Sword Saint's Reincarnation
Chapter 90: Finals (5)

Rylan felt as if he had spent his entire life in the darkness, only to see a beautiful sunset for the first time. As if he had been drowning for many years and had just now taken his very first breath. A man who found true love for the first time. Someone who had just surpassed their limits after years of constant, endless effort. All of these represented how he felt.

It was a nearly indescribable high that was born out of nothing but drawing his sword and circulating his mana, both similar to and different from what he had felt when doing Dust.

His senses got sharper; the world became clearer and more vivid, and he could more easily distinguish everything he was hearing. Even though the world had become louder, his hearing wasn’t overwhelmed. Every muscle roared with power and defiance, now free to rage to its fullest. His wounds started closing on their own, mending and healing as his mana coursed through him. The pain decreased by the second. He grinned.

I kept you waiting.

Right now, the part of Roland that still remained within him was screaming in delight. It was to be expected: his current self was a mix of both lives, after all.

In the midst of this intoxicating influx of power, Rylan’s mind was completely clear. He looked at Hayden, who was staring at him and hurriedly chanting. Before, he had felt like the distance between them was one he couldn’t cross, but now it was different.

…So close.

Hayden had become someone he could reach.

At the same time, Rylan knew he shouldn’t push himself too far. He wanted to win, but and a single Sword Art would be enough to end this battle, but it would mean showing too much of himself too early. The consequences would escape his control.

At most, stay right at the edge between ‘possible’ and ‘impossible.’ Don’t circulate all of it.

There was only so much a Mage on his Level could do, even if they invested every Free Point into their physical stats. There was a limit to how much power he could show before people started asking themselves too many questions. He only wanted to be considered a ‘genius,’ not a monster beyond comprehension. His battle against Evenon had been bad enough. Rylan frowned.

…I wish I hadn’t needed your power again.

Turning to Roland’s memories and skills was uncomfortable and even slightly enraging. Rylan knew he had gotten very far with nothing but magic and his instincts, but part of him had still hoped that he would manage to win the tournament without needing to draw his sword. Still, doing it had been his choice, even though he could have accepted that Hayden was the better Mage and settled for second place. Rylan blinked as he easily avoided a projectile, a bit lost in his thoughts.

Was this victory truly worth revealing part of his abilities? Did he really care about winning so much that he was willing to actively endanger himself just to prove he was stronger?

No, that isn’t all there is to this.

From another perspective, this was an opportunity. Now that he had improved his magical abilities, Rylan could finally try his hand at merging the knowledge of both lives. To win without revealing too much of his power, he would need to use both magic and swordsmanship.

I don’t want to win just because of who I was.

Rylan felt himself grow calmer as he took another deep breath. The memories might belong to Roland, but that didn’t mean he could only follow them blindly. To transcend both lives, he needed to go beyond.

He took a strong step forward. It was steadier than any of his previous ones in the entire tournament. This was ‘his’ battle.

“Fire Ring!” Hayden shouted with a shaking voice after chanting for a few seconds.

Mana erupted into flames as it expanded in a circular shape. The heat reached Rylan, who observed the spell with attentive eyes and a calm expression.

It’s better than Jasmine’s.

The fire grew and roiled over the earth, quickly covering as much ground as it could. Not only was Hayden’s Fire Ring bigger than Jasmine’s, but it also burned much hotter. Given Hayden’s ability to manipulate and control his spells, his Fire Ring’s actual effectiveness was likely much higher. Rylan swung his sword a few times with a smile, thankful for its familiar weight. His steady gaze was still fixed on the rapidly growing Fire Ring.

It consumed everything from ground level to taller than Rylan himself. Avoiding it without Floating would be difficult, and even then, Hayden might be able to make the flames follow him like the boy had done with Fireball.

But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing I can do.

Rylan slashed the air one last time before looking at the blade with a calm expression. He waved his wand, still circulating his mana. The flames approached him, like a demon’s maw. The blistering heat intensified, but he didn’t even blink.

“Magic Shield,” he cast, finishing his chant. As the layer of mana took shape above his skin, he dashed forward.

Falling Snow Steps: Drifting.

The flames and the Shield made contact. Almost immediately, the Fire Ring moved and revolved around him, but it was also forced to part and flow around the Magic Shield, like water flowing around a rock. He knew he only had a second or two at most before the Fire Ring melted his Shield. Rylan continued to run. The Magic Shield collapsed into pure mana as the tongues of fire rotated around him like a hurricane. Some reached his skin, but Rylan only gritted his teeth.

