Magical Soul Parade - Chapter 317: Duel

Chapter 317: Duel

Finn walked toward the edge of the residential landmass, his hands still tucked casually in his pockets. He paused for a moment and looked toward a young man in the crowd who was holding a subpar iron sword.

It was a mass produced weapon, likely bought for a few coins from a common forge. Finn reached out his hand and gestured toward the blade with a playful grin.

“Friend, lend me that piece of steel for a moment,” Finn said, his voice light. “I want to show the people here that I can use a normal Arcanist sword. It would be a waste to use a soul weapon on such a fine occasion, afterall.”

The young man looked confused, but the sheer presence Finn exerted made him hand over the sword without a word. Finn twirled the basic blade in his hand, testing the balance and feeling the imperfections in the metal. It was a subpar tool, but that only made the prospect more interesting to him.

Nova watched this exchange with a deepening frown. She didn’t speak a word as Finn tested the weight of the iron blade. When he was satisfied, he looked over at her and nodded. Without any further preamble, both of them turned toward the edge of the large residential landmass. They leaped into the open sky simultaneously, surrendering their bodies to the peculiar laws of the city.

The moment their feet left the solid ground, the localized gravity of the residential district vanished. Weightlessness took hold of them, but it was a familiar sensation to both.

They free-flowed through the air toward a much smaller battle platform that hung several hundred feet below. Nova moved fluidly with the elegance of a high-born noble, her limbs positioned to minimize resistance, while Finn simply drifted with a relaxed posture, his hands still near his pockets.

The crowd above them didn’t want to miss a single second. Hundreds of people scrambled onto their various flying artifacts, mechanical gliders, and winged soul masses. They occupied every available inch of the smaller landmasses that orbited the battle platform. The air was thick with the sound of flapping wings and the hum of artifacts as the city’s inhabitants fought for a better vantage point.

Both Finn and Nova landed on the platform with a synchronized thud. The landmass they now stood on was large for a battle platform, but it was small compared to the residential districts. It was roughly the size of a football field and perfectly circular, providing enough space for a high-speed duel.

However, Finn knew that for truly powerful individuals, this area was nothing. A single wanton clash from a Master rank Arcanist or a Caretaker Ossuarist was usually enough to destabilize an entire platform of this size, scattering the rock into dust.

But to counter that, as soon as they landed, a dome that was barely perceptible to the eyes surrounded the platform. Finn noted with genuine interest that this was the work of an artifact. It employed high-speed air magic, creating extreme wind speeds that would normally lift anyone off their feet. But the wind was contained in a finger-width, closed-loop system that functioned as a solid wall.

It was an ingenious design that acted as a barrier to prevent the shockwaves of the fight from affecting the spectators outside.

The ground beneath his feet felt different too. He tapped the hilt of his borrowed sword against the floor and felt the density. The earth had been compacted with elemental magic until it was as solid as reinforced steel. He reckoned even he would have to get a bit serious to cause any real damage to the surface.

Finn was genuinely impressed. This place had not existed a month ago, yet the Arcanists had used elemental and Artifact Nurturing magic to create a highly functional, highly durable arena, all without a single trace of abstract Transcendent magic at all. It would seem even the Transcendent Fragment holder here hadn’t interfered in this. All of it was all pure, clever engineering.

“You are yet to bring out your soul mass,” Nova said. Her voice carried across the length of the platform, clear and cold.

Finn looked up from his observation of the floor. Nova was standing on the opposite side, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, her expression solemn and serious.

“Where is the dragon? The massive, serpentine creature you arrived on?” she asked. “I am not blind, and I saw the depth of its power when you were in the sky. To face a Noble Xiph with a piece of scrap metal and a lazy expression is an insult. If you do not intend to take this seriously, then you are wasting my time and yours.”

Finn looked at her calmly and smiled, enjoying the fiery ego that radiated from her. He could tell she was used to being the most powerful person in any room she entered. He knew that even though Ryuga had been in a smaller form, his soul density was something that someone as well-trained as Nova would still have felt very clearly.

The fact that she was demanding he bring out such a monster despite knowing of that power showed that she had a great deal of confidence in her own abilities.

“I never had the intention of holding back,” Finn replied. He twirled the subpar iron sword in a casual circle, feeling the rough texture of the leather grip. He pointed the tip toward her with a look of genuine acknowledgment. “I am not one to treat a battle with a noble as a joke. You want to see what I can do? Then I suggest you keep your eyes open.”

In his mind, he considered his options. Ryuga was far too large for this platform, and summoning him would likely shatter the barrier and the platform itself just by the weight of his presence.

Syf was also out of the question. He could feel her eagerness to come out, but he didn’t want to reveal anything more than necessary. So in the end, he decided to use the Crimson Fist Baboon instead.