a condescending handout from me, and refusing it wouldn’t have dimmed your brilliance in the slightest; rather, accepting the tie would add minor flaws to your record. My impulsive idea was indeed not fully thought-out, and I apologize for causing you any trouble."

"So, as a token of my respect for you, I will defeat you with all my strength."

"And one more thing, I need to apologize in advance for the fact that I am a bit angry now. The upcoming battle is not only about competing for the glory under the gaze of the Star Cluster but also carries a hint of my venting frustration, so... be careful!"

Boom!

The Holy Sanctuary Level Vosloda Wave Motion Swordsmanship, unleashed at full force!

More ferocious than the Violent Slash Dragon, wilder than the fierce jackal dragon, and sharper than the White Speed Dragon!

Sonia felt like she was facing a Void Realm beast, with the exquisite Wave becoming fangs and claws in his hands, viciously tearing at Sonia’s flesh!

Miracle·Water Moon!

Miracle·Blood Moon Shattered Lake!

Sonia fought back with all her might, but she couldn’t break through Demi’s Holy Sanctuary, instead repeatedly getting pushed back! Yet, her ferocity was unyielding, standing her ground in close-quarters combat, exchanging surge for surge with Demi!

Snap!

With a thunderous noise, the red-haired Sword Maiden was sent flying far away, crashing into the ruins and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Demi slowed his pace, sticking out part of his bloodied tongue; Sonia had just now locked her gaze on his mouth at close range, the Hidden Hand blade almost piercing through his neck from the front!

But under the protection of the Holy Domain, any attack that could not reach the core could at most only be a minor annoyance to a Mage. The extent to which Holy Sanctuary Mages revered Space Attacks also meant how ineffective normal attacks were against them.

Demi’s expression was a mix of anger and admiration: "Do you want to win that badly?"

Sonia stood up, leaning on her wooden sword, her War Dress unrecognizable, covered in dust, rubble, and streaks of blood and mud.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Sonia: "The more I dazzle, the more I stand in the spotlight, the stronger I become."

She paused: "Right now, I am still too weak."

"I can sense your determination, but I will not give way, and you do not need a victory given out of pity," Demi sheathed his sword. "Since this is the case, let me finish this exciting final with the highest-level Miracle."

"Up next, please witness, the Annihilation Wave."

Annihilation Wave!

The secret of the Vosloda family, an Upper Radiant Miracle that could instantly clear the entire battlefield!

The ’Red Lotus Sword Formation,’ upon which Nages had pinned great hopes, was crushed into a pool of blood by this move!

If Demi had used this move at the beginning, Sonia would have lost long ago.

The fact that Sonia forced Demi to use this move, in the eyes of everyone, meant she had almost won.

Defeated but honored.

But still defeated.

Sonia lifted her head and met the gaze of the audience on her own initiative. Some were curious, some envious, some happy, some regretful; the emotions were diverse and numerous.

Without a doubt, at this moment, the red-haired Sword Maiden had captured everyone’s attention.

But why haven’t I grown stronger? Sonia thought.

Had the Observer deceived her? That’s what Sonia pondered.

The promise of her Golden Blessing "Dazzling Star" was that the more she fought in the spotlight, the more people liked her, the stronger she would become.

But the finals of Meteor Disaster were the highest stage she could reach at the moment, and even here, she couldn’t further transform—wasn’t her Golden Blessing too terrible?

Even though she had acquired the Hidden Hand Blade from Professor Trozan, she knew she couldn’t defeat Demi at this stage. Her voluntary challenge was merely a hope that the Golden Blessing might bring about a miracle.

In the end, her Hidden Hand still couldn’t touch Demi’s core.

Just like her hand, it couldn’t feel the warmth of the Observer.

She had truly tried hard, but she couldn’t draw strength from the eyes of the audience, nor could she find encouragement in their cheers.

The vanities she so desperately wished to indulge in the past now seemed just a little meaningless.

Maybe it was because the eyes she expected to see weren’t there, or the cheer she wished to hear was absent.

It turned out that it was indeed possible, that two people could long for each other, think of each other, care for each other, yet not be together. Just like two stars close to one another, still separated by a vast distance.

Sonia looked at Demi, knowing she was going to lose; she had no miracles to resist the Annihilation Wave, unless the Observer helped—like the Water Moon and Blood Moon Water, helping her to break through on the spot in the match and suddenly understand a miracle that could turn the tide!

But alas, there was no such thing.

Her only reliance, the Golden Blessing "Dazzling Star," was useless. freёweɓnovel_com

The blessing’s name implied that she was the "Dazzling Star," but Sonia knew she was merely pursuing the vanity of a Dazzling Star, craving the spotlight of a Dazzling Star; however, she couldn’t warm others nor become the light in their hearts.

Compared to becoming a Dazzling Star, her real goal now was to chase after her own Dazzling Star.

If she became stronger, if she shined brighter, would the distance between the stars become a bit closer?

At this moment, it was as if the Star Cluster finally heard Sonia’s prayers, the starlight turning into a professor bestowing wisdom. Knowledge of numerous magics was being reshaped and coupled in her mind, a dazzling Composite Miracle was forming.

She held her wooden sword horizontally, in a contemplative manner, as countless threads enveloped her body.

Water Moon?

Demi naturally recognized this Counterattack Miracle, but the attack’s range was very short, making it pointless here, since his Annihilation Wave covered the entire arena... In the blink of an eye, Demi swung his long sword.

Dong— Like the tolling of a distant bell, coupled with the inner tremors of the audience, the arena’s space seemed to have been cut into a sphere, isolated inside and out. Thanks to Nidara’s narration, they knew that Demi was using himself as the coordinate origin, indiscriminately attacking everything within the sphere.

Now, the red-haired Sword Maiden could only step off the stage in dejection...

Pop!

The spatial sphere shattered just as it formed.

There were no traces of the Annihilation Wave sweeping across the arena, the Water Moon Silk around Sonia had vanished without a trace, and next to her right hand appeared a Hidden Hand, shockingly launching the Hidden Hand Blade.

Demi stood calmly before her and asked, "You’ve channeled the flow of water into an avenue of space, accelerated time, and harmonized swordsmanship... You’ve actually integrated the ’Void Realm’ Technique Spirit into your Counterattack Miracle, distorting spatial ripples to bind the threads around me, using the threads to pinpoint the spatial coordinates, shortening this process with the Time Spirit, and then ending everything with a Hidden Hand... This Composite Miracle that encompasses various Magic Factions, what is its name?"

Sonia lifted her head and saw a meteor streak across the night sky.

This was the celebration ritual at the conclusion of Meteor Disaster; whenever the winner was decided, a meteor would fall.

"Look," she said, pointing at the meteor. "There’s a tail behind the meteor, that’s another meteor’s gaze watching it."

"Even the touch of unreachable meteors harbor thoughts of life and death, side by side."

"This miracle, it’s called Meteor Disaster."

Demi paused, a wry smile crossing his face, "You’re not really good at naming, are you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his body burst into blossoms of flesh, severed into sections and fell haphazardly to the ground, immediately triggering the Forbidden Death Miracle.

At this scene, the sports center fell into a brief silence, then the cheers of the audience nearly flipped Jiale City over!

"Meteor Disaster finals, the victor is—" Arsen’s voice drifted across the skies of Jiale City, spreading through all of Dazzling Star: "Sonia Sevi!"

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