Rylan shot out of the fire with Drifting. The flames tried to catch up, but they couldn’t match his speed. He had effectively carved himself a path through Hayden’s Fire Ring, but that didn’t mean it was over. Hayden pointed his wand at Rylan, making the flames move toward him like they was alive.

Rylan looked at his opponent, letting out a breath. Hayden was now frowning heavily, sweat flowing down his brow and making his shirt stick to his chest. Despite his obvious surprise, Hayden was still chanting. Rylan smiled and pointed his wand at him. His arm no longer shook.

“Magic Missile,” Rylan said.

The Missile flew toward Hayden even faster than before. A golden Magic Shield took shape around him just before the spell reached him. It was as Rylan expected. His Magic Missile’s purpose hadn’t been to deal damage; instead, it had been to force Hayden to give up on casting a second offensive spell.

Rylan continued to chant as he rapidly approached his opponent with Drifting. The Fire Ring chased after him, having completely lost its circular shape. It wasn’t fast enough to reach him. It burned the earth and wrapped itself around the stone pillars and walls, but it couldn’t catch up.

“Magic Missile,” he cast again.

The second Missile landed on the Shield as Hayden raised his wand. The boy gritted his teeth and waved his wand. The chasing flames disappeared, vanishing back into mana.

“Tide!” Hayden said after a few seconds, but it was too late.

Rylan got within one meter of Hayden as mana coalesced into a raging flood around him. Still holding his wand, he swung his blade without hesitation, empowered by his mana circulation. The collision sounded like a large boulder had slammed into a steel wall. It was as if Hayden had been hit by a galloping horse. He was thrown to the ground with a grunt as his Shield trembled heavily, rippling.

Rylan stepped forward once more. At the same time, his improved senses remained completely focused on his surroundings. His eyes darted around, grasping the situation he was in in an instant.

The Tide had fully taken shape. It surpassed Hayden’s previous Water Sphere in scope and size as it took over most of the arena, reminding Rylan of an ocean during a storm. Nevertheless, he wasn’t shaken in the least. With calm eyes, Rylan looked back at Hayden, who was struggling to climb to his feet. With another step forward, Rylan swung his sword again, forcing his opponent back to the ground with a bang. The water flooded toward him in waves taller than himself, but he didn’t move back.

Rylan hit Hayden’s Shield again as the boy struggled to rise to his feet. Then, he used the counterforce to spin and deliver another slash. Instead of bouncing backward, Rylan’s blade continued to press forward and down at Hayden’s golden Magic Shield. Hayden clenched his jaw, furiously channeling mana into the Shield. Rylan raised his wand and started chanting. Hayden widened his eyes, still unable to rise to his feet. Every time he tried, Rylan put more strength into the sword.

“Earth Spikes,” Rylan cast.

The ground around them rippled. The Spikes tore their way out of it as Rylan strained his mind. One Spike pierced at Hayden’s Shield from the right, while another from the left. Once more, Hayden struggled to stand up, but Rylan didn’t let him. Every time the boy pushed against the ground, Rylan pushed him back down. The Spikes continued to flow out of the earth and attempt to pierce through the golden Shield. Every time they did, it rippled before Hayden mended whatever damage had been dealt. Rylan’s plan was simple.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Since I’m forced to stay within the mana barrier, there’s no way to escape his Tide without Snowfall.

As such, the safest place was, ironically, right next to Hayden. As long as he stuck close to Hayden, the boy would be forced to make the water flow around himself and target Rylan alone. It would demand more concentration and focus, but Rylan believed Hayden could do it. To avoid that scenario, he only had to do one thing.

Keep attacking.

If he could push Hayden to keep splitting his attention between sustaining his Magic Shield and manipulating the Tide, the boy wouldn’t be able to control the Third Circle spell carefully enough to overwhelm Rylan.

This standstill continued for almost ten seconds. The water now completely surrounded them both but stayed two meters away. It was as if the place where they were fighting was an island in the middle of the ocean.

Once the Spikes stopped surging, Hayden’s eyes virtually shone, sweat flowing down his brow. Even as Rylan continuously pushed him into the sharp tips of the Earth Spikes, he waved his wand.

Rylan saw the water to his right move at the edge of his vision. Without stopping for even a second to think, he took three steps back with Drifting. A column of water shot out of the flood horizontally and went through where he had just been, meeting the water wall on the other side and sinking into it.

So that’s what you’re going to do.

The Tide moved as it grew taller, almost as if trying to cover the skies. Above Rylan and to his left, another water pillar burst toward him, even bigger than the first. Rylan lightly moved to the side, making the column hit the floor and fall apart into a large puddle.

