The Cunning Treasure Hunter

A piercing clang resounded through the dueling arena, the sharp clash of blades echoing like a wail. All eyes in the audience were immediately drawn to the center of the stage.

Neither Jace nor Vera had infused their swords with inner energy. This was a pure test of swordsmanship—a battle fought with skill, not the overwhelming force of supernatural powers. It was, in every sense, a duel of human ability.

'I can't lose like this!' Jace gritted his teeth and moved to bring his sword crashing down, but Vera was faster by half a beat.

As Jace's thunderous downward slash came, Vera tilted her blade to deflect it. In that fleeting moment, her chest was wide open—completely unguarded.

'…A weak spot!'

Just as Jace prepared to slash horizontally, aiming for the gap, Vera's small shoulder drove straight into his solar plexus.

"Ugh!"

A precise shoulder strike executed at full force. Though her frame was light and slender, her shoulder struck with bone-deep sharpness beneath her delicate skin. The pain was inevitable.

"Wow! Isn't that the same move Kyun once used?" one spectator exclaimed.

"No, it's even more precise. And it landed perfectly!" another marveled.

"Incredible! Such boldness from someone so petite!"

Though Jace had only lost his balance for a moment, Vera didn't bother retrieving her sword for another slash. Instead, maintaining her stance, she struck the handle of her sword directly into his solar plexus again.

"Gah—kugh!"

It was a precise blow, targeting the same spot twice without an inch of deviation. The strike was aimed at his pressure point, leaving him breathless.

If this continued, Jace knew he would lose.

Abandoning his grip on the sword's hilt with his left hand, he clenched his fist, confident that he could overpower her in a close-range brawl. However, his stance was still unstable, and Vera had already closed in. Before he could retreat, her calm voice reached him.

"You're too late, senior brother."

Her form shifted back into a ready stance, and with a quick twist, the hilt of her sword drove upward into his chin.

"Ugh!"

His head snapped back, and his vision blurred as the world spun. He lost his balance completely. And in that instant, Vera stepped forward once more, driving her small fist into his solar plexus again.

It was a small fist, but therein lay its power. The energy she gathered through her entire body, channeled into the sharpness of her strike, made it devastating. The smaller the impact area, the deeper and more piercing the force.

Jace made his choice. Releasing the tension in his body, he absorbed the impact of her blow as best as he could. With that moment of reprieve, he leapt back, using his lightfoot technique to create distance.

Even so, the pain lingered in his solar plexus. Three consecutive hits—it would have been strange if he wasn't affected.

"Argh… Damn, that hurts," Jace groaned.

"It was meant to hurt," Vera replied, her voice cool.

"Yeah, I get it. I really do." Jace swung his sword once to clear the air and steadied himself, gripping the hilt with both hands as he faced Vera once more.

"Even if I lose, I'll lose with my sword."

"That's fine by me," Vera answered, raising her sword with both hands.

The clash resumed. Their blades intertwined and scraped, the sound of steel echoing as they locked in a contest of strength. Jace was confident he wouldn't lose in raw power.

But Vera had no intention of letting the match devolve into a mere test of strength. With a flick of her wrist, her blade twisted.

"Damn it!" Jace cursed, feeling the momentum shift.

Vera widened her grip on the hilt—a stance meant for a decisive strike, channeling all the weight and force into the sword's tip.

―Clang!

Jace desperately swung his sword horizontally to block, but it was clumsy. His misstep left his blade slightly twisted, unable to fully deflect Vera's precise strike. Her blade grazed past, leaving a shallow cut along his neck.

A thin line of blood marked the air.

The moment the victor was decided.

"Do you wish to continue, senior brother?" Vera asked softly, lowering her stance.

Jace chuckled faintly, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

"Do I wish to continue, huh?"

"Yes."

"If I stop now, when will I ever get another chance to fight like this with you?"

Jace raised his sword again, its edge humming with suppressed energy. The low, resonant vibration was the unmistakable mark of a true master's blade—a testament to his status as a top-tier martial artist.

"This is my final move, Vera. I'll give it everything I've got."

"I'll meet it with everything I have," she replied, calm yet resolute.

Jace's gaze sharpened. He had witnessed Vera's Blossoming Spring —the elegance, the refinement, and the profound depth of the technique. He couldn't replicate it fully, but in his mind, he envisioned it: a cascade of blooming Cherry blossoms, vivid red as they filled the heavens.

He shifted his foot lightly, tracing a half-circle with his blade. Within that arc, crimson Cherry blossoms began to bloom, their vibrant forms drawn along the sword's path as if painting the air itself.

"I'm sorry for breaking our agreement not to use inner energy," Jace said, a self-deprecating smile on his lips. "But is that okay?"

