The Mech Touch

As Ketis faced a dilemma, she tried to think about the nature of her new power.

She only went through an upgrade a short time ago. Her mental state in the last match was vastly different and she couldn't recall all of the details.

She only remembered that she had set aside most of her logic and forethought and relied completely on her will to see her through her fight against Ivan Reid!

Willpower was obviously the key to fueling her abilities as a sword initiate. A swordsman without a will was merely a dummy who collapsed at the first blow.

The problem right now was that her will largely matched the Swordmaiden Sword Style. This was not good news to her because it was the wrong choice to employ against Horvast Trion.

She not only lacked a greatsword, but also lacked the confidence to cut through the thick shield by relying on sharpness alone.

Different from annihilation, the power of sharpness still relied heavily on physical force to create a cut!

With her lacking strength, there was a significant chance that Shiva's blade would merely leave a chip on Horvast's tough and dense tower shield!

What she needed to do right now was to switch to the Annihilator Sword Style and try her best to leverage Shiva in the few minutes she had left!

"How do I do this?"

She then recalled the pivotal role that Sharpie played beforehand. Her sword intent unveiled several new abilities that completely changed the way she fought!

It was rather difficult for her to determine whether she was relying on an external source in order to accomplish the impossible or whether she was just harnessing her own capabilities.

Regardless, Sharpie opened a lot of new options to her that others didn't have!

"Sharpie… if you can, please enter annihilation mode."

Swish…

Although Sharpie was not in a good condition, the will that Ketis channeled slightly injected some strength in the spiritual construct.

It was a lot different than before! What happened yesterday represented a breakthrough! As a living entity, Sharpie grasped the opportunity to evolve beyond the confines of its initial design. It had grown and changed in a way that Ves would no longer be able to recognize!

Now, Sharpie altered its form and focus with much more ease than before.

Ketis' mindset changed. Her will still remained unyielding, but it had gained a different accent.

It was a bit difficult for her to explain everything that had changed in her mind. This was the disadvantage of relying on Sharpie. The strength it exhibited was not under her control. It was a black box that magically did what she wanted but did not explain how it was able to accomplish its effect.

She didn't care. Sharpie was more than just a pet or a mascot. It was an indivisible part of herself. She could not imagine living without its presence ever since it came into existence!

Her trust in Sharpie was so complete that she never thought about the possibility of betrayal. Unlike Ves, She simply couldn't imagine this possibility!

For now, her unrestricted trust in Sharpie paid off. Without any restraint on her part, Sharpie was able to affect her entire mind, causing her to become swept by the urge to destroy the shield that Horvast thought would deliver him victory!

Shiva began to take on a darker sheen. As Ketis and Sharpie continued to work together, a field formed around her that somewhat resembled a glow!

Previously, Ivan exhibited the capability of distorting his immediate surroundings with his will.

Now, Ketis and Sharpie replicated this feat!

Even if the actual effect was barely noticeable, Ketis still showed off one of the powers of a sword initiate. Any other sword initiate or swordmaster observing this match in person would definitely be able to perceive her empowered will!

Horvast Trion was no exception. While he was just an average disciple, he came in touch with several powerful swordsmen in the Mandair Sword School.

His confidence shook, but he stubbornly forced himself to remain put. Unless Ketis definitely showed she was able to defeat him, the opportunist insisted on trying to see if he could outlast his weakened opponent!

"Are you going to attack or not? My shield is waiting for you to unleash your futile blows! I bet you even be able won't be able to scratch its coating!"

The comment infuriated Ketis! No one liked to be belittled, but she especially disliked it. Ivan treated her like trash, but she eventually managed to end his ambitions to become a champion during this edition of the Greater Omanderie Festival!

"I can do it again. There is no reason why I should back off against this turtle."

She wanted to punch Horvast's smug grin off his face. She wanted to shatter the tower shield he invested so much confidence in. She wanted to inflict such a decisive defeat on him that her subsequent opponents would not dare to take her lightly anymore!

"Let me show you that you should never underestimate a Swordmaiden!"

Despite her muscles screaming at her, she accelerated her pace and closed in. She did not bother to circle around in order to attack Horvast's flank.

Instead, she raised Shiva above her head and resolutely chopped it straight against the surface of her opponent's solid shield!

Horvast became less certain about his current approach. The will that Ketis radiated pressed down on him as if he was an ant!

However, he was still a swordsman. His firm mind reasserted itself and he resolutely clung to his own determination to defeat one of the strongest sword initiate in the tournament!

"I shall never take a step back!"

Under this tense moment, Horvast's will rose against the pressure and underwent a minor evolution! The bottleneck that hampered his progress for years started to loosen as he tried to ready himself for his inevitable counterattack!

As long as he was able to endure the initial barrage of attacks, his victory was as good as assured!

Yet just as Horvast swelled with the thought of earning a lot of glory for 'overcoming' the Sword Devil, the saber she wielded briefly flared with black and ominous energy!

