Pinnacle of Swordsmanship

|Alistair|

The grand finale of the tournament had finally arrived. As the Director made her way onto the stage, the anticipation in the air was palpable. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the most anticipated event of the year, the magical tournament finals!" she announced to the enthusiastic crowd. "The participants have exceeded all expectations, displaying their extraordinary talents and strategic prowess in each of their battles. Please join me in welcoming the finalists, Prince Alistair Eralith and Gary Whiteborn!"

I confidently strode up the steps of the stage, feeling the weight of the audience's expectations on my shoulders. Gary followed suit, his muscles tense and his amethyst eyes fixed on mine. Despite the adrenaline pumping through my veins, I maintained my composure and suppressed any lingering nerves to the best of my ability.

Cynthia, the tournament referee, scanned both of us before declaring, "If both contestants are ready, then let the match begin!"

With that, the stage was set for an epic showdown between two formidable opponents.

"Get ready," the Director's voice boomed throughout the arena, "On your mark... Begin!"

The command signaled the start of the epic clash between Gary and me. In a swift motion, I summoned my trusted weapons, Faithkeeper and Argentum Fang, from my spatial ring. But before I could even make a move, Gary was already on the attack.

His sword sliced through the air with lightning-fast speed, catching me off guard. I barely managed to block his horizontal strike with both of my swords, feeling the intense force of his blow reverberate through my arms.

Gritting my teeth, I stepped back and prepared myself for his next move. With lightning-fast reflexes, Gary closed the distance between us and switched into another swordsmanship style.

The mesmerizing display of swordplay unfolded before my eyes, the same technique he had used to defeat Arthur and me in the Capture the Flag. However, this time it didn't seem nearly as unbeatable.

I took a deep breath and focused on my training, analyzing Gary's movements and finding any possible weaknesses in his technique. I countered his every strike with equal skill and precision, gaining confidence as the battle progressed.

The intense energy in the arena fueled our fight, and the audience roared with excitement as they watched the two of us clash. The final moments of the tournament had arrived, and we were determined to give it our all in this exhilarating showdown.

The enlightenment that I had gained had bridged the gap between the two of us in terms of swordsmanship skill, to the point that I could hold him back with the use of my superior visual acuity.

Gary's indifferent purple eyes sent shivers down my spine as he spoke. "Is this it?" he questioned, and before I could even ask him to clarify, I felt the fabric of space itself warping around me, causing the world to spin.

"You aren't even worthy of me using my sword," he sighed, his body coiling protectively with aether.

I responded with a burst of powerful blue flames, aimed directly at Gary. But to my dismay, they harmlessly bounced off the aetheric shield surrounding him.

With a flick of his hand, Gary effortlessly turned the gears of his power, causing the fabric of space to warp again. This time, my body was tossed around like a ragdoll by his sheer strength.

Despite the overwhelming power that Gary possessed, I refused to give up.

My mother's teachings had instilled in me the knowledge that aether was a far superior power to mana. The scale of power between the two was so vast that mana could barely break into aether.

Although I had a basic understanding of aether, my own ability to manipulate it was limited. I could only use aevum, lacking the skills to manipulate vivum or spatium.

I had attempted to use the black flames created from vivum, but they were difficult to control, and I knew that Gary could easily neutralize them. The realization of my limitations flooded me with a sense of inferiority.

It was reminiscent of the day over eight years ago when my mother was killed. I felt helpless, unable to do anything against the person who had taken her life.

As I faced Gary, that same feeling of helplessness and inferiority crept over me. I couldn't even bear to look at him, let alone fight against him. All I could do was turn and run away from him.

As I ran from Gary, a strange sensation overtook me. It felt as though the inside of my body was spinning, and I struggled to keep my balance.

Then, as if in response to my distress, I heard my mother's voice in my head. "Don't let your emotions suppress you," she said. "Allow yourself to grow with the power of grief."

Memories of my mother's death flooded my mind, but this time they were more vivid than ever before. I could feel the chill in the air as I stood before her killer, the trembling of my body, and the gnawing ache in my chest.

I relived those moments again, but this time I didn't shy away from the pain. Instead, I allowed it to consume me, to fuel me.

And then, something incredible happened.

A surge of energy coursed through me, and I felt a burning sensation in my eyes. It was as if the grief I had been carrying all these years had finally found an outlet.

Suddenly, my eyes began to transform, unlocking a higher level of perception than I had ever experienced before. It was as if the entire world was unfolding in front of me, revealing every distortion, every aetheric pathway, and the connections of the mana particles to the various mages, including the different cores everyone possessed.

As I activated the power of my eye, aether itself bent to my will. Vivum particles jumped excitedly as I singled them out, manipulating them with ease. However, instead of using my powers for destruction, like I did with my black flames, I decided to use them for creation.

With a thought, giant shields of aether manifested in front of me, blocking any attack that Gary could throw at me.

Gary's eyes widened in surprise as he attempted to warp space once again. However, my powerful shields of aether held strong against his attack, clashing against his power and deflecting it away from me.

