The shuttle in the second dimension

　But just as she brought up the idea of ​​vaporization and before her brain could issue the command to her body, she heard a whisper in her ear that only she could hear.

　"Too slow—"

　"So, there's such a huge gap between us—" Shizuku muttered to herself, and her consciousness fell into endless darkness.

　Lin Xuan gently supported the fallen Zhu Shizuku and raised his eyebrows helplessly at the loss on her face (hx).

　Lin Xuan knew that if he did this, it would be a blow to Zhu Shizu, but since he had already promised Zhu Shizu that he would fight with all his strength, he would not let her go, even if this would make Zhu Shizu realize the huge difference in strength between them.

　"What happened just now!? In just a moment, the Black Iron player fainted. I didn't expect that player Lin Xuan's attack speed would be so fast that people couldn't even defend themselves in time!!! Player Lin Xuan won this match!!!" A few seconds after Lin Xuan knocked Zhu Shizuku unconscious, the announcer finally reacted.

　Ignoring the cheers from the audience, Lin Xuan picked up the unconscious Zhu Shizuku and walked towards the medical room specially prepared for the contestants in the venue.

　Looking at Lin Xuan's departing figure, Kurotsuchi Ikki frowned deeply, not because his sister was easily defeated, but because of the terrifying strength displayed by Lin Xuan.

　Due to family reasons, Kurogane Ikki couldn't graduate normally. He could only apply to graduate from the Magic Knight Academy if he won first place in the Seven Star Sword Dance Festival and earned the title of Seven Star Sword King. Otherwise, he would be forced to repeat a grade until his family forced him to give up his status as a Swordsman. Kurogane Ikki wanted to win the championship more than anyone else, but Lin Xuan's presence was like an insurmountable mountain on his path to graduation.

　"Heh - what's the point of worrying about these things now? Instead of wasting time worrying about this, it's better to practice sword more and improve my strength." Shaking his head, Kurogane Ikki turned around and left the venue.

　-

　The second match in Zone D was between Wuzi and Daohua, but Wuzi withdrew before it even began. She knew her own strength and understood that battling Raikiri wouldn't be easy, as it would consume a significant amount of her mana and energy. She had no interest in the Seven Star Sword Dance Festival anyway, so instead of wasting her mana and energy there, she might as well focus them on some desperate, disobedient jerk.

　Inside the ward, Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows as he looked at Wu Zi who walked in from outside the ward. "You gave up?"

　"【Raikiri】is not a weak contestant. Fighting with her will consume too much energy. Anyway, I have no interest in the Seven Star Sword Dance Festival. Instead of wasting time here meaninglessly, I might as well waste it on some bastard with a poor body." Wu Zi said unhappily, kneading Lin Xuan's face with her hand.

　"Hahaha——" Lin Xuan laughed dryly as he let the mist ravage his face.

　"You will have a match with that [Raikiri] this afternoon. I heard that she can't let you go?" Wu Zi narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at Lin Xuan with a smile.

　"Dao Hua..." Lin Xuan whispered, a complex look flashing in his eyes. "She has always wanted to pull me out of the darkness. To be honest, I am quite happy."

　"Hmph——" Looking at Lin Xuan's expression, Wu Zi hummed uncomfortably.

　"What's wrong? Are you jealous?" Lin Xuan smiled as he stood up and gently hugged Wu Zi.

　"Little brother, I won't be jealous of you!!" Wu Zi broke free from Lin Xuan's hands and pulled Lin Xuan's face, as if she was angry.

　"Are you free? Choose the material below the stick, Xiawuou hug each other in the lunar calendar. (Are you free? Help me treat it now, I want to use my ability in the afternoon.)" Lin Xuan asked cautiously while speaking incoherently.

　As expected, after Lin Xuan finished speaking, Wu Zi's face turned gloomy.

　"Why? You clearly didn't need any abilities to win this afternoon's match. You should also be aware of the toll your abilities, developed to such an extent, have taken on your body. You're aware of your current physical condition, and while you can still handle it, that's all due to overdrawing your own vitality."

