Sword Saint's Reincarnation-Chapter 84: Semifinals (4)

Rylan forced all idle thoughts to die out. All that existed was this battle.

Hiding behind an earthen slope, he perceived the movement of mana coming from Jasmine. Without hesitation, he dove to the side and rolled on the floor, almost falling into a large crack. His burns complained about his movements with another wave of agony. A heartbeat later, sharp blades of wind hit the slope and went around it, then clashed with each other around his previous position. One of them deviated from the group and found its mark.

A single diagonal cut appeared on his torso, from shoulder to waist. His crimson blood dropped to the ruined arena. It wasn’t too deep, but it was enough to hinder his movements and affect his senses with the pain. The injury stung every time the breeze reached it.

With a hardened expression, he ignored the wound. Chanting left his mouth as whispers. Rylan raised his wand.

Focus.

Every heartbeat made his senses sharper. Even without circulating his mana, he used his hearing to grasp Jasmine’s general direction without seeing her directly. She was hiding behind a stone wall. He cast Water Bullets, starting to circle Jasmine’s cover. The Bullets’ purpose wasn’t to inflict damage.

In a battle, any distraction can have devastating consequences.

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Two of them hit the wall dead on. He waved his wand. The remaining three Water Bullets flew around the wall and curved. They reached their target with a resounding thud. Judging from the sound alone, Rylan knew Jasmine had raised a Magic Shield. Continuously chanting, he finally managed to go around the wall and see Jasmine’s crouching figure. Her eyes locked onto him like a hawk’s.

She stood up, leaped to the side, and started to run. Rylan finished chanting first. He shot a Firebolt, but she managed to avoid it and finish her casting.

“Earth Spikes.”

Rylan let out a breath. With his senses at their peak, his perception noticed the Spikes before they even rose out of the ruined ground. However, this time, it was different from all the other times others had used the spell against him. The walls and slopes around him vibrated.

They’re gonna come from there.

Instead of rising straight out of the floor, the Spikes would also burst out of the terrain surrounding him. It was a clever application of the spell that others hadn’t shown him so far. He smiled. Jasmine truly was a capable Mage. He swung his wand using his wrist alone. The Firebolt in mid-air curved its trajectory after Jasmine dodged it, as if it had bounced off something. It aimed straight for her upper back. Rylan’s eyes were sharp.

Roland’s memories and experience were telling him that his spell was going to hit; he needed to focus on defense. Rylan didn’t doubt them for a second. The Earth Spikes tore their way out of the cracked floor, slopes, and walls, their sharp tips aiming straight at different parts of his body.

Rylan watched them come at him with calmness. He only lowered his center of gravity and prepared to move. As the first one was almost upon him, his heart thumped within his chest, galloping like a horse. Avoiding everything without circulating his mana would be more than difficult, but he needed to try.

Now.

He spun while taking a diagonal step. The Spike, which had come from the slope closest to him, grazed his back, drawing a line of blood. The stinging pain assaulted his senses, but it wasn’t enough to make him lose his focus for even a fraction of a second. The second Spike was already getting close.

With a breath, Rylan weaved between the flurry of Spikes. He wasn’t left unscathed. Because he hadn’t circulated his mana, his speed hadn’t been able to perfectly keep up with the Spikes. One after the other, they grazed his skin and tore through it. One even managed to pierce his left arm cleanly, forcing him to clench his jaw. There was no need to think too much; the arm would be ruined until he got healed.

The Earth Spikes varied in size, likely with the intent of hindering his possible movements in different ways, as well as targeting different parts of his body. His appreciation for Jasmine’s skills rose as he spun, dodging another Spike. Small cuts and gashes appeared on his skin as a few of the Spikes hit their mark.

Taking as few steps as possible, Rylan dodged the remaining Spikes, chanting as he did. Even though his legs were injured, he didn’t stumble.

The moment he stepped out of the stone cage created by their bodies, he immediately looked at Jasmine. As he expected, the Firebolt had hit her. With gritted teeth and a pained frown, her right hand hovered over the nasty burn on her left shoulder. Skin and flesh had melted and mixed to create a crippling wound. Not because of the damage but because of the pain it inflicted. The red and black burn was adorned by charred skin and damaged muscles.

Once she locked eyes with him, however, Rylan saw only a bit of resentment. He blinked in surprise. It was only natural to feel negative emotions about him, who had caused her so much pain, but the hatred in her eyes was much less than he expected.

This realization caused him to freeze for a fraction of a second. As if she had been waiting for this moment, Jasmine gasped out the final part of a chant with a frown.

“Tide.”

