Chapter 395: The Same Actor but Different Stories
Qin Yue's doubts were not unfounded, since it was not uncommon for level six fighters to possess stronger soul energy than an Einherjar. Therefore, soul energy should not be the only measurement of a warrior's strength.
"Hehe, you think I would miss an Einherjar right in front of me?" Qin Lanyue laughed. She didn't need to look too hard at the mysterious warrior to sense that loneliness which uniquely belonged to an Einherjar.
The third quarterfinal was about to lift its curtain. The arena had already been completely renovated and looked brand new.
This match was between the Ivantian Prince, Patroclus, and Heidi, the Kaedeian princess.
Patroclus walked onto the stage, dressed in a silver overall. As soon as he appeared on the stage, the Ivantian audiences showered him with a tsunami of cheers. It was obvious that the Dower family had cultivated a good reputation on the Moon.
A few seconds later, Heidi sauntered out from the backstage with the beauty that outshone the brightest star in the night sky.
As both fighters appeared on the stage, the match had inadvertently turned into a model show.
Many netizens had already mentioned that the two would make the sweetest couple if they got married. No Ivantians would object to that notion, since the union would very likely bring the Ivantians another perfect human as Patroclus's successor.
The two fighters had drawn an unprecedented number of audiences, and even the reserved seats were packed, as everyone wanted to see the full power of Patroclus. Even though he was about to face the Kaedeian prince, most audiences believed that Patroclus would win the fight without a sweat.
Wang Tong appeared in the arena with Ma Xiaoru while holding her hand. Although the two were practically joined at the hips, Wang Tong didn't wear his affection on his face as Ma Xiaoru did.
Ma Xiaoru was a METAL fighter, but ever since she got together with Wang Tong, she felt less and less interested in fighting.
Standing right beside the couple, Li Ruoer finally burst out, "The whole world knows about you two. Can you two show any more public affection?"
Ma Xiaoru blushed after hearing her friend's comment.
"Wang Tong, who do you think will win the fight?" Zhou Sisi asked. Almost everyone was convinced that Patroclus could only be defeated by the Blade Warrior.
"Patroclus." Wang Tong said without any hesitation.
"Really? You don't think Heidi stands any chance?"
"Hehe. Power aside, I don't think Heidi wants to be the Champion anyways."
Sisi was perplexed by Wang Tong's answer, as she wondered why Heidi would join the tournament if she didn't even want to become the champion.
"Princess Heidi, please," Patroclus announced courteously.
Heidi unsheathed her blade while Patroclus remained calm and didn't seem to want to use his weapon. Everyone felt that Patroclus's confidence had gotten the better of him. However, most people didn't care about Patroclus's confidence that borderlined on conceit, since they figured that he would win the game anyways.
Heidi cranked up her soul energy, which made her look even more goddess-like. Unlike human's soul energy that could burst into action, the Kaedeians' soul energy increased at an even rate, signifying the female warrior's calm temperament.
Slowly, Heidi's GN power opened up like a blooming lotus flower. Despite the serenity of the scene, her GN force was deadly powerful. Without even making a move, Heidi had already advanced to level six.
Ever since the first contact, humans had always been curious about the genetic makeup of the Kaedeians. The Kaedeian royal line carried its traits with an excellent stability and consistency that even the House Li and House Dower could not match.
"Z-oink Z-oink!"
Heidi started the attack with her blade as waves of Blade Aura lurched towards Patroclus, who remained still as the Blade Aura wheezed by. Heidi had aimed around Patroclus but not at him, so that her blow would land on target as long as Patroclus moved an inch in any direction. However, Patroclus had seen through Heidi's tactic and remained still.
Heidi cracked a smile and marveled at his keen observation and formidable judgment. No wonder, she thought, they called him the perfect human.
Although Heidi's ultimate goal in the tournament was not Patroclus, she conceded that she was intrigued by the Ivantian's power.
Heidi cast a sidelong glance towards a corner of the arena.
"Hey! I think Heidi glanced at me!" Karl shouted out.
Hu Yangxuan slapped Karl's head and rebutted, "Not you, she was looking at me."
"Oh come on, you two! Neither of you are more handsome than the one in front of her." Sisi laughed out loud. However, she also registered the Kaedeian princess's glance and found it strange.
Noticing that Heidi was distracted, Patroclus paused and smiled. "Are you here for him as well?"
"What do you mean?"
"We are here for the same person, although my goal is entirely different than yours. I am here to defeat him, to put an end to the so-called Blade Warrior once and for all." Patroclus said as his eyes burned with a luster that held an unswerving conviction.
Heidi had doubted her judgment. However, after hearing Patroclus's words, she was confident that Wang Tong was indeed the man she had been waiting for.
The noise from the audiences drowned the voice of the MC, "The two fighters haven't started fighting right away. They are having a conversation, something about the 'Blade Warrior'!" Although the MC couldn't hear a thing, he had read their lips and the words "Blade Warrior" blurted out. Suddenly, the two words seemed to have killed all clamor in the arena, as a deadly silence fell.
Even after three hundred years, the mere mention of the Blade Warrior would draw everyone's attention immediately.
Li Shiming's face paled, as he too had been reading the two fighters' lips, and had realized that his would-be opponents were after the heir of the Blade Warrior.
Li Shiming clenched his fists, as he knew they were talking about Wang Tong and not him. It was unacceptable— as the heir of Li Feng, he had to do away with Wang Tong. There simply was no other option.
"That's good that we have this mutual understanding. Come on then, the only way to reach him is over me." Heidi cracked a gorgeous smile that captivated the hearts of all male audiences.
"Kom!"
Both fighters charged up their soul energy simultaneously. They shared not only the same ultimate goal, but also the same unwavering determination. Patroclus wanted to show it to the world that the legend of the Blade Warrior would no longer repeat itself, and House Dower would claim the empty throne; he would finish the task that Rilangalos had left.
Patroclus hacked his right arm at Heidi, and suddenly, it turned into a deadly blade shimmering with blade aura.
"Arm Blade!"
Heidi evaded the attack as Patroclus's strike landed on the ground and caused a sizable explosion. Before the dust had settled, Heidi had already lunged at Patroclus with unpredictable footsteps.
This would have been a fair fight if Heidi hadn't mentioned the Blade Warrior. A century-old feud had lent power to the beast inside Patroclus, threatening to unleash destruction that was beyond his control.
Driven by the call of the inner beast, Patroclus didn't evade the attack like he normally would. Instead, he reached out and grabbed the deadly blade with his bare hands.
Having sensed Patroclus's intention, Heidi changed the course of the blade and slid it up to under the Ivantian's neck. However, before she could finish the move, she noticed that Patroclus's fingers were already near the tip of her blade.
Being caught off guard, Heidi retreated abruptly as she heard Patroclus shout at her.
"Show me your real power. Little tricks like that won't work!"