Red Aura was covering Marco's entire fist, and the sheer pressure that was released from the attack made Felicia's hair perk up and every single one of her instincts scream.

'If that hits me…I'm dead!'

Yes, if it hit her.

With impossible speed and fluidity, Felicia slipped under his strike, and with a sharp exhale, she swung her sword again.

CLANG

Yet again, her sword could not get through his skin, but instead of being shocked, or demoralized, Felicia smiled. Once Marco caught up to her and his mountain-like fist descended upon her body, she moved again, and she struck again.

CLANG

CLANG

CLANG

As Felicia flew around him like a mosquito, Marco clicked his tongue. 'I can't hit her at all!!"

He was well aware of the destructive power contained within his body, but what use was all that strength if he couldn't even harm his opponent?

Much less harming her, Marco could barely react to her movements. She was always a step ahead of him, and by the time he realized that she'd attacked him, she had already taken her stance for the next attack.

Plus… Marco knew it well, Felicia was still only playing around with him.

With a scoff, she jumped back, and she spun her sword.

"You know, I never told you, but I ran into your master once," she said, quickly glancing toward the six seats at the summit of the arena.

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Really? And how did tha–"

"He completely destroyed me!! It was so fun!"

–

The atmosphere around Senna suddenly got much sharper. "...What?"

Gerard cleared his throat. "Ahem…Destroyed is a strong word. I only gave her a few pointers…haha!"

–

Marco tilted his head. "...right, but why are you telling me this?"

Felicia shrugged, and she took her stance. "Who knows~"

Still wearing her crazed smile, Felicia channeled Aura to her sword, but this time, the Aura that coiled around it took solid form. She had since long mastered Enhanced Sword Aura.

Verity scrunched his nose. "This is just unfair… How can she be that much of a genius?"

Of course, he knew about Enhanced Sword Aura, but since he could not even use basic Spear Aura, it wasn't even something he could dream of. Still, if there was anything at all he could gain from watching her, then he would do so. Verity made sure to not miss even a second of this fight.

Felicia's Aura did not increase the size of the sword itself by much, but Marco felt it instantly as he laid eyes upon the deep blue hue growing beside her. This was dangerous.

Felicia smirked. "Steel yourself."

'Nameless style – Tide cleaver'

Cold sweat dripped from Marco's temple, and he did not waste a moment in activating his skill."[Adamantine Body]!!"

His skin hardened to a level incomparable to what it had been before and–

CLANG

Drip… drip…

Felicia's sword had cut through his defense.

A shallow wound. Not life-threatening, but undeniable.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

She had broken through [Adamantine Body].

Marco sighed.

Still…Still… he knew that this was still not a serious strike from Felicia.

Both his fists became enveloped in crimson Aura, and his feet sunk into the ground.

BOOM

He still hadn't resolved the issue of not being able to move while using [Adamantine Body], so he deactivated his skill and he lunged toward her.

His fists rained down like meteors.

No technique, no finesse, just raw, unbridled strength.

For Felicia, every single blow was life or death. There would be no do-over or second chance if she was hit, but that did not scare her. She lifted her sword, and she deflected every single one of Marco's attacks, just as she had done against the orc during the first trial.

They both flew around the arena, Marco on the offensive, and Felicia on the defensive. The spectators watched with great enthusiasm at the carnage that the battle was leaving in their wake. Different kinds of cheers could be heard.

"I bet a lot on you big man, so crush her!!"

"Do that big attack one more time! Kill him!!"

"This is great! This is great!! I'm glad I came, it's like watching superhumans fight!"

Hoshino's grip tightened around her wand. "That won't be enough… Knight of Iron, not against her."

Verity couldn't help but feel frustrated. Would he even be able to stand before either of them? He shook his head and decided to focus on the fight for now. Perhaps he'd gain some insight from watching them.

Ife nibbled on her thumb. "So that's the level I should expect, huh."

Eventually, the two of them jumped back. Marco was panting heavily, blood trickled from more than a few wounds on his jade skin, and the red Aura surrounding his fists was shimmering, threatening to be extinguished. Even though he was no slouch when it came to stamina, the reason Marco was so tired was the same reason that boxers who spent their entire lives training their cardio would tire after only two or three rounds of fighting.

Plus, he'd been putting everything he had into every single strike he had launched at Felicia. In his situation, there was no need for feints, or decoys, as Felicia would have read him like an open book, so Marco had decided that every strike would be 'real' in order to put as much pressure as he could on his opponent.

And it had somewhat worked.

Sweat rolled down Felicia's pale skin, and her breathing was uneven. No matter how skilled she was and how seemingly easily she defended against or evaded Marco's onslaught, Felicia was still human. A mere graze would have incapacitated her, and she was well aware of that. Being so close to death, so many times, even she was bound to feel the strain.

