Sacred Arts

18. Taking a Chance

The tenth match ended, and shortly after, the eleventh match began. "The next pair of warriors may step forward," Master Shawn instructed. Bret Albert, who ranked seventh in last year's tournament, stepped onto the fighting stage. At the same time, Kenzie Royale, ranked eleventh in the previous tournament, stepped onto the stage. Bret, a tall and muscular warrior, exuded an air of arrogance that commanded respect.

He had long brown hair and black eyes with a scar across his cheek. On the other hand, Kenzie, a petite and graceful young lady, walked with elegance, leaving an impression of honor and pride. She had long silky black hair and dark brown eyes. The two warriors took their positions on opposite sides of the stage. "I assume you aren't going to admit defeat," Bret taunted Kenzie as he materialized his sword.

"Your assumptions are correct," Kenzie replied with a determined grin, summoning her own sword with a display of her aura. "Are you joking?" "Is that all?" Bret mocked, noticing that Kenzie's sword appeared to be only a hilt without a blade. Headmaster Edward raised an eyebrow in surprise as Kenzie drew her sword. "How did this girl obtain such a powerful weapon?" Master Jacob wondered aloud. "Although it may not be the original, it is made of the same materials," he continued.

"From the looks of it, her sword is a yellow grade Demi-God weapon," Master Shawn remarked, examining Kenzie's weapon. "The only way she could wield that weapon is if it grows in power as her power grows," Headmaster Edward chimed in, speculating. "So she must have inherited such a treasure from a family member." "Should we prohibit its use?" Jacob asked. "No I don't believe that is necessary." "At her current strength, the blade's true potential remains untapped," Headmaster Edward answered. "However once she masters it, there won't be too many that could rival her," Headmaster Edward added.

The crowd was surprised to see Kenzie's weapon, and felt it wasn't going to help her. "How will she defend against Bret's sword with just a hilt?" a spectator questioned. "She should have admitted defeat," another added. Unfazed by the concerns of others, Kenzie grinned at Bret. "You have no need to worry about things that are none of your concern," she told Bret before unleashing a violent aura and charging at him.

Just as Bret's sword was about to strike, Kenzie raised her hilt to block the attack. A resounding clang echoed through the air as the two swords clashed. Bret's eyes widened in surprise, questioning what was blocking his sword. "Is she hiding her sword?" Someone in the crowd wondered aloud. "If that's the case, how is she pulling it off, and why?" Amon wondered to himself.

With a smile, Kenzie deflected Bret's attack, pushing him back slightly. "Shall we continue?" Kenzie proposed, taking her stance. Bret snapped out of his amazement and charged at Kenzie once more, determined to discover the length and size of her invisible sword. "If she goes on the offensive, I'll be at a disadvantage, since I have no idea what her sword looks like nor any of its dimensions," Bret thought. "And I can't dodge what I can't see," he thought nervously.

The clash of the two swords continued as the fighters engaged in fierce combat. While Bret exerted all his strength, Kenzie appeared calm and collected. Bret swung his sword diagonally, and Kenzie countered with greater force, sending him further backward. "Now it's my turn," Kenzie declared, taking her fighting stance once again. In the blink of an eye, she charged at Bret.

Bret struggled to defend himself, as he had to guess where Kenzie's sword would be in order to block it, since he was unable to see it. Due to slight miscalculations, Bret was forced back with each defense against Kenzie's attacks. "Don't think you've won!" Bret yelled as he slashed the space in front of him, unleashing waves of energy sharp enough to cut through stones. Kenzie closed her eyes and moved like the wind, effortlessly slicing through the incoming waves of energy like a hot knife through butter. "Enough of the games!" Kenzie shouted, changing her grip on her hilt and pointing the tip of it at the ground.

"Ten cuts," she yelled, releasing the hilt out of her hands. As her hilt plunged into the ground, Kenzie disappeared. Amon marveled at her incredible speed, struggling to keep up with her movements. "This girl had started on the path of a million cuts," Master Jacob remarked, smiling at the other two masters. "She's truly a genius," Headmaster Edward added. "Only swordsmen with years of experience can pull off such a skill," he continued.

