The Herb King



Alec spat a mouthful of blood and fell to his knees. He tried to stand up using his sword, but Altina's figure suddenly appeared before him and pointed the tip of her sword at his neck. 

Alec shook his head bitterly and muttered. "I admit defeat." 

"Altina wins!" The referee announced. 

Altina stared deeply at Alec before jumping off the arena. The guy was only a mid stage Level 3 Esper, but his power was actually almost on par with her. It was inconceivable! If their levels were the same, the outcome would have been different. 

"Alec! Are you alright?" Michael Singler who was in the waiting area with Janrose and the others quickly jumped on the stage to help Alec. 

"I'm fine..." Alec answered in a low voice.

Michael sighed when he saw the expression on his face. It was the first time he had seen Alec being defeated so miserably. "Come. I'll take you to the infirmary."

Janrose stared at Alec with a serious look on her face. Alec was more proficient than her in terms of battle experience and her only advantage against him was her Sword Intent. The difference in their power was just small, but he was actually easily beaten by Princess Altina. Her sword technique was also strong and it might be as powerful as the Divine Sword Movement. 

"The participants for the final round can rest for an hour!" Omar announced before his figure disappeared. 

With Alec's defeat, Altina proceeded to the final round and she would be fighting Janrose. It was the first time in history that both participants in the final round are women. Whoever wins will be crowned as the strongest young talent of the Regalis Continent! 

An hour later, Altina and Janrose jumped on the stage.

The audience cheered loudly when the start of the final round was announced. 

"Altina I wagered my house on you! Please win!" 

"Bro, you would be homeless soon! I'm sure of it!" 

"Janrose, don't lose!" 

Omar glanced at the two young ladies. "Are you both ready?" 

Altina and Janrose nodded their heads in unison.

"Alright. Begin!" 

This time, there were more Elders observing the arena and they even brought with them a Level 4 Defensive Rune in case something happens. 

Altina pulled out her swords. "You're strong, but you have to be at least a Level 4 Esper to defeat me." Her eyes flashed with confidence as she muttered those words. 

Janrose chuckled and took out her Divine-Rated sword. "In that case, show me what you got!" 

Altina snorted as she tapped her foot on the ground and jumped in midair. "Ice Fire Sword Helix!" 

Ice and fire energy intertwined at the tip of her sword shooting a helical beam that shot toward Janrose. 

Janrose wasn't flustered. She already knew this move. "Divine Sword Movement, Second Sword Move: Unbending Sword Will!" 

An incorporeal giant heavy sword appeared before her. The energy it contained was a lot stronger than what Alec released earlier. The reason for this was the augmentation effect of Sword Intent. 

Altina's expression remained calm as she chanted. "Ice and Fire Dragons Revolution!" 

This was the move that defeated Alec. 

Two dragons, emerged in front of Altina, opening their large mouths as they charged toward Janrose with the intent to devour her! 

ROOAAR!!

ROOAAR!!

"You think this will work on me?" Janrose harrumphed coldly as she muttered a chant. "Third Sword Movement: Sword of Yin and Yang!" 

A clear Yin and Yang image appeared above her head, but the surprising thing was that this image was actually a gate and it summoned an ancient illusory sword that was covered in chains. 

"This is the true Sword of Yin and Yang! Release!" 

The two dragons of Ice and Fire were blasted into smithereens after coming in contact with the ancient illusory sword! 

BAANG!!

The power behind the ancient illusory sword was significantly weakened after it destroyed the two dragon phantoms. Altina waved both her swords with graceful movements, seemingly executing a beautiful sword dance. "Ice and Fire Domain!" 

The space around the arena suddenly changed. Ice and Fire elements surrounded the arena. The referee and the Elders felt that their world essence was considerably weakened inside this domain. Janrose who was at the center of this domain was the one who felt the most pressure. She felt that her strength was weakened by almost half! She couldn't believe that Altina actually had this move in her arsenal!

Meanwhile, the eyes of Omar who was watching this scene widened in surprise. "Domain! She actually summoned a domain! Wait... This isn't a true domain, but a false domain formed by the power of her swords. Even so, the power of this false domain is almost as strong as a true domain!" He exclaimed. 

