Anomaly of Fate
Chapter 46: Radiant Breakpoint

Chapter 46: Radiant Breakpoint

Velren cast a quick glance toward Eterna. The two teams she had interrupted were already back on their feet, regaining their composure.

Should he rush over there and back her up?

Then again...

She was weird, sure. But she wasn’t reckless. Even if it looked like she had thrown herself straight into the chaos, Velren had a feeling she knew exactly what she was doing. She doesn’t look like the type to charge in blindly without a plan.

’Still... if she asked, I would’ve helped, you know...’

"Where are you looking?!"

A voice snapped him back to the present.

The ice-wielding student from the last team had already taken the initiative, launching a jagged spike of frost straight at him.

Velren didn’t move. The attack struck—only to pass through his body, phasing harmlessly through the illusion left behind.

"What—?!"

Before the boy could fully register what had happened, Velren was already descending from above, with his katana poised for a clean strike.

Too slow.

This was his win—!

Clang!

The impact never landed. Instead, Velren’s blade was met with a gauntlet, worn by the ice user ally, his blade was repelled mid-strike as if striking solid steel.

A second spike of ice hurtled toward him, forcing Velren to break away from the impasse. He twisted midair and landed lightly a few feet away, clicking his tongue in mild irritation.

’Tch...’

Fine. If Eterna could handle two teams on her own over there, then Velren could at least deal with these two here.

***

Eterna stood tall amidst the aftermath, gleaming her blade with residual energy. A low haze of dust still clung to the air, swirling like restless spirits around the battered training field.

A sharp whistle cut through the tension.

"Ain’t that a flashy entrance."

The voice belonged to a dagger-wielding boy from the first team. He grinned, twirling his weapons with ease, seemingly unfazed by the attack.

The second team, consisting of a swordsman and a wind mage, had also recovered. The swordsman rolled his shoulders, casting an annoyed glance at his now-dirtied uniform.

"She made the first move," he muttered. "Means she thinks she can take us all."

The second team’s wind mage snorted.

"Where’s her ally?"

Eterna said nothing. Every small movement, every glance, felt sharpened—as if the entire arena was holding its breath.

Her silence only added fuel to the tension.

Then, in a single, unspoken moment—

They all moved.

The dagger user lunged first, vanishing in a blur of speed as he darted toward her left flank. His teammate, the curved swordsman, rushed in from the right, carving his blade in a deadly arc aimed at her waist.

The second team didn’t stay idle either. The swordsman advanced at a measured pace, waiting for an opening, while the wind mage chanted under his breath, preparing to unleash a spell.

Eterna’s eyes flickered.

She reacted in an instant.

A burst of light flashed beneath her feet, propelling her backward just as the two melee fighters struck. The dagger barely missed her ribs, and the curved sword carved nothing but empty air.

She twisted mid-air—

There!

The second team’s swordsman saw the opening and dashed forward, swinging his greatsword in a powerful downward strike.

Instead of dodging, Eterna countered.

Her rapier met his blade with a sharp clang, but rather than a simple deflection, her light surged—

A concussive blast erupted at the point of impact, sending the swordsman skidding backward.

But she had no time to breathe.

"Hah!"

The dagger user was already behind her, flashing his blade toward her exposed back.

Eterna twisted around and barely parried in time, clashing their weapons in a brief flurry of sparks.

But the wind mage had been waiting for this.

"Got you!"

A sudden burst of wind slammed into her side, knocking her off balance.

The curved swordsman capitalized immediately, stepping in and delivering a horizontal slash.

Eterna gritted her teeth and ducked—the blade narrowly missing her head.

Her feet found the ground.

She retaliated.

A pulse of light exploded outward from her stance, forcing everyone to back away. For a heartbeat, everything froze—the fighters poised on the brink, light crackling around Eterna like the halo of a rising sun.

The battlefield descended into chaos.

Now that both teams had adjusted to Eterna’s presence, they weren’t just fighting her—they were fighting each other, too.

The curved swordsman took a sudden swing at the dagger user, forcing him back. The dagger user cursed and retaliated, flipping away and hurling a knife at the swordsman.

Meanwhile, the wind mage turned his attention to the other team’s swordsman, sending razor-sharp gales in his direction.

The greatsword-wielding student didn’t falter. He raised his weapon, using its broad surface as a shield to withstand the assault before charging forward with raw force.

Eterna observed.

The battlefield was shifting.

Her moment came when the curved swordsman and the dagger user locked blades—each struggling for dominance.

Without hesitation, she struck.

Her rapier sang through the air, glowing with radiant energy. She dashed toward them in a brilliant streak of light—

And just as they noticed her approach—

She exploded into motion.

Her blade danced. A sweeping strike aimed at both of them forced them apart. She capitalized on the momentum, spinning mid-step and delivering a second strike toward the curved swordsman’s side.

He barely blocked in time, his stance faltering from the sheer force behind it.

The dagger user tried to retaliate from behind, but she pivoted and caught his blade mid-strike, pushing him back.

The wind mage sent a sudden burst of air, pushing his ally out of harm’s way at the last second.

But Eterna had already adjusted.

She twisted in the air—

And instead of striking the dagger user, she redirected her attack toward the wind mage himself.

His eyes widened—

"What—!"

Too late.

Her rapier struck the ground beside him—

BOOM!

A detonating pulse of light burst outward, knocking the wind mage off his feet. He tumbled backward, rolling against the dirt before groaning in pain.

One down.

Three left.