Chapter 753 - 753: The First Champion
"Finally, we have reached this stage, where we will witness the ultimate battle that will decide the true champions of the first edition of the Grand Barisan Tournament!" Orlav shouted, and his words were met with an even greater roar of excitement from the spectators.
"Now, without waiting any further, let us begin with the first battle, the match that will determine the winner in the beginner stage category! Let us welcome our two finalists, Erik Sachfield and Sun Meilin!"
A moment later, Erik and Sun Meilin were already in the arena, distancing themselves by a hundred meters from each other.
Erik was a handsome youth in his teens with short black hair, while Sun Meilin was a beautiful girl with long red hair. Erik wielded an earth-grade sword, while Sun Meilin did not use any artifact, which only showed how remarkable she was. Throughout the tournament, she had displayed mastery over both the wind element and the fire element, which shocked the crowd.
She was a genius cultivator who commanded two elements from the very beginning of her cultivation, and she came from a noble family of the Doria Kingdom. However, her family was not as renowned as other noble houses, since her father was "only" a baron. This revelation truly shocked the audience, as it meant her family had managed to hide her talent so well until now.
Erik also came from a noble family in the Vindas Kingdom. He was more of a sword cultivator, known for his excellent swordplay. Rather than relying heavily on elemental attacks, he focused on his sword.
This set him apart from most participants, who treated the sword merely as a supporting artifact. For a sword cultivator, the sword was not just a tool but their way of life and combat.
The sword was both their strength and their weakness.
The two finalists had already locked their focus on each other, fully prepared for the battle.
"Are the participants ready?" Orlav asked.
"Ready!" both shouted simultaneously.
"Then, the battle begins!"
The moment Orlav declared the start, Erik was the first to move. He charged toward Sun Meilin with his movement technique, his speed so great that afterimages lingered in her vision. Yet Sun Meilin had no intention of simply standing still and waiting for him to reach her.
She suddenly opened her palm, and a ball of flame appeared upon it. Then she blew on it. At first, it looked like a small ball, but the moment her breath touched it, the flame swelled, spreading outward as a massive wave surging toward Erik. The blaze expanded rapidly, its coverage immense, the heat radiating fiercely as the fiery wave grew larger and larger.
Facing the overwhelming flames rushing at him, Erik's expression barely changed. Instead, he raised his sword and slashed forward. The wave of fire split instantly under his strike, and without hesitation he charged straight through the opening he had created, determined to attack Sun Meilin directly.
However, he was caught off guard when he suddenly found Sun Meilin already closing in. He had not expected her to advance head-on. From his observations throughout her battles, she had always fought as more of a defensive type, reacting to her opponent's attacks rather than seizing the initiative.
He had planned to take advantage of her usual passiveness, but this was the first time he had seen her dash straight at her opponent. Still, he did not panic. He unleashed his sword technique, slashing twice in quick succession. Yet, with her nimble movements, Sun Meilin managed to evade his strikes even at such a short distance.
Erik was stunned by her agility, but then he froze as a sudden heat rose from beneath his feet. Glancing down, he saw the arena floor glowing red, as though something scorching was about to burst forth. His instincts screamed at him to move, and he instantly leapt to the side.
A split second later—
Boom!
From the very spot he had just vacated, a pillar of flame erupted, its heat so intense it sent shivers down his spine.
'She rushed me as a distraction—so she could prepare this flame technique,' he thought.
But he had no time to dwell on the realization. Sun Meilin was already pressing the attack, hurling several fireballs toward him. Forced onto the defensive, Erik had no choice but to keep evading, unable to build any momentum.
He tried to slash each fireball with his sword, but Sun Meilin kept pressing forward, unleashing her flame techniques without restraint, as if she no longer cared about conserving her energy reserves. Erik's face grew solemn as he focused on defending himself, and at that moment he thought that he might have been tricked all along.
'This is her true battle style. Those earlier matches were only to make others believe she was the passive type,' he realized as he continued to fend off her relentless assault.