　Lin Xuan sighed helplessly at Wu Zi's questioning tone. He knew his body well. While it looked strong on the surface, it was already riddled with holes on the inside. That was caused by the development of [Destruction]. When he realized that the damage to his body was becoming increasingly severe as [Destruction] developed deeper and deeper, it was already too late.

　"It's not as exaggerated as you said. Besides, I just used it normally in the afternoon. It won't cause much harm to my body. I regret my life." Lin Xuan said softly, gently holding Wu Zi's hands.

　"That is to say, no matter what I say, you still have to use your ability, right?"

　"Ah."

　"Hmph! It's up to you. The life is yours anyway. It's none of my business if you die." Wu Zi shook off Lin Xuan's hand and turned away with an unhappy look on his face. However, he stopped at the door, glanced at Lin Xuan behind him, and said coldly.

　"Didn't you ask me to treat you? Why are you still standing there like an idiot?"

　After a moment of hesitation, Lin Xuan understood what Wu Zi meant and quickly followed.

　"Thanks, Wuzi."

　Before leaving, Lin Xuan still sent a text message to Alice, asking him to take care of the unconscious Zhu Shizuku.

　The two people who left did not notice that when they left, the eyelids of a patient on the bed (hx) twitched.

-------------Chapter Dividing Line---------------

　In the afternoon, the third round of the Seven Star Sword Dance Festival was held as scheduled.

　The first competition to begin was in Area A. Needless to say, Wang Ma's strength was such that even without full power, he could easily sweep away the vast majority of the Magic Knight Academy students. His opponent this time was a highly anticipated player, Renji Kaga, the Iron Bear from Lucun Academy.

　Kaga Renji is very strong, at least for his age group, but unfortunately he is facing Ouma, a man whose strength has long surpassed that of his age group.

　The final battle was one-sided, and in the end, Ouma even crushed Kaga Renji's heart.

　What was initially expected to be a fierce duel turned into a one-sided crushing defeat, which undoubtedly dampened the audience's interest. The bloody scene at the end further instilled fear and resistance in those who already disliked Wang Ma. Although they understood Wang Ma had done nothing wrong, they still harbored this resistance and fear towards him. However, Wang Ma, who left the arena feeling bored, didn't care about any of this.

　After the competition in Area A ended, the audience seats were plunged into a weird atmosphere. Fortunately, the Seven Star Sword Dance Festival Operation Committee responded in time and restored the atmosphere back to 450. Otherwise, no matter how exciting the subsequent competitions were, they would not be able to arouse the interest of the audience.

　Zone B, which was supposed to follow Zone A, was skipped because Stella won one against four and ended all the games in one match, so the game in Zone C started directly.

　[Uncrowned Sword King] vs. [Bloody Da Vinci]

　One is the dark horse that emerged in this competition, who defeated the F-class knight of the previous [Seven-Star Sword King] - Kurogane Ikki in the first game.

　One is Sarah, the A (HX)-class knight whose true strength was exposed in the last game and whose magic knight rank was readjusted.

　The battle between these two undoubtedly aroused the interest of many spectators who had declined after the first game.

　-

　On the field

　Feeling Sarah's gaze, Ikki Kurogane moved his body a little awkwardly. To be honest, when facing Sarah's gaze, Ikki Kurogane felt like he was naked in front of her, but looking at her clear eyes without any evil thoughts, he couldn't scold her for anything.

　At this time, Ikki Kurogane, who had good hearing, heard what Sarah muttered.

　"What a great model! If Lin Xuan didn't meet my requirements better, I would bring him back to the room right now and let him be my model."

　Kurogane Ikki: “…”

　Although they had not had much contact, Ikki Kurogane could feel at the banquet before that the girl in front of him was a very stubborn person. If she set her eyes on you, she would keep pestering you.

　"Although you are also very good, I want Lin Xuan more, so I have no choice but to defeat you, so that he can become my model." As Sarah said this, the expression on her face became serious, but at the same time, she tugged at the normal clothes on her body, as if she was a little uncomfortable.