Rylan looked at Hayden with appreciation as he avoided another burst of water, limited by the small arena that Tide had created. The boy’s plan obviously wasn’t for the columns of water to deal enough damage to defeat Rylan on their own; instead, he only wanted to force Rylan to stay still for enough time for the Tide to wrap itself around him. The moment a single attack landed, the Tide would follow it and envelop Rylan completely.

Rylan thrust his blade forward. Hayden was sent reeling and sliding backward.

Without missing a beat, Rylan slashed diagonally. Hayden fell to the ground again and rolled with gritted teeth. The Tide around them moved, making it so that Hayden wouldn’t be pushed into the water with the next attack. Rylan pointed his wand at him.

“Wind Blades.”

Hayden’s expression was no longer one of shock. Instead, Rylan could see only pure focus and the same desire not to lose. The boy looked up as the half-moons of sharp wind took shape and fell toward him like guillotines. The Blades broke out of their shape once they hit the Magic Shield. Now formless, they wrapped themselves around the Shield, trying to slash through it without stopping. Hayden breathed deeply.

Another column of water suddenly burst out of the Tide, this time coming straight from behind Rylan. He glanced at it as it approached. It was much bigger than the previous ones, to the point it made him furrow his brow. He realized Hayden’s plan in an instant and smiled. Keeping up the Blades, Rylan lunged to the side, maintaining his balance. The water missed him, flowing straight toward Hayden, as if about to hit him dead on. Just before hitting him, it split in half and flowed around him. It didn’t disappear, effectively splitting the small space they were in in half.

“Why are you trying to sink our little island?” Rylan asked with a smile, circulating his mana.

“It’s below sea level. It was doomed from the start,” Hayden replied with a laugh.

They moved at the same time.

Rylan leaped to the right, avoiding another burst of water. It crashed against the ground with a thunderous noise and connected itself to the flood around them, but just like the previous one, it didn’t disappear or flow back into the Tide. The small circle where Rylan could freely move was reduced once again. Rylan narrowed his eyes. Since this was Hayden’s plan, one alternative was to keep avoiding the water while attacking Hayden with ranged spells. Another possibility was to stick as close to Hayden as possible and constantly move not to get grabbed by the water. Both plans would rely heavily on his judgment and battle sense, as he didn’t want to reveal more power than he already had.

A single mistake would result in defeat. At the same time, taking too long to decide where to go or what to do after avoiding an attack would have the same outcome. He would need precise control and flawless decision-making to succeed.

But I can do it.

Rylan’s confidence was unshakable. As both Roland and Rylan, there was no need to spend even a second doubting himself. He wasn’t going to lose. That was all.

He waved his wand again. The formless Wind Blades around Hayden’s Shield disappeared. Hayden immediately straightened his body, his eyes gleaming like those of a starving man who had just been offered a feast. Rylan inwardly smiled.

He can’t keep this up forever.

In the first place, the ‘island’ had been created because Hayden was unable to precisely control the Tide. To avoid being devoured by his own spell, he had established the ‘safe zone’ around himself. Now, he was actively giving up on this safe zone, placing them both in a race against time. There was no way to know if Rylan would be devoured by the Tide before Hayden was forced to dismiss the spell to avoid getting caught up in it. As such, it was only natural that Hayden was in a rush to win as soon as possible. Rylan knew he could exploit that.

This situation was a dangerous bet that made it clear to Rylan how much Hayden wanted to win. He spun to dodge another burst of water, which fell apart and started covering the ground underneath their feet. Rylan clicked his tongue. This was annoying. Without hesitating, he closed the gap between himself and Hayden, ducking under or leaping over all the columns of water in his way. Less than a second after activating Drifting, his blade’s edge slammed into Hayden’s Shield. Hayden desperately tried to stay on his feet but was thrown to the ground once more.

More columns of water burst out of the Tide as Hayden slid backward, the water behind him parting. Every one of them sought only to restrict Rylan’s movements. As their number piled up, the possible movement paths disappeared one by one. Nevertheless, Rylan was calm. Not a single one of them had hit him, but the safe zone’s ground was now almost completely covered in water. The liquid continued to spread.

Rylan weaved between the bursts of water with Drifting, shooting Firebolts, Magic Missiles, and Wind Blades. There was no time to focus on casting Earth Spikes. The seconds ticked by. Hayden was soaked in sweat, his arms trembling, but he kept the same smile. At this point, Rylan could barely take a step without needing to avoid a column. They had created a cage around Hayden, ensuring that Rylan would need to get through at least one of them to slash the boy’s Shield.

