Chapter 302: The Representative Selection Matches End!
Compared to the shock felt by the surrounding spectators, Touka, who had experienced it firsthand, felt it even more deeply.
Only when one truly faced a star could they feel that mighty power from beyond the planet.
Although Luke's current version could only be called an imitation, Touka still felt her own insignificance from it.
The star that came before the final strike was already like this, let alone the sword light that followed after it.
The moment Luke truly swung his sword, even Touka's thoughts were cut off.
'In the end… I still couldn't reach him…'
That was the last thought that flashed through the girl's mind before she lost consciousness.
…
Thud—!
The sound of the girl collapsing to the ground rang out.
It should not have been that clear, but in this deathly silent atmosphere, where even a falling needle could be heard, it was painfully obvious.
Every spectator was still immersed in that beautiful yet heart-shaking scene from just now.
That sword strike, which had cut through both star and lightning, was carved into the hearts of everyone present and refused to fade.
Even the referee outside the arena and the host at the commentary booth were too shaken to come back to their senses.
Luke sheathed the Starfall Sword and paid no attention to his surroundings.
Instead, he first walked over to Touka, who had collapsed on the ground.
He slipped a hand into his chest pocket, and under the cover of starlight, took out a bottle of potion from his Portable Pocket.
It was an Elixir he had brought from the Dungeon world.
After opening the bottle and sprinkling the medicine over Touka, Luke silently sighed and turned to leave the stage.
In truth, his final sword strike had not directly hit Touka.
If Luke had actually done that, there was no way she would be lying on the ground completely intact like this.
His sword had merely destroyed the mana and lightning wrapped around her body.
After that, under the impact of Luke's sword energy and sword intent, the girl, who had already been pushed to her limit, naturally collapsed.
That was also why the sword scar that split the earth had been left behind.
The secret technique, Star-Cleaving, was not a beam attack. Logically speaking, it should not have possessed this kind of destructive power.
The complete version of Star Swordsmanship's secret technique, Star-Cleaving, was an ultimate anti-personnel move that converted all destructive force into killing power.
The reason this result appeared was partly because the strike had landed on the ground.
The other reason was that Luke had held back.
Since he had no intention of truly cutting Touka down, Luke had deliberately dispersed the power of that strike.
Although the sword technique looked terrifying and overwhelmingly grand, it had not caused Touka even the slightest injury.
The girl had fallen purely because her own body could no longer hold out.
Luke was only able to do this thanks to the Twin-Wings swordsmanship he had learned from Edelweiss.
Otherwise, he truly would not have been able to use this secret technique with such perfect control.
However, although Luke had not injured Touka, the girl had pushed herself again and again. By the time she collapsed, one of her feet had already stepped through death's door.
Clearly, there was no way she could endure until the medical staff carried her away for treatment.
That was why Luke had immediately used a bottle of Elixir on her.
When he left the Dungeon world, Luke had converted almost all of his money into various potions and items.
Although an Elixir like this was precious, he still had quite a few on hand, so using one bottle was not enough to make him feel distressed.
Compared to that, the life of an excellent swordsman who was willing to risk death to challenge him was far more important.
Luke's action of turning away after treating Touka finally woke the surrounding spectators from their shock.
Scattered words of disbelief began to appear, gradually transforming into thunderous cheers.
For a time, the name "Falling Star Sword Emperor" Luke echoed throughout the entire academy.
At the same time, the host's voice also came through the broadcast.
"Beautiful stars and roaring lightning collided."
"And in the end, beneath that sword that cut through all things, beneath that heart-shaking strike, contestant Todo, the strongest Raikiri, has fallen!"
"The match is over!"
"Hagun Academy's strongest knight has been defeated, and a new strongest has taken her place!"
"The final battle of the Seven Star Sword Art Festival representative selection matches—winner, Falling Star Sword Emperor, Luke Ashburn!"
The moment the host announced Luke's name, the cheers rose another level.
"A-Amazing! A freshman really beat the Student Council President!"
"That Raikiri actually lost…"
"This year's Raikiri was already unbelievably powerful, but the Falling Star Sword Emperor was still above her?"
Astonishment and discussion mixed together.
The entire venue fell into a heated frenzy.
And amid the storm-like cheers, Luke left the battlefield.
…
"Nene, now you understand, don't you?"
"…Of course I do. I saw it with my own eyes."
Nene stared in disbelief at the figure disappearing through the gate.
The question she had asked Kurono before the match no longer needed an answer.
"He actually met that person…"
"But still, this is really hard to accept."
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never would've believed there could be a second monster in this world capable of using that kind of soundless swordsmanship."
Nene looked in the direction where Luke's figure had vanished, her emotions surging unpredictably.
This time, the meaning behind the word "monster" in her mouth was different from before.
Previously, when she called Luke a monster, it had been more like teasing, or even praise.
But now, it was not just her. Even Kurono thought the same thing.
'Luke is a true monster.'
This could no longer be called simple praise.
After all, both Nene and Kurono were genuine monsters themselves.
Even if all the hidden powerhouses in the world were counted, the two of them would still rank among the top.
The beings who could make both of them feel wary and call them "monsters" were all true great powers capable of stirring the world's situation with their strength alone.
Of course, Luke's strength had not yet reached that level.
But his growth speed was simply too fast.
"Hey, Kuro."
"How long has it been since Luke met that person?"
Nene did not turn her gaze away.
She continued staring fixedly in the direction Luke had left.
After hearing her question, Kurono sighed. Then she spoke in a quiet, almost distant voice.
"Does that even matter?"
"Do you really think he only mastered that swordsmanship today?"
"Heh… He didn't just learn it. He has already incorporated Twin-Wings' swordsmanship into his own sword techniques."
"If I didn't know his real situation, and you told me he was Twin-Wings' disciple, I would believe it. I'd even praise him as a genius."
"But in reality, that encounter in Okutama was his first contact with Twin-Wings."
"You're asking me how long it took?"
"…If it were you or me, would we even be qualified to touch the surface of it?"
…
(PS: Vote for more chapters this week. If this fanfic reaches 100+ powerstones, I will upload bonus chapters next. Also, don't forget to write a review!)
---
Read more than 20 chapters in advance, with pictures, to enhance your reading immersion:
patréon.com/tom22
Replace "é" with "e" on your web browser.
---
For Audiobook:
youtube.com/@animefic22