F-ranker Sword Saint: My Soulbound Sword is Secretly SSS-tier!-Chapter 278: A Promise

In the dimly lit pathway near the light of the arena’s main grounds, two youngsters faced each other.

Iris stared at the ground, finding it difficult to look Daru in the eye. Her heart was an utter mess.

"So...how can I help?" Daru began, scratching his neck quite awkwardly.

This was his first time being in such a situation. Naturally, he didn’t know what to do.

Iris seemed to still be hesitating, so Daru urged her a bit more with cold logic:

"Don’t worry, I already have history with Skylar and his subordinates. Helping you wouldn’t be too inconvenient. Well, unless it is inappropriate. Either way, I’d appreciate it if you answer decisively."

His words weren’t too comforting, but he tried to the best of his abilities.

Really.

Fortunately, it seemed that Iris spoke somewhat on the same wavelength.

"No! It’s not inappropriate," she hurriedly denied, "and I really appreciate what you’re doing. I...I just feel ashamed of dragging you into my mess. Skylar...he’s despicable, and I don’t want other people to experience his harassment on my behalf."

Daru’s eyes narrowed.

"He’s harassing you?"

Iris hesitated, but eventually nodded, biting her lip in desperation and frustration. She wouldn’t have been grasping at straws if she had a choice.

"H-He wants me to marry him, subtly hinting at killing my mother if I don’t agree."

Daru’s gaze turned a few degrees colder.

"So I challenged him to a bet." Iris continued. "If I win the Inter-Class Representative Competition, then he has to give up on me. If he wins, I’ll have to marry him."

The two locked gazes, as if in mutual understanding.

"Ah, so all I have to do is defeat him?"

Iris froze for a moment, then her anxiety erupted: "Y-You make it sound so easy! Skylar...he’s one of the best, even among the SS-rankers!"

Daru’s brows rose.

"So?"

"W-Well, that’s..." Iris found herself tongue-tied again. Daru had always been confident, but she thought it had to have limits.

Daru’s confidence had naturally found its limits long ago. It was just that Skylar Ashwind was far from someone he couldn’t handle.

In fact, if it meant helping his acquaintance...friend? out of a difficult situation, he could opt to discard honor and go for the win using certain advantages.

Such a thought was not so vile to him now. Not after his experiences in Limbo.

Besides, it wasn’t like the foe was honorable.

Iris cleared her throat. "Then, do you think you can defeat Skylar?"

"Yes, I believe I have a pretty good chance. Leave it to me."

She didn’t know why, but after hearing Daru’s words, a massive portion of her worries just dissolved.

There remained the bramble that was her mother, but knowing how vile the adversary was, Iris had decided on a drastic plan.

She just had to survive today, and things will get better.

"I-I’ll leave it to you, then. Thank you," she bowed with a warmed, ticklish heart.

It felt quite nice to have someone to rely on...

Daru nodded with a smile, pleased at the overall result.

"Well then, I still have matches. I’ll leave first."

Slightly bowing, he turned and left. Iris felt her words of gratitude were very lacking.

Unfortunately, she had limited experience with such situations, too, and even in those few, she had never been on the receiving side.

Still, she made her courageous yet clumsy attempt to untie the remaining knots in her chest:

"D-Daru!" she called, heart slightly racing.

Daru half-turned to look.

"Yes?"

"I-If you need my help in the future, you mustn’t hesitate to ask! Also, I really, really, really appreciate your help. I will definitely stand by your side against Skylar. I-I’ll figure something out."

His smile widened.

"Sure."

Helping each other out...wasn’t that something friends do?

’I guess we’re friends...’ he mused as he stepped out into the light of the main arena grounds.

His mere emergence stole the show for a few moments, overshadowing the ongoing battle at the main stage.

The Round of 16 has begun.

Skylar, of course, followed him with a cold gaze. The Sky Prince certainly did not like what he just dared to do.

Perhaps he was already being tormented in the head of the young tyrant.

With the two fairies eliminated from the tournament, the only remaining notable individuals were Alopecion, Taiya, Skylar, Cody, Lucas, and Daru.

The others had been reduced to mere side characters.

Of course, if they were dissatisfied with their lack of recognition, they could always complain through their swords.

The first match between two less renowned A-rankers soon concluded, and the bald S-ranker was called to go next.

Alopecion’s position was quite strange in the heads of the crowd.

His shakiness was the excitement he brought to the table, and a majority, although not daring to speak of it, wished for an upset to occur through him.

He didn’t disappoint.

The S-ranker eventually defeated his foe, to the dismay of the crowd, but the process was enjoyable.

The match was close, and Alopecion barely pulled through again.

After him, two A-rankers took the stage, one wounding the future of the other, then Taiya claimed his spot.

A match between two more A-rankers concluded next before Daru overwhelmed his A-ranker opponent to secure his slot in the top eight. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Skylar advanced with not much thrill, too.

In fact, his matches were among the most boring, as they always ended with him one-shotting his opponent.

His bracket was simply less exciting, though the Sky Prince didn’t seem to mind.

Fortunately, there was one last battle in the Round of 16 to make up for the bore.

The highlight.

It was clear from the earlier interactions that Cody and Lucas hated each other, and the crowd certainly loved them for it.

Bad Blood has been and still is a stable classic.

One of the two A-rankers would certainly end up with an inner demon they would have to battle for a long time, and everyone was eager to know who.

Nathalie knew better than to make them wait any longer.

"Class 55’s Vulkhan and Class 59’s Valthuzar, to the main stage, please."