Chapter 198: Helen Vs Zich
The moment Jayden’s and Lucien’s names simultaneously froze on the enormous projection screen, the entire Central Arena erupted into cheers even more intense than before.
Whether it was Jayden, who had long since made a name for himself throughout the First Layer by crushing every opponent in his path with a single longsword, or Lucien, who had always appeared gentle and low-key yet carried the elite surname of Vilhart, both had already been listed by countless people as among the contestants most likely to win this year’s Chosen Tournament.
"Jayden against Lucien!"
"Holy crap, they’re serving the main course right from the start?"
"No matter which one of them loses, a championship favorite is going to be eliminated early!"
"Lucien has barely fought seriously before. No one even knows how strong he truly is."
"Could he really be stronger than Jayden?"
"Did you forget his surname?"
"Vilhart..."
As soon as that surname was spoken, many of the spectators who had originally been supporting Jayden immediately became noticeably quieter.
Because Vilhart was not merely the name of an ordinary family.
It belonged to one of the most powerful families among humanity, a family that had been passed down for several centuries and had produced more than one legendary powerhouse who had reached the higher layers.
The sun magic inherited by the Vilhart family was also widely recognized as one of the most destructive legacies possessed by humanity.
On opposite sides of the battlefield, Jayden and Lucien stepped into the energy barrier at the same time.
Jayden still held the longsword that never left his side. His cold gaze rested upon Lucien, while the sword aura surrounding him continued rising with every step, as though no matter who stood before him, he would never retreat in the slightest.
Lucien, however, still wore a faint smile.
He was dressed in a pure white mage’s robe, with golden patterns stretching from the collar all the way to the sleeves. He held no staff and carried no weapon, merely standing there calmly, looking nothing like someone about to participate in a battle that would decide a place in the Semifinals.
Arthur raised his hand.
"The match begins!"
The instant his words fell, Jayden moved first.
His figure almost transformed into a black blur. The longsword was drawn from its sheath in the middle of his charge, and a sharp sword light tore through the air, shooting directly toward Lucien’s throat at a speed so astonishing that an ordinary contestant would not even have been able to react.
Fast! Extremely fast!
However, faced with the sword edge that was already right before him, the smile on Lucien’s face did not change in the slightest.
He merely raised his right hand, gently pressed his index and middle fingers together, then casually tapped the air in front of him.
Buzz——!
A tiny golden point of light no larger than a fingernail appeared out of thin air.
In the next instant, it suddenly expanded!
Boom!
Blazing radiance erupted between them like a miniature sun.
Jayden’s pupils contracted sharply. The longsword he had thrust forward was immediately brought across his body, but the overwhelming force still blasted him backward.
His feet carved two black trails dozens of meters long across the ground.
"What?!"
The entire audience cried out in shock.
Jayden forcefully steadied himself as his chest churned violently.
’So strong... Just a casual attack completely neutralized my frontal assault.’ he clenched his fist. ’I absolutely can’t fall here. At the very least... I can’t lose without even managing to touch him!’
But before Jayden could stabilize himself, Lucien had already raised his hand again.
"First Form. Solar Ring."
Buzz!
A radiant golden halo instantly formed above Jayden’s head.
Its dazzling brilliance illuminated the entire battlefield as though it were daytime, while the searing heat caused the ground beneath it to rapidly turn red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Jayden suddenly looked upward. He did not retreat. Instead, he stomped the ground apart and forcibly charged toward Lucien against the blazing waves of heat.
At that moment, the longsword in his hand erupted with dazzling silver-white light.
"Severing Void!"
Slash——!
A sword light that nearly stretched across half the battlefield suddenly swept forward.
But Lucien only clenched his hand lightly.
The solar ring suspended in the air immediately descended.
Rumble——!!!
Blazing flames collided head-on with the silver-white sword light.
The entire Central Arena seemed to tremble violently.
But when the blinding radiance gradually faded, everyone was stunned to discover that Jayden’s sword light had already shattered completely.
Even the longsword in his hand had been burned bright red.
At that moment, Lucien slowly raised a third finger.
"Third Form. Falling Sun."
Hearing those words, Jayden’s expression finally changed. He stopped advancing and instantly retreated, but a radiant pillar of light more than ten meters in diameter had already descended from the sky.
Almost at the same time as he moved, every path of escape around him was completely sealed.
Boom——!
The earth suddenly sank. Golden flames surged into the sky.
The energy barrier covering the battlefield rippled violently again and again, while even the spectators seated in the front rows could clearly feel the scorching wave of heat rushing toward them.
Several seconds later, the flames dispersed.
Jayden was kneeling on one knee upon the completely blackened ground.
The longsword in his hand had been stabbed into the earth to support his body. Large portions of his black combat uniform had been destroyed, and a thin stream of blood slowly flowed from the corner of his mouth.
Less than half a meter from his chest, a blazing fireball resembling a miniature sun hovered silently.
If it advanced even the slightest bit farther, it would be enough to completely take his life.
Jayden stared fixedly at that fireball as his fists slowly tightened.
He knew... he had already lost. But even until the very last moment, he had still failed to force his opponent to move even a single step.
That outcome weighed even heavier than the defeat itself.
Lucien slowly lowered his hand, his feet never having shifted from where they had first touched the battlefield.
Arthur glanced at Jayden, then looked toward the blazing fireball suspended in midair before calmly announcing,
"Jayden has lost the ability to continue fighting. The winner—Lucien Vilhart!"
"Three moves?!"
"Jayden lost just like that?!"
"Holy crap! So this is a Sun Sorcerer?"
"Lucien has been hiding his strength this entire time!"
"He didn’t even move from his position!"
Inside the VIP box, Michael Smith’s hands were already clenched tightly, his knuckles turning pale from the force.
The expression of the woman seated beside him was equally ugly. As she looked toward Jayden, who was kneeling on one knee on the battlefield, an almost uncontrollable trace of anger and heartache flashed through her eyes.
However, although the two of them were furious, they did not show much shock because the person who had defeated Jayden was Lucien Vilhart, one of the true colossal powers among humanity.
Losing to an heir cultivated by such a family was nothing shameful.
Michael remained silent for a long time before finally saying coldly,
"It was only one defeat. As long as he remembers the gap he witnessed today, this defeat will not be meaningless."
On the battlefield, Jayden struggled to stand.
He glanced at Lucien, whose expression was as gentle as ever, but did not voice any unwillingness or resentment.
He returned his sword to its sheath, then turned and left. However, his lowered eyes were colder than they had ever been before.
Some time later, after a brief period of recovery, the second matchup appeared.
[Zich]
Versus.
[Helen]