Ch 112 – Divine Swordsman

"Hmm…" Lute hummed as the two watched the fight currently playing out on the arena with bored eyes.

"What is it?" Imerda asked, munching on some bread Lute still has in store. Considering how the arena was drastically large and only their class was inside it, she can freely eat without getting caught or judged.

"Well, I just think that Spirit Magic could be optimized, you know?" Lute said, his brows furrowed as a glint flashed through his dark purple eyes.

"Oh? You think so?" Imerda asked. Raising her eyebrow, she wondered what Lute has in store for now.

"Well, considering we can basically talk to spirits with our voice alone, then it should be simple to shorten the incantation. For example, instead of Spirits of Wind, we can just say Wind. And for the spell name, maybe we can just throw it out and focus more on the spell function, or the order if we're going with magic terms. Like, how about I wanted a ball of water? I'd say Water, Ball. Or lift an object, I'd say Wind, Lift."

Hearing his suggestion, Imerda raised her eyebrows and decided to try it out.

"Hmm… Wind, feed me bread."

Upon chanting, she gasps in shock as the bread she was holding floated in the air right in front of her mouth. Opening her mouth, she watches as the bread went to her mouth and she bit upon it.

"Uwah! It totally works! But, wouldn't it be more convenient if we just say the spell name then? Like, let's say I wanted to fly, I'll just say, [Fly]. And considering the spirits know our general intention for the spell, then it should be possible!"

Humming to her suggestion, Lute nodded his head and opened his mouth, "[Invisible]."

As if the light around him warped, Imerda "woahed" as Lute's body disappeared from her view.

"My turn, [See Invisible]."

As a flash of white light appeared in her eyes, she instantly saw Lute who was waving at her. Widening her eyes, they sparkled in enlightenment as she shouted loudly.

"Lute! You're a genius! Now I can defeat that bastard in chanting speed- I mean, now we can chant spell names just like the Student Council President!" Imerda grinned, Lute dispelled his invisibility and reappeared back once more with a grin.

"Mmm, but this is really only applicable to us considering the spirits are so friendly that they'll do our request without hesitation," Lute chuckled.

And so, the two went to experiment in secret for more than ten minutes straight before they heard Lute's name being exclaimed by the teacher.

"Lute and Arthur Pendragon, please come on stage!" Hearing his shout, Imerda looked at Lute with worried eyes only to see the endless serenity holding within those dark purple eyes of his.

'Look at me, worrying for him when he is clearly overpowered as fuck.' Imerda chuckled.

Patting Lute on the back, she grinned and gave him a thumbs up, "You can do this. And maybe you can use our final theory to the test for this fight, it will really blow Arthur's knockers off if our final conjecture is proven true."

"Thanks."

And so, Lute muttered a spell name and flew down to the ground. Looking into the distance, Lute watches as Arthur also flew down to the stage.

"It is my pleasure fighting you, Lute-san," Arthur bowed politely, no hints of arrogance can be seen from him, showing the aura of an elegant prince.

"The pleasure is all mine, Arthur-san."

Lute bowed. The two raised their heads before Lute glanced at Arthur's sheathed Excalibur hanging on his waist.

"Oh? Are you perhaps worried I might use my Excalibur? Then there is no need to worry, for I am fine if you forbade me from using my sword," Arthur smiled, and many cheered from the crowd all around the arena seats.

"No, no. I actually want you to use your Excalibur, it would be disrespectful if your opponent doesn't use their full power, right?" Lute smiled, causing Arthur to chuckle loudly.

"You're right, you're right. But how about you? Are you also going to wield a sword?" Arthur asked, looking at Lute as he sensed the aura of a swordsman emanating from Lute at this very moment.

"Indeed. Though the sword I might use look ridiculous, it is the sword I am most accustomed to using," Lute said.

"No need to worry, for a true swordsman would still be a swordsman no matter the sword they wield."

Hearing his response, Lute smiled and muttered, "[Storage]."

Instantly, a small purple tear appeared in the open air in front of Lute. Plunging his hand inside, Lute slowly pulled out a wooden sword from the tear. Earning his interest, Arthur couldn't help but feel Lute's aura change, from a sheathed sword to now a sword fully brandished and pointed at its enemy.

'A true swordsman indeed.' Arthur thought, tightening his grip over Excalibur.

"Back when I still lived in the village, I would relentlessly train with this very sword. Whether it be raining, snowing, or blazingly hot, I would swing this sword relentlessly. All to attain a ridiculous dream of mine. So, I challenge you, Arthur Pendragon, to a duel of swords and magic!" Lute pointed his wooden sword toward Arthur with a ferocious glare, as if he has changed into an entirely different man.

"Very well! I accept your duel, Lute! May the better fighter win!" Arthur grinned before unsheathing his Excalibur, and his very aura changed just like Lute.

Now, many students had their necks craned and were excited by the fight they were about to see. Even Imerda who wasn't an experienced fighter can see the two exuded the aura of a grandmaster.

"I'll show you my years of training, and the power I gained with my friend. [Fire], [Lightning], [Light], [Wind]…" Instantly, Lute chanted countless words, each causing a glow to erupt from his body as Arthur slightly reacted in shock.

'W-What is this? How come his power is being enhanced to such a degree?! I can feel it, the countless spirits supporting him and giving him their strength. Lute… Just who are you?' Arthur grinned lightly before a golden glow erupted from his sword.

And so, Lute now enveloped in a rainbow of colors pointed his simple wooden sword towards Arthur. Their aura was explosive and overbearing. If Arthur was a proud lion, then Lute is like the calm sea.

