Princess’s Struggle for Survival

The light filled her vision completely, a warm breath surrounding her entire body. Everything seems to happen in an instant, yet also as if an entire century had passed.

In the center of the arena, Lyra saw a beam of light shatter before her eyes. From its original blazing white, it refracted into several different colored rays. Countless elemental particles slowly aligned themselves, driven by some force, transforming into repeatedly entwined bead-like ribbons.

In that moment, her perception of the world was no longer through her physical eyes, but through another intangible extension, one originating deep within her soul. Through the externalization of mental power, she observed everything at a microscopic level, attempting to decipher their essence.

As time passed, the world, which previously seemed blurred and chaotic as if veiled by a thin gauze, became significantly clearer. At this moment, Lyra could perceive the subtle currents of wind swirling at her fingertips, feel the moisture of water soaking the ground beneath her feet, see the lingering motes of light on the Sword of Light, and the fragmented shards of light elements scattered across the floor after the Light Shield's collapse.

And also, the arcane particles binding her.

The surroundings were eerily silent. Suddenly, a crisp sound of breaking echoed in her mind, the shackles restricting Lyra's perception of the world completely shattered under the surge of overwhelming mental power.

The breaking of this restriction marks Lyra's transition from a Sorcerer to a Magus.

In magical theory, this leap was profoundly significant. In modern terms, it was akin to marine life first stepping onto land, starting from this moment, they had transformed into an entirely new kind of being.

Sorcerers could only rigidly chant incantations, unable to comprehend their true meanings. In contrast, Magnus had truly touched the essence of magic. They were no longer bound to vocal chanting, instead releasing spells through internal mental activity, silently visualizing incantations to summon elements, and freely modifying and combining spells based on their own understanding.

In other words, low-tier mages, including Sorcerers, were merely replicators chanting others' magic. Only upon promotion to Magus did one truly step onto their own magical path.

Everything had changed in this instant.

When her soul returned to her body, Lyra once again felt that immense pressure, like sinking into the depths of the ocean. She opened her lips to chant a spell, but the tremendous force pressed down so hard she couldn't even lift them.

No need to speak. Just recite silently in your mind.

Instinct told Lyra that the best way to escape danger now was like the time she faced Iris's sword, faster than her reaction speed, her body instinctively dodged.

A flash of light passed by. The Holy Light, empowered by Magus-level mental power and exceptional-tier affinity with light elements, dispelled the negative effects of the Kingdom.

Struggling to stand, Lyra looked toward the distant violet-haired girl waiting for her briskness, and gently parted her pink lips.

"Apologies for keeping you waiting, Miss Iris."

There were no rules in the finals stating that when a competitor faces an emergency, the opponent must pause all attacks and show leniency. Iris's actions were purely voluntary, she didn't need to use force to interrupt Lyra's breakthrough. Simply placing her sword at the latter's neck would have easily ended the match and claimed this victory.

In Lyra's view, since her opponent treated her with knightly etiquette, she should respond in kind, giving the match her full attention and effort.

Hearing Lyra's words, Iris lifted the corners of her lips. Her longsword once again pointed at the pink-haired knight opposite, and she spoke slowly.

"Show me your full strength, early tier Magus, Miss Lyra."

She also wanted to see whether the one chosen by the gods truly had the ability to defeat her and win the finals, even at the same level.

As her words ended, a sharp wind whistled through the hall. Lyra aimed her sword tip at Iris, her pink hair, scattered by the airflow, wildly fluttering behind her back armor.

Blades flashed. This time, not relying on instinct, Lyra precisely observed Iris's attack angle, gripped the hilt tightly, and met the strike with the edge of her blade.

Even though she had just achieved this breakthrough, and her body hadn't yet been cleansed by mental power, Lyra still barely blocked the attack through sheer reaction speed.

Feeling the force transmitted through the sword hilt, Iris was about to shift her trajectory for another strike when Lyra pulled her blade out first and aimed a slash at her shoulder.

Her promotion from Sorcerer to Magus didn't just bring an increase in strength, it also changed Lyra's mindset.

She didn't need to remain passively defensive. Only by attacking relentlessly, like Iris, could she possibly achieve victory.

