Your Mother Won't Serve You

"Hey, stop the class and come to the Combat Hall! Aren't you the biggest fan of the Orange Dancer? She's right here!"

"Can the people in front move aside? If you're not from the Swordsmanship Department, get out! This is a Swordsmanship Department class!"

"This is the school's Combat Hall; you're the ones who should get out, Swordsmanship Department!"

The number of students in the Combat Hall continued to grow, with many calling their friends over to watch. After all, the romantic entanglement between Felix, Sonia, and Silia was already dramatic enough, and with the guest appearances of high-profile figures like Luo Lian and Leonie, the students couldn't stay away even if it meant skipping class.

The combat instructor simply stepped aside, adopting a "let them be" attitude. There was no need for him to interfere in a dispute between apprentices of the Sword Saint, and as long as no one died, it was considered a reasonable and legal form of student interaction.

If it were two students of equal strength sparring, the teacher might be nervous about them getting too excited and losing control, but this was arguably the safest possible scenario.

Because the gap in combat power was simply too vast.

Whoosh!

With a sharp shout, Sonia swung her wooden sword, the air whistling. A pale purple Sword Qi Ripple manifested as a curtain in front of her, acting like a wall to intercept Leonie.

"Not bad, the Fan Ripple Sword."

Leonie commented casually, tapping the tip of her wooden sword against the rippling curtain. With a flick of her wrist, she swept the curtain aside as if it were a rag, then stepped forward and swung!

Clang!

A heavy force traveled up the blade, sending Sonia stumbling back two steps, her hands vibrating so violently she nearly dropped her wooden sword.

Sweat streaked her makeup, her clothes were soaked through, and she was panting through her mouth like a commoner—an incredibly unrefined sight. Yet, Sonia couldn't care less. She stared fixedly at Leonie, not daring to let her guard down for even a second.

This was the first time she had truly felt what a real Spellcaster was.

Felix was a novice who had entered the Void Realm only a few days before her, not worth mentioning. Professor Tello Zan was so far above her that their spars were purely educational, never putting any real pressure on her.

Coupled with her smooth journey in the Void Realm, Sonia couldn't help but feel a bit arrogant—being a Spellcaster didn't seem that hard after all.

Her low profile wasn't born of humility, but of conceit: she believed her future was incredibly bright, so she was willing to endure a moment of loneliness.

It wasn't until Leonie appeared that her arrogant facade was torn away.

It had nothing to do with Spell Spirits; from the beginning until now, Leonie had only used the three basic Spell Spirits: "Slash Sword," "Thrusting Sword," and "Cutting Sword." It had nothing to do with Spell Power either; Leonie's attacks put pressure on Sonia, but they weren't impossible to defend against.

The truly terrifying power of a Spellcaster is knowledge.

Every second, every movement—Sonia felt as though her entire being was under Leonie's control. It was as if Leonie knew all her follow-up moves and had prepared countless countermeasures; no matter what she did, it was easily neutralized.

It felt like a child fighting an adult, where the opponent only needed to press a hand against the child's head to keep them from landing a single blow. Even as she sweated profusely, a sense of helpless frustration grew within her, so stifling it made her want to scream.

"Continue, Junior Sonia. Use whatever moves you have left."

Leonie slightly raised her wooden sword. "Don't worry about hurting me."

The seemingly caring words were more biting than any insult. Sonia gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. "Then, Senior, I'm going all out. Watch out!"

"I look forward to it."

Sonia assumed a sheathing stance. Leonie raised an eyebrow, seemingly showing a bit more interest. "An Iai sword technique?"

Step, pivot, swing!

A gale erupted as a wave of Sword Qi swept across the battlefield. Sonia lunged and pivoted with thunderous momentum, reaching Leonie in the blink of an eye!

This was the move Sonia had created herself—the Iai Ripple Sword!

"Interesting, but..."

Leonie accurately judged Sonia's path and swung her sword down. "It's nothing mo—"

Just then, Sonia suddenly aborted the Ripple Sword, shifted her feet into a strange gait, dodged to the side, and reorganized her Sword Momentum to counterattack!

A sword technique taught by the Watcher—Iai Slash Evasion!

Clang!

The two wooden swords collided with the sound of steel. Leonie looked as if she wanted to say something, but in the next second, her expression changed drastically!

Ding, ding, ding, ding—

Sounds like steel wires snapping and striking echoed in succession. A faint, shimmering scale-like coat appeared on Leonie, and five threads made of moonlight struck her chest, waist, and thighs, causing the coat to ripple.

"What kind of Spell Spirit is that...?"

"Can't tell, but it's definitely not from the Swordsmanship Faction. It's the Radiance School!"

"Sonia only became a Spellcaster a few days ago, how could she have such a Spell Spirit? Even the Hidden Hand Sword Saint doesn't practice the Radiance School, right?"

"It couldn't be that she got it from the Void Realm, could it? She's only been in there for a few days!"

As the crowd buzzed with speculation about the new Spell Spirit Sonia had used, Leonie suddenly broke her pattern, responding to the "surprise" with a fierce offensive!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The barrage, like a violent storm, left Sonia gasping for air, her hands nearly losing all sensation.

In her haste, she tried to use "Moon Silk" or Iai Slash Evasion to obstruct Leonie, but these predictable attacks couldn't delay the Orange Dancer for even a second before being instantly dismantled!

"Junior Sonia, honestly, I was a little angry just now."

