Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Facing Seraphiel, Tilan was no longer as relaxed as she had been against Maidi. She was fully attentive and serious this time.

The pale gray Crystal Cross Sword was held in her palm, the sword edge like vertically standing ice crystals, transparent and flawless, emitting wisps of white smoke, a sheet of cold ice.

Seeing that Tilan was prepared, Seraphiel raised her sword in front of her as well. Soon, boiling Holy Flame pervaded the air, forming spreading ripples and rings of fire beneath her feet.

Then, a circle of light suddenly expanded, and thereafter snowy white, burning wings unfolded behind her. Seraphiel slowly ascended; beneath her golden hair, glowing like fire, a white brow began to show a golden flame brand, a symbol of her being recognized by the Angels sleeping deep within the Aijieka Sea, able to wield part of their power on their behalf.

"Holy Flame·Jessica"

Enveloped by the splendid, song-like Holy Flame, the pure white sanctified sword body, with its sharp and flawless sword edge, Seraphiel chanted ancient poems, the songs of grand deeds from the third era, when Angels descended upon the earth, leading humankind and fighting against the world-engulfing Chaos Phantoms.

"When shadows of sin rise upon the earth, three beams of light shine down from the heavens."

"That light, as if a living entity, produced sound."

"The sound was like singing, yet seemed like a prayer, and thus, 7,526 winged messengers descended into the world."

With each verse she recited, the flame around her body and the longsword in her hands surged, until at last, she appeared to be enveloped in a fierce white blaze, dazzling and unbearable to look directly at, the brilliance's heat burning everything in the vicinity, causing the audience outside the combat arena to sweat profusely.

Opening her clear blue eyes, Seraphiel looked directly at the black-haired girl opposite her, as if invisible flames were burning in her pupils. She had not held back from the start because she knew better than any contestant the true strength of this girl before her, which was certainly not as simple as it currently appeared.

As wave after wave of suffocating flames spread from Seraphiel's feet, lifting Tilan's hair and the hem of her skirt, what might seem like unbearable heat to outsiders, was not so to her.

The very nature of high temperature is the high-speed, disordered movement of molecules, and her Talent precisely involves crystallization and stasis, capable of protecting her from such Ability effects.

Her hair fluttered as she too slowly clenched the ice blade longsword in her hand, her eyes closing slightly.

The common Withering Sequence methods and the Songstress's powers were not very effective against the Radiant Feather Sequence. Since that was the case, she would use this Swordsmanship technique.

"Azure Bird's Inheritance: Breezy Shadow Sword Technique."
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Holding the longsword in hand, Tilan swung it gently, her movements as graceful as a sword dance, exceptionally beautiful. Black, flower-decorated sleeves with a dark blue lining became visible as she spun, exposing her pale wrists.

As she turned, her figure became faintly displaced and with her movements accelerating, this sense of displacement became more pronounced. Eventually, it became clear that it wasn't displacement but rather a series of identical phantoms behind her, each one's movements half a beat slower and their coloring increasingly faint. With simple rotations of her sword, she left behind rings of sword light afterimages.

Though it was somewhat incomprehensible why the girl before her could move uninhibited within the sanctified white blaze, Seraphiel had no intention of guessing and started to make her move.

Flapping her burning wings, she flew across the ground, her Cross Sword Blade engulved in Holy Flame slashing down. Tilan dodged it, but that wasn't the end, as a series of striking and bursting sounds came from Seraphiel's sword edge.

Those moving phantoms behind the girl weren't mere figments, as if gaining solid form in the instant of attack, continuing to slash down.

In the subsequent battle, both moved faster, and the scene resembled Seraphiel fighting against more than ten people at once. As soon as Tilan spun and slashed her sword, twelve longswords followed suit, circling around Seraphiel, stabbing out instantly with twelve strikes.

Facing such an enigmatic Sword Technique, Seraphiel furrowed her brow. A symbol flashed in her eyes, her sword edge's Holy Flame bursting forth as she swept through fiercely, shattering and tearing apart the longswords in front of her. However, when Tilan stepped back and attacked again, a sequence of rapid sword thrusts forced Seraphiel onto the defensive.

After several such exchanges, wounds began appearing on Seraphiel's body, luckily the phantoms were not the real thing, so the wounds, breaking through her defense, were not deep.

Seeing that this could not go on, Seraphiel turned and leaped up, her burning wings carrying her soaring straight up, breaking through layers of atmosphere into the night sky.

Having momentarily escaped Tilan, Seraphiel closed her eyes and began chanting again.

"And thus, those blessed people who followed the light became messengers too."

"They wielded sharp swords, their edges able to slay the wicked snakes within their hearts, the blades' heat able to burn twisted shadows in the world."

