ONLINE: Blades of Eternity-Chapter 228: UNDERESTIMATED

As soon as Seraphine announced the start of the final phase, the tension in the coliseum reached its peak. The crowd buzzed with anticipation, waiting for the first move. They didn’t have to wait long.

Dale Troy, with his dual blades resting on his shoulders, stepped forward confidently, his Stormfell insignia gleaming under the sunlight. His casual, almost lazy smirk didn’t hide the predatory glint in his eyes as he issued his challenge.

"I’ll go first! And I choose… you!"

He pointed directly at Charlotte Stark, the humongous shield strapped to her back making her stand out among the qualifiers.

A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd.

"He’s going for Charlotte right away? Isn’t that a bit underhanded?"

"Maybe he thinks she’s the weakest link."

But Charlotte showed no reaction to the whispers or Dale’s pointed finger. With a calm yet resolute expression, she stepped forward to meet him in the center of the arena. The crowd fell silent, their focus solely on the two combatants.

Seraphine suddenly raised her hand as she announced calmly yet with a resounding voice.

"Let the duel begin!"

But before either of them could make a move, Dale spoke, his tone laced with mockery.

"You know, you really don’t belong here. This stage is for the best of the best, not someone hiding behind a piece of metal. Why don’t you save yourself the humiliation and step down?"

The crowd gasped at his blatant taunt, but Charlotte remained unfazed. She removed her shield from her back and planted it firmly in the ground.

"Is that so? Funny, I thought this stage was for those who’ve earned their place. Tell me, Dale, do you think swinging around your blades makes you a champion? If so, I’ll gladly show you how wrong you are."

Her calm and cutting reply drew a few chuckles and applause from the spectators. As for Dale, his smirk disappeared, replaced by a furious glare.

"You’ll regret those words!"

Without waiting, he lunged at her, both blades gleaming as they crackled with storm magic. The air around him seemed to roar with the fury of a tempest, and he swung at Charlotte with a ferocity that could’ve toppled a lesser opponent.

But Charlotte was prepared. She raised her shield with ease, the humongous piece of elven craftsmanship glowing faintly with divine runes. The moment Dale’s blades collided with it, there was a resounding clang, followed by a shockwave that rippled through the arena.

Charlotte stood unmoved, her shield absorbing the force effortlessly. And right after, she taunted cooly.

"You’ll need more than that."

Dale snarled, unleashing a flurry of rapid strikes, each imbued with crackling arcs of lightning. His attacks came from all angles, aiming to bypass her defense. But Charlotte moved with practiced precision, her shield always meeting his blades at the perfect moment, neutralizing the storm magic with ease.

The crowd watched in awe as Dale’s desperation grew while some murmurs began to appear amongst them.

"She’s reading him like a book!"

"That shield… it’s not just a defense—it’s a weapon!"

As Dale’s frustration peaked, he gathered his storm magic into a powerful spinning attack, creating a vortex of wind and lightning around him.

"This ends now!"

He hurled himself at Charlotte, the vortex threatening to engulf her. But Charlotte didn’t flinch. Instead, she shifted her stance and activated one of the Divine Shield Techniques. Her shield glowed brighter, the runes blazing with a golden light as she slammed it into the ground.

"Divine Rebuttal!"

A wave of golden energy exploded outward, neutralizing the vortex and sending Dale flying backward. He crashed into the ground, his blades slipping from his hands as he struggled to rise.

Charlotte approached him calmly, her shield back in position.

"You were saying something about me not belonging here?"

Dale glared at her but couldn’t summon the strength to respond.

Seraphine stepped forward to stand in-between Charlotte and Dale before she raised Charlotte’s hand and announced.

"The winner is Charlotte Stark!"

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The crowd erupted in cheers as Charlotte turned and walked back to her place in the lineup, her expression as calm as ever. The murmurs of doubt about her being the weakest link were silenced, replaced by admiration and respect.

Meanwhile, in the VIP section,King Alexandria, Lysander and even Kael Dragonyx couldn’t hide their intrigue as Kael whispered to his right hand man.

"That shield technique… it’s ancient. She’s far more formidable than she appears."

"Yes My Lord, I got some information some time back that their might be a student in Pacesetters Academy who is an expert in the Lost Elven Arts. I think she might be the one" Kael’s right hand man replied back with the utmost respect and courtesy.

"Is that so? This tournament just keeps on getting better and better" Kael said with a light grin on his face.

"Now this is unexpected, actually witnessing a lost Elven Arts in this tournament, this might turn out to be a bad thing" King Alexandria muttered to himself with a light smile on his face. But just then, a figure which is engulfed with mist suddenly appeared behind the seat King Alexandria is seated as the figure whispered to his ear.

"Should I go explain to the dignitary at the other coliseum My Lord?"