Even so, he did not panic, though his position and situation looked increasingly unfavorable. The flames rained down on him without pause, and he knew that even a single direct hit would cause serious injury, something he could not allow.
'This won't do. If I don't take a risk, I'll never be able to break her momentum.'
Resolving himself, Erik made a daring decision. He suddenly leapt far back across the arena. Sun Meilin immediately sought to chase him, ready to continue her assault with both movement and flames. But in that very moment, Erik unleashed his sword technique.
'First Move of Sachfield's Sword: Order of Flame.'
Suddenly, he dashed forward with a style of sword strike that he had not shown in previous battles. His movement was fast and powerful. As the fireballs rained down on him, his sword slashed through them with ease, each strike following in quick succession. Several came close to hitting him, but he kept advancing.
Sun Meilin, seeing him display something new in this fight, did not falter and continued to press her attack. She was about to intensify her assault when she noticed the sword in Erik's hand become blanketed in flames. In the next instant, he made a swift slash toward her, and the flames took the shape of his strike, flying at her with such speed that even she was stunned.
He had never used this technique before!
She stopped casting her technique and quickly dodged. However, halting her attack gave Erik the opening he needed. It was finally his turn to counter. His swift sword strikes rained down on Sun Meilin, each aimed with precision to bring her down.
She tried to dodge his sword strikes with nimble movements, but it was clear that not all of his attacks could be avoided. Her robe was slashed in several places, and wounds began to appear on her body. His rapid strikes were extremely difficult to evade, especially since he refused to give Sun Meilin any chance to breathe, counterattack, or even defend.
Seeing her injuries piling up, Erik grew confident that this was the time to end it. He pressed his assault, and then, in a sudden flare of heat, his sword was once again blanketed in flames as he prepared to unleash his ultimate move.
Whirl of Flame.
He shifted his grip, twirling the sword slightly in one hand before thrusting forward. From the tip of his blade, a violent whirl of flame erupted, surging straight toward Sun Meilin. The blazing vortex carried extreme heat as it pushed forward, its power reaching the level of a middle disciple stage attack!
Sun Meilin, covered in wounds across her body, stood before the approaching Whirl of Flame. Its powerful force made it seem like the end for her. The moment it struck, she would be defeated, and Erik would be declared the winner. At least, that was what the crowd believed as they watched her situation unfold.
However, she suddenly smiled, as if to say, got you.
Just before the Whirl of Flame could hit her, the blazing vortex bent to the side and passed by her body instead. The attack that should have landed was redirected elsewhere, leaving the onlookers wide-eyed in shock.
Erik was just as stunned. What kind of trick had Sun Meilin used?
But he had no time to dwell on it. Sun Meilin seized the opening to launch her counterattack. Forced to react instantly, Erik canceled his technique, enduring a slight backlash in order to prepare himself to block or evade whatever she was about to unleash.
He wanted to jump back to create distance, but suddenly he felt something at his feet that made it difficult to move. His legs felt heavy, and he was shocked since he had not sensed anything at all until now. Sun Meilin had already finished her preparation and finally unleashed her ultimate technique.
She thrust both palms forward, and a fusion of wind and fire burst forth.
Flame Lance.
A massive pillar of fire, its tip shaped like a spearhead, shot out at incredible speed. Before Erik could react, the blazing lance engulfed him completely. Carrying the power of a middle disciple stage attack, the flame struck him directly and scorched the arena ground around him. Erik, caught at the center of the impact, felt searing pain as the burning sensation tore across his body.
"Argh!" he shouted in pain, which made Sun Meilin stop her technique. When the flames disappeared, Erik could be seen lying on the ground with his robe torn and burn wounds covering his body, gasping for breath. He groaned weakly as he tried to breathe.
Sun Meilin, too, was clearly exhausted. Her energy reserves were nearly depleted, her breathing heavy as sweat rolled down her face.
The crowd did not need anyone to tell them who the victor was, and Orlav agreed. There was no way Erik could continue in his condition.
"The match is over! With one participant incapacitated, the winner and champion of the Beginner Stage is Sun Meilin!" Orlav announced.
"UWOOO!"