I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 408  Cylien Elaryon VS Alvara Teraquin [2]

"Blade of Zephyr!"

As Cylien's voice rang out, the colossal sword, brimming with immense energy, plummeted from the sky with a speed that defied its massive size. The air around it crackled and roared, the sheer force of its descent generating a powerful windstorm that knocked several students off their feet.

"Is she really going to pull it off?" Edward wondered inwardly, shielding his face from the gusts as he squinted through the chaos, trying to keep his eyes on the battle.

Alvara, sensing the imminent threat, raised her hand. In response, more than a hundred vines erupted from the ground, surging upward to meet the descending sword head-on. Each vine was infused with her mana, Ruah and also Prana, twisting and coiling together in a attempt to intercept the attack.

The moment the two forces collided, the impact was deafening.

-BOOOOOOM!

A thunderous explosion reverberated through the arena, followed by a shockwave so intense that it rippled outward in all directions, threatening to knock everyone within its radius to the ground. The students, already struggling against the wind, were now forced to channel their own mana just to stay on their feet. Dust and debris swirled into the air, obscuring the battlefield and leaving everyone in suspense.

"What happened?!"

"Who won?!"

Edward and the others looked ahead eagerly.

When the dust finally began to clear, the sight that emerged left the crowd in stunned silence.

Cylien was on one knee, her body trembling as she used her sword to steady herself. Her breathing was labored, her chest heaving with exhaustion. Her eyes, though tired, remained fixed on her opponent, refusing to look away.

Alvara, on the other hand, was still standing and seemingly unscathed. Her elegant form was marred only by a few bruises on her face, but her expression was twisted with barely contained fury. The two massive cylindrical plants that had once been her greatest defense lay in ruins, their upper halves completely obliterated by the force of Cylien's attack. What remained of them struggled to regenerate, but their progress was slow and faltering.

"H-How the hell did she resist that attack?" Amelia gasped, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Celeste wore a complicated expression, as if she had expected Alvara to withstand the blow, yet was still shaken by the outcome.

"She's... a monster," Sirius let out a weary sigh, his eyes drifting toward Sephira, who was biting her lip in frustration. Rodolf remained silent, his gaze locked on Cylien, his thoughts unreadable.

Alvara's lips curled into a sneer as she glared down at Cylien. "You will pay for this disgrace with your blood," she spat, her voice dripping with venom. Though her body was largely unharmed, the dust and dirt that now clung to her skin seemed to offend her more deeply than any physical wound. It was as though the very thought of being sullied was an affront she could not tolerate, and she needed someone to suffer for it.

"Agh!!" Cylien's body convulsed as a sharp pain shot through her arm. She looked down in horror to see a red thorny vine piercing through her flesh. The vine, coated in a viscous, poisonous liquid, began to spread its toxin almost immediately, sending waves of agony through her body.

"Argh…" She groaned, her voice weak as the poison took its toll, her face growing even paler.

"It's not enough," Alvara hissed, her sneer twisting into a delighted smirk. Without hesitation, she summoned three more vines, each one lashing out with deadly intent.

Cylien, despite the pain and the poison coursing through her veins, forced herself to her feet. With a desperate burst of strength, she managed to dodge one of the vines, and with a weak, unsteady swing of her sword, she parried another. But the third vine found its mark, piercing through her shoulder with a sickening crunch.

"Haa!" Cylien gasped, the pain overwhelming as the poisonous liquid seeped into her body, its effects spreading rapidly. Her vision blurred, and she stumbled, barely managing to keep herself upright as the world around her seemed to close in.

"You're quite resilient, aren't you?" Alvara's laughter was soft and mocking, as five more vines lashed out towards Cylien. Each vine struck with a vicious force, tearing through the fabric of her dress, exposing patches of bruised skin underneath.

"Stop the match," Rodolf's voice cut through the air as he sprang to his feet. He turned to Gamir.

"No!"

The force of the refusal shocked everyone present. It was Cylien who had spoken, her voice clear despite her injuries.

She struggled to her feet with shaky movements. Blood trickled down her face from a deep cut on her brow, mingling with the dirt and sweat that clung to her skin. Her once immaculate dress was now a tattered mess, clinging to her bruised and battered body.

"Please… don't stop the match until either I am victorious or until I am utterly defeated," she pleaded, her eyes locking onto Gamir's.

Gamir remained impassive, though there was a glint in his eyes that betrayed his interest. He too was eager to witness where the battle was going.

Cylien groaned as she forced herself to stand once more, facing Alvara. The latter wore a delighted smile, her eyes gleaming with a sadistic pleasure.

"You're really making this enjoyable, Cylien. Show me more of your pathetic defiance. Let your sister and everyone else witness it."