"Oh there is no need, I will do that myself once this ends. It shouldn’t be that bad to make it urgent" King Alexandria replied with the same light smile on his face while he waved dismissively.

"Ok My Lord" The figure replied before it suddenly vanished in that section.

As for Castenada, while watching from the same section with Marel seating right next to him, suddenly smirked subtly as he muttered to himself. "Well done, Charlotte. Show them what a Pacesetter truly is."

As the crowd settled down after Charlotte’s impressive victory, the arena grew tense with anticipation. Pine Hughes, clad in the blue and green uniform of the Dawning of Magic Academy, stepped forward confidently. His dual crescent blade rested on his back, shimmering faintly with enchantments.

Pine scanned the remaining participants, his eyes sharp but indecisive. A few minutes passed as the crowd murmured impatiently, and Pine finally pointed his blade toward Kelvin Bowel from Valen Military Academy.

The air shifted instantly.

Kelvin, seated calmly with his arms crossed, slowly stood up. A menacing grin spread across his face as a dark and ominous aura began to radiate from his body. It was suffocating, an oppressive force that sent shivers through the crowd and even caused some weaker spectators to flinch.

"You just made the worst decision of your entire life." Kelvin suddenly muttered with a voice laced with pure chill and terror.

His voice was calm, almost chillingly so, as he stepped forward. With each step, his aura darkened, and the ground beneath his boots seemed to dim. When he reached the arena, a sleek dark scythe materialized in his right hand, its blade glowing faintly with crimson runes. He spun it effortlessly, the sharp whistle of the blade cutting through the tense silence.

The crowd erupted into whispers.

"Did you feel that aura? It’s suffocating!"

"I’ve heard of Kelvin’s scythe, but seeing it in person… It’s terrifying."

In the VIP section, even Kael Dragonyx raised an eyebrow at the sight as he spoke to his right hand man. "That scythe… It carries the essence of death. The boy wields it like it’s an extension of himself."

Castenada, watching from a distance, remained calm but alert as he muttered.

"This match will be dangerous. Let’s see if Pine knows what he’s up against."

"I heard from Reeves that Kelvin was once a student in the academy. If so then what is he doing in the Valen military academy?" Marel suddenly asked with a curious look on his face.

"Well its kind of a long story, I will tell you later" Castenada replied dismissively which implies that he doesn’t want to be distracted at that moment.

Back in the arena, Pine adjusted his stance, gripping his crescent blade tightly. His face betrayed no fear, but his eyes were cautious as he gauged Kelvin’s overwhelming presence.

"Big words, Kelvin. Let’s see if you can back them up."

Kelvin smirked, his scythe glinting ominously in the sunlight as he replied.

"Oh, I’ll do more than back them up. I’ll make you regret stepping into this arena."

Seraphine raised her hand as she suddenly announced.

"Let the duel begin!"

The moment her hand fell, Kelvin vanished in a blur of dark energy. Pine barely had time to react as Kelvin reappeared behind him, swinging his scythe in a wide arc. Pine managed to block with his crescent blade, but the force of the impact sent him skidding back several meters.

Kelvin didn’t let up. He pressed the attack, his scythe slicing through the air with deadly precision. Each swing carried an aura of death that seemed to sap the energy from the surroundings. Pine was forced to stay on the defensive, his crescent blade glowing brightly as he infused it with magic to repel Kelvin’s relentless assault.

"Is that all you’ve got?" Pine eventually asked cooly.

With a burst of energy, Pine counterattacked, spinning his crescent blade in a dazzling display of skill. Enchanted energy erupted from the weapon, sending waves of force toward Kelvin. But Kelvin merely smirked, his scythe absorbing the energy like it was nothing while he spoke in a provocative tone.

"Pathetic. You’ll have to do better than that."

The crowd watched in stunned silence as Kelvin’s aura grew even darker. He raised his scythe high, the crimson runes glowing brighter.

"Let me show you what true power looks like."

He slammed the scythe into the ground, and a wave of dark energy exploded outward, enveloping the entire arena in shadow. Pine’s movements slowed as the oppressive energy weighed down on him.

In the VIP section, even Castenada frowned.

"Kelvin’s not holding back. This could end badly for Pine."

Back in the arena, Pine struggled to move under the weight of Kelvin’s dark domain. But he gritted his teeth and summoned all his strength, his crescent blade glowing brighter as he infused it with more magic.

"I won’t go down so easily!"

With a roar, Pine unleashed a powerful burst of energy, shattering the shadowy domain and forcing Kelvin back. The crowd erupted into cheers, but Kelvin remained unfazed, his grin widening.

"Not bad. But this is where it ends."

"Indeed but not for me though" Pine replied with a face filled with fighting spirit.

He raised his scythe again, the blade crackling with dark energy.

The tension in the arena was palpable as the two combatants prepared for the next clash.