　It was at this time that Ikki Kurogane noticed that Sarah was no longer wearing only a painting apron on her upper body as before, but was wearing normal clothes.

　"Really? It turns out it's nice to wear it like that~~~" Listening to Sarah's soft complaints, Ikki Kurogane probably guessed the reason.

　"Although I really want to see what Lin Xuan looks like as your model, I also have reasons why I can't lose." Kurogane Ikki said with the same serious look.

　I don’t know if it was a coincidence, but just as the two finished their conversation, the signal symbolizing the start of the game also sounded (hx).

　As soon as the competition started, Sarah took the lead and quickly dipped the paint on the palette.

　"【Color Magic】——Shining Bright Yellow."

　Sarah waved her arm, and the bright yellow paint splashed in all directions. Immediately afterwards, the paint in the air burst into a dazzling light, filling the entire venue.

　"Well!!"

　“It’s still dazzling!”

　"I can't open my eyes!"

　As the dazzling light bloomed, the audience shouted noisy congratulations, but what was Sarah's opponent, Ikki Kurogane doing?

　As the paint began to glow, he quickly closed his eyes to avoid being irritated by the intense light. While doing so, he still used his hearing to detect any movement around him. However, even after the glaring light faded, Sarah didn't attack Kurogane Ikki. In an instant, Kurogane Ikki understood Sarah's intention: she was creating time for him to create.

　Sure enough, when the dazzling light faded away, the audience and Ikki Kurogane saw Lin Xuan standing next to Sarah.

　"Oh oh oh!! It appeared, contestant Sarah's [Fantasy Caricature], contestant Sarah once again drew contestant Lin Xuan!!!" Looking at 'Lin Xuan' who suddenly appeared in the field, the announcer exclaimed (hx), and the audience was also moved by this magic.

　As for Sarah's opponent, Kurogane Ikki, he couldn't help but frown when he saw the 'Lin Xuan' who appeared beside Sarah. Although they looked exactly the same, this 'Lin Xuan' gave him a different feeling. The pressure he brought him was far less than he had imagined.

　Although she wanted to continue thinking (hx), it was obvious that Sarah was not going to let Kurogane Ikki go like this. She saw Lin Xuan suddenly exert force on his feet and rushed towards Kurogane Ikki like a cannonball.

　Clang, clang, clang –! !

　The blades collided with each other. Looking at the 'Lin Xuan' in front of him, Kurogane Ikki felt a deep sense of disharmony, because this 'Lin Xuan' was too weak, like a superficial existence.

　Although he was puzzled as to why this 'Lin Xuan' was so weak, Kurogane Ikki decided to get rid of him first before thinking about it. Then, Kurogane Ikki began to speed up his attack rhythm, forcing the opponent into his own rhythm. The 'Lin Xuan' with disrupted rhythm was struggling in Kurogane Ikki's hands, until he could not keep up with Kurogane Ikki's rhythm. Then, the 'Lin Xuan' was cut in half by Kurogane Ikki's sword and finally disappeared.

　After killing Lin Xuan, Kurogane Ikki did not stop, but quickly adjusted his body and attacked Sarah.

　Looking at Ikki Kurogane who was attacking her, Sarah didn't have any intention of escaping. Not only did she not want to escape, she also showed a satisfied smile, as if she had completed a work that she was satisfied with.

　Just as Ikki Kurogane's blade was swung towards Sarah, a pitch-black horizontal sword suddenly appeared and blocked Ikki Kurogane's blade.

　At that moment, Kurogane Ikki felt a terrifying sense of oppression emerging from his side, oppressing himself.

Chapter 177 See Clearly

　Unrestrained, unbridled sword energy filled the entire venue. Unlike aura, it was imperceptible to warriors of lower realms, but those in the audience with more advanced realms could clearly sense it. Though distant, they could still feel the chill of the blade against their necks. Kurogane Ikki, at the center of the sword energy, could feel it even more clearly.

