Chapter 319: The Water Sword (3)

"Ha, Ha..."

In the western city of Lation, Carissa Floyd burst into laughter as she saw what happened.

She wasn't the only one. From the time Bratt Lloyd unfolded his sword of waves, all swordsmen had stood up. The swordsmanship of the blue-haired young man was shocking. It wasn't lacking anything compared to Judith in the last Round.

'No, rather than Judith's sword, which was made of sense and instinct, this child's sword was unfolded under more meticulous calculation. If we focus on that point, then he is more amazing. It might be like this in the present, but it's development can only be imagined.'

It was a move that could overwhelm all the performances shown until now!

But unfortunately, it wasn't because of Bratt Lloyd that Carissa Floyd laughed.

Her gaze looked at Airn Pareira. Naturally, someone else came to her mind as she looked at him.

Floyd looked at Ian's chair and remembered the past.

'A Sword which cuts through water. At such a young age... crazy.'

Now that she had reached a mature age, she wouldn't leave Lation, but when she was young, she too was out wandering the world.

There were times when she heard about such things happening around her, and there were fights too. All of those stemmed from the pride of swordsmen.

'Go to Krono Swordsmanship school and see.'

To her, Joseph, who was both her rival and friend, suggested that. His intention was obvious... it was so that she could act accordingly. To show her that there was a sky above a sky...so that she could understand that and calm down.

Of course, Carissa Floyd didn't stop.

She knew that the fact that her opponent was one of the ten swordsmen on the continent, a monster that had reached a much higher level.

The fact that he was someone stronger than her.

But did that matter?

She would eventually climb to that stage too.

Even if she couldn't reach Ian's status now, she thought that by mastering the basics, she could rise higher.

From the beginning, she had a talent for looking at others' skills and making them her own, so she looked forward to meeting the owner of Krono.

'Just wait. Because I will go to Ian and take him down.'

Just like that, she spat out bold words and went to Alcantra years ago. After witnessing Ian's sword cutting through the lake with a normal sword, Carissa Floyd truly realized that there were things that were hard even for a Sword Master.

'I haven't been able to understand that sword even now.'

Even now, she couldn't do it.

In front of the waves and the tsunamis that came collapsing like they were disasters. It would be reckless to not consider it a natural disaster. Although it was a technique that could be treated as foul since it was prepared before the start of the match, the power it held had to be acknowledged.

If it was her, she wouldn't have been able to stop it. Even if she could block it, she would've exerted herself too much. To the point where her body would have felt exhausted. But the blonde kid blocked it with a normal sword, without Aura, or any tricks.

'... perhaps, the ordinary thing isn't the sword of Airn, but his eyes.'

Carissa Floyd had a bitter expression on her face.

She worked for decades to replicate what she saw Ian doing. She struggled to make it her own and practiced to the point where she felt miserable. In a good way, it was a driving force, and in a bad way, it was an obsession.

Now she knew.

The sword was a power that only the selected could wield.

And she wasn't the chosen one.

.... It was the same with the blue-haired swordsman who was silently looking at his opponent.

"..."

"..."

"..."

The stadium was enveloped in silence.

The audience didn't know what exactly was happening. As Judith showed in the Round of 16, they understood that a huge force went towards Airn, but most didn't realize how that energy evaporated that quickly.

Yet, they could read the air. One of Bratt Lloyd's cards failed...possibly his only card.

It was a situation where his defeat was confirmed, and in the air, which turned pitiful, everyone looked at the stage with sad faces. Even the referee, who had to be neutral, looked sad.

Whik!

Whik!

"..."

"Come."

In such an atmosphere, the blue-haired swordsman took a stance that startled Airn.

Others might not have noticed it, but he had a more precise reading of what was happening.

His eyes which had awakened through sorcery, could see the Aura remaining in a person's body, and Bratt had very little left.

But he wasn't looking down on Bratt. The words he heard weren't empty words.

He looked into the eyes of his close friend, which were swirling wildly, and it was as if he was facing Judith rather than Bratt. It was to the point where Airn was sweating.

"Come. It isn't over yet."

"..."

"Or should I come at you?"

"No, I will come."

Airn shook his head, and his energy rose.

Kiiing-

His body, with the energy inside it, was creating a solid atmosphere. It was the Aura of steel.

A power that was more familiar and comfortable for his body than before.

Into that...

Wheik!

He added flame.

The figure of Airn which was red-hot and golden.

Bratt Lloyd, still had a composed face, and looked at him.