Another vine shot towards Cylien, but she managed to parry the attack, though the force of it sent her skidding several meters back across the arena.

Calmness flickered in her eyes as she closed them, whispering a silent prayer. Like every resident of Sancta Vedelia, she had always revered the Holy Tree of Eden, the sacred Tree that had safeguarded their nation for centuries.

'Just this once, please…'

As if in response to her heartfelt plea, a golden light suddenly enveloped her body. The glow intensified, wrapping around her like a protective cocoon.

She had reached her limit, pushing herself beyond her natural boundaries, and in that moment, she finally awakened her dormant bloodline.

The golden aura exploded outwards, momentarily blinding everyone in the arena.

"C–Cylien…" Dentiel Elaryon gasped in disbelief as he beheld Cylien's transformed appearance.

For months, she had struggled in vain to awaken, always living in the shadow of her sister Aerin, who had achieved her awakening at the tender age of fifteen.

But now…

"She's… beautiful…" One of the students whispered in awe. Cylien's once golden hair had turned into a sleek, silvery cascade that shimmered under the arena lights.

'She really awakened?' Edward was surprised. Cylien had achieved this without the aid of any Event or Victor.

With renewed strength, Cylien wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her sword, which was still embedded in the ground. As she pulled it free, her eyes opened, glowing with a fierce green light.

In the blink of an eye, she vanished, leaving only a swirl of wind in her wake.

Alvara's expression darkened, her eyes narrowing as she registered the speed at which Cylien now moved. Realizing the new threat, she quickly summoned a cluster of poisonous vines, launching them in a coordinated assault from all directions.

But Cylien, now cloaked in a whirlwind of wind, effortlessly parried each attack, her blade cutting through the vines with surgical precision.

"Dionaea." Alvara summoned another large mana circle. From its depths, a massive carnivorous plant materialized, its thorny maw gaping wide. A sinister green light began to gather within its mouth, dense with concentrated prana, ready to unleash a ray of Prana.

-BOOM!

The carnivorous plant unleashed its devastating ray, a concentrated beam of energy so intense that the very air around it seemed to ignite as it hurtled towards Cylien. The speed of the attack left her no time to hesitate. Instinctively, she knew that her protective aura alone wouldn't withstand the onslaught.

Without a moment to lose, Cylien brought her sword up in front of her, bracing herself for impact.

"Ugh!" she grunted as the force of the ray collided with her blade. The sheer power behind the attack forced her to slide back across the arena floor, her feet digging into the ground as she struggled to maintain her stance.

"Did you really think you stood a chance, Cylien? Hah?" Alvara's voice dripped with contempt, her eyes narrowing in disgust as she poured even more prana into the beam, intensifying its force and driving Cylien back further.

"Yes!" Cylien yelled back.

-BOOM!

With a surge of force, Cylien swung her sword downward with all her might, slicing through the ray and dispersing its energy. The force of her swing sent a shockwave rippling through the arena, and without missing a beat, she dashed towards Alvara, her sword at the ready.

"Elaryon Arts: Spirit Zephyr Blade!"

Her speed increased exponentially, and as green markings began to etch themselves onto her face, Cylien's movements became a blur. The power of the Spirit Zephyr Blade flowed through her, enhancing her speed and strength to an entirely new level.

Alvara barely had time to react. Cylien's blade, now imbued with the power of the wind, sliced through the thorny maw of the plant, severing it cleanly in two and cutting through the prana with ease.

In that moment, Cylien saw the faint glimmer of victory as Alvara's eyes widened in shock.

With her sword still in its Zephyr form, Cylien thrust it forward, aiming directly at Alvara.

Alvara, sensing the imminent danger, instinctively tilted her head, narrowly avoiding a fatal strike. The wind blade, however, grazed her cheek, leaving a painful gash in its wake while tearing through her umbrella like sharp wind needles.

Unable to halt her momentum, Cylien tumbled past Alvara, but she quickly regained her balance, driving her sword into the ground to stop herself before she let out a gasp of pain and exhaustion.

A profound silence fell over the arena.

Every spectator was frozen in place, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

The only sound that broke the stillness was the irregular drip of blood as crimson droplets fell to the ground.

Warm blood flowed from the wound on Alvara's cheek, trailing down to her chin before splattering onto the floor.

-Thud.

Alvara's hand slackened, and her ornate umbrella torn at several spots slipped from her grasp, hitting the ground with a soft thud. Her head was bowed, her expression hidden from view. All around her, the vines and plants she had summoned withered away, vanishing into thin air.

"Senior Cylien won?!" Roda's voice trembled with shock, her mind struggling to comprehend the outcome of the fight.

But the silence in the arena remained unbroken. All eyes turned towards Cylien's group, where an eerie stillness had settled.

Among them, Sephira's face was drained of all color.