A/N: Sorry, due to Chinese New Year celebrations and being sick with stomach flu (not COVID-19 thank god), I was pretty much bed-ridden...hence, the lack of updates. Sorry!

Linqin waited on the stage, her blue and white robes matching her delicate, bubbly image. Her opponent revealed herself a second later, and when Linqin saw who it was, she laughed without humour.

"You are my opponent?"

"Let's have a good match, Linqin." Cecil maintained her stand-offish mien.

Linqin scoffed, rolling her eyes, adjusting her stance.

From the novel, Linqin had commendable fighting prowess. She was disliked by the readers, and the characters in the novel as well, but no one could deny she could hold her own in a battle. Her town was a village of warriors, thus, she was already capable of fighting beforehand.

Cecil wasn't confident in winning this battle, and she was contemplating on forfeiting this match. Even if she failed the mission, it was better than her getting injured that will affect the speed of her training.

Cecil wanted to cry, she tried to maintain an amiable relationship with Linqin, hence, even if one is unlucky to get matched up with Linqin in the tournament, it wouldn't be a bad situation. Alas, as long as you are associated with Xue or Kai, you'll be Linqin's fated enemy.

Linqin detests her, Cecil knows that clearly.

Looks like this will be a real battle, and I probably wouldn't be able to escape unscathed.

Cecil suspired.

"Begin!"

Linqin jerked her fan open, and she flipped it around swiftly, creating four blades of water in seconds. Cecil immediately crouched down, placing her hand on the ground as the water blades lunged at her, a wall of stone and bricks pushed out from the ground, forming a thick layer of shield around her.

The blades landed simultaneously, causing the shield to crack slightly. Cecil withdrew the shield and Linqin prepared to launch another series of attack, Cecil was swift enough to intercept it by propelling her rock at Linqin.

Linqin knew this rock wasn't a diversion, but an actual attack. She dodged it by stepping aside, the rock flying past her face. Cecil let her rock drop as she shoved her other hand up into the air, and Linqin felt herself being knocked into the air.

Reacting swiftly, she drew a large amount of water from the pool to aid her descent, at the same time, she sent two water blades towards Cecil.

Cecil noticed her hand movements, her eyes growing wide.

What is with her flexibility! Even after getting hit into the air, she can still attack me!

Cecil retreated a few steps, conjuring another wall but it was a thin, weak wall. The blade sliced the wall apart, fortunately, it absorbed most of the impact of the blade. The water blades hit Cecil in the chest and she stumbled back, if she had received the full force of the blade, there would be a large gash on her chest now.

Cecil regained her balance, realising she was two steps away from falling off the stage.

Meanwhile, for Linqin, the water did its work by slowing down her momentum. Unfortunately, she couldn't probably gauge her landing distance. She landed with a stagger, realising that she was two steps away from falling off as well.

The two women were equally matched.

In every freshmen tournament, the matches only became interesting towards the very end. Thus, this was the first intense match that the students and teachers has seen. An applause was heard, they were impressed by the skills of both competitors.

Moreover, it was only just the beginning and yet, it was so spirited.

The two women didn't pay attention to the applause, both of them realising their opponent's position at the same time. Linqin gyrated her body, forming two circular blades this time and hurling it towards Cecil.

Cecil pressed her right hand onto the ground, sending herself flying into the air with a pillar. She flipped in mid-air, while the pillar was cut apart by the strong force of the water blades.

Linqin's round eyes followed Cecil in the air, and she defended herself just as Cecil landed behind her, throwing a spinning kick.

Cecil was relieved she had taken her dancing lessons from her mother seriously. The flips and swirls that made her head spin, had actually trained her balance and it has been ingrained into her muscles.

Moreover, with the rigorous physical combat training everyday, Cecil who once believed this body wasn't meant to fight could actually be conditioned to be a fighter.

Linqin furrowed her eyebrows as she felt her arms throbbing in pain where Cecil's leg has landed.

The two ladies soon engaged in a full-on physical combat. Cecil made use of her rock, utilising her misdirection style, thus, though Linqin was the superior in terms of physical combat, she found herself at a disadvantage.

Linqin found an opportunity, slipping a puddle of water beneath Cecil. Cecil slipped, gasping as she recovered her balance. Linqin had already created some distance between them in that short time span, fanning her fan rapidly.

Instead of huge water blades, it was dozens of mini water blades this time.

Uh, shit.

Cecil summoned wall after wall, finding herself being forced back as she gritted her teeth. Linqin was smirking triumphantly, sending the water blades out with ease.

Her walls crumbled too quickly since it was thin and weak, and Linqin was aiming at the same spot on the walls with her water blades, with no hesitation.

Cecil felt her elemental energy depleting, and she knew her weakness was that she couldn't multitask.

I have to try to overcome it now.

Cecil controlled her growing panic, using one hand to conjure the wall while the other utilised her rock.

It was unstable.

One step.

Check behind me.

One more step.

Damn--

Cecil slipped up, giving Linqin another chance to attack. Cecil inhaled sharply, recovering hastily as she repeated the same steps in her mind.

Again, check behind me.

Spin the rock.

One more step.

Check behind me.

Cecil breathed out slowly, spinning the rock, checking behind her, conjuring her shield. She took it step by step, building up the momentum and she was yet again two steps away from the corner of the stage, before sending her rock towards Linqin's hand holding her fan.

Linqin had sharp eyes and Cecil knew that very well.

Seeing how the rock was speeding towards her dangerously, if Linqin didn't slow it down, once it lands on her, it'll definitely break her bone.

If I dodged and continued attacking, she can simply change the direction. By the time I react to it the second time, it would be too late.

Linqin bit on her lips as she relented her attacks, gathering multiple orbs of water and placing in front of the rock, orb after orb. Cecil took the opportunity to rush at her, kicking and punching. Linqin panicked, finding it hard to defend both sides, Cecil was still controlling her rock as she attacked physically.

Punch.

Divert her attention.

Kick.

Divert her attenton again.

Kick.

Punch.

Push her back using the ground.

Kick.

Cecil chanted in her mind, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she didn't feel the fatigue anymore.

Linqin struggled desperately, the tables have turned on her as she found herself being cornered now. She grew pale, blocking herself with her arms and the water, becoming distressed.

Her mind wasn't stable enough to improvise any counter attacks. Hence, Linqin threw out two water blades in panic.

That slight moment of panic made Cecil thirsty, and she grasped at it like a person starving in the desert for days without water or food.

The rock hit Linqin in the wrist, disarming her as she screamed in pain, her fan dropping to the ground. Cecil then clenched her fists, bringing her arms back and thrusting them into the air. Two pillars flew out, driving Linqin out of the stage.

At the same time, Cecil couldn't avoid the water blades as she needed to make use of this opportunity without pausing for even a nanosecond. She moved at the very last second after seeing Linqin landing outside the stage, the blades grazing her cheek and slashing her arm.

"Winner, Cecil!"

[ Mission #5 : Freshmen Tournament
Objective completed!
Reward : 20 points
Remaining points : 110 points ]

There was a prolonged silence and the audience started to applaud.

***

《 start 》

Even her fighting style is annoyingly beautiful.

...

...it was a good fight.

But I will never admit that to her.

《 stop 》