"Both contestants are in position. Shall the match begin?"
The referee looked at the two men as their momentum began to rise and asked without changing expression.
"Begin."
They spoke at the same time, saying the exact same word.
The referee glanced at both sides, raised his right hand, and brought it down sharply.
The instant the sound rang out, the black-haired young man from Gornia War Academy, who had kept his eyes closed in meditation, suddenly opened them. He slammed his right hand against the ground, and with a hum, a long saber sprang up from the floor.
Cries of surprise instantly erupted all around. Chen Jiantian and his military saber blurred together, and it was as if a violent gust had suddenly risen on the Combat Stage, howling as it swept toward Long Er.
Saber Combat—Wind Roll Twenty-Two!
Long Er, broad and burly, with five parts reckless arrogance and five parts wild pride in his eyes, grinned.
His right hand rose, lifting the saber tip high toward the sky.
The smile on his face grew wider. Long Er stared at the raging wind sweeping toward him, suddenly threw back his head in laughter, and charged forward with a boom. His long saber drew a streak of White Lightning across the Combat Stage.
Clang!
Sparks exploded violently as both men retreated two steps at once.
Without a word, Chen Jiantian turned his military saber and slashed again.
Long Er burst into laughter. "You little wolves of Gornia, starting now, I, Long Er, am clearing every last one of you out!"
His arm suddenly swelled by a full circle. The long saber was like a venomous snake coming alive, pulling back slightly before snapping forward with savage force.
The saber cut through a patch of afterimages in the air, accompanied