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The Cursed Extra: Bloodline of Sacrifice-Chapter 114: Entrance Exam [14]: Final Match Up
Clank.
Sparks flew as Darian’s blade met Caspian’s.
The impact sent vibrations up both their arms.
The weight of the battle was evident, yet Caspian remained composed, his expression unreadable.
Darian, on the other hand, grit his teeth, pushing forward with sheer force.
Caspian sidestepped, his footwork fluid. With a swift counter, he aimed a strike at Darian’s ribs.
Darian barely deflected it, the force behind the blow sending a tremor through his wrist.
He staggered slightly but recovered instantly, lunging forward again with a sharp, precise thrust.
Caspian dodged, his body moving with an almost unnatural ease. "You’re too aggressive," he observed, his voice calm. "You leave openings."
"Tch." Darian clicked his tongue, adjusting his grip.
He knew White haired was right, but admitting it was out of the question.
He pressed on, his strikes becoming wilder, faster.
Then, suddenly—
"Darian!" a voice rang out.
Oliver and two others rushed in from the side, their weapons drawn.
Without hesitation, they aimed for Caspian, forcing him to break away from Darian.
The shift in momentum was immediate.
Caspian leaped back, his eyes narrowing as he gauged the new threat.
Vynesaa wasted no time, vines shooting forward from her fingertips as she engaged Oliver’s group, her movements sharp.
Darian watched, his grip tightening as his mind drifted back to a memory—
Interference. Again and again.
Why do they always interfere?
First my brother. Now you.
Why do all of you get in the way?
His fingers twitched. He was barely holding himself back.
His vision tunneled. He could hear Oliver shouting something—probably some nonsense about teamwork.
The words barely registered.
"We’re on the same side, Darian!" Oliver called out, fending off Vynesaa’s relentless assault. "We’re helping you!"
Darian’s body moved before his mind could process it.
He turned, his blade flashing as he swung at Oliver without hesitation.
The clang of steel against steel sent a jolt through both of them, but Darian didn’t relent.
He pushed forward, forcing Oliver to stumble back, eyes wide in shock.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Oliver shouted.
"Don’t interfere, Oliver," Darian snapped, his voice laced with irritation.
Oliver raised an eyebrow but didn’t look particularly bothered.
"Relax, Darian," he said, voice measured. "We’re just making sure we come out on top."
Darian’s grip on his weapon tightened. He knew exactly what that meant.
Oliver’s gaze flicked toward Vynesaa, his expression calculating.
’Let’s take her out first. Once they’re exhausted, we’ll deal with them.’
Caspian immediately caught on.
He was trapped.
Darian wanted to fight him, and Oliver was moving in on Vynesaa.
If Caspian split his attention, he’d lose to Darian.
If he focused on Darian, Vynesaa would have to fend for herself.
He clenched his jaw.
There was no easy way out of this.
The moment Oliver and the others lunged toward Vynesaa, the battlefield erupted into chaos.
Vynesaa met them head-on, but the sheer coordination of Oliver, Kaidor, and Marin was overwhelming.
She parried Marin’s strike, twisting her vines to deflect Kaidor’s incoming blade, but Oliver capitalized on the opening, his attack cutting dangerously close.
In mere seconds, she was already being pushed back.
Shing!
A portal tore open mid-air, and before anyone could react, a figure shot out of it with terrifying speed.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Lyrius’ battle cry rang across the field as his blade clashed against Oliver’s with a deafening clang.
Caspian exhaled sharply.
’You really are protagonist at the end’
Then Caspian glanced at Darian, who had barely flinched at the sudden interference.
Instead, something dark flickered across his eyes.
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Anger. Not at Lyrius, not at Oliver, but at the situation itself.
Darian turned back to Caspian, his lips curving into something that was neither a smile nor a scowl.
His grip tightened around his weapon.
"You’re mine," he muttered, lunging forward.
The battlefield had been set.
Oliver vs. Lyrius.
Caspian vs. Darian.
Vynesaa vs. Marin.
Calenthir vs. Kaidor.
No more interruptions. No more distractions.
Now, it was war.
-------
[POV: Academy Head Office]
The spacious office was filled with an air of quiet authority.
Tall bookshelves lined the walls, filled with tomes on combat theory.
A large crystal screen hovered in the center of the room, displaying the live broadcast of the tournament’s final showdown.
The voice of the commentator echoed throughout the chamber.
<< And here we are—the final matchup of the year! >>
<< Who will emerge victorious? The Sword Prodigy, Oliver Atticus. The Titan of Strength, Darian Vael. The Nature Queen, Vynesaa El’Leather. >>
A group of esteemed instructors sat in a semi-circle.
One of the senior instructors leaned forward, arms crossed. "So, who do you think will win?"
"Oliver," a reply came, swift and assured.
"Vynesaa," another voice added.
"Darian," a few others muttered, their choices unsurprising.
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The room fell silent when the question turned to the head of the academy—Headmistress Selene Valtoris.
She sat at the head of the table.
Unlike the others, she did not answer immediately.
Instead, she tapped her fingers lightly on the desk, eyes narrowing as she analyzed the combatants.
Then, with deliberate weight, she spoke.
"…I would have to give my vote to either Lyrius Ryder or Caspian Arcwright."
Murmurs rippled across the room. A few instructors exchanged glances.
"The top six all hail from powerful families," one of them remarked. "But those two… we know almost nothing about them."
Headmistress Selene nodded. "Exactly. Their lack of a well-documented lineage in our records is what makes them the most unpredictable factor in this fight. Background dictates expectations—but it doesn’t dictate talent."
One of the teachers, intrigued, turned to an assistant. "Pull up their entrance exam form. I want to know who their guardians are."
A moment passed as papers shuffled and a screen flickered to life with the requested information.
"Lyrius Ryder… His listed guardian is Reyes Duchy."
A few gasps were heard.
"The Reyes Duchy? "
The headmistress remained silent, eyes gleaming with interest.
"What about the other one?" she finally asked.
Another pause. Then, a voice read out the next name.
"Caspian Arcwright. Guardian… Arianna Sylvalis."
The room fell into stunned silence.
"Wait. Sylvalis? As in the Sylvalis House? An elven noble house?"
The headmistress exhaled softly, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
"…Interesting."