"These parlor tricks won't help you win," Bret yelled nervously, realizing he couldn't see Kenzie at all. Sweat formed on his face as he frantically turned his head in every direction, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Almost instantaneously, a deep cut appeared on his left shoulder, causing blood to pour out as he attempted to cover the wound with his hand. As soon as he touched the wound, another deep cut appeared across his back, making him cry out in pain. Without giving him a moment to rest, another deep cut appeared on his right thigh, forcing him to yell out in agony as he looked down at the new wound.

Once again, a deep cut appeared on the back of his leg, forcing him to fall onto his left knee, writhing in pain. The crowd trembled with terror as they witnessed Bret, who held the seventh rank in the previous year's tournament, appear utterly helpless in this blatantly one-sided battle. "Just admit defeat," someone in the crowd muttered to themselves, their voice filled with fear. "End the battle before Bret dies," Headmaster Edward instructed Master Shawn. "Kenzie has already shown more than enough restraint."

"There's no point in prolonging this," he continued. Rising from his seat, Master Shawn declared, "This match is over." "The victory goes to Kenzie Royale," he announced. At that moment, Bret fell to his hands and knees, drenched in a mixture of blood and sweat. Bret stared at the ground, panting heavily, feeling a slight sense of relief that the match had come to an end.

"What is she?" Bret thought to himself as he looked at the area where he had last seen his opponent. Kenzie reappeared in the exact spot where she had stood before, as if she had never moved. She retrieved her sword from the ground and stored it away. With a nonchalant glance back at Bret, Kenzie turned to leave the stage. Healers rushed from the sidelines to assist Bret, guiding him to one of the rooms where they could tend to his wounds.

"Now it is time for the final match in this round," Master Shawn announced. The two remaining warriors walked onto the stage, Fisher Wilbur, who ranked twelfth in last year's tournament, and Amon. They stood facing each other, ready for the battle ahead. "I don't mean to sound funny, but would you mind admitting defeat?" Amon asked Fisher. Fisher's face turned red, and he emitted a powerful aura in response to Amon's question.

"This guy is too arrogant," someone in the crowd exclaimed. "He is arrogant, but I think he could back it up," another person chimed in. "Yea, he has made remarkable progress in this tournament, considering it is his first one," someone else added. "All three newcomers had already made it into the top twenty-five," Headmaster Edward said amused. "You're a fool, who does not know his place," Fisher stated angrily.

"I will be the one to teach you a lesson," he continued. "Fine," Amon sighed. "I guess that was a long-shot," he muttered to himself. Amon released his aura, preparing himself for the impending battle. Meanwhile, Fisher's weapon materialized in his hands, revealing a massive hammer that rested on the ground.

"There's no way in hell, I would lose to a little chump like you!" Fisher yelled at Amon. "Let's end this quickly," he continued. "That's his mighty hammer," someone in the crowd exclaimed in amazement. "Yeah, he's serious," another spectator added. Fisher raised his hammer high in the air and charged at Amon with all his strength and speed.

Amon remained calm as his opponent's formidable hammer descended upon him. Just before it made contact, Amon extended his arm and effortlessly blocked the attack with his open hand. The onlookers were astonished, trying to comprehend how Amon was able to block the powerful strike with no effort. Amon closed his hand, shattering the hammer as if it were made of fragile ice. "I tried to warn you," Amon said to Fisher.

He then unleashed an energy blast that struck Fisher directly in the chest, sending him flying off the stage, landing on the ground in a heap. "How strong is he?" Matthew wondered as he clenched his fist. "He is dominating his battles like child's play," Master Shawn commented aloud with a smile. "The match is over, and the winner is Amon!" Master Shawn announced as he rose to his feet. Amon bowed and casually walked off the stage, seemingly unaffected by the battle.