It was a situation she had never experienced before. Beside the truly powerful masters, she had never fought someone who could kill her in one single attack.

It was…exhilarating.

The trial Overseer scratched his head and he mumbled something under his breath. "...I didn't make those crystals just for decoration you know…"

Felicia placed her hand over her mouth, and she laughed. "Ha…haha…hahaha… this is amazing."

Marco scoffed. "You're insane, you know that?"

Felicia ignored him. "Why don't we get serious now?" she said as her thin silver sword reflected the sunlight. "We've played around enough, don't you think?"

Marco's hands dropped to his side. "...Yeah, you're right. This isn't going anywhere."

All the Aura that had been covering his fists, and to a certain extent, his body, was directed straight to his right fist. It grew larger, and larger, but also much deeper. It felt as though Marco had gathered enough power to split the earth itself in a single fist.

Gerard's seat cracked under his grip. "Haha!! Yes! Show me how far you've come!"

Evangelina smirked. "So you did teach him something after all."

Senna stayed quiet.

Felicia did something similar, but also very different. The solid Aura that had been covering her sword dissolved, and it seemed to be absorbed back into the silver edge until it disappeared completely.

It looked like she had discarded her Aura, but at that point, only a true master could understand what she was doing. Unlike with basic or enhanced Aura, there was no hue around her sword, nothing but an extremely faint almost translucent blue outline covering it.

Basic Aura allowed the Aura to 'float' around the sword and increased its power.

Enhanced Sword Aura solidified it around the sword and further increased its power, or even its range as needed.

The next step, a realm that Felicia had half-entered, gave Aura a property, and that was what defined a Grandmaster who had reached Body-Sword unity.

Under her guidance, all of Felicia's aura gathered in an extremely thin layer around the edge of her sword. Even to the audience who could not see it, it felt like her sword could cut through the world.

Elio narrowed his eyes. "Hm. Marco can't hit her, and Felicia can't inflict meaningful damage without getting serious so… They're looking to end this with one last attack."

Verity glanced at him from the corner of his eye. 'Is he trying to sound cool?'

Klyde Spauser, the Hammer of Judgement, leaned back. "...Disappointing."

"The Master says it seems like an ill fit, an ill fit!!"

Evangelina blew air from her nose. "What a waste of advice."

Senna knew very well what they meant, but this was something Felicia needed to figure out on her own, so she had never said anything. Instead, she huffed, and she leaned forward. "...Aren't you going to say anything, Gerard?"

Gerard stayed silent for a half a moment, and he spoke. "It does not matter! What matters in the end is who between our disciples will be the last to stay standing! Her path is hers alone to choose! HAHA!"

Marco's gaze locked onto Felicia's.

'First Fist - Mountain Splitting Strike.'

A straight punch with the intent to split a mountain. As simple as they came, and the only technique Gerard had ever taught Marco. It was a punch he had practiced thousands of times, and one that Felicia wouldn't simply be able to dodge.

She smirked. 'Hmm… I see, if I dodge, this guy is going to hit the ground with that monstrous thing and the shockwave itself might very well leave me hald-dead…'

She held her sword before her. "Then I won't dodge!"

'This is something I've gained inspiration for some time ago… and it's not exactly polished, but it is definitely my most sincere attack, the one most deserving of the terrifying aura Marco is gathering at his fist.'

Her sword rose.

She closed her eyes and she exhaled slowly. 'Just like Master… there's nothing my sword can't cut…Wether it be the Sky, the Earth… or even the abundant Sea.'

Marco rushed forward, and so did Felicia, both hands on the hilt of her sword.

Felicia opened her eyes, a glint streaking through them. 'If I so wish… one strike is all it takes, and there is nothing that will remain whole before my blade.'

Marco grit his teeth and he recalled his master's words. 'A man only needs to know how to take… and throw a punch!'

The two attacks were on the verge of colliding.

'Nameless style - One Stroke Splits the Sea.'

'Punch like you want to break through the mountain!'

BOOM

A shockwave reverberated throughout the entire arena.

CRACK

Felcia's sword, a Refined level blade with a durability enchantment, shattered. Her hands trembled, and she fell to one knee. "Yeah… that wasn't bad, Marco."

Hosino bit her lip.

Verity shook his head.

Marco fell to the ground, his arm severed from his body.

The lizardman, recovering from the shock of witnessing such power from young talents, adjusted his robe and announced the result. "The winner is…. Challenger Felicia!!!"

The arena erupted into cheers, and the First Prince chuckled.

He wondered what he'd do with Marco now that he'd lost.

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