Trrrrrrrrrrrtch.

Hardly any sound escaped as Shiva's blackened edge effortlessly annihilated the metal in front of it. As Ketis continued to chop the weapon downwards, her arm practically did not encounter any physical resistance, which allowed her to complete her attack with relative ease!

Although the end result of Ketis' empowered attack was merely inflicting a thin vertical cut through Horvast's tower shield, her blade did not solely cut through metal.

It also happened to pass right through the arm which was strapped to the shield!

"GUUHHAHAAAAAAA! IT HURTS!"

Horvast completely lost his composure as his tower shield tipped onto the arena floor! His body quickly followed as the straps were still in place!

The sight of his injury looked quite painful. Many people in the audience winced as the front side of Horvast's amputated forearm was fixed in place with one strap while the rest of his arm was attached with another strap!

This caused his affected limb to look disturbingly whole despite the very obvious gap in between!

Ketis had won the match with ease!

Despite her exhaustion, despite her interrupted recovery process, despite her overstretched mind, in the end she only had to summon enough willpower to channel the power of annihilation.

Ketis frowned even as the audience celebrated her 'easy' victory.

As she relaxed her mind and sheathed her saber, she puzzled over what had happened.

While this was not the first time she utilized the power of the Annihilator Sword Style, she never channeled it with so little effort!

Something had definitely changed. She had grown more powerful than she realized. Sharpie's degree of change was beyond her expectation!

It was not just the ease that confounded her. The strength of her attack also came as a surprise.

Every manifestation cost energy. Before she visited the Heavensword Association, she frequently exercised her superpower. She utilized normal butter knives and other weapons to cut through solid metal in order to master this power and gain a better feel for sharpness.

She was only able to cut through a couple of metal bars before she exhausted herself for the day!

Even a single attack was enough to drain her if she attempted to cut through something as solid and thick as Horvast's tower shield!

Yet even if she relied on the power of annihilation instead of the power of sharpness this time, she was somehow able to exhibit so much of the former that she completely avoided a long and exhausting attrition battle!

She returned to her fellow sisters and got rid of her protective suit as soon as possible. She laid down on a bench and endured the aches in her body as best as possible.

Oddly enough, despite investing so much will and effort into executing her annihilation attack, her mind did not feel that much worse! She could easily bear her current mental strain!

"Good job, Ketis. You proved everyone once and for all that you're the real deal." Fred congratulated her as he sat down on a nearby bench. "The Annihilator Sword School's revival is already set in stone. The casual way you disregarded Horvast Trion's protection is very impressive. Others might not know what you have accomplished, but I know better. You have gone further in our sword style in just a couple of days than I have ever reached while investing many decades in learning my brother's teachings!"

She felt ashamed at his praise. Sharpie took care of nearly everything. She merely had to supply the fuel to allow her sword intent to do all of the work.

She was not a natural inheritor of the Annihilator Sword School! The people who called her a genius were completely mistaken. What would Fred think if he knew the truth?

A swordswoman must be honest. She could not stand the thought of misleading the old scammer any longer. He deserved to know the truth.

A guilty expression appeared on her face. "Mr. Walinski… the thing is…"

His old but firm hand pressed on her shoulder. "Shhh. You don't need to explain anything. Just focus on your recovery. When I was as young as you, I too hoped to make it as far as possible in a tournament. This is your moment, so don't worry about anything."

"Fred, I'm being serious. I'm not a regular swordswoman. I went through a unique experience that changed something in me. I don't feel that I have truly learned the Annihilator Sword Style. My actual understanding of it is so shallow that you can't believe how little I understand how it works. I don't deserve to lead your sword school."

The former head of the Annihilator Sword School remained silent. His expression remained kind.

Several seconds passed before he revealed his thoughts.

"I'm not stupid, Miss Larkinson. Of course I realize that there is something deeply abnormal about you. No one in the Heavensword Association is able to master a true sword style within days. If the best Heavensworders can't accomplish this, then a young lady like you certainly won't be able to do anything better."

"You knew…? Why didn't you say anything?"

Fred chuckled a bit. "My stance towards you hasn't changed. After struggling for over three decades, my brother's sword school was on the verge of collapse. That has changed ever since you arrived. My brother's legacy is more alive than ever and I can look forward to passing it on to thousands of new and eager sword students! Aside from breaking through myself, I have obtained everything that I have dreamt of these last few decades. Why should I possibly quibble over whether you have actually mastered the Annihilator Sword Style or not? Even if you are merely a pretender, any of the sword disciples that we have attracted with your help might one day turn into the real deal! That is enough for me to die with peace knowing that I have not spent my life in vain!"

The old man's tolerance and acceptance warmed her heart. As their eyes continued to meet, she felt as if she had gained a true accord with the caretaker of the Annihilator Sword School.

She knew now that she could trust him. Perhaps she might even be able to enlist his help into figuring out her new abilities!