How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game Chapter 654 - Capítulo 654: Reina's troubles Interlude (2)

Capítulo 654: Reina’s troubles Interlude (2)

“I’ve been observing this for some time,” Kagami whispered, his eyes narrowing as he leaned forward in his chair. “Junior Reina’s swordsmanship is… unconventional. She follows no established school or rigid form. But has she truly developed something original this time?”

Lucas offered no immediate reply to the question.

Instead, his entire focus was fixed on the intense duel occurring in the arena below.

Reina’s technique—which used to be a fragmented mimicry of every style she had ever encountered—was transformed today.

It was polished. It was sharper. A cohesive thread was finally binding the chaos together.

“It is subtle,” Lucas remarked eventually, his tone deep with thought. “But she might have begun practicing the Heavenly Swordsmanship.”

“The Grand Duke’s style?” Kagami’s eyebrows shot up. “I was under the impression that only simplified versions were distributed across the continent for novice knights… but this—” He pointed toward Reina, whose sword moved like a flash of polished silver. “This is nothing like those diluted forms. Her current swordsmanship is clearly… on another level.”

A faint, nearly proud grin appeared on Lucas’s face.

“Yes. It appears junior Reina has matured significantly since her last duel.”

Kagami gave a slow nod, his gaze tracking the frantic exchanges on the field.

Despite being a mage, Clara manipulated her hovering arcane sword with masterful skill, parrying Reina’s aggressive charges with minimal exertion.

Even so, her movements—which were typically so fluid they bordered on elegant—seemed slightly out of sync.

She was acting… a bit reactive.

“Regardless of how refined and balanced Reina’s swordsmanship has become,” Kagami noted, exhaling sharply, “it remains insufficient. Clara isn’t even attempting to cause harm. She is merely governing the rhythm, keeping the situation under control. Her slow reactions are only due to her surprise. The eventual victor is still quite obvious.”

To any expert observer, the reality was clear.

Clara Luminaria had not yet begun to fight seriously.

It wasn't a matter of pride—it was simply the truth.

However, Lucas spoke up beside him without a shred of doubt.

“I believe Reina will win.”

Kagami whipped his head around. “What?”

He gazed at Lucas, completely baffled.

Was he being blinded by his own bias?

Even Kagami, who respected Reina’s diligent training, could see the massive gap in their levels.

But Lucas didn't appear to be dreaming, nor did he seem to be forcing himself to hope for a miracle.

Instead, his eyes sparkled with genuine fascination—almost as if he were anticipating a revelation rather than watching a simple match.

Paying no mind to Kagami’s shocked expression, Lucas kept his eyes on the stage, a knowing smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

…

Something is wrong…

That persistent thought bothered Clara as the confrontation with Reina persisted.

Her brow furrowed slightly—not from physical strain, but from a strange sense of inconsistency.

CLANGG!!

SHIINNG!!

CLINNG!!

Every one of Reina’s strikes was sharp and sincere, heavy with her resolve.

And every time, Clara’s hovering sword intercepted them with effortless accuracy, controlled by only a fraction of her concentration and a tiny amount of mana.

Reina circled her—darting left, right, and above, shifting her weight in explosive bursts that would have crushed any ordinary first-year knight.

To Clara, though, the patterns were entirely predictable.

A loop.

A repetitive cycle of offense and defense that never wavered.

Reina was pouring out her soul.

Clara had not moved from her starting position. She hadn't taken a single step since the duel began.

Yet, despite the obvious disparity in power that Clara recognized…

Something felt unnatural.

A cold shiver ran down her back—a primal, instinctive warning.

Her muscles tightened, and her senses sharpened of their own accord.

A quiet, whisper-like alarm rang in her mind:

“Finish this now.”

But for what reason? Reina lacked the ability to defeat her.

So why were her instincts screaming of danger?

The wind swirled—Reina adjusted her stance.

Clara’s eyes widened slightly.

That posture—

That flow of mana—

That footwork—

It was entirely different from before.

Reina took a sharp breath.

A subtle ripple of mana wrapped around her blade.

[Heavenly Swordsmanship – Hell Style]

[Heaven’s Tempest]

Suddenly, Reina became a blur—her body spun in the air, her momentum coiling like a localized cyclone.

Her blade struck down like a falling star, a fierce gale exploding behind her as she descended.

Fast.

Incredibly faster than anything she had shown previously.

CLAAANG!!!

The impact vibrated through the arena floor.

But predictably—Clara’s telekinetic sword met the blow, stopping it dead.

Reina landed with her teeth gritted, frustration visible in her eyes as she looked at Clara, who still…

Still hadn't moved an inch.

“Haah!”

Reina refused to let that brief disappointment hinder her.

Instead, she lunged forward once more, her breathing becoming rhythmic and her focus sharpening to a point.

This time, there was a flash—a fundamental shift—within her gaze.

A spark of comprehension, as if something had finally clicked.

She tightened her hold on the hilt.

[Heavenly Swordsmanship – Hell Style]

[Hell Storm]

The tempo changed.

The air itself began to crackle.

Her mana transformed—becoming sharper, more feral—as tiny bolts of electricity danced across the steel like agitated snakes.

