Princess’s Struggle for Survival

As Lyra continuously poured her mental power into it, stray beams of light spiraled around the slender blade. At this moment, its surface seemed to contain the essence of all light and heat in the world, the intense radiation forming a dazzling white brilliance capable of blotting out the sky.

Even though it was still daytime, the light emanating from the sword was so blinding that people couldn't open their eyes. Lyra gripped the hilt tightly with both hands and swung the blade toward the foreign princess standing below, her dress fluttering in the wind.

The next instant, a magnificent sword beam descended from the heavens to the earth. The illusory sword shadow carries dazzling, sun-like heat. From Iris's perspective, it was as if she saw a blazing sun plummeting down, every particle except light itself seemed to step aside for this strike, resembling the dawn of creation.

The wind that had previously flowed along the blade's spine now runs wild, no longer under control of mental energy. Lightning was suppressed, unable to form a destructive net to resist the sword beam.

Was this the limiting effect of that spell... or an inherent trait awakened within the light element itself?

The sword light drew closer. The massive casting range and extremely fast attack speed of [The Holy Judgment Sword of Moserria] worked in tandem, leaving Iris absolutely no chance to evade.

This strike could only be endured head-on.

In the spectator seats, Astrid watched Lyra hovering in midair, her crimson eyes blinking softly.

In the original novel, Lyra had first encountered the light-element spell known as [The Holy Judgment Sword of Moserria] at the rank of Middle tier Magnus.

Her initial casting had temporarily forced back Elise, who was one rank higher than her at the time, Astrid's personal maid captain, the very antagonist noblewoman.

The text explicitly stated that this spell seemed capable of producing a strange resonance effect when used by a caster possessing extraordinary affinity with light elements, and when combined with Sword of light, could unleash magical power far beyond its normal limits.

Now, Lyra was merely a Early tier Magnus, yet she managed to fully release [The Holy Judgment Sword of Moserria], a spell meant for Middle tier Magnus, solely due to the quality of her recently broken-through mental power. This confirms the claims made in the novel.

The first part, exceptional light-element affinity, Astrid could understand. All light-element spells favor those with high affinity. But how could a sword and magic have such a special ability?

Vaguely, Astrid felt she had grasped some crucial information, but at this moment, what mattered more was the duel already nearing its conclusion.

The sword beam crashed into the arena. Instantly, the entire interior was swallowed by boundless light. Although the energy-damping barrier effectively prevented light-element leakage, it still failed to allow spectators to witness the true magnitude of that single slash.

High above, Lyra felt all her mental power drained by the sword beam. Even maintaining levitation was abnormally difficult.

To ensure [The Holy Judgment Sword of Moserria] successfully struck its target, Lyra had blocked off every possible escape route for Iris, at the cost of expending the majority of her mental energy.

If even this attack could be blocked by Iris, then Lyra's chances of winning the subsequent battle were virtually nonexistent.

As the radiation faded, scorching waves of heat disappeared into the air. Sunlight poured down, revealing a figure still standing on the arena platform.

Iris knelt slightly, her sky-blue lotus-patterned skirt covering her thighs. The rose-engraved sword leaned diagonally before her, faint magical ripples drifting through the air.

Was it completely blocked?

Seeing the ring of bricks shattered by the sword beam around the woman's boots, and the ground deeply sunken, the spot where Iris stood remained completely undamaged, Lyra's heart sank. Instantly, she prepared herself for continued combat.

Even if her mental power was depleted and her limbs ached with exhaustion, she would fight with every last ounce of strength to defeat Iris Kroyd.

For the Valeria Empire, for Elizabeth Academy of Magic, and for Princess Astrid.

This might be the only chance she'd ever have in her lifetime.

The silvery-white armor once again shimmered faintly. Lyra lifted the increasingly heavy knight's sword, moistened her dry lips, and mentally calculated how to allocate her remaining stamina and mental energy.

Remaining airborne could prevent her knees from re-injury, but requires more mental power. If she returned to the ground for close combat, without the enhancement of [Lightfall], would her physical strength and reaction speed be enough to withstand Iris's attacks?

Descend and fight... or cast another spell...

As she pondered, Lyra saw Iris switched hands and plunged the sword into the ground. Stream after stream of bright red liquid seeped from the corner of her mouth.

The next second, the foreign princess raised her hand. Her originally slender and smooth wrist was bent at an unnatural angle.

And this gesture meant only one thing, the match was over.

Outside the arena, Iris's raised hand was projected onto screens visible to every spectator. Even hostess Evelyn was momentarily stunned before realizing what had happened.

"The match is over."

That simple sentence echoed in the air. The last breath holding Lyra upright seemed to vanish in that instant.

In the final second before losing consciousness, Lyra saw the rapidly expanding ground rushing towards her, and the roaring wind whipping past her ears.

Then, she saw nothing at all.

Watching Lyra plummet from the sky to the ground, Astrid instinctively clenched her fists and began to rise.

But upon realizing she was gripping Amalia's knee, and seeing the staff already rushing onto the stage to check Lyra's condition, Astrid slightly relaxed her tense posture, her pupils quickly masking their concerns.

.............

When Lyra awoke, night had fallen. Opening her eyes, she saw only an unfamiliar ceiling.

After a brief moment of daze, dull pain surged from every organ in her body. Her knees and wrists throbbed faintly, and the slightest movement sent piercing pain through them.

"Awake, Lyra?"

A clear female voice echoed through the infirmary. Lyra turned her head and saw a silver-haired beauty in an elegant black dress sitting beside the bed. On the nightstand lay paper and pen, their faint ink scent blending with the fragrance in the woman's hair, like a sweet rose.

"Yes, Astrid."

Aside from Astrid, Lyra saw no one else and opened her lips in mild confusion.

