An Understated Dominance - Chapter 2284

“Thank you.” Crystal put away her sword and nodded at Aurora. She had to admit that Aurora was a tough opponent.

Even though Aurora was a few years younger, they were nearly equals in skill. Crystal knew that Aurora would be someone to watch out for in the future.

“Aurora lost? How…” Alicia was shocked. She had expected Aurora to win, especially after using the Ennea Chorus technique. But in a moment, everything changed.

“Her talent and strength are impressive, but she lacks experience. Even though she lost, she learned a lot. I believe she’ll improve quickly from here,” Fenley said calmly.

He didn’t seem surprised by the result, as if he had seen it coming.

Aurora’s skill level matched Crystal’s, but she didn’t have the same battle experience or mastery. Her training was too broad. She knew a little about everything, from hand-to-hand combat to various weapons, but she wasn’t really good at any of them.

In contrast, Crystal had mastered her sword fighting. She wielded her sword with amazing skill. When she used the Tantrumia Slash on Aurora, it was clear she had the advantage.

Being a jack-of-all-trades might sound impressive, but weaknesses showed when facing experts. Instead of trying to be good at everything, it was more effective to focus on perfecting one skill.

This was the difference between the Celestial Alliance and the Sword Union. The Celestial Alliance taught many techniques, while the Sword Union concentrated only on swordsmanship.

Although the Celestial Alliance had many members, their skills didn’t match those of the Sword Union. So, Aurora’s defeat was expected.

“Hey! I lost because you’re better. But that doesn’t mean the Sword Union is better than our guild. I’ll make a comeback!” Before leaving, Aurora couldn’t help but smile, determined to improve and prove herself.

She held back a final taunt. Losing didn’t bother her. As Alloy’s daughter and a representative of the Celestial Alliance, she knew that being defeated by a Sword Union disciple might bring some criticism.

The Sword Union had been growing quickly and was starting to challenge the Celestial Alliance’s top position. Even though she lost the match, her fighting spirit remained strong. She couldn’t win this time, but her determination wouldn’t fade.

“I’ll be looking forward to that day,” she said with a nod. Crystal sheathed her longsword and stepped down from the battle ring.

“The winner of this round is contestant number 22!” the referee announced.

The crowd erupted with noise. Cheers mixed with disappointed sighs. Those who had bet on Crystal cheered loudly, while those who had put their money on Aurora sighed in disappointment.

The match had been full of surprises, and the outcome was uncertain until the last moment. Both Crystal and Aurora fought hard, but in the end, Crystal emerged as the winner.

“Yay! That’s great! Crystal won!” Ruby jumped up from her seat when she heard the results. She had tried to stay calm, but she was nervous the whole time.

She was thrilled that everything turned out well, especially since Crystal’s victory brought honor to the Sword Union.

“That’s awesome! I win! Finally, this is my chance,” Miles exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement. Crystal’s win meant he had won too. He had played it safe before, worried he might lose everything, but now he felt hopeful.

He could pay off his debts and even earn more celestial stones with a few more wins. The thought filled him with optimism.

“Crystal, you were amazing! That Conquest Breaker technique was just like our master’s,” Ruby babbled, still buzzing with excitement even after Crystal took her seat.

“I won, but we—”

“We can’t let our guard down. We can’t underestimate the Celestial Alliance disciples,” Crystal said calmly, her expression humble.

The earlier match had taught her that there would always be stronger opponents. She knew she shouldn’t be too proud of her skills and was determined to train even harder.

“If you win one more match, you’ll move up to Group A, right?” Miles asked with a smile.

“Probably,” she nodded. “And the same goes for you two. You have a chance, too.”

“Count me out,” he said, shaking his head as he looked at his injuries. “I know my limits. Winning even one match was tough. With these injuries, getting back in the ring could be dangerous. I’d rather sit here and watch.”

As the matches went on, the opponents got tougher. Even those close to becoming grandmasters were being defeated. He realized his strength wasn’t enough.

“It’s smart to sit this one out. You’ve already won a match, so there’s no need to risk your life trying to prove yourself,” Crystal said, agreeing with his decision.

Given Miles’ injuries, he couldn’t keep fighting. As the matches progressed, even the weakest contestants were becoming formidable. If he faced a grandmaster, he could be defeated instantly.

Crystal understood that even she might struggle to survive against such strong opponents.