"It's fine," Vera replied, unfazed.

Jace let out a small laugh. It was impulsive, even reckless, but this was the heart of a martial artist: to throw oneself wholly into the clash, even if it meant being broken.

The duel reached its climax, the two warriors pouring every ounce of their skill, strength, and spirit into a single moment.

The essence of a true swordsman.

Boom!

Vera planted her foot firmly into the ground, her body launching high into the sky. From such an elevated height, she prepared her move—one that was unmistakably the technique once used by Dylan: alling Blossom Torrent.

In response, Jace knew what he had to do. His counter was clear.

"...Show me. Show me your sword."

To whom were these words directed? To himself? To the entirety of Suncrest? Or perhaps, to the whole world? Even Jace wasn't certain. That decision would be made by Vera.

All he could do now was give his all—to leave everything to the will of heaven.

He invoked the first stance of the Nine Heavens Cherry Blossom Sword Technique: Blossoming Spring.

Like the blossoming of spring flowers, a field of red Cherry blossoms emerged around him. Though it didn't cover the entire arena, a radius of ten paces around him was filled with the vivid red bloom. His core was drained, his knees trembled as if he might collapse, but his hands held the sword steady, pointing toward the heavens.

Red Cherry blossoms spiraled up his body, his arms, and his blade, swirling into the air. Though the scale and fragrance couldn't compare to that of his seniors, the scene was breathtaking. Even the cheering and applause of the audience fell silent as they beheld his determination and skill.

But then, a shadow darkened the ground—a shadow cast by the Black Cherry Blossoms blooming in the sky above.

'...Consume it all,' Jace thought, a shiver running down his spine.

Within her core, a phantom roar resounded as the Black dragon surged through her meridians, coiling and twisting within her. It bared its fangs at the vivid red Cherry blossoms of Suncrest that filled her vision.

Drawing a deep breath, Jace focused his intent. As he exhaled, his will infused his blade.

Where her blade pointed, her energy followed. The engravings of twenty-eight constellations on her sword, the Falling Blossom Sword, began to glow, channeling her inner energy. Even the blade's edge shimmered with a radiant multicolored light.

"...Let me show you."

Vera raised her sword, invoking the third stance of the Nine Heavens Cherry Blossom Sword Technique: alling Blossom Torrent.

The heavens above were filled with a torrent of black Cherry blossoms, cascading down like an unending waterfall. The blossoms collided with Jace's red Cherry blossoms, breaking and devouring them. The black torrent overwhelmed even the flowers blooming on the ground, consuming all.

Within this maelstrom of dark petals, Vera descended gracefully from above.

No, it only appeared graceful to the onlookers. To Jace's perception, time seemed to stretch, making her movements appear slow—almost within reach, almost blockable.

But when their swords clashed, he instinctively understood.

'This isn't just a sword strike.'

The overwhelming black torrent wasn't simple Sword Radiance it was concentrated sword energy, condensed and barely contained within the blade.

'...Block it!'

No ordinary swordsmanship could defend against such an overwhelming force. Jace's instincts screamed at him, urging him beyond his current limits. Drawing on every ounce of his intuition, he found a way.

"Arghhhhhh!"

His sword emitted a piercing hum, its tone rising sharply. This was no ordinary sound—it came from Jace focusing his remaining inner energy into the very tip of his blade. The intense concentration caused the sword to vibrate at a razor-sharp pitch.

And then, they collided.

Clang!

The result was stunning.

Jace's sword—a mere training blade reinforced with steel—should have shattered. Even the half-black steel sword he borrowed after Dylan's broke had been inadequate. Yet, his blade didn't split under the impact. It held firm.

But that was all it could do.

Jace's core was completely drained. His arms trembled violently, and his fingers had gone numb. He could no longer hold on. As his grip failed, he looked up at Vera. His gaze silently pleaded for an honorable end.

Vera's lips curved into a faint smile.

She invoked the fourth stance of the Nine Heavens Cherry Blossom Sword Technique: Wild Petal Tempest.

Her sword rotated with flawless precision, creating a vortex of petals that sliced through the air like a whirlpool in the ocean. The black Cherry blossoms surged once more, spiraling outward in every direction.

When the storm of petals cleared, the audience saw Jace's sword lying far away, embedded in the arena floor.

Jace himself was on his knees, his head tilted back as he gasped for breath. Yet, his expression was serene—content, even.

"...Did you see it, senior brother?" Vera asked softly.

"...Yes, I saw it," Jace replied, his voice filled with reverence.

Above her head, crimson-black petals swirled and danced in the air. It was a sight he would never forget—a breathtaking vision of beauty and power.

It was the swordsmanship of Suncrest, the ideal he would chase for the rest of his life.