Mana coalesced into water and flowed throughout the battleground. It sunk into the cracks and went around the slopes and walls, flowing toward him with surprising speed. Rylan went back to running, glancing at the slopes. He didn’t know how much water Jasmine was able to create, so he could try and get to higher ground to avoid the initial wave. However, if she surpassed his prediction, he would find himself surrounded by her spell.

The water followed his movements. The wounds on his lower body made him slower than usual, even as he tried to accelerate. His left arm hung limply from his side.

What’s her plan?

On its own, Tide was a Third Circle spell that didn’t have great offensive prowess. According to Gerard, some Mages were capable of turning it into a persistent spell like Rupture, which remained after mana stopped being fed into it. Was Jasmine like that? His gaze sharpened.

The water got progressively closer to him as it covered most of the arena.

Can I stop and cast Earth Spikes before the water surrounds me?

He already knew the answer to his own question. To cast the only Second Circle spell he knew, Rylan would be forced to slow down significantly, which would result in him being swallowed by the Tide. However, that didn’t mean he would lose. Even if the water reached him, all he needed to do was finish casting Earth Spikes before he was rendered unable to speak. The moment the Spikes reached Jasmine, this battle would end.

Suddenly, the water around him sped up. There was no time to question his plan. Rylan decided to believe in his instincts. He chanted as he ground to a halt. The roiling wave had made it so that there was nowhere to go without stepping into it. His injuries stung due to the forced sprint, but he didn’t care. The wave devoured the bloodstains on the ruined floor, erasing the traces of his struggle.

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I can do this.

He would win as the person he currently was. He believed in himself and in his efforts for the past half a year.

The first part of the wave reached Rylan’s feet as he frowned, since he had forsaken his chance to seek a path that could avoid it. Jasmine immediately waved her wand. The water crawled up his legs and reached his knees in less than a second.

With surprising speed, the rest of the Tide flowed toward him and rose as if trying to swallow him whole. It reached his waist, then his chest. Just as the water was about to cover his mouth and surround him completely, he finished his chanting.

“Earth Spikes.”

A moment later, the flood wrapped itself around his head. Spikes ripped their way out of the floor and risen walls as more water enveloped him. It behaved like Water Sphere but magnified. His injuries burned with pain as the water flowed into them.

She wants to end the battle with this.

Encased by water, Rylan stared at Jasmine’s blurry figure. She was stumbling from side to side, trying her best to avoid the Earth Spikes that pierced at her from the floor around her. Every time one of them dug into her flesh, the water around Rylan rippled, but it didn’t fall apart.

It was a very good move. She only needed to maintain this situation until he ran out of breath or the judges stopped the fight. Still, he wasn’t planning to go down so easily. Focusing on the spell, Rylan did his best to make the Spikes reach her, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough.

With increasing speed, Jasmine spun and sidestepped every Spike she could. Rylan saw drops of crimson falling from her body onto the floor, but she only slowed down a bit.

Dodging some of the Earth Spikes while keeping up a Third Circle spell…

Rylan never thought he’d feel admiration for someone so young, but he couldn’t help it. It wasn’t just because of her physical abilities and skills: it was also because of her determination. She had chosen to keep channeling Tide instead of casting a Magic Shield, aware that this was the one move that could help her seize victory. Even though she knew the Spikes would pierce through her muscles and skin, she hadn’t backed down. Rylan nodded to himself.

The Tide still surrounded him. It was a testament to her mana control. Rylan swam to the bottom of the sphere around him and touched the floor with his feet. He crouched.

Jasmine waved her wand as she dodged the last Spike, her body riddled with injuries. The water followed his movements, gathering above him like a blanket that sought only to keep him from jumping. Like a living being, it reacted to him.

Had she planned this while knowing how he’d escaped the Water Sphere in a past battle? He would’ve taken a deep breath if he could. His mind racing, Rylan tried to figure out a way of getting out of this without using his swordsmanship.

There was only one single problem. Since he was surrounded by liquid, there was no way to chant.

Rylan tensed up his legs. His heart thumped within his chest as he strained his mind.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be battle-ready. It only needs to give me a window to react.

He thought to himself, struggling to try and cast Earth Grab without chanting. It was much more difficult than using a leading chant, which helped him organize his mana. The visualization and casting were both less effective. In a way, it was a new experience; because sword styles hadn’t required chanting, Roland’s memories couldn’t help him with this.

The seconds ticked by, his body still wrapped in water. Beyond, Jasmine trembled like a flame in the wind; her blood had dyed her surroundings crimson. The moment Damian stood up from his throne while shaking his head, Rylan widened his eyes. Without hesitation, he pushed with his feet against the floor with as much strength as he could without circulating his mana.

Earth Grab.

