Awakening Battle Record: Water Moon

Sigh...

Amidst the chaotic noise of the Combat Hall, in the most tense moment of the battle, Sonia suddenly heard a melodious sigh.

Then, her vision split—divided into two halves.

On one side were the faces of the other students in the Combat Hall: some sneering, some expectant, some envious—a myriad of human expressions.

On the other side, she saw a woman... who looked very much like her.

Although the woman resembled her, she was certain it was not herself.

The woman stood on a lake under the moonlight when, suddenly, a massive, horned monster charged toward her from the distance. The creature's charge stirred up a dark Torrent like a storm, destroying everything in its path. As it drew near, it even blotted out the moonlight, as if the darkness itself were collapsing!

Compared to it, the woman was so small and fragile!

Yet, she did not dodge in the slightest. She stood her ground, summoned her Spell Spirit, and then—

One sword strike!

The darkness was torn in two, and the bright, clear light shone through the monster's rift, illuminating her brutal yet elegant swordsmanship!

Sonia did not see her movements clearly, nor did she see what Spell Spirit she had summoned, but for some reason, Sonia felt she could imitate it.

The desire to imitate was so intense that Sonia's body moved on its own!

"Not giving up your sword, then..."

Leonie, mid-flight, saw that Sonia had made no move to concede and couldn't help but give this junior a high score. Conceding a lost battle was the rational choice, but stubborn persistence was the only way to birth a miracle.

If one lacked the courage to challenge the strong even in such a safe environment, how could they ever hone the resilient heart of an arcanist to face the dangers of reality?

As expected of the Hidden Hand Sword Saint, he certainly picked a fine apprentice...

Though she admired her, Leonie would not hold back.

It wasn't just about upholding the reputation of the Rhythm Sword Saint; only a clash at full strength was the greatest respect one could show a fellow swordsman!

Miracle: Rhythm Melody — Third Sonata!

Just as Leonie launched her attack, she noticed Sonia suddenly perform a strange maneuver—she sheathed her sword.

At the same time, many threads of moonlight appeared around Sonia, each one connected to her body, as if she had turned herself into a trap.

A trap?

A mutual destruction?

Many thoughts flashed through Leonie's mind, but she still swung her sword—when facing an unprecedented change, a swordsman had only one way to respond: use the sword to cut through all obstacles!

Forward, forward, forward, keep moving forward!

This was the way of life for a swordsman!

Golden sword light shone through the hall once more, yet the moment the light touched the moonlight threads, Leonie immediately sensed something was wrong—the Rhythm Melody could not cut through the threads!

No, they weren't just moonlight threads!

Looking closely, water flowed along every thread. The water not only dissipated the impact but also granted the moonlight threads unparalleled resilience!

No, the water wasn't just dissipating the impact!

Leonie's eyes widened as she realized that as the sword light tugged at the threads, all the energy was channeled toward the sheathed Sonia. The threads and Sonia formed a spring system; when struck by an external force, Sonia, connected to the threads, would unleash the most ferocious counterattack!

Water... moonlight threads... and the Ripple Sword...

This was a counterattack miracle!

Clang!

As Sonia swung her sword, unleashing a Ripple Sword strike that was little more than a blur, Leonie finally revealed her form, her feathered robe exposed, her hands empty.

Clap, clap.

As the broken wooden training sword fell to the ground, the crowd in the Combat Hall remained stunned.

"Leonie... lost?"

The speaker's voice trembled, as if afraid that by voicing the fact, they were fabricating a rumor and would be held responsible.

"She lost... the Orange Dancer lost..."

"Leonie lost to Sonia!"

"What move was that? I've never seen such a miracle... Is it a new miracle!?"

"Sonia, who only became an arcanist a few days ago, defeated the fully-fledged Silver Arcanist Leonie!"

"A first-year student defeating a fourth-year!"

"Heavens, am I witnessing the rise of a new Sword Saint!?"

Amidst the shouts, cheers, and gasps of the crowd, Leonie looked at Sonia, who was drenched in sweat and barely able to stand, and asked with a smile, "What is the name of this miracle?"

In Sonia's eyes, the woman from the lake dancing under the moonlight seemed to appear once more. Without a moment's thought, the name slipped out:

"Water Moon."

