Chapter 262 The Final Eight 1 (1/2)
The moment the referee roared out Shin as the winner of the match, the faces of the entire audience had turned blank. Even though they had expected a close bout with the Black-Haired Tyrant somehow pulling out a win, never in their wildest dreams did they think that they were about to witness one of the greatest tournament fights that had ever occurred on Imperius Academy grounds.
A deathly silence hung over Lucha Amphitheatre while Shin carefully pulled out the silver needles that sealed Natasha's movements. Being the executioner of the Divine Needle Binding technique, only Shin knew how to safely release the swordmaiden from her shackles.
”You're free now. If you feel any discomfort in the following days, feel free to approach me. I'll do my best to treat you.” Shin gently warned Natasha. Even though there shouldn't be any adverse side effects, it was better to be safe than sorry. If Shin had ruined the prodigy swordmaiden's future just because of this one match, he would be prickled with a pang of severe guilt for the rest of his life.
”No, I don't feel any pain… Just really tired...” Natasha swept her hand as she tried to quell the wave of dizziness that impeded her mind, and who could blame her? After breaking her dominant arm, feeling the backlash of mana, bombarded with numerous water whirlpools and eventually, depleting her mana till there was very little remaining, it was a miracle that Natasha could remain conscious of this long.
”Honestly, what are you made off? How could you last for that long in battle?” While Shin did a preliminary check on Natasha's body, the young boy enquired about the swordmaiden's resilience.
”I could say the same about you. Not many have faced my waltz and walked out unscathed, you know?” Natasha giggled, combating her urge to faint. ”But I have to thank you for that fight… I needed something like that to reignite my passion for growing. Recently, it has become rather boring.”
As the top swordmaster in her generation, there weren't many adversaries that could bring Natasha to the brink. In that fight with Shin, the swordmaiden learnt multiple flaws in her techniques and was exposed to a whole other side of a battle. While she favoured overwhelming her opponent with flamboyant strikes that utterly destroyed their will to live, Shin's combat techniques were a lot more calculating.
From the sheer versatility of his attacks to analysing how his opponent would react to certain situations. In fact, the whole reason why Natasha lost the fight was because she let her guard down for one second and allowed Shin's flying needle to pierced through her greater meridian on her thigh. There was so much that she could learn from the bout that she had with Shin, and after a session of proper reflection, the swordmaiden would be sure to up her game.
”Is it common for those from the Aldana household to thank the person that beat them in battle?” Shin merrily jokes.
”Haha, no! But it is common courtesy to ask for a rematch!!! Give me some time! I will definitely train hard enough so that the next time we fight, I won't be the one that's lying on the ground!!!” Natasha declared, her face beaming with delight. Even though she was the loser, the young girl didn't give up hope and remained optimistic about her chances to beat Shin in the future.
'A stronger Starlight Blade? Do you really want me to die, Natasha?!' Shin mentally hollered out. The bout with her nearly pulled out everything that he had, something that he had hoped to reserve for his following matches against Danroy or Suji. If the swordmaiden grew even more mighty, there was a high chance that Shin would be beaten to the ground in a few seconds flat. Of course, there was no way that Shin would voice out that opinion.
”Fine, I'll be waiting...”
”Hahaha, now that's the warrior spirit! Ah, by the way… I'm just going to take a little nap… My head is spinning like mad...”
”By all means, Natasha. Thank you for the match.” Shin smiled as he watched the young girl fall deeper into the Garden of Hypnos. Before he could call on the referee to bring the injured Natasha back to an infirmary, the reality of the situation hit him like a baseball bat. Throughout the battle, he had spent all of his brain cells thinking about how he was to overcome the adversary that was Natasha. However, now that it was accomplished, the Shin was given the freedom to reflect on what had happened.
'I beat Natasha… I'm in the final eight?' Shin raised his hands in exhilaration. Why did he spend hundreds of hours training tirelessly? Wasn't because of this precise moment? 'I'm two matches away from the finals! I'm two matches away from the final!!!'
Reverting back to his childlike self, Shin resisted the urge to hop around the arena. Turning his gaze to the audience, the youth met eyes with a particular pair of teenage boys. One was moderately obese with full cheeks, akin to that of a squirrel, while the other was a muscular, well-built boy, who seemed nothing like a fifteen, sixteen-year-old. Both of them were frowning while spectating the entire match, as they now knew what was to come.
'Danroy… Suji… You guys are next!!!' Shin declared. 'Danroy, I will show you how much I have grown since the last time you manhandled me!!!'
There was no need for words. Even though they were separated by a great distance, Shin's intense feelings resonated with the two youths. Earlier on in the year, they had thought of the boy as an insignificant threat that they could squash at any moment. However, recent events had proved that Shin was far from a country bumpkin that knew nothing of the world.
”Dan… You have to win.” Suji scoffed at Shin's declaration of war and angrily jumped out of his seat, leaving his childhood friend alone in the stands.
'Yeah… Easier said than done...' Danroy dropped his head and felt a tingling cold manifest all over his body. If someone poured a bucket of iced water onto his chest, Danroy was certain that he wouldn't feel a thing, that's how much melancholy he was facing at the moment. In just a few days, the quarterfinals would start, and he would have to face Shin in the ring. However, after a performance like that, even Danroy was tempted to call it quits even before his match with the Black-Haired Tyrant had begun.
'Whatever… I'll just take it as it comes...' Despondently watching as Shin helped the medics to carry Natasha out, Danroy felt as if he were pricked by a thousand needles, as he thought of his next match with the monster.
~~~
The match between Shin and Natasha sent shockwaves throughout the academy and was quickly being referred to as the match of the year. From Shin's expert display of precision to Natasha's swordplay, which was indisputably the best set of sword arts ever showcased in the academy, each aspect of the bout was a feast for the eyes.
The names of the Starlight Blade and the Black-Haired Tyrant started to become more dominant as even final year seniors were beginning to pay attention, catapulting the two of them to the top of the fame hierarchy. And it was still just the second match in the round of sixteen!!!
With the audience hyped up for the rest of the afternoon, many of the spectators hoped to witness an even more stellar match. Unfortunately, the opposite rang true for the most part. In the western bracket, the two remaining matches were Suji Lasgeor versus Biiro Daniels and Lorraine Grimley versus Jamie Young.
Suji took the easy win, as everyone expected, by smashing his opponent's spiritual abilities to pieces. His Purple Dragon Crescent Blade showed its hegemony at the top of the weapon-type Spirit food chain through its excessive use of lightning and thunder, bringing fear to all those who witnessed its splendour.