ONLINE: Blades of Eternity-Chapter 223: REALITY MANIPULATION?

In Group C’s mini arena, Ethan Kent, the talented Mist Magic user from the Pacesetters Academy, stepped forward, his twin daggers glinting faintly under the arena’s light. Across from him stood Trent Wayne, a scion of the Blightmore House, with his ominous aura and the unmistakable presence of necromantic energy swirling around him. The tension in the air was palpable as both combatants sized each other up.

From her elevated position, Seraphine Gale announced the match.

Seraphine quickly exclaimed as her voice were sharp and commanding. "Let the duel… begin!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Trent raised his hand, summoning a wave of skeletal arms clawing their way out of the ground. The air around him grew cold and oppressive, the stench of decay filling the arena. The crowd gasped as grotesque undead warriors materialized, their hollow eyes fixed on Ethan.

’Necromancy huh?’ Ethan thought unfazed as he took a deep breath and allowed the calming veil of mist to emanate from his body. The silvery-white fog spread across the arena, cloaking him from view. His daggers gleamed as he took his battle stance, his movements fluid and precise.

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Trent sent his undead minions charging toward Ethan, their gnarled limbs swinging weapons of rusted iron. Ethan darted through the mist like a ghost, his daggers flashing as he dismantled the undead with surgical precision. The crowd marveled at his speed and control, the contrast between his graceful movements and Trent’s dark, chaotic energy starkly apparent.

Trent snarled, his eyes glowing with an eerie green light as he raised both hands. The ground beneath Ethan cracked open, and shadowy tendrils lashed out, aiming to ensnare him. Ethan leapt into the air, his mist thickening and swirling around him, forming a protective barrier against the encroaching darkness.

The battle raged on, neither fighter gaining a clear upper hand. Ethan’s mist magic allowed him to evade and counter Trent’s relentless necromantic assaults, while Trent’s mastery of death magic ensured he remained a formidable opponent, his undead army regenerating almost as quickly as Ethan could destroy them.

From the VIP section, the tension was palpable. Kael Dragonyx, leaning slightly forward, watched with keen interest, while Castenada and Marels exchanged murmurs of approval at Ethan’s skill.

Then, without warning, Ethan stopped moving. He stood still in the center of the arena, his daggers crossed in front of him. The mist around him began to shift unnaturally, forming shapes and patterns that defied logic.

Trent paused, his confidence wavering as he noticed the mist was no longer just obscuring Ethan—it was twisting the arena itself. The skeletal warriors froze in place, their forms warping and bending as if reality itself was being rewritten.

From the VIP section, Lysander, the chancellor of Valen Military Academy, narrowed his eyes.

Lysander then began whispering to himself. "This… is no ordinary Mist Magic. Could it be…?"

Ethan’s daggers began to glow faintly, the mist around him pulsating in rhythm with his movements. He raised one dagger above his head, and the mist coalesced into an image of Trent’s own undead army—but this time, they turned against him.

Trent’s eyes widened in shock as he stumbled backward. The arena around him seemed to shift and distort, the once-firm ground now feeling unstable. He slashed at the air with his necromantic energy, but his attacks seemed to dissipate into nothingness.

From the VIP section, Kael Dragonyx leaned forward, his usually composed expression betraying a hint of surprise.

Kael, softly. "Reality manipulation…? Impossible. That’s a forbidden technique."

Alden saw this with a pensive look on his face while Griffo was laced with disbelief. Alden then spoke up grimly. "This is not manipulation… but something dangerously close to it. This boy is far more dangerous than we anticipated."

At this point Marel turned to look at Castenada. But before he could speak up, Castenada has already beat him to it. "If you wanna ask if I knew about him, then no. I didn’t expect that boy to hav this kind of power one bit"

"Then that just confirms that almost all of your students in the competition are monsters no?" Marel quickly asked as a reply while he kept an incredulous look on his face. But the only response he got from Castenada was a wry smile.

Back in the mini arena, Ethan has now opened his eyes, which is now glowing faintly with an ethereal light. He dashed forward, his movements blurring as if he were phasing through dimensions. In one swift motion, he bypassed Trent’s remaining defenses and appeared behind him, his daggers resting just inches from Trent’s throat.

The mist dissipated, revealing Ethan’s calm yet imposing figure. Trent froze, his defeat evident.

Seraphine, her voice cutting through the stunned silence. "Ethan Kent is the victor!"

’Damn it, I didn’t even get to go melee’ Trent thought with a bitter look on his face. But Ethan couldn’t care less as he began to walk back to his position.

The crowd erupted in cheers and gasps, the sheer brilliance of Ethan’s performance leaving a lasting impression.

Back in the VIP section, Kael Dragonyx leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.

Then right after, he began murmuring. "Interesting. Very interesting."

Lysander then also commented as he gave Castenada a side glance. "Pacesetters Academy might have found themselves a hidden gem."

As the duelists exited the arena, Ethan’s calm demeanor remained unshaken, though his faint smile hinted that he had more up his sleeve for the rounds to come.