At that moment, Ingrid, who had been watching the duel with a flushed face and a pounding heart, suddenly raised her right fist and shouted loudly:

"Sonia!"

The first-year students of the Swordsmanship Department cheered in unison: "Sonia! Sonia! Sonia!"

The supporters of the Orange Dancer were not to be outdone: "Leonie! Leonie! Leonie!"

For a moment, only two names remained in the Combat Hall: Sonia and Leonie!

"After today, you will become one of the brightest pearls of Sword Flower University."

Leonie raised her eyebrows: "Just like me."

Sonia's lips twitched; she could no longer hold on, and her body tilted as she began to collapse.

Leonie reached out to steady her. Their eyes met, and they shared a smile, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Felix and Luo Lian, who had been locked in a breathless, evenly matched struggle, slowly came to a halt as they witnessed this scene, their bodies feeling as if all strength had drained away.

They exchanged a glance, wore identical bitter smiles, and shook their heads helplessly.

This conflict had started because of them, yet they were not the protagonists of the outcome.

For geniuses like them, who were born to be the center of attention, nothing was more painful than being ignored.

Luo Lian suddenly threw his Wooden Sword aside: "Stand still. Let me punch you."

Felix was stunned, but Luo Lian walked straight over and struck him in the face, sending him flying.

"Remember this punch, Felix. Not every woman is someone you can provoke." Luo Lian turned and left after speaking.

Felix sat on the ground, watching the two people who held the attention of the entire hall, and sighed softly:

"Indeed."

At this moment.

Felix did not realize, and no one else noticed, that two visitors without shadows had suddenly appeared behind Felix.

They did not exist in the field of vision of anyone in the hall. When they spoke, all the noise was automatically blocked out, as if only the two of them existed in the entire world.

"I recall that losing to the 'Orange Flash' Leonie was one of your few humiliating defeats, wasn't it?"

Facing the Watcher's teasing, the Sword Princess remained calm: "Not quite. I defeated her three years later, so I didn't take it to heart."

"To think you could remember it for three years..." the Watcher muttered, turning to look at Felix sitting on the ground. He pulled a manual from his robes and flipped to a page.

"Still, I didn't expect the notorious Villainous Duke to have been a swordsmanship genius in the past. His manual doesn't record this experience."

"As a member of the Vosrodar Family, it would be more surprising if he weren't a swordsmanship genius."

"Could it be that because of this learning experience, the Villainous Duke learned how to target and restrain swordsmen, paving the way for his future achievement as the 'Sword Saint Burier'?"

"Who knows? No one knows what impact their current choices will have on their future selves. All mages are the same creatures, digging for the future they desire in the land called fate with their own hands, only to inadvertently dig the graves that will bury them... We are all fools digging our own graves."

"Why so sentimental all of a sudden? This doesn't sound like the Death Maniac Sword Princess I know," the Watcher laughed. "Does merely coming into contact with the current Sonia cause such a change in you?"

Clang!

A frost-cold blade kissed the Watcher's neck. The Sword Princess said coldly: "Don't treat me like that silly girl. You are merely a loser under my sword; watch your attitude."

The Watcher raised his hands in surrender: "Apologies, I lost my composure. If you are truly angry, feel free to take it out on Ash. I wouldn't mind."

The Sword Princess snorted and retracted her long sword.

"Come to think of it, the Water Moon Miracle I saw before wasn't like this. Does the Sword Princess have the leisure to improve miracles in this state?" the Watcher asked curiously. "I thought we were all the same—only capable of decaying, not increasing."

"You are wrong. This is not a brand-new improvement, but expired residue."

The Sword Princess shook her head: "What you saw was the most perfect 'Mirror Flower, Water Moon'. Before that, I created many different versions. The combination of 'Moon Silk' and 'Rapid Stream' is one of them. Although it lacks power, speed, and defensive strength, it is perfectly suited for the current Sonia."

"Indeed," the Watcher nodded. "There is no best miracle, only the most timely one. Heh, I am looking forward to seeing what a Sonia who isn't burdened by bitterness will look like."

"You would be better off worrying about Ash. Today is the day of his Blood Moon Judgment."

"Why should I worry?"

The Watcher chuckled, but the cold, emotionless smirk made the Sword Princess instinctively tighten her grip on her sword hilt.

"The Four Pillar Gods are watching him."