Judith, Ilya, and Ignet, too, watched it silently. Camrin Ray closed his eyes and thought about something, and the audience was holding their hands together in anticipation, looking at it.

"...All."

In such a crowd.

"...All of them did well."

They were Ian's words. His voice was so small that only Keira Finn and Ahmed, and Karaka could hear.

All the four matches were over. There was no change. Camrin Ray and Ignet Crescentia easily defeated their opponent, and Ilya, too, had an easy victory.

It may have been surprising for the audience, but the real strong people knew that she was stronger than Jarrot.

It was the same with Bratt Lloyd and Airn Pareira.

Although the former did surprise people with his unprecedented actions, the result was obvious.

"Bratt Lloyd!"

"Bratt Lloyd! Gerbera's pride! Gerbera's Star!"

"Cheer up! We will continue to support you in the future!'

"Smile! Bratt Lloyd!"

However, the audience's reaction to the blue-haired swordsman's loss was different from the previous reactions. Everyone cheered and encouraged him. Even the people who cursed him for his attitude against Devan Kennedy were cheering for him.

'Well, anyone would...Seeing that form.'

Hinz nodded.

Everyone knew that it was certain defeat. It was a situation where the attack was destroyed right away, and the shock of the attack being nullified like that was inevitable.

But Bratt didn't give up. Rather, he was ready. He provoked his opponent as if he wasn't feeling down and fought back with the best.

He managed to block Airn's sword 13 times.

"It was great."

"Right. That mind power is no joke."

"He is great now too. I look forward to what he will show in the future."

"Right."

The reporters around Hinz praised Bratt. But they were all falling short in their knowledge of swords.

However, thanks to being in the Land of Proof for years, it was possible for the reporters from there to know that this guy, Bratt Lloyd, would grow.

From the reporter's perspective, Bratt Lloyd was someone who would continue to grow stronger in the future.

"Bratt Lloyd! Bratt Lloyd!"

"Bratt Lloyd! Bratt Lloyd!"

"Bratt Lloyd! Wohhhh!"

Gerbera Kingdom's high-ranking noble was leaving the stage with the respect of almost everyone in the audience. Seeing his form, everyone supported him with fervor.

The same was true for those from the East, whose contestants all failed, and the people from the South, who were all depressed with Jarrot's loss.

With that encouragement, Bratt never looked back. And he quietly left.

"Haha, it is fine."

"No, but you fought so fiercely...."

"The priest said I am fine. Airn too took care of the situation in the end... don't you know my character? It will say I am hurting if I am hurting."

"Your character, I only know the bad things..."

".... What a joke, mother."

"I'm not joking."

"If you are worried about your son's health, wouldn't it be normal to not offer me alcohol?"

"Alcohol is medicine. Disinfectant."

"Ah, it isn't."

"Mother and father are right, brother."

".... Anyway, I should go."

On the day he was eliminated, Bratt had a small party with his family.

Right, it was something to be celebrated, not something to be comforted on.

Of the 128 swordsmen who participated, Bratt was in the top 8.

And if he had to be ranked, he would be in the 5th position.

"Of course, I cannot be satisfied with that."

He was Bratt Lloyd. A man who worked hard.

He mumbled to calm himself, yet he felt gloomy as he moved to the training hall.

It was to replay what happened in the match and make a better plan.

Swish!

'What if I left a little more leeway? I think it would have been better if I had charged when he aimed for the waves.'

That was the thought he had as he swung his sword.

Swish!

'Or, I think it would have been better if I attacked several times. Because I don't think I can hold on longer after doing that. I was in a hurry this time.'

He was reflecting back.

Right. Maybe he could have created a better situation. Thoughts filled with regret swirled in his mind. They were getting wilder and more violent. And the sword, too, seemed to change violently.

"Drain it out."

"..."

They were the words from his lover who had appeared.

They were familiar words.

"Drain it out. Pour it out. All the unpleasant, difficult, and useless emotions. Take away the painful things which are holding you back... to become you again, and walk your own path."

Bratt suddenly stopped swinging the sword as Judith hugged him from behind.

He couldn't see her face, but it was fine. For now, it seemed better than the both of them couldn't see the other's face.

"I will always be by your side."

"..."

Embracing Bratt, whose eyes were filled with negative emotions, and to make him move ahead with a lighter heart. She leaned her face on her lover's back.

Judith stood there for a very long time.

Ignet Crescentia vs. Ilya Lindsay.

Camrin Ray vs Airn Pareira.

The lots for the semi-finals were drawn.