Meanwhile, The atmosphere in Group A’s mini arena was electric. Kaelen Dragonyx, the rising star of Pacesetters Academy, faced off against The Devouring King, an enigmatic force of nature who had dominated every duel thus far.

The crowd leaned forward, their excitement palpable. Among the spectators in the VIP section, Kael Dragonyx, one of the most powerful figures of the Dragonyx family, observed the arena with a sharp, calculating gaze. Though Kaelen bore the same surname, Kael didn’t see him as kin. Instead, Kaelen was a potential threat—a possible wielder of the Blade of Eternity, a weapon Kael would stop at nothing to recover for the Dragonyx family.

Kael murmured to himself. "Let’s see what you’re capable of. If the Blade of Eternity is truly in your hands, you may be more dangerous than I thought."

Hovering gracefully above the arena, Seraphine Gale raised her hand to signal the start of the duel.

Seraphine then spoke up as her voice became clear and commanding. "Let the duel… begin!"

Kaelen didn’t hesitate. His disguised Blade of Eternity gleamed faintly, its power suppressed but still potent. He swung the sword in a wide arc, unleashing a radiant Sword Arc that streaked toward the Devouring King with incredible speed.

The attack, however, was effortlessly consumed by the swirling, all-encompassing aura of the Devouring Magic. The Devouring King chuckled darkly, his figure barely moving as the attack vanished into nothingness.

The Devouring King then spoke up in a mocking tone. "Is that all, Dragonyx? Your blade sings beautifully, but its melody is meaningless against me."

Kaelen frowned but remained calm. He immediately followed up with Sword Rain, summoning a flurry of sharp, precise mana-infused strikes that descended from above like a storm. The crowd gasped at the dazzling display, the air crackling with energy.

But once again, the attacks were devoured, leaving no trace.

The Devouring King grinned ominously, stepping forward with sheer confidence. "You can’t defeat me if I can devour everything you throw at me."

From the VIP section, Kael Dragonyx’s eyes narrowed as he studied Kaelen’s techniques.

Kael then began muttering to himself. "The boy wields his sword with precision, but it’s more than that. The aura around his strikes—it’s faint but familiar. Could it be…?"

He clenched his fists as suspicion grew. The possibility that Kaelen held the Blade of Eternity, albeit disguised, made Kael all the more focused. He leaned forward, his piercing gaze never leaving the duel.

"If he truly has it, he’s not just a nuisance—he’s now a weapon the Dragonyx needs to go tooth and nail to acquire. But first, I need to know how far his strength goes."

Kaelen stepped back, his breathing steady but his mind racing. None of his basic attacks—neither Sword Arc, Sword Rain, Sword Flurry, nor Sword Slash—had any effect. It was as if they were being erased from existence.

Kaelen then thought to himself. ’So, this is Devouring Magic… It doesn’t just defend—it consumes. If I keep fighting like this, I’ll lose.’

He closed his eyes briefly, tuning out the crowd and the oppressive aura of the Devouring King. For a moment, he thought of all the training he had endured, the battles he had fought, and the blade in his hands.

The faint hum of the Blade of Eternity resonated with him. Though disguised, the sword’s essence reminded Kaelen of its boundless potential and the responsibility it bore.

His grip tightened as his resolve solidified while he muttered. "If my attacks are devoured… then I’ll have to find a way to make them indigestible."

Kaelen opened his eyes, his aura shifting. He swung the Blade of Eternity again, but this time, his strikes weren’t the same. His movements became sharper, more refined. Instead of brute force, Kaelen imbued his attacks with a calculated precision that targeted the weak points in the Devouring King’s aura.

The air around him shimmered as he unleashed an advanced variation of Sword Arc, compressing its energy into a single, concentrated strike. The crowd erupted in cheers as the attack reached closer to the Devouring King than any before it, causing the swirling aura to ripple slightly.

The Devouring King’s smirk faltered, replaced by a frown.

The Devouring King then muttered. "What… is this?"

Kaelen didn’t let up. He followed with Sword Flurry, the rapid strikes creating a vortex of energy that began to push back the Devouring King’s magic. The crowd leaned forward, their cheers deafening as they sensed the shift in momentum.

In the VIP section, Kael Dragonyx’s sharp gaze darkened as he watched Kaelen adapt.

And then, he began murmuring with an ecstatic grin on his face. "He’s learning… That blade of his—it’s not ordinary. The way it cuts through the Devouring Magic, even in its suppressed state… It has to be the Blade of Eternity."

Noticing this, Castenada couldn’t help but thought grimly. ’Please be quick with this duel Kaelen, your adversaries are catching on to seeing the true image of that sword’

Kaelen’s strikes grew more focused, each one chipping away at the Devouring King’s overwhelming presence. But he knew this wasn’t enough. To win, he’d need to push beyond his limits, to unlock the deeper potential of the Blade of Eternity—even if only a fraction of its true power.

The duel had only just begun, and already it was shaping up to be one of the most unforgettable battles of the convention.