Top Ten ~ Insight
“Who do you think is better, Princess Filisia or Aistride?”
“I’d say Princess Aistride. Filisia’s team lost a divine prince in battle, while Aistride’s team is still fully intact. She’s in much better condition than Filisia. Aistride seems to have the upper hand.”
“Not necessarily. The battlefield can change in a heartbeat. Who knows?” The onlookers in the square were chattering noisily.
Even before the Crown Cup began, the more discerning spectators could tell that the final showdown would be between Filisia and Aistride. It wasn’t that the other students weren’t skilled; it’s just that Filisia and Aistride were in a league of their own, their brilliance overshadowing even the brightest new stars… like that unexpected dark horse who suddenly entered the race…
The judges in the audience couldn’t help but focus their gaze on the Golden-haired Girl displayed on the screen. Even though she was outnumbered three-to-one, her chances of winning were practically nonexistent.
Even by Coleman Academy’s standards, this mysterious princess had proven herself to be exceptionally skilled. However, she still fell slightly short compared to the other two.
That slight difference can sometimes be an insurmountable chasm.
Tillysha had certainly given it her all, after all, her opponent was none other than Princess Filisia, who also had the advantage of numbers. Even in defeat, Tillysha had conducted herself with dignity.
“Isn’t this ridiculous…? Tillysha couldn’t even land a single blow against Filisia?” Blake was staring at the poised Filisia and the solitary, somewhat forlorn Tillysha, lost in thought.
“Her ultimate move was blocked twice without a scratch. Her mindset must’ve already exploded.”
“If she couldn’t hurt Filisia even a little, what chance do we stand against her?” The trio looked at each other, their expressions grave.
This reaction wasn’t limited to them. Those who hadn’t personally experienced Tillysha’s prowess simply shrugged, but those defeated by her remained speechless, gaining a deeper understanding of Filisia’s strength.
“Ah, it seems this is where it ends,” John muttered, a regretful look on his face as he gnawed on a bread roll.
He had been eliminated last night due to a lapse in vigilance when his entire team was ambushed by a rogue divine princess.
But he didn’t seem particularly upset about it. His anger came and went quickly. From initially ranting and cursing the person who beat him, to later jovially hanging out and watching the matches with the very person who defeated his team, his behavior was nothing short of astonishing.
Since the top ten matches began, he’d had his eye on Tillysha, being the divine princess of that kid Dillin. Of course, part of his interest stemmed from the fact that Tillysha was quite the looker.
“Even so, Princess Filisia isn’t someone any ordinary divine princess can touch… Speaking of which, where the heck is Dillin? He’s been gone so long after getting eliminated that he couldn’t even watch his own princess’s semi-final match. What’s his deal?” John scanned the spectators and muttered to himself.
“This Tillysha is quite impressive, isn’t she? Regardless of anything else, she protected an ally based on a verbal agreement. Such loyalty deserves respect,” one of the judges commented approvingly.
“Making it to the top three already proves her worth. Though she still falls short of Filisia and the others, she’s still a promising talent.”
At the moment, the audience wasn’t limited to just students and teachers in front of the screen.
Inside the glowing silver-wooded shrine, a handsome, silver-haired young man dressed in a white robe, a crescent moon pin on his chest, leaning on an old vine staff, stood quietly.
Normally, he wouldn’t personally watch the Crown Cup’s matches, but he made an exception this time…
His eyes, which seemed far too mature for his youthful appearance, were focused on the Golden-haired Girl. Having lived through countless ages, his gaze, as clear as the moon, seemed to pierce through all illusions and gaze into the essence.
His masterful archery skills, the launching of light arrows, the form of his divine realm which caused thorns to grow rapidly on the ground, his dexterous handling of the forest environment—these elements sparked an almost absurd, yet intriguing hypothesis in his mind. However, he currently lacked evidence.
Was it really possible…?
The Gold Elves—weren’t they supposed to have vanished alongside the Elf Sacred Tree?
Spreading his pale-as-snow hand, the silver-haired young elf had these thoughts more than once.
His own existence was testament to the lingering continuation of the sacred tree’s legacy.
There was a time when he was a staunch dissenter, believing the sacred tree was merely the Gold Elves’ stubborn insistence to preserve their reign.
It was only after stepping out from under the protection of the sacred tree that he realized how laughably misguided his rebellion truly was.
Everything the elves possessed came from the sacred tree. Without its protection, they were incomplete; abandoning the sacred tree meant it would abandon them as well…
So it seemed, they were truly still out there.
The chances were extremely slim, but if she were really one of them…
Whether the truth matched or not, the young elf felt he should meet this golden-haired girl after everything was settled. Despite being a remnant of the old era and a contemporary sage, he had many questions he wanted to ask this young lass.
“Clang!” In the melee combat exchange, Tillysha fell back, her twin blades barely holding off the large sword only to be kicked hard in the abdomen by Filisia.
That massive sword wielded by Filisia seemed to move as naturally as an extension of her own body.
Why?
The weight of the greatsword had not lessened in the slightest, yet she wielded it effortlessly. It wasn’t merely about brute strength, but more about technique.
Rather than trying to dominate the greatsword, Filisia worked in harmony with it, adding her body weight and strength to its might, enhancing its power rather than battling its ‘will’ for control that could result in diminished strength.
Every one of her attack and defense postures was so fluid. Moves that seemed slow could still create an impenetrable defense, simultaneously attacking and defending.
Having been on the receiving end for so long, Tillysha had picked up a bit of experience. Taking the kick head-on, she managed to counter with a slash at Filisia’s shoulder.
A normal blade without divine authority striking Filisia who remained stationary resulted in nothing, Filisia remained completely unfazed.
Tillysha tumbled across the ground despite not being physically harmed, her stamina was rapidly depleting during close combat.
Filisia’s endurance and stamina were clearly much superior to Tillysha’s, but she had a small question.
Why did Tillysha show absolutely no signs of pain or injury, no matter how Filisia attacked?
“I know!” At that moment, Yalin emerged from behind Filisia, pointing at Tillysha confidently. “I know why she doesn’t get hurt no matter how we attack!”