Swiishhhh!!!

Crackle!

BOOOOM!

With a single light step, Reina’s form exploded forward like a bolt of lightning thrown from the sky.

The entire stadium vibrated under the sudden surge of velocity.

Clisssh!!

CLANG!!!!

A thunderous collision echoed across the stage.

Clara’s eyes went wide—truly wide—for the first time in the fight. A single blade, Reina’s sword, had nearly torn through her throat.

“What—!?”

It had occurred too fast even for her to process.

If her layered telekinetic shields hadn't reacted automatically on instinct, she might have actually perished in that moment.

The sheer velocity and exactness… it was nearly identical to—

Her brother.

That realization hit Clara like a physical blow.

But Reina gave her no time to ponder it.

Before Clara could bolster her shield, Reina’s body blurred again—zig-zagging and spiraling, vanishing and reappearing in violent bursts of lightning-shrouded movement.

The air hummed with power.

The stage groaned under the weight.

Reina moved with a bizarre, chaotic grace.

Sensing another gap, she lunged without a second thought.

[Heavenly Swordsmanship – Hell Style]

[Rain]

Her sword shot forward in a piercing strike refined to its absolute peak.

CLANG!

It was blocked—but only barely.

Reina didn't cease her assault.

She couldn't stop. Utilizing the force of her own strike, she spun, stepped, and attacked again.

Then again. And again.

A ruthless storm of thrusts—sharp, exact, and each faster than the last—descended like a torrential downpour of lightning-charged rain.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLAANG!

Each hit battered Clara’s telekinetic blades, and one by one—

Crack.

Snap.

Shatter.

The floating swords crumbled under the relentless assault.

Sparks flew with every hit, showering the stage like fragments of broken light.

Reina’s focus never faltered. Her breath remained calm.

This wasn't some accident.

This wasn't a lucky streak.

This—

—was the true form of Reina Hell’s swordsmanship finally manifesting.

Is she… experiencing enlightenment?

That was the only explanation Clara could find as she looked at Reina.

For the first time since the start, a genuine sense of dread climbed up her spine.

The expression in Reina’s eyes—composed, razor-sharp, yet strangely detached—was unmistakable.

It wasn't the look of a mere combatant anymore.

It was the look of someone perceiving something deeper.

Understanding a profound truth.

And that was lethal.

Realizing the danger, Clara finally surged her mana—truly unleashed it.

The casual, relaxed posture she had maintained vanished instantly.

She could no longer afford to treat this as a simple sparring match.

“Fufu… it seems I underestimated you, junior—”

But Clara couldn't even finish her sentence.

Her eyes bulged.

Suddenly, blood sprayed from her lips.

“W-What…?”

Her legs gave way as her body swayed, agony erupting from every part of her being.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of tiny puncture wounds opened across her skin as if invisible needles had pierced her through.

Clara’s remaining floating swords fell uselessly to the floor.

As her sight dimmed, she caught a glimpse of Reina’s blade—its edge still humming with golden lightning, an almost invisible thread of electricity pulling back into the metal.

Did… did she actually just—?

Clara gasped for air.

Did this girl really invent such a technique in the heat of battle?

“Haha…”

A quiet, stunned laugh left her lips as her body was enveloped in the golden emergency glow of the academy’s safety charms.

Slowly, her physical form dissolved into particles of light—teleporting her away before any fatal damage could occur.

The entire arena went silent.

Reina lowered her sword, her breathing heavy, but her eyes still held that lingering sharpness, as if she were returning from a distant plane of existence.

Then—at last—the announcer found his voice.

“W-Winner…!!! R-REINA HELL!!!”

The audience exploded.

Gasps, shouts, and cheers merged into a deafening roar as the spectators tried to process the miracle they had just seen.

Kagami, who had watched the entire scene with focused intensity, felt a bead of sweat roll down his face.

“Well, I’ll be damned… it seems both of these siblings are monsters…”

He couldn't help but wonder if Reina had truly improvised that technique on the spot… because such a level of combat genius was terrifying.

Lucas, meanwhile, simply leaned back in his seat with a gentle, satisfied smile.

“Well done, junior…”

….

Meanwhile, Reina—whose awareness was only just returning—stared down at her weapon.

Her fingers shook slightly as she tried to catch her breath.

…What just happened?

That clear path she had seen a moment ago…

Was it real?

Had she actually succeeded?

Her thoughts were still hazy, like waking up from a vivid dream.

Slowly, she raised her head toward the massive announcement board above the arena.

And there, glowing bright and undeniable, was her name.

She was still standing on the stage.

The crowd was screaming.

Cheering.

Chanting her name.

“I-I… won…?” she whispered, almost afraid to believe it.

Instinctively, she glanced toward the VIP box. Lucas was there, his eyes fixed on her, smiling warmly.

She couldn't hear him over the thunderous noise, but she didn't have to.

She could read his lips, his expression, and the pride in his gaze.

“Good job, junior…”

Those silent words made her heart swell.

A faint blush colored her cheeks as a wave of happiness washed over her.

Reina clenched her fist and thrust it high into the air, holding it there with pride.

Big bro… I won!

She screamed it in her mind, her smile finally shining bright.