A domain is a special skill that only Level 5 Espers could control. Everyone has a different domain and the nature of the domain will depend on one's elemental affinity or the essence of their technique. For instance, someone who was proficient in flame techniques will have a high chance of comprehending a flame domain. 

At this moment, Janrose felt that her energy was being depleted faster. It wouldn't be long until all her world essence will be consumed. 

"Inside my domain, you can't defeat me. Your Sword Intent is meaningless here. Surrender." Altina muttered in a cold voice. 

"If you can block my last move, I'll admit defeat." Janrose said in a solemn tone. The power of Altina's domain was beyond her expectations. She could only place her trust in the Fourth Sword Movement. The only issue was that she still hasn't learned it in its entirety. 

"Fourth Sword Movement: Descent of the Fire Phoenix!" Janrose stabbed her sword into the ground. A summoning circle appeared and the phantom of a Fire Phoenix slowly emerged from the summoning circle, screeching loudly. 

It flapped its majestic wings that were burning in eternal flames while glaring at Altina who was surrounded by ice and fire elements. 

Janrose pointed at Altina's figure and shouted at the phantom of the Fire Phoenix. 

Screech! Screech!

The Fire Phoenix was akin to a ball of flames descending like a meteorite. The power it contained was actually that of a mid stage Level 4 Esper! 

Looking at this phantom, the referee and the Elders nervously stared at the arena. One of them was anxiously clutching the Defensive Rune in his hand. If he sees something wrong, he wouldn't hesitate to activate the rune. 

"Don't activate the rune. The girl can handle it on her own." An old voice suddenly echoed in the Elder's ears. 

"Contain! Seal!" Altina shouted as she controlled the false domain to seal the Fire Phoenix Phantom. 

Thousands of chains that were covered in frost and flames suddenly appeared and wrapped around the illusory body of the Fire Phoenix, sealing it in place! 

Screech! Screech!

The Fire Phoenix cried out miserably as it tried to escape from the chains, but its struggle was for naught and its energy was soon devoured by the false domain. Its huge figure blurred and disappeared after a minute of struggling, turning into crimson motes of light.

Janrose stared at the scene with shock. It was her most powerful move, but it was still easily suppressed by Altina. She gritted her teeth indignantly as she muttered. "I lost." 

"Altina wins!" The referee announced. 

The people who placed their bets on Altina jumped excitedly, while those who chose to believe in Janrose shook their heads in regret.

"Who would have thought that a Level 4 Esper would actually summon a false domain? It's a well-deserved win." Aethelwolf smiled gently. Although his student lost, he was proud of her achievement. 

"No wonder the Azure Phoenix Empire was so secretive in the past few years. They were actually hiding this from us. If Altina advances to Level 5, she would be able to easily comprehend her domain." Eliazar was a late stage Level 5 Esper and he only managed to comprehend his domain when he advanced to the mid stage Level 5. 

The rankings of the martial arts competition were soon announced. 

1st Place - Altina Azure (Azure Phoenix Empire)

2nd Place - Janrose Lassiter (Leone Empire)

3rd Place - Alec Ward (Leone Empire)

4th Place - Xavier Paxley...

After the announcement of the winners, Omar announced the end of the martial arts competition.

"Congratulations to the winners of the martial arts competition! You made your respective empires proud! You showed extreme..." 

"...The group competition will begin in three days! Make sure that you guys are prepared since the group battles will determine the final ranking of your empires! Good luck!" Omar glanced deeply at the participants before he left.

In the infirmary, Janrose and Alec were being treated by the Doctors and Alchemists of the Mystic Island. Although their healing techniques and healing pills fell short compared to what Aethelwolf can provide them, it was still sufficient to heal their injuries. 

"I'm sorry, everyone. I failed." Janrose lowered her head. 

Grace patted her head and smiled gently. "Come on. You don't have to feel sad. You are strong and you have great potential. In a few years, you will overtake Altina. I'm sure of it." 

Janrose hugged Grace and cried in her arms.