On either side of the sky bridge, students from Thunder Edge Academy clad in blue windbreakers and students from Edith Academy wearing black uniforms charged at each other like two war chariots.
Flashes appeared one after another within the ranks of both teams, followed by slashes streaking towards the other side. The bright radiance lit up the young faces, time seemed to slow, and silhouettes leaped into the sky, their arms bent backward from holding their sword edges aloft, facing the howling wind.
Then they slashed down.
The merciless slash shattered the pale shield and defenses, striking the bodies of their opponents. Flesh acted as a buffer, bones broke, a stifled spout of blood gushed forth, and the spreading shockwaves toppled several nearby persons, creating a fissure upon impact with the ground.
In just the instant of contact, several students were injured and left the field, falling from the sky bridge. But, fortunately, rescue personnel below were ready and prevented any real casualties. Even so, such confrontation was still dangerous, not one hundred percent safe.
After crashing into the enemy's formation, Wulai roared, and his thick greatsword traced a dazzling arc in the night, sweeping away four students with blue long spears from Thunder Edge Academy. Their weapons showed signs of fracture and scorch marks, dim and dull.
"Damn it," an upperclassman in a blue windbreaker frowned and then shouted aloud.
"Follow me! Meteor Error Strike!"
Then he transformed into a blue meteor, leaping up straight and fast, followed by other upperclassmen by his side.
These swiftly leaping 'morning stars' spread wings woven of blue electric light behind them as they rose, and then hovered momentarily in mid-air, before plunging down again, turning into a flurry of meteors tracing blazing paths across the night sky, charging into the ranks of the Edith Academy students.
Like an electric arc, they pierced through the Edith Academy students' formation in an instant, and several students were flung by the intense impact until he stood firm on one side of the bridge, his long spear impaling one student, flinging them over the side of the bridge.
Electrified sparks burned about the blood on the spear, giving off a burnt stench. He turned again, facing four Edith Academy students attacking together.
Swords clashed with the spear, and he dodged two sword trajectories, while two other longswords pierced through his shoulders, going straight through.
"Ah—" A deep roar erupted from the mouth of the sword-wielding students, and then they pressed on, dragging their opponent across the ground with both hands on their swords until they reached the edge of the bridge and kicked him off into the abyss below.
Looking back at the center of the bridge, the battlefield was chaotic and intense. There lay members that had fallen and lost their ability to fight, and others still wielded dazzling weapons, tracing paths in the night air, relentlessly attacking.
Wulai stamped his foot on the ground, his hefty greatsword sweeping up from below, flicking his opponent into the air. In three strides, he leapt and delivered another ferocious slash, smacking down his airborne opponent, who then hit the ground and blacked out, lapsing into unconsciousness.
After dispatching his foe, Wulai advanced again until he encountered the captain of Thunder Edge Academy. On one side of his face, from his eye to his mouth, was a black tattoo with sharp angles, resembling a lightning dragon. When he activated his Transcendent Core to its fullest, such incisions also emitted faint blue radiance, giving him a formidable look.
"Thunder Fighting Dragon, Zhang Han," Wulai recognized his opponent; they had fought during the Winter Festival competition two years ago. At the time, they were both only second-years, far from the fame they had now.
Zhang Han slightly hunched, tensing like a beast ready to spring, a chilling presence emanating from him. Slowly exhaling several words, his eyes, lively as lightning, were fixed on his opponent, searching for a weakness.
Wulai frowned slightly and clenched his sword, bracing for the fight. At that moment, his opponent made his move, appearing in front of Wulai almost like teleporting. The long spear pierced the gap before the sword edge could deflect it, heading straight for Wulai's right shoulder. Sparks akin to metal friction trailed along Wulai's body as the spear penetrated, then it was pulled out violently, casting up a spray of blood.
The opportunity for battle was in a split second; when Wulai counterattacked with a horizontal slash, Zhang Han had already disengaged and then attacked again from the side and rear, the spear tip aimed directly at the middle of Wulai's back. Although Wulai managed to twist his body in response, a long cut opened up on his back, leaving a deep wound.
Successive injuries severely reduced Wulai's momentum, the stabbing pain in his right shoulder slowed his sword speed, and his reactions were no longer swift. Facing Zhang Han's successive lightning-like pursuits, he could only offer hasty blocks and dodges, accumulating more and more cuts on his body.
While the wounds were not fatal, if he, as the president, were to fall here, the outcome of tonight's clash would likely be decided, and Edith Academy might slide from fourth in the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain rankings to fifth by the end of the year.
The situation doesn't look too good...
From atop a tall building, a girl with black hair and blue eyes looked down at the scene below. Although she served as a guide for the current 'Hat and Short Sword' club, she couldn't join the support on the ground. This was not only due to her club membership restrictions but also because her identity as Edith Academy's hidden ace couldn't be revealed so easily.
However, there were still twists of fate. In the night wind, the girl's gaze turned towards another part of the bridge where five black-uniformed students stood back to back, cooperating with each other, holding their ground amid the turmoil of battle.