Free Web NovelRania, even though her mood was on the edge of fury, had not lost her reason.
Why do I feel some strange familiarity with such a complete villain?
Just because she looks harmless?
Heh. But now this supposedly harmless person has already revealed her true face! She is insulting your teacher! Standing right in front of you and shamelessly declaring she will measure your worth! In the end, I still know too little about her—so much so that even recalling that brief time we spent together before feels a bit unreal. freёwebnoѵel.com
“They say your teacher was best at swordsmanship. Then I will not bully the weak with the strong—I will defeat you with swordsmanship too.”
At some point, Vieya had already reached the base of the tower. One step further and she would touch the long halberds that the Arbitration Knights leveled at her. She frowned and °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° glanced at the two knights braced like facing a deadly enemy.
Only three years, and the quality of Arbitration Knights has fallen so badly?
Perhaps stung by the disdainful look in the girl’s eyes, the two knights bellowed, thrusting their halberds at her.
Vieya drew the knight’s sword she had been cradling in her arms. Silver light flashed in the air, and the two knights were struck by the flat of the blade, sent flying into the knight phalanx, their armor shattered, unconscious.
The whole process was so effortless and casual it was as if she had merely flicked aside two ants blocking her path.
Shaking her wrist lightly, Vieya continued walking toward Rania. The knights fell back. With the air of someone who already held victory in hand, she spoke vile words in a light tone:
“Though I do not know why you are not using a sword, I heard that you used to laze about every day, idle, never diligent in honing your strength, wasting most of your time in the Tower of Learning on foolish picture books... Heh, are there no other humans?”
Rania said nothing, silently gathering her power. This enemy was frightening—human cunning combined with the eerie ferocity of a monster. With only that slender frame she had just swatted aside two stout Arbitration Knights with ease.
Before receiving the blessing effect of the Hero’s Seal, she could never have done that. It required extremely high mastery of swordsmanship, and subtle skill in channeling strength.
Rania had sparred with her teacher before, but she had never once broken through her teacher’s defense. It was not about lack of strength—she lacked experience. Facing flawless defense, every attack she managed was dissolved.
So, the authority she awakened from the Hero’s Seal was—Rend.
There is no such thing in the world as an indestructible defense. However perfect, after countless cuts it will be torn open. If it is not torn open, then the frequency of strikes is not high enough! The number of cuts is not enough!
Her teacher often said: All techniques in the world, none unbreakable; only speed cannot be broken.
Rania moved, swift as a darting hare, her massive scythe obedient in her hands like a gentle lamb.
A spin—slash! A left leap—slash again! A feint to the rear—another cut! As the first wave ended, the second wave followed instantly!
Third wave... fourth wave... Rania could not believe her opponent could block her assault with nothing but a mass-produced knight’s silver sword. Yet the feedback in her hands told her she had not pierced the defense.
Without the slightest thought of discouragement, Rania pressed close around Vieya, choosing every angle and moment, pouring out a storm of scythe-light with each strike.
“Is that all? Did you skip dinner?” Vieya deflected the attacks with her sword while countering with her words. “No dinner? No dinner? No dinner?!”
Rania swore she had never swung Zilan this fast in all her years. She was already at her limit, yet only frustration remained.
Countless strikes, countless reverberations.
She clenched her teeth until her jaw ached. Her whole skeleton groaned under the shocks. Worse—the opponent was fending off her entire assault with just one knight’s sword.
“I do not dislike you Heroes!”
Vieya’s voice was not loud, but it carried clearly through the clash of blades like raindrops. “After all, there are not many like you, overworked and underpaid, toiling without complaint, desperately creating value for others. You have helped me quite a lot too. So I like you.”
Like me, like that, is it?
Sensing her opponent beginning to counterattack, Rania felt the pressure spike. She could scarcely spare breath to speak. Yet in her mind rose scenes of sparring with her teacher.
At first, her teacher had only defended, letting her attack, waiting until her stamina was drained before countering.
The first time, Rania surrendered immediately.
The second time, though she claimed she had learned, she only lasted five seconds longer.
Later, she began to slack, scheming ways to shirk effort. Anyway, her teacher was so strong she could never catch even the hem of her robe in this lifetime. Why bother trying? Better to do things she enjoyed. Fighting was the most boring, the most hateful.
Her teacher had not minded Rania’s giving up.
After all, back then Vieya truly believed she would vanquish all Demon Kings, end the birth of monsters, and make the world normal again.
In the distance, Hua Shiyu and the Tribunal’s judges also hurried over—but did not dare come too close.
“It’s over, it’s over.” Hua Shiyu’s face was grim. She wanted to intervene, yet had no idea where to begin.