The rose-patterned blade strikes the translucent Holy Sword, instantly sending sparks flying. Iris twisted her wrist, sliding her sword along the surface of the Sword of Light, and quickly executed a spinning thrust aimed directly at Lyra's sword hand.

For better grip, Lyra's palm wasn't fully covered by the Holy Light Armor. The area between her thumb and index finger was exactly the vulnerable point in the silver-white gloves.

Realizing Iris's intent, Lyra instantly stepped back. But unfortunately, the latter's strength and speed were just a hair faster. The sword tip still targets the skin unprotected by metal, driving in forcefully.

The next moment, a clear clashing sound rang out. Lyra uses her other arm to block in front of her right hand. The sturdy vambrace collided with the sword tip, the powerful force pushed her back several more steps.

No more breathing room for Lyra. She must continue her assault.

Without hesitation, Iris charged toward Lyra again. At the same time, several lightning spears rained down from above Lyra's head, further compressing her evasion space.

Aside from being a Master Knight, Iris was also a Magnus. Only the combination of magic and combat techniques could demonstrate her true strength.

This time, however, Lyra's handling was clearly better. Before Iris entered safe range, she first erected a blazing fire wall, forcing her to alter her blade's trajectory. Then, ripples of light undulated across the surface of the Sword of Light. The falling lightning spears struck the light, which was like a lake surface, and the resulting ripples only slightly dimmed its radiance.

Through the fire wall, Iris sensed the air's wind-elemental particles beginning to agitate. Just as she exhaled, a sword radiating holy light pierced through the flames.

Except for the areas covered by the Holy Light Armor, the rest of Lyra's skin is now enveloped in a thin layer of ice. Even her sky-blue eyes shimmered with a watery gleam due to the clash of ice and fire.

This sudden strike started Iris, but she quickly adjusted her position. The Sword of Light's blade grazed the woman's waist. Before Lyra could execute her next horizontal slash, Iris raised her knight's sword to block. The instant the blades collided, scattered gusts of wind targeted Lyra's various joints.

Recognizing the imminent danger, Lyra used Iris's parrying blade as a pivot point, leaping upward, simultaneously aiming her sword tip at the opponent's shoulder.

Close combat ultimately boils down to speed, reaction, and strength. As a seasoned Master Knight, Iris will never easily lose to a newcomer. Half a second earlier, she had already predicted Lyra's move, and preemptively released Kingdom once more, exactly locking onto her target.

The sudden increase in gravity caused Lyra's movements to stall. Immediately after, a pale green glow shimmered from Iris's left hand. A transparent wind blade attached to her side, then violently slashed toward Lyra's elbow joint.

Seeing her strike aimed at the shoulder miss its mark, Lyra could only let her sword tip crash into the ground beside Iris's boot. The sharp sound of air splitting reached her ears, tightening her heart. In an instant, she made what she believed was the optimal decision.

The next moment, the sharp sword tip struck the ground, and holy light erupted like a volcanic explosion.

Leveraging the higher quality of mental power after her breakthrough, Lyra could release a second Lightfall without relying on the light-elemental particles stored in her holy sword.

The instant the holy light surged out, Iris realized she couldn't remain in this area. Rapidly chanting a spell in her mind, a gale slammed into the floor tiles, the tremendous recoil propelling her out of the Lightfall's range.

The very next second after her escape, Flickering Light, Passing Shadow took effect. More destructive motes of light filled the Lightfall area, especially densely concentrated on the outer side of Lyra's elbow, the exact spot about to be struck by the wind blade.

From being pushed back step by step to meeting force with force, this constantly suspenseful duel had already captured the hearts of every spectator. Many instinctively held their breath, closely watching every movement of the two competitors. Even Lyra's on-the-spot breakthrough, a worthy feat of remembrance, failed to elicit any cheers.

In the end, would Lyra stage a comeback and win this honor-laden match, or would Iris once again demonstrate absolute dominance in the arena, ending this magical exchange tournament with an undefeated record?

Everything lay before their eyes, and was about to unfold.

