In Isolde Verdan's room, she woke in the morning thinking about her match today—the one that would decide whether she could fight in the main event or not.
Isolde had worked hard for this event so she could support Renn in the future by his side, but she was too weak now to help him in any fight. She had started working harder and harder every day with less and less sleep, but today was her match, which was why she had taken rest to prepare.
Isolde looked around her room—it was as big as a playground.
She stepped out of bed and went to the washroom, washing herself for an hour. After that, she found the perfect clothes for fighting and put them on.
Isolde looked at herself in the mirror and said, "You're going to win."
After her self-encouragement, she left for the stage with determination on her beautiful face.
She drew her sword from the system while walking to the stadium. It took her a few minutes to arrive, and she waited in her changing room to be called.
Half an hour later, the announcer called her name. Isolde left the changing room and went to the door leading to the stage.
The door opened to cheers all around the arena, but she was looking for someone in the crowd. She found him—Renn—and a smile emerged on her face.
Renn gave her a thumbs up and said, "All the best."
Isolde read his lips and replied with a smile, "Thank you."
She turned and focused on the stage where a bulky boy younger than Isolde stood waiting for her.
Isolde stared at the bulky boy, and he said, "You're quite pretty, my lady."
She looked at him with irritation and disgust—he was looking at her with lust written all over his face. When she didn't reply, he continued:
"HAHA! If you spend a night with me, I could lose on purpose for you. I don't think a pretty girl like you is any match for me. HEHE."
Isolde felt even more disgust toward him and wanted to beat him to death.
The referee had heard their conversation and asked loudly, "Are you ready?"
"Yes!" both replied loudly.
The referee looked at both of them—Isolde's hand was on her sword while the bulky boy stood weaponless but had taken a fighting stance.
"Begin!"
Boom!
The stage exploded with energy as the fight began. The bulky boy closed the distance and was about to punch when Isolde's sword blocked his attack. He looked at her beautiful face up close, his heart racing as he said, "You're even prettier from this angle. Let's have fun after the match." Saliva dripped from his mouth.
Isolde's irritation intensified. "Shut up, you fucking ugly monster!" she snapped and began swinging her sword faster and faster.
The fight continued from morning into afternoon with both fighters looking tired. The crowd went silent after cheering for both competitors, as neither was giving up.
The bulky boy looked at Isolde, impressed by her stamina, and said, "You're quite good with a sword, fucking bitch."
Isolde didn't reply, keeping her eyes on the ground and breathing heavily.
She stood up straight, looked at the bulky boy, and moved at light speed to reach him, swinging her sword again. She was perfecting her sword dance more and more, getting better with each movement.
As noon turned to evening, she perfected her technique and gained many insights, but hadn't been able to break through her limits in sword technique—though she could sense she was close.
Boom
Finally, Isolde achieved her breakthrough in swordsmanship. Mana went wild in her body, becoming purer and increasing two to three times in volume. Looking at the bulky boy, she stepped back and began stabilizing her mana while running around the stage.
The bulky boy understood her situation and wanted to finish her off, but it was too late—she had stabilized her power and released it.
Boom!
Wind flowed across the entire stage. Before the bulky man could react, Isolde severed both his arms and placed her sword at his neck, saying, "You fucking ugly, say something now."
The bulky boy looked at her with anger but didn't resist. The referee came onto the stage to stop any further violence, and the match was over.
"Winner: Isolde Verdan!" the referee announced loudly as cheers erupted throughout the arena.
Another announcement followed:
"We have all our top 8 students for the Main Event!
In 1st position: Student President Julie Luther, who defeated everyone within a minute (3rd year, rank 4).
In 2nd position: Principal's daughter Serenya Vale, who destroyed all her opponents with minimal damage (2nd year, rank 4).
In 3rd position: Barric from 1st year, rank 4, who hasn't been hit by any opponent and defeats them by letting them tire themselves out.
...
And in 8th position: Isolde Verdan, 2nd year, rank 10, who recently broke through and reached mastery in swordsmanship.
These are our final top 8, and they will fight against the top 8 S-class ranked students starting next week. Enjoy your time at the academy this week, and we'll return with more exciting matches.
Good night, ladies and gentlemen."
Isolde stayed on stage listening to the announcement and sighed inwardly.
As she was about to leave the stage, someone called her. Hearing the familiar voice, a smile emerged on her face as she looked back and saw Renn.
Renn smiled and said, "Congrats."
"Thanks," Isolde replied, then asked, "Why did you come?"
Renn sighed and said, "I can't hide anything from you, can I? I didn't even say anything, yet you can tell I came here for a reason."
Isolde smiled at his words and giggled a little. "Your face tells me everything."
Renn smiled at her response and said, "The Principal has asked us to meet him."
Isolde looked a little surprised but not too shocked since the principal had called them many times before. She simply nodded, and both left the stage while speaking to each other.