As Seraphiel chanted, the Holy Flame burning on her Holy Sword swelled more intensely. The sword blade seemed to melt and twist, turning into a serpent shape, and upon the serpent's body were exquisitely engraved countless sanctified Curse Scripts.

Wielding the serpent-shaped Holy Sword, Seraphiel dove down once more, with Tilan rising to meet her in the air.

Once again, their blades clashed, but this time the Curse Scripts on the serpent-shaped sword were exceptionally dazzling. Under their illumination, all the phantoms behind Tilan were dissipated into ashes.

After the two crossed and separated, Tilan curiously looked at Seraphiel's serpent-shaped sword.

"The Radiant Feather Sequence really is blessed, its ability to disperse and purify can counter too many Secret Techniques." She shook her head.

She thought to herself that since she couldn't take any shortcuts, she'd have to rely on raw strength.

Seraphiel swung her sword again, a flames-like arc cutting towards Tilan, who parried with her ice crystal longsword. In an instant, the ice crystal sword shattered and melted, to which the girl was not surprised.

Taking advantage of their clash, she released the sword edge and stepped back, then lightly cleared her throat, preparing her voice.

"Ah~" A somewhat delicate voice exclaimed before the tune shifted, becoming ethereal and transcendent.

Without notice, seven cyan harp strings appeared in Tilan's hands. As she plucked them, light blue butterflies fluttered out from between the strings, then dissipated into the night sky.

"The distant wind brings your call"

"The distant light brings your figure"

The slightly lively singing carried a melody like droplets falling to the ground, while gusts of evening breeze blew, dispersing the night clouds.

"The only meaning of life that remains is today"

"I will embark on the journey without regrets"

The girl's eyes were slightly closed, one hand playing the harp, the other lightly pressed against her chest as she sang softly.

Seraphiel watched intently, swinging her sword to the sky trying to interrupt the singing girl, but suddenly a blue figure with a sword appeared in midair. Her silhouette matched the girl's, barring Seraphiel's path.

A fierce strike shattered the phantom into pieces, but soon another blue figure with a sword emerged and stood in Seraphiel's way.

Like this, one after another, Seraphiel had slain over ten obstructing sword-bearing phantoms within seconds, continuously making her way towards Tilan's position.

At this moment, Tilan slowly opened her eyes, which seemed to swirl with countless grains of star sand. The song of transcending time flowed and resonated from her tender voice. Behind her, the night sky had never seemed so clear, every wisp of cloud visible in pristine clarity.

"As we slowly drift towards that horizon"

"As we let everything follow our hearts"

"Would you be willing to advance with me?"

The strings in the girl's hands dispersed, and she stood quietly in the night sky, her hands crossed and placed against her forehead as if to shield something.

At this time, Seraphiel, with her flaming serpent sword, streaked through the obstacles like a beam of light, aiming directly for Tilan's heart.

Finally, the overlapped palms parted, revealing the moonlight mark on the girl's forehead, pristine and unparalleled.

Time seemed to hit the pause button at that moment, the girl's palms moving from top to bottom, drawing a perfect circle. Behind her in the night sky, a full moon covering the entire arena's sky slowly emerged.

Within the silvery white gleam of moonlight, the two tiny figures were forever captured in the light.

"I will eventually capture the dreams I chase"

"I will eventually break through the nine heavens with all my might"

The immaculate moonlight poured down, dispelling the scorching heat from the ground and the entire arena. The ceaselessly boiling Holy Flame also gradually extinguished, and a world of serene tranquility descended.

"I will eventually hold you in my embrace"

"I will eventually sing praises to the great creation"

"I will eventually be submerged in the endless song"

The girl's singing continued to murmur under the moonlight, while the serpent sword in the slowed flow of time gently penetrated her chest, piercing through.

"I will eventually win your ambiguous gaze"

"A breeze once again lightly caresses my ears"

"I know that is your quiet whisper"

Blood trailed from the corner of her mouth; Tilan grasped the wrist of Seraphiel, who held the sword. She sang the last few lyrics, perhaps awed by such a scene, or perhaps moved by the singing. Seraphiel, who was rarely seen so spellbound, unconsciously loosened her grip on the hilt of the sword, staring blankly at the girl under the moonlight.

The sword blade slowly turned to dust and vanished. The girl gently pressed her hand against the wound on her chest, and with the other, she softly brushed Seraphiel's cheek, leaving a faint trace of blood, then lightly tapped Seraphiel's forehead, lulling the girl blessed by the Angel into a peaceful sleep.

The wings behind her wrapped around Seraphiel like feathers, bringing her gently down to rest on the moonlit earth. Her breathing grew steady as she succumbed to a profound dream and sleep.

After a long silence, the referee finally resisted the impulse not to disturb the scene and announced the end of the contest.

"Edith Academy is victorious."