"Here I come!" Crouching down, Arthur's legs bulged as he propelled himself forward by strongly kicking down on the ground. Arriving right in front of Lute, he took a deep breath and prepared himself to execute a martial art.

"<Martial Arts, Accelerate>!"

Instantly, Arthur's blade collided with Lute's wooden sword. But unexpectedly, instead of him cutting through it like normal, his eyes widened in shock as the wooden sword blocked his blade without receiving even a single nick.

"<Martial Arts, Accelerate>," Lute said, his eyes dilating while his sword slides through Excalibur's sharp edge towards Arthur's chest.

"<Martial Arts, Fortress>!" In response, Arthur's muscles hardened as the sword rapidly swung towards his chest.

"[Earth]," As if the earth transferred its boundless might to Lute's wooden sword, it slammed into Arthur's chest and a loud explosion was heard. As the audience gasped, they watched as Arthur's body was flung into the distance while he puked out blood from his mouth.

Flipping in midair, Arthur stabs his sword to the ground to halt his body and land on his two feet. Wiping the blood from his face, he grins and said loudly, "You really are a worthy rival, Lute! Now it's my turn! Spirits of Light, power my blade with might. Spirits of Fire, be my strength to defeat my enemy…"

With rapid incantations, multiple ice blue magic circles covered Arthur's blade and he shouted loudly, "Spirits of Ice, turn this world into the freezing winter!"

Slamming his blade down to the ground, they watch as ice erupts from him as the epicenter before covering the entire arena in ice. Not only that, multiple spikes started to erupt wherever Lute was standing and he dodges them agilely.

"[Fire]," Lute muttered, before the ice all around him melted into water.

"[Water]," Instantly, the water all around Lute transformed into ginormous blades of water that shot toward Arthur.

"<Martial Arts, Greater Reflex>!" As Arthur rushes head-on towards the blades of water, he dodges them just barely while Lute waved his arm forward, causing numerous colorful magic circles to appear.

"[Fire]," From the numerous magic circles all around Lute, Arthur watches as countless pillars of flames shot toward him causing him to grit his teeth and shout loudly.

"Spirits of Ice, be my wall and protect me from danger's way!" From the icy ground below him, it turned into a thick wall that collided with the pillars of flames, causing steam to erupt that blocked his vision.

Waving his Excalibur that suddenly expanded to the size of a wide great sword, he swept away the obstructing steam and saw Lute rapidly running towards him.

"I must say, I'm impressed with your magic, Lute-san! But it will take more than that to defeat me!" Responding loudly, the two collided head-on like a fierce lion and a mighty dragon.

But slowly, the more they collided with their blades, Arthur slowly started to be overpowered even with the help of his Excalibur which turned him into a divine swordsman. It was like he was fighting himself the more they fought. From copying his Martial Arts to copying his sword swings, foot stances, reactions, defensive stances, sword styles… No, he finally came to the realization that he was fighting Excalibur!

The very sword which guided him into becoming a great swordsman, but without it, he'll only be a first-rate swordsman that has high attainments in the path of the sword. But in front of him, he was facing a true divine swordsman. A swordsman who has learned directly from the Excalibur after facing him, unlike him who is reliant on the Excalibur.

"<Martial Arts, Accelerate>, <Martial Arts, Severing Blade>, <Martial Arts, Mountain's Edge>," With rapid movements, Lute's body swiftly dodges his every strike and arrives right before him. His wooden blade then slammed towards the edge of Arthur's Excalibur, causing him to be pushed back strongly towards the air while Arthur felt lightheaded from the strong strike he took on.

'I-It's like he's a blur. I can't even seem to hit him, he's like a ghost! W-Where did this genius come from?! How come I have never heard of him!' Arthur thought while he was flying through the air, his eyes dilating rapidly while looking down at Lute below him.

'I guess this is the end for this fight, huh? I have truly learned a lot from you, Lute-san.' Arthur smiled brightly as he slowly fell to the ground, preparing for Lute's final strike.

"<Martial Arts, Divine Sword>!" This time, Lute shouted loudly as Arthur's eyes widened. At this very moment, the simple wooden sword Lute wield turned into a weapon belonging to that of God, a divine presence emanating from it as he almost fainted from trying to comprehend the divine secrets that lay inside it.

And so, the world turned black.

Loud cheers erupted.

Cries of shock, cheers of praise, gasps of disbelief, a whole encore of emotions flooded towards the winner Lute, as the defeated prince Arthur Pendragon, lay on the ground beside him unconscious.

"WHOO! LUTE-KUN! THAT'S MY BOY! KYAAAA!" In the distance, imerda shouted as loud as she can while Lute simply grinned lightly, for his achievement with the sword truly crossed the divine in that one single moment. One can say he has turned into a Sword God in that instance.

'Hmm, the divine fragment should be strong enough now after all of that. Perhaps I can finally near completion for Limitless Mind after transforming myself into a consciousness entity and into Akasha.' Lute silently thought, before flying towards Imerda in the distance.

But in the distance, Flores Elfheim can be seen sitting still in shock as she muttered in shock.

'W-Who is that monster?' As she clearly remembered the numerous spirits that surrounded Lute while the two fought, she gulped in shock as she can't believe two monsters of Spirit Magic has appeared in the very same class she is in.

Now, her reputation as the greatest Spirit Magic user might be claimed by two other beings, and ironically enough, they were both humans.

AN: This chapter has 2091 words.

POWER STONES, GIVE ME!

(August 5, 2022 – 254th day of writing)