Fantasy Libary 60

Title: The Anticipated Battle

Asterisk, Redevelopment Zone

As night fell, most of Asterisk remained brightly lit, but the Redevelopment Zone was shrouded in darkness. Except for the Pleasure District, it was rare to see any lights at all.

*BOOM!*

A muffled sound suddenly echoed from a narrow alley not far from the Pleasure District, followed by a figure flying out of it.

“Ouch...!”

The figure rolled on the ground several times, groaning in pain. When it finally stopped, they realized the ground around them was littered with corpses—their own comrades.

“Damn it...!”

They struggled to get up, but the sharp pain coursing through their body refused to let them.

At that moment, an annoyed voice came from within the alley.

“Still not giving up? How persistent can you be?”

A girl walked out of the shadows. She was wearing a Rewolf Black Academy uniform, left open at the front, with a thick scarf wrapped around her neck, which seemed out of place for the season.

“Seriously, all this because I wrecked your casino? Isn’t this a bit excessive?” Irene grumbled impatiently.

The veins on the man’s forehead pulsed as if about to burst.

“Don’t think you can get away with this, you damn vampire!” the man growled angrily.

“Get away?” Irene tilted her head before grinning. “Who said anything about running, you bastard?”

As she spoke, she lifted her foot and kicked the man, sending him flying once again.

He screamed in pain as he landed in the distance and finally passed out, unconscious.

“Absolutely annoying.” Irene didn’t even glance at the corpses scattered on the ground. Pulling her scarf with both hands, she muttered irritably, “I thought I could sneak out while Priscilla was asleep and enjoy a few rounds of gambling in the Pleasure District. But these guys just wouldn’t leave me alone.”

“If your people hadn’t cheated, I wouldn’t have wrecked your casino!”

“Instead of blaming others, maybe you should reflect on yourselves first. This place hasn’t changed one bit—still full of trash.”

“Ugh, I really want to tear down this entire Pleasure District.”

Muttering to herself, Irene turned to leave. However, a pitch-black communication window with no video suddenly appeared in front of her.

“It seems you’re in good condition, Irene Urzaiz.”

A deep voice spoke from the window.

“...Oh, it’s you, you fat bastard.”

Irene stopped, her already annoyed expression darkening further.

“The match list is out,” the voice on the other side announced, ignoring her tone. “You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen it.” Irene sneered coldly. “If everything goes according to the rules, I’ll be facing the Wandering Star Swordsman and the Lightning Blade in the semifinals, right?”

“Exactly,” the man replied calmly. “Four days from now, you’ll meet them on the stage. Don’t disappoint me, Irene.”

“Do you even know who I am?” Irene snorted, then narrowed her eyes as her tone turned into a cold smirk. “Though, honestly, do you really think I can do this alone?”

“That guy is the top-ranked fighter at Seidoukan Academy, and his partner is a former top ranker. Two top-ranked fighters working together—there’s no way I can beat them, right?”

“And don’t forget what I reported to you last time. Gravisheath was almost destroyed by that damn sword.”

“Given the situation, are you sure you still want me to continue this mission?”

She didn’t say the words, “Are you trying to send me to my death?” but the implication was clear.

“I’ve read your report,” the voice replied without hesitation. “Although I didn’t expect that kid to unleash Ser-Veresta to such an extent, power of that level can’t be used indefinitely.”

“Every Orga Lux has a certain price, and you, of all people, should know that best.”

Irene fell silent.

She understood it better than anyone.

After all, Gravisheath was famous for two reasons: its overwhelming power and its exorbitant price.

The scythe required a lot of blood as fuel, draining its user dry in just a few swings. Even moderate use could cause severe anemia or worse.

Because of this, most of its previous users couldn’t fully utilize its power, and some even died because of it.

Only those with extremely high compatibility could bear Gravisheath’s price, altering their bodies to extract blood externally for sustained or enhanced use.

This was the price of using Gravisheath.

The title of Bloodthirsty Princess wasn’t given lightly.

Irene genuinely needed blood to survive.

“Ser-Veresta consumes an enormous amount of prana,” the voice continued. “An ordinary Genestella wouldn’t be able to sustain it—just as Gravisheath drains the energy of an ordinary user.”

“However, unlike your scythe, Ser-Veresta cannot draw energy from external sources. Its fuel must come entirely from its user.”

“In other words...”

Irene cut in, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

“In other words, as long as I drag it out, I can exhaust him, right?”

“Exactly,” the voice affirmed. “And with your sister nearby, you have more than enough fuel, don’t you?”

“Tch...” Irene clicked her tongue. “What about the Lightning Blade? Dealing with the Wandering Star Swordsman alone is hard enough.”

“Use Gravisheath’s power wisely,” the voice said indifferently. “She’s not a Witch or an Orga Lux user. The scythe’s abilities should be able to handle her easily. You already have a plan, don’t you?”

“...You really know everything, don’t you?” Irene clicked her tongue again. “Fine, but make sure the scythe is returned intact afterward.”

“Don’t worry,” the voice reassured her. “As long as the Urm Manadyte remains intact, the outer shell can be fully repaired.”

“And one piece of advice: avoid getting hit by Ser-Veresta.”

“The power of that sword is something even other Orga Luxes fear.”

Irene didn’t need the reminder—she had learned it the hard way.

Remembering that day, her eyes glowed red with hatred.

“You’d better not lose before meeting me, Wandering Star Swordsman...”

Her thirst for revenge burned fiercely.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Four days passed in the blink of an eye.

After entering the official tournament, the Phoenix Festa became even more lively and spectacular.

With each passing round, the matches grew more intense, no longer dominated by one-sided victories. Strong competitors often clashed, resulting in thrilling battles that captivated the audience.

Amidst this, Ark and Kirin continued to advance, securing consecutive victories as expected.

Finally, the highly anticipated semifinals arrived on schedule.