Unrelenting, Rylan didn’t stop attacking with spells. Instead of decreasing in power, they became faster and more accurate as time quickly passed, even though most of Rylan’s mana was being used for his partial mana circulation. Rylan felt as if he had entered a type of trance. Memories of Roland’s early days of training superimposed themselves on what he saw when casting.

…It’s like the spells are sword styles too.

The moment this thought struck him, Rylan’s concentration surpassed its peak. At the same time, the ground underneath his feet was now completely covered in water. It rippled and vibrated. Unhesitatingly, Rylan shot forward with Drifting, his wand pointed straight ahead.

“Magic Missile,” he said.

The water underneath him rose around his legs as the Missile pierced through the air. Rylan forcefully broke through the water around him, slowing down a bit. His eyes were glued to the Missile.

It landed on the Shield, which cracked. Rylan’s eyes captured this change like those of a hawk. He grinned as he watched the crack gradually mend. It was slower than before. Hayden was worn out. The water continued to rise into walls around him as the Tide flowed. It devoured the columns of water, absorbing them back into its body. Rylan’s blade clashed against Hayden’s Shield, forcing the boy to reel.

The ‘island’ had been reduced to almost nothing. The Tide revolved around the two of them like a whirlpool. The water underfoot wrapped itself around Rylan’s legs, but his physical stats allowed him to push through them.

Rylan stared at Hayden through the golden Magic Shield. His opponent was soaked in sweat, with trembling arms. Yet, he was still grinning. The Tide around him closed in even further, but it had slowed down.

The closer it gets, the more control it demands from him.

There was an easy way to take advantage of this. Rylan put strength into his sword arm and pushed. Hayden widened his eyes and slid on the floor before his back touched the water. It hurriedly parted, but Rylan kept pushing. Hayden struggled desperately to remain on his feet but only managed to slide backward faster. Rylan walked forward, chanting. Hayden gritted his teeth behind his Shield. Sweat flowed down his brow as the water behind him gave way. Rylan calmly stared into Hayden’s eyes.

If only you weren’t so focused on avoiding getting swallowed up by the Tide at all costs.

Truthfully, a more experienced Mage would have jumped into the Tide, then used its entirety to target Rylan without restriction. Once both were inside the spell’s confines, the Mage could simply make the water around them recede, effectively trapping Rylan inside while also avoiding their own spell. However, Hayden was too young.

Time to finish this.

With one last push, Rylan sent Hayden stumbling backward. He immediately pointed his wand at Hayden and cast Magic Missile. Once the spell made contact with the Shield, Rylan dashed forward again and slashed, then continued to push Hayden backward with every blow. The gaps between his thrusts and slashes were covered by Magic Missile and Firebolt. One after the other, attacks fell on Hayden’s Shield. It cracked and rippled. Likely too concerned about not falling into the Tide, Hayden’s control over the Shield was wavering.

Rylan’s Magic Missile dug into a crack, widening it. Hayden looked at it with dread before clenching his jaw. The water behind him started moving, as if about to swallow him up, but he had gotten to the right conclusion too late. Rylan’s eyes were serene.

Falling Snow Steps: Drifting.

Even faster than before, he shot forward as the water all around him flowed toward him. With one last slash, Hayden’s Shield shattered like glass. Without missing a beat, Rylan slammed his fist into Hayden’s chest while controlling his strength, then spun and kicked his legs. Hayden collapsed as all the air left his lungs, sliding backward because of the blow’s force. The Tide around them came undone as it was about to devour Rylan, losing all its previous wrath. The massive amount of water melted back into mana, as if it had never been there at all.

Letting out a breath, Rylan stepped forward and placed his sword under the chin of the coughing Hayden, who was lying on the ground and struggling to breathe. Hayden stopped clutching at his chest once the sharp steel touched his throat and looked at Rylan. His eyes were filled with admiration. Rylan only gave him a kind smile.

“My whole body hurts and I don’t think I’ve got a limb with less than seven different wounds. You were a great opponent, Hayden. You’re strong.”

Hayden laughed while coughing at the same time and looked at the sky.

“I knew it,” he gasped out with a smile, then coughed again. “I knew there was no way I was the best. There had to be someone better than me.”

Rylan lightly hit the boy’s forehead with the flat of his blade, smiling.

“It ain’t that deep. I just won this time.”

Hayden coughed again but kept his eyes on Rylan. He smiled.

“You’re the greatest, Rylan.”

Rylan scoffed and hit Hayden again, then looked at the sky. It was completely clear, as if the sun itself had wished to watch their battle.

The final battle of the Royal Magic Academy’s tournament was over.

Rylan could feel countless piercing stares. The entire stadium was mostly silent. A wave gradually built up among the crowd.