Leonie said while swinging her blade. "When you used the Radiance Trap to trigger my Sword Scale Feather Coat, I felt insulted. I am a Spellcaster who has fully manifested the Silver Wing, and yet, fighting someone who only became a Spellcaster a few days ago, I was forced to activate a protective miracle. There is nothing more embarrassing than that."

"If Professor Nidala finds out, I'll definitely get a lecture."

"But I soon realized that I had no right to be angry; you are the one who should be. You extended an invitation with the utmost courage, hoping for a passionate duel of swordsmanship, yet I treated you with the condescension of an adult dealing with a child. I humiliated you, and that was my mistake. I apologize to you."

"You used the Radiance Spell Spirit to wake me up. It let me know that you are not like that trash Felix—you are a true Swordsman!"

Sonia managed to squeeze out a few words while enduring the beating: "You are too kind—"

"No, I must offer you my most sincere apology."

Leonie said, enunciating every word: "From here on, I will use my full strength to respond to your burning fighting spirit."

"Sonia, watch me closely."

Leonie suddenly withdrew her sword and took a step back, yet before Sonia could even catch her breath, Leonie's figure suddenly vanished from her sight!

A powerful sense of crisis struck her heart. Goosebumps erupted all over Sonia's body. Without time to think, she instinctively held her Wooden Sword horizontally to block to the right—

Clang!

Sonia turned her head, only to see a blur of orange!

She could not track Leonie's movements at all!

Her eyes were completely useless; Sonia could only defend based on instinct!

Clang!

Leonie's surprised voice echoed from all around, "That wasn't luck, but now, let's see your real skill."

The next second, a sense of crisis came crashing down like a tidal wave. Sonia felt like a small boat before a tsunami; even the aftermath of the wave was enough to capsize her and cost her her life!

She turned to parry, just in time to see a flash of golden sword light illuminate the arena, like a miracle descending to punish the world!

Clang!

Sonia was sent flying, soaring several meters through the air. However, she immediately countered with a Ripple Sword to stabilize herself, barely landing steadily, though her wrists were already bruised and her body trembled uncontrollably.

By this time, Sonia finally realized what technique Leonie had just used.

"Miracle: Rhythm Melody!"

"It's appeared, the true Orange Dancer! A figure so fast it's almost impossible to track! Only a blur of orange remains!"

"Senior Leonie has already mastered the Rhythm Sword Saint's famous miracle? But isn't that a miracle the Rhythm Sword Saint created only after reaching the Two-Winged Gold stage?"

"It means Senior is not far from Two-Winged Gold!"

Rhythm Melody, a Swordsmanship Department miracle created by Professor Nidala, has a simple effect: the first two attacks build energy, and the third attack erupts!

It might seem unremarkable, but once combined with Speed Spell Spirit and Invisibility Spell Spirit, Rhythm Melody becomes a death-dealing rhythm that reaps lives. It can easily destroy an enemy's entire defensive capability in a short time, sinking any resistance with absolute violence!

Just as Leonie was crushing Sonia right now!

Clang!

Another heavy strike. Although it wasn't the third explosive hit, it was still more than Sonia, with her exhausted body and injured hands, could easily withstand. She was knocked back several steps, looking with frustration at the Moon Silk that had been severed in mid-air.

"If my reactions couldn't keep up with speed, I would have died in the Abyss long ago," Leonie's voice rang out again. "That kind of trap is useless against me."

Just moments ago, Sonia had secretly activated the Moon Silk Spell Spirit to set a trap in the air, thinking Leonie would run straight into it due to her excessive speed. But how could a spellcaster have such an obvious survival flaw? Before attacking, Leonie had already cut the Moon Silk.

Clang!

Sonia was pushed back several more steps. Leonie said calmly, "Drop your sword, and that counts as a surrender."

Should she surrender?

But if she didn't, the third strike of the Rhythm Melody would follow. Sonia knew clearly that there was no way she could withstand another charged eruption; she would inevitably be sent flying over a dozen meters by Leonie, losing in the most unsightly way possible.

No matter how she looked at it, surrendering was the best choice.

Moreover, surrendering now wouldn't be shameful for Sonia. She had fought Leonie to this point, not only forcing out Leonie's defensive miracle but also making her use Rhythm Melody.

After this battle, no one would ever question Sonia's qualifications as Professor Tello Zan's apprentice.

After this battle, Sonia would become the most renowned swordsmanship genius among the first-years.

She had already gained so much; now was the perfect time to stop.

If she were lucky, she might even build a connection with Senior Leonie. It was said that Senior Leonie teamed up with people from Truth University, which was equivalent to having a channel to reach higher-level connections.

Every thread of logic in her mind knew what to do. This was the greatest asset that allowed Sonia to leave her hometown and come to Gala City—she never let emotion dictate her judgment.

Yet, at this very moment, even though her hands were numb with pain and her entire body was so exhausted she could fall asleep in the next second, Sonia simply refused to drop her sword!

She! Was! Not! Resigned!

It wasn't about profit, it wasn't about her future, it wasn't about likes or dislikes!

She just wanted to win, she didn't want to lose, and that was all!

Rebellious blood burned through every fiber of her being, and thoughts of anger overwhelmed her reason in this instant. She felt as though she had transformed into a sword, living toward death, driven mad by the battle!

"Watcher, you orchestrated all of this just to enjoy my miserable defeat? Let me tell you, your Mother here isn't going to play along with you!"

Sonia roared viciously in her heart, gripping the Wooden Sword tightly. Tears welled in her eyes, her teeth nearly biting through her lips, her entire body tensed to welcome the final, echoing Rhythm Melody!