Chapter 277: Three Swords

"Thanks for the reminder," Li Xiaofei said. "In that case, see you on the battlefield."

Tsukiha Yaiba smiled, nodded, and turned to leave.

Swish, swish, swish.

Fang Buyi, Bai Longfei, Ren Dong, and Bai Qiqi all gathered around him in an instant.

"Little Li, what did that rich girl say to you?" Bai Longfei asked eagerly.

"How do you know she's rich?" Ren Dong asked curiously.

Bai Longfei chuckled and said, "Not only do I know she's wealthy, I also know that girl over there..." He pointed towards Mizutani Hikaru in the distance. "Her family must be dirt poor."

"Why?" Ren Dong asked.

"Because one of them built an airport at such a young age, while the other lives in the middle of rugged mountains," Bai Longfei said with a sly grin.

Fang Buyi, Liu Xiao, and Zhuge Long, the other guys, instantly got the joke and started laughing mischievously. Ren Dong and Bai Qiqi, however, were clueless as to what they meant.

"Come on, tell us, what did that girl want from you?" Bai Longfei pressed.

Li Xiaofei replied, "Today, I helped an old lady cross the street."

Bai Longfei was stunned and asked, "What does that have to do with Tsukiha Yaiba approaching you?"

"And what does Tsukiha Yaiba approaching me have to do with you?" Li Xiaofei shot back without hesitation.

"Damn!" Bai Longfei raised his middle finger in frustration.

But he quickly looked serious. "That Jiepeng girl isn’t falling for you, is she? Little Li, just saying, it's one thing for a man to be attracted to women, but you have to keep your integrity. Don’t let one of those Jiepeng girls get the better of you. Sure, she looks nice, but compared to our Captain Yan, she's nothing. You’d be better off-"

Bai Longfei felt a wave of killing intent wash over him before he could finish. He slowly turned to see Yan Chiyu staring at him, as if contemplating which part of his body would bleed the most if she drew her sword.

"Good luck," Li Xiaofei said, patting Bai Longfei on the shoulder.

Bai Longfei looked like he was about to cry.

***

In the Little White Dragon in the Waves livestream.

“Boss, didn’t you say you could read lips? What did they actually say?”

“Tsukiha Yaiba asked Li Xiaofei if he wanted to have dinner with her.”

“That’s it?”

“Of course, but Li Xiaofei turned her down. He said he doesn’t like Jiepeng cuisine.”

“No surprise from Big Daddy, he rejected her beautifully.”

Shen Yan and his assistant’s conversation was broadcasted to all the fans in the livestream.

Brothers, why do I feel like Shen Dog is lying to us?

Anyone here who actually knows how to read lips? Help us out.

Question first, apologize later.

A flood of comments quickly filled the chat, questioning and joking around.

***

The match quickly began. The first round was the solo mode. As per tradition, the opening match was a battle between the main fighters. Red Flag High School sent out Yan Chiyu, while Quanye High School fielded Mizutani Hikaru, the second-strongest fighter after Tsukiha Yaiba.

The light core system was calibrated and ready. Both fighters simultaneously entered the light core mainframe cockpit.

The thirty seconds allocated for adjustments and equipment selection flew by. Finally, the system-revealed battlefield was unveiled. It was the Ancient Roman Colosseum, one of the ten classic solo mode maps.

A circular arena, surrounded by towering stone walls designed to be impassable by the system. There was only one thing the fighters could do in such a battlefield: face their opponent head-on.

Any attempts at evasion or delaying would be meaningless. Mizutani Hikaru was dressed in a modified version of the traditional Jiepeng combat attire for women. She was bare-chested and had four sword cords tied meticulously across her torso, accentuating her ample chest. Beneath her red waist sash was a high-slit mamian skirt that reached up to her thighs, revealing her pale legs as she moved.

Her long black hair was tied into a high ponytail, her forehead covered by a white headband, and she wore combat boots, exuding a rare, captivating exotic charm. She had three weapons. The first was a sword. The second was a sword. The third, again, was a sword.

On the opposite side, Yan Chiyu from Red Flag High School stood in her school uniform, wielding her slender sword.

"I’ve watched your matches. You, the soul of Red Flag High School, once the most talented middle schooler in Liuhe Base City, are worthy of being my opponent," Mizutani Hikaru said proudly.

Yan Chiyu remained silent.

Zheng!

The slender sword trembled in the air and the blade rang out softly. But Yan Chiyu didn’t strike immediately. She stayed in her stance.

Mizutani Hikaru smiled and said, "What’s wrong? Trying to find my weakness?"

Her posture was incredibly loose as she slowly walked forward. Her entire body seemed full of openings. But because there were so many, not all of them were real openings. All three of her swords remained sheathed. Because they were still in their scabbards, no one could predict how or where she would draw them. The true essence of her swordsmanship lay in concealment.

Mizutani Hikaru often acted like a carefree jokester in her daily life. But her martial prowess was undeniably extraordinary. Once she stepped onto the battlefield, she was a formidable and terrifying opponent.

Yan Chiyu still didn’t strike. The slender blade pointed slightly forward, like an arrow nocked on a bowstring, ready to unleash a fatal strike at any moment. She stood there silently, her presence fading as though she were becoming invisible. Meanwhile, Mizutani Hikaru casually walked forward with a carefree attitude.

"I was trained by Senjo Takauchi, a master of the Three-Sword Style. My specialty is wielding three swords at once. Unfortunately, no one among the Great Xia high school students have ever been worthy of seeing my second sword." She giggled and asked with a playful smile, "So, Yan, how many of my swords do you think you'll force me to draw?"

Whoosh!

Yan Chiyu's eyes flashed coldly as she suddenly struck. A streak of sword light flashed through the air.

Ding!

Sparks flew as Mizutani Hikaru drew her sword and parried at almost the exact same moment.

Sword and blade collided. The two figures separated as quickly as they had engaged. Yan Chiyu glanced down at her school uniform. A tear had appeared on her upper right sleeve. Across from her, a single strand of Mizutani Hikaru's hair floated gently to the ground.

They had both found an opening in their first exchange and it seemed as if the battle could have been decided in an instant. The broadcast cameras meticulously captured every subtle change.

"What incredible swordsmanship and blade technique. They’re both so fast."

"Yan Chiyu’s uniform was cut by the blade, while Mizutani Hikaru lost a strand of hair to the sword aura... In this first clash, neither gained the upper hand."

"Mizutani Hikaru has yet to lose in this year’s league. She’s maintained a terrifying level of dominance."

"So far, no one has forced her to draw her second sword."

"Could Yan Chiyu be the one to break her unbeaten record?"

"Yan Chiyu has been a powerhouse in the last two leagues, but before this season, she had to miss some time due to injury. She’s also remained undefeated since her return."

“These two are both following the path of assassin-like warriors,” one commentator observed.

“Every strike they make is a deadly move,” another added.

“Exactly. The audience needs to keep their eyes wide open because the match could be decided at any moment.”

“This victory is crucial for Quanye High School. Li Xiaofei is practically unbeatable in solo mode.” The first commentator noted.

“Haha, I don’t like what you’re implying,” his colleague retorted.

“Oh? Do you think Tsukiha Yaiba has a chance of defeating Li Xiaofei?”

“I’m saying that Li Xiaofei is invincible, even in team mode.”

“You win.” The second commentator conceded, in a rare moment of agreement among the commentators.

At that moment, Yan Chiyu launched another attack. Once again, it was an incredibly fast strike. The sword light flashed like lightning.

Ding ding!

Mizutani Hikaru’s long blade unsheathed. She had drawn her second sword.