"Livia... and Elise... aren't they here?"

Upon hearing this, Astrid turned, gently nodding.

"The patient needs rest, so I sent them back to the dormitory."

"How are you feeling now? Any discomfort?"

Hearing Astrid's softly concerning words, Lyra blinked and answered quietly.

"My whole body hurts a bit..."

This was probably the lingering effect of [Kingdom]. Whenever Lyra breathed too deeply, it tugged at her internal organs, causing pain.

Now even a slight breath brings discomfort. How exactly had she managed to perform so many actions after the pain-suppressing effect wore off?

If Astrid knew what Lyra was thinking, she might have been able to analyze it with her past-life medical knowledge.

In such a tense battle, Lyra's adrenaline had surged, temporarily dulling pain, and every bodily function focused on one command alone.

Defeat the opponent who had severely injured her.

Hearing Lyra's words, Astrid pondered for a moment before explaining gently.

"I consulted a physician specialized in healing magic. Her diagnosis is that Lyra's internal organs suffered tearing injuries due to gravitational stress, at varying degrees."

"If you don't use healing magic, given your physical constitution, it'll probably take about half a month to fully recover."

The essence of healing magic was stimulating life force to accelerate recovery. Unless the wound was minor or a life-threatening injury requiring immediate treatment, it was generally not recommended to heal physical damage through magic.

"As for external injuries, Lyra's wrist bones showed no obvious dislocation, and the leg lacerations are nearly healable. The physician's advice is to rest properly."

As she finished speaking, Astrid uncrossed her legs, her tone especially gentle.

"...There's one more thing I almost forgot to mention."

"Congratulations, Lyra."

"You defeated Princess Iris Kroyd of Kingdom of Velys and became the ultimate winner of the Magic Exchange Tournament."

"You are the pride of the entire Valeria Empire."

From this battle, every noble present remembered the name Lyra, and from this day forward, when people mentioned Lyra, she was no longer seen as merely the Third Princess Astrid's loyal follower, but as the tournament's champion, the celestial prodigy who wielded a sacred blade, bringing unmatched glory to the empire.

The only pity was that Lyra didn't get to see the audience scene after her victory, countless spectators rising in excitement, thunderous cheers echoing through the sky.

Hearing Astrid's words, Lyra's thoughts returned to the previous arena. Recalling the violet-haired girl struck by the sword beam and left with broken bones, she couldn't help but ask in concern.

"How is Miss Iris now?"

She remembered Iris had spat out a large mouthful of blood, her internal injuries must have been serious.

"She's been taken for treatment too. From what I see, there's no major issue." Astrid spoke softly.

"In a sparring match, mutual injuries are unavoidable. The Kingdom of Velys can't possibly use this as an excuse to escalate matters."

Previously, Astrid had only thought this princess with royal blood acted slightly immature. But after witnessing this match, her impression of Iris shifted slightly.

Noble conduct, knightly integrity, these traits might not count as advantages in the deceitful struggle for power, but setting politics aside, Iris's actions truly earned Astrid's approval.

She was a good person, unfortunate in timing. No matter what choices she makes, her future will be filled with agony between familial bonds and personal ideals.

Lyra breathed a small sigh of relief, then suddenly felt dizzy and short of breath.

Not because of her injuries, but from the clear realization that she had actually won the Magic Exchange Tournament. The surge of elation made her head spin.

She really... won the championship...

In the most prosperous capital city of the entire empire, in front of so many spectators, she had defeated an opponent from another nation and emerged as the victor.

How happy her parents would be, and her friends who had always supported her, Linda, Lydia, Princess Amalia... and Princess Astrid...

"I won..."

Struggling to contain her excitement, Lyra lowered her voice, her tone trembling slightly.

"I... I didn't lose Astrid's trust..."

Hearing this, Astrid gently and softly replied.

"Of course not, my dear knight."

If anyone before the tournament believed Lyra could win, it was undoubtedly Astrid, and no one else.

Even without a protagonist's "plot armor," seeing the effort Lyra had put into training, the sweat she had shed, Astrid was willing to believe in this judgment that defied basic logic.

The woman's melodious voice rang in Lyra's ears. For a moment, she didn't know what to say, her cheeks turning faintly pink. Under the blankets, her legs gently rubbed against the sheets, her joy soaring to its peak.

Lyra... you did well...

All pressure disappeared in that instant, leaving only delight and sweetness.

Her lips unconsciously curled upward, her eyes crinkling with happiness. Only when she noticed Astrid's gaze resting on her face did Lyra realize she had gotten carried away. Her ears warmed slightly, and she pressed her pink lips together again.

'Thank goodness... I didn't laugh out loud in front of Princess Astrid…'

'That would've been too embarrassing…'

Trying to calm herself, the dreamlike sense of joy still lingered in Lyra's mind, but at least she wouldn't lose composure again.

After the brief excitement passed, Lyra felt a chill run through her body. Looking down, she saw she was wearing a pure white silk nightgown. Her gaze traveled downward, catching glimpses of fair skin.

Her legs weren't wrapped in the smooth, cool constraint of stockings but directly touching the sheets.

"Your clothes were changed. I couldn't leave you in that dusty uniform."

Astrid spoke at the right moment, dispelling Lyra's worries.

"Your mastery over the Holy Light Armor has improved significantly. Even after falling, your clothes weren't damaged at all by the armor's manifestation."

Reassured by Astrid's explanation, Lyra's heart finally settled. But only then did she realize another thing.

"Then... was it the physician who changed my clothes?"

Astrid shook her head, regarding Lyra with mild amusement.

"Didn't Lyra say before that she likes girls?"

"Although the physician is female, considering Lyra might feel shy, I thought..."

"...in the end, it could only be your good friend who took care of it."