The floor bubbled before part of it slowly rose and wrapped itself around his feet. Now was the moment of truth. He waved his wand, slowed down by the water. The stone around his legs suddenly bent and pulled to the side as if it were liquid. Because of his jump, it was barely enough to make him burst out of the sphere. There wasn’t a second to waste. With a sharp inhale, Rylan maintained his concentration. Before the water could follow him, he waved his wand again and made the Earth Grab fling him further to the side instead of pulling him down. With a spin and a somersault, he fell on the floor covered with water and pointed the wand at Jasmine.

“Magic Missile,” he gasped out.

The arrow of blue mana pierced through the air, straight at Jasmine’s left leg. It hit its mark.

Flesh gave way to sharp mana as it drilled into her thigh, tearing through skin, muscle, and blood vessels. She screamed in pain and faltered, almost falling to her knees. The water trying to surround Rylan lost its guiding force and collapsed but didn’t melt back into mana. Instead, it remained in the form of liquid, only without purpose.

Rylan heaved, catching his breath after staying submerged for so long. Thankfully, his relatively high Body stat had helped him deal with it. Without missing a beat, he pointed his wand at Jasmine again.

Now.

It was a decisive moment. While she was lost in her pain, he needed to attack again and end this battle. Right now, both the Firebolt’s burn and the rest of her wounds should be overwhelming her senses with nothing but agony. It was impressive that she had even managed to cast Tide while being affected by the burn, and even more incredible that she’d withstood Earth Spikes and kept the spell up, but this was it.

“Magic Missile,” Rylan gasped out, standing up. He started to run, his feet sinking into the water that now covered the whole arena.

The Missile took shape quickly. As it did, Jasmine turned toward him with a wince and a heavy frown. She trembled all over while clenching her jaw and gritting her teeth. The mana arrow shot straight toward her right shoulder. She closed her eyes and let out a breath, tears falling to the drowned floor.

Roland’s experience told Rylan what was going to happen before the Missile reached her. He started chanting again.

She’s gonna dodge it.

It was almost unthinkable, but he believed in her strength.

The moment the Missile was about to hit her, Jasmine dove to the side, her eyes still closed. She landed on the floor on her side with a scream. The spell passed by above her and crashed against the mana barrier, failing to inflict any damage. The moment it disappeared, Rylan waved his wand.

Another Missile shot toward Jasmine as a Magic Shield formed around her. She struggled to stand up, completely soaked. The Shield wasn’t perfect; he could tell parts of the spell were weaker than others.

It was the best she could muster while powering through the pain, but it wasn’t enough. Rylan’s Missile accurately dug into one of the Shield’s gaps as Jasmine threw herself to the side again. It grazed her right shoulder and created a deep gash. More blood flowed, falling to the water and disappearing into strands of scarlet.

Rylan hesitated as he watched Jasmine desperately try to climb to her feet, crying and wincing. Her left leg couldn’t support her body weight, and she constantly threw water on the burned left shoulder.

In the end, he didn’t want to cause her more suffering. Rylan glanced at the judges. Damian was still standing, his eyes locked onto Jasmine’s figure.

He said nothing.

Anger slowly bubbled within Rylan.

This is too far for an Academy tournament.

It was a thought that had struck him in the previous matches, but only now truly hit home.

I’m done.

He didn’t want to hurt her anymore. If the judges weren’t going to end the match, he would just force them to without injuring her.

However, to do so, he would need to push his skill to its limit. He looked at Jasmine again as she stumbled but finally managed to stand up shakingly. She tried to chant but slurred her words every time she blinked hard. It was a pitiful sight. With a serious expression, Rylan pushed his concentration to its limits and pointed his wand at her.

“Earth Spikes.”

Jasmine flinched, eyes filled with fear as she looked to the floor. The Spikes rose, piercing their way out of the water and aiming straight for her. Rylan let out a breath.

The Spikes never hit her body. One went right between her legs as two others rose diagonally, joining the first to firmly restrain her right leg. Others cut off her left leg’s possible movement paths without touching it and risking causing her more pain.

In the same fashion, more Spikes rose around her torso and arms, as well as behind her. Sweat flowed down Rylan’s brow. Finally, after almost eight seconds, his carefully-crafted scene was done.

All Earth Spikes had missed Jasmine’s body. Instead, they went around her to create a stone cage and force her into a star position. Locked in place, her only choice would be to try and cast while standing still, but unlike Rylan, she was no longer able to dodge anything. If this were a real battle, one quick slash to the throat after drawing his sword would be enough.

Rylan let out a sigh of relief. It had been a risky move to try and pull off in the middle of a battle like this, but he had succeeded. The fact that she could barely stand had helped massively when calculating the Spikes’ trajectories.

“This battle is over,” a deep voice echoed.