　"Was the first 'Lin Xuan' just to delay time so that he would have enough time to draw the real 'Lin Xuan'?" At this time, Kurogane Ikki finally understood why the first 'Lin Xuan' gave him a strong sense of disharmony, because it was just a draft drawn to delay time.

　Staring at Lin Xuan intently, Ikki Kurogane raised his vigilance to the highest level. Facing the person in front of him, he felt as if he was back to the first time he met [Biyi]. Although his strength is no longer what it used to be, Lin Xuan will not let him go like [Biyi]. Not only will he not let him go, the other party will probably go all out.

　Just when Ikki Kurogane was on the highest alert, he discovered that Lin Xuan had disappeared.

　In an instant, Kurogane Ikki reacted and leaned to the right to avoid the sharp blade that sent a burst of flames in the air.

　"Eh!?" Kurogane Ikki froze for a moment, feeling the hot, wet liquid on his cheek. He could clearly tell he had dodged Lin Xuan's knife attack. However, when he caught a glimpse of a sharp cut on the ground behind him, he instantly understood how the wound on his face had occurred.

　"The wind pressure generated by just swinging the sword can actually be so powerful. What a terrifying person." While marveling in his heart, Kurogane Ikki showed a fearless smile on his face. He would not be afraid of Lin Xuan because of the strength he displayed. That would only arouse his desire to fight more.

　I saw that Heitie Yihui changed his pace and immediately rushed towards Lin Xuan. In an instant, Heitie Yihui's speed changed from zero to one hundred, and so did the [Yin Tie] in his hand.

　In the audience, when Lin Xuan discovered that Ikki Kurogane was inclined to take the initiative to attack, he instantly understood his plan, narrowed his eyes slightly, and thought silently in his heart.

　"If the sword of [Biyi] is the king of swords, combining 'speed' and 'sharpness', then my knife is the king of swords, combining 'speed' and 'power'. So, can your swordsmanship really block my knife?" - Hui.

　While Lin Xuan was thinking this, 'Lin Xuan' started to move, also rapidly switching from zero to one hundred, 'Lin Xuan' faced Kurogane Ikki's attack.

　In an instant, two black sword lights collided with each other, but the two black sword lights were not evenly matched, and one of them was quickly defeated by the other.

　After being knocked away for a distance, Ikki Kurogane's eyes showed deep astonishment and horror.

　During the collision just now, Ikki Kurogane could feel the force in the opponent's sword surpassing his own, so without thinking, Ikki Kurogane immediately used the [Secret Sword - Circle] to rebound that force, trying to make up for the difference in strength between the two sides. But when he wanted to implement that idea, he found that he failed. The force in the sword aggressively poured into his body and exploded, leaving him no chance to rebound.

　'Lin Xuan' naturally would not give Kurogane Ikki too much time to be surprised and horrified. As Kurogane Ikki was knocked away, he followed him, still with an ordinary slash, but the speed and domineeringness forced Kurogane Ikki to avoid his edge. However, 'Lin Xuan's' speed was not so easy to dodge after all. When Kurogane Ikki dodged the second knife, the third knife, the fourth knife, the fifth knife... the tenth knife still left a hideous wound on his body and knocked him away in his hasty defense.

　bang bang bang-

　After being knocked away, in order to quickly release the overwhelming force in his body, Kurogane Ikki chose to roll on the ground continuously to achieve his goal. However, even if most of the force was released, the force still exploded in his body, causing great damage to his body.

　'Is this the gap between him and me?' This thought flashed through Kurogane Ikki's mind, but he immediately put it aside. He didn't have the time to think about it right now... because Lin Xuan's attack arrived.

　There is no doubt that Ikki Kurogane continued to be suppressed.

　"Oh oh oh!! What's going on? Didn't the Black Iron player easily destroy the first Lin Xuan player drawn by Sarah before? Now he is struggling against the second Lin Xuan player drawn by Sarah. Coach Yaotome, what is going on? "Looking at the rapidly changing situation on the field, the announcer couldn't help but ask the commentator beside him.