On the battlefield, Lyra, who had activated Flickering Light, Passing Shadow, let out a slight sigh of relief. But at that moment, waves of full-body pain surged into her mind, continuously stimulating her brain.

The breakthrough on the mental level indeed gave her the confidence to keep fighting, but physical fatigue and injuries couldn't be healed by a single promotion.

The Kingdom spell previously imposed on her had compressed her blood vessels, hurriedly blood seepage. The calf wound that should have healed was still bleeding. Lyra could even feel the white stockings wrapped around her calf becoming warm and damp from blood.

Aside from these external injuries, the less noticeable internal ones were even more detrimental to combat. Her wrist, numbed from blade vibrations; her knees, aching from gravitational pressure; and her internal organs, feeling as if they would tear apart whenever she moved.

If possible, Lyra really wanted to faint right now and sleep until her body no longer hurts, ideally, waking up to a warm cup of milk tea.

But...

Looking around, every person's gaze was fixed on her. Even from afar, Lyra could sense their intense anticipation.

Wishing won't change reality... She was no longer the child who could casually collapse into her mother's arms and cry for comfort...

She had to fight with everything she had, to honor Iris's knightly conduct, to uphold the honor of the Valeria Empire she represented, and to repay Princess Astrid's trust.

'I believe in you.'

Her gaze swept across the silver-white figure in the audience. Lyra placed one hand over her chest, calming her restless heartbeat. The armor clinked with a crisp sound.

The Sword of Light in her hand gently swung, its flowing light like glowing fireflies, illuminating Lyra's face.

She must fight like a hero.

The blade continuously emitted soft, delicate light, while the holy armor on Lyra's body changed shape as mental power materialized.

Two bright points appear on the silvery metal back armor behind the girl. Light converged, forming wing-like silhouettes. The thigh armor transformed into feather-like patterns, while the knee guards and upper body armor became smoother, more streamlined, better suited for gliding.

Iris blinked, her dark brows slightly furrowed, quickly realizing what Lyra was attempting, materialization of mental power into a relatively complex wing form.

For a rookie who had just been promoted from Sorcerer, Lyra's action was rather risky.

But considering her previous performance, perhaps it might actually succeed.

The rose-patterned knight's sword traces a graceful flourish. Wherever the blade moved, all surrounding wind was drawn by the metal, becoming part of the sharp sword aura.

Regardless of success or failure, as the princess of the Kingdom of Velys, she will deliver a sufficiently respectful strike to this prodigious light knight of the Valeria Empire, Lyra.

On the other side, Lyra sensed the light elements scattered in the air. The light wings extending from her back were taking shape, their transparent, delicate patterns clearly visible.

Lifted off the ground, her knees, previously nearly crippled by Kingdom, no longer hindered her movements. At this moment, Lyra was like a bird, using the wings formed from mental power as propulsion to dodge attacks.

"Drip, drip, drip..."

Blood dripped from her silvery knight's boots onto the ground, immediately swallowed by the sound of wind. The position of advantage had shifted, from Iris to Lyra.

The girl standing with her back to the sun, her sharply defined light wings fully spread. The Sword of Light, glowing entirely with holy radiation, seemed to sense its wielder's determination. The motes of light at its tip merged into the sunlight, as if a scorching beam had descended from the surface of the blazing sun.

"Though Lyra hasn't yet reached Magus level, if you ever break through, please try to believe in your sword, and in yourself."

"Just in case, let me teach you some Magus-tier spells early. So that when the time comes, you won't be limited to only theoretical casting low-tier spells."

Princess Astrid h's words echoed in her mind. Lyra closed her eyes, replacing her physical vision with elemental sight, capturing every inch of light on the sword that could be commanded.

She arranged elemental particles along the weapon's surface, from far to near, preserving the intense heat gathered by light elements, while suppressing their inherent gentleness.

'The spell incantation was... You are the embodiment of light, the blade that arbitrates all things…'

Opening her eyes again, brilliant golden light reflected within her sky-blue pupils. The slender, sharp knight's sword had lost all traces of its original form. Lyra could only see a blazing, intensely radiant blade emitting dazzling white light.

Mid-tier Magus-level light-element magic: The Holy Judgment Sword of Moserria.