With my newfound strength, I squared my shoulders and faced Gary with a determined expression, knowing that I had to defeat him no matter what it took.

Gary's indifferent demeanor vanished, replaced with a look of interest as an ominous void formed behind his eyes. His aetheric core ignited in a dazzling display of purple light, filling the arena with an ethereal aura that only I could perceive.

I watched in awe as intricate, beautiful designs spread across his skin, glimmering like purple jewels under the light. The power of his aura expanded, washing over the stadium like a tidal wave and leaving everyone feeling like insignificant mortals in the presence of a true sovereign.

But I refused to let his display of power intimidate me. Instead, I focused on my own strength, drawing upon my aether to create a shield around me as I prepared to face him head-on.

As Gary closed in on me with his sword ablaze with white flames, I summoned the vivum around me and willed it to transform into a ribcage shield. The vivum flowed and morphed into bone-like structures, forming a protective barrier that surrounded me.

To my surprise, the vivum seemed to know what it was doing, as if it had a mind of its own, and instinctively shaped itself into a ribcage. I wondered if this was the result of my recent awakening of my eye, or if it was a natural property of vivum that I had yet to discover.

Gary's eyes narrowed as he closed the distance between us in a blur. His sword clashed against my ribcage shield, causing some cracks to spread across its surface. But the ribcage held strong, and I felt a sense of relief that I had made the right choice.

Seizing the moment, I shot out my black flames of vivum. Gary countered with a powerful display of ice magic, creating a giant glacier that quickly doused my flames and submerged me.

But my ribcage shield continued to protect me, not allowing the ice magic to penetrate inside. I focused on strengthening the vivum structure around me, using the aether to reinforce its bonds and make it even stronger.

Gary's frustration was evident in his voice as he taunted me, "You're like a turtle hiding inside its shell." His stance shifted, mirroring the one he had used against Professor Fejalk.

I quickly assessed the situation, formulating various plans as he launched his attack. The space around him distorted with the power of his strike, aided by his use of spatium, as his sword clashed against my vivum.

Despite my shield's resilience, it couldn't withstand his attack forever. The ribcage cracked and shattered from the sheer force of his strike.

But I had been waiting for this moment. I swiftly seized the opportunity to counterattack, both of my swords ready by my side.

Gary deflected my initial attack and regained his footing. I pressed on, relentlessly pushing him back. However, I was unprepared for his next move.

His stance shifted once again, resembling the one he had used in the preliminary round of the tournament.

[Dover Style: First Movement]

|Third POV|

Gary revealed his ultimate swordsmanship style, the very one that had astounded the world a week ago. It was said to be perfect and unbeatable.

But Alistair refused to be intimidated. He swiftly stepped back to match Gary's movements, utilizing his newly unlocked powers of foresight to anticipate and counter his opponent's attacks.

The dance intertwining the two swords was a breathtaking display of skill, elegance and power, the blades moving in a blur that mesmerised the audience. Every move was calculated with precision, each strike aimed to deliver maximum damage to the opponent.

The air was charged with the crackling energy of mana and aether particles, creating a symphony of clashing sounds that echoed throughout the arena. The two warriors seemed to move as one, their bodies in perfect harmony with their swords as they weaved in and out of each other's defences.

It was as if time itself had slowed down to allow the spectators to appreciate the beauty of the deadly art unfolding before them. Each movement was a work of art, every strike a masterpiece in the making.

A battle between monsters unfolded before the eyes of the world.

|Virion|

The battle between the two titans was nearing its climax. Despite their immense power far surpassing mine, I could sense it in my bones. The clash of aether was awe-inspiring, and surely it would raise the suspicion of the Council once again.

Yet, I was not worried. Gary Whiteborn, the monster, was present, after all.

Although the battle appeared to be evenly matched since Alistair had unlocked some new power, it was still a tight and uncertain contest. However, Gary was not giving it his all. He was holding back, concealing a trick up his sleeve that he had yet to reveal.

The swordsmanship exchange between the two was captivating, leaving me in wonder, but it would soon reach its conclusion.

From the beginning, Alistair was completely overpowered by Gary in their duel. It was only because Gary wanted to unleash more of his potential and test his abilities that the battle remained close.

As expected, the epic battle between Alistair and Gary was coming to an end. Alistair had been outmatched in every aspect - his mana, aether, and swordsmanship were all no match for Gary's incredible power.

I let out a helpless sigh as the swords fell from Alistair's grasp, his body collapsing from exhaustion as he deactivated his aether and mana.

It was a testament to the outstanding geniuses of this generation. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of trial lay ahead that even these talented individuals couldn't overcome, even with their maturity and skill. The thought sent shivers down my spine.

As the magical tournament of Xyrus Academy came to a close, Gary Whiteborn emerged as the undisputed gold medalist and the greatest young mage in all of Dicathen. But it was no secret that he was already the most powerful age of Dicathen.