Chapter 216: Ancient Deities?

Aisha stood up.

Her attention was fixed on the axe in Jayden’s hand, and for the first time since the match began, she felt genuinely uncertain about what she was seeing.

She turned toward Kane.

"What’s an Enchanted Weapon?"

Kane whipped his head toward her.

"Wait, how do you not know what that is?"

He looked as though he wanted to ask more questions, but the sight of Sabel trapped near the barrier made him abandon them.

"Enchanted Weapons are weapons blessed by the Ancient Deities," he explained hurriedly. "Back when Ancient Deities still existed, the noble families who served them were sometimes bestowed weapons carrying their powers before the Deities left and disappeared more than 4,000 years ago."

Aisha listened carefully.

Kane continued, his voice growing more serious.

"They’re extremely rare. Their power can be used to dominate contaminated zones, corrupted beasts, and even things of a demonic nature. The problem is, every weapon works differently, and their powers are hard to understand. The difference between an ordinary weapon and an activated Enchanted Weapon is huge."

He glanced toward the axe again.

"Only someone with the bloodline of the family that served the Ancient Deity can activate its true power. An outsider might steal one or stumble across one, but without the proper bloodline, it remains an ordinary weapon. No one even knows how many are still left on Gaia."

Aisha’s attention returned to Sabel. Her expression turned serious as she continued listening.

"Does she have an Enchanted Weapon to counter it?"

Kane shook his head grimly.

"Only another Enchanted Weapon, or a Sentinel ranked S-class or higher, would have a chance of countering it properly. Sabel isn’t even close to that level."

He hesitated before adding, "And the academy doesn’t ban them. The only rule is that you can’t use their maximum power output."

Aisha fell silent.

She had no memory of Enchanted Weapons, and nothing in the knowledge she had recovered about this world had prepared her for their existence. She had assumed Jayden might have another ordinary weapon, perhaps something expensive or unusual, but this was on an entirely different level.

Ancient Deities and Enchanted Weapons...

Beside her, Kane looked as though he had already accepted their defeat.

"It’s over. We lost," he muttered.

***

Sabel knew she was going to lose this match.

She could barely maintain her stance with the axe’s oppressive presence bearing down on her. Her hands were still bleeding, her body ached from the earlier collision, and she had already used much of her strength trying to keep up with Jayden.

Yet even if she had been in perfect condition, she wasn’t confident she could withstand that weapon.

She clenched her injured hands, forcing herself to remain upright for another moment.

Then she raised one hand.

"...I surrender."

The announcer immediately declared Jayden the winner of the third match.

The audience erupted into excited discussions, while the holographic screens displayed the latest result.

Corwin’s team had won two rounds.

While their own team had won only one.

Sabel lowered her head and walked back to the waiting area. The moment she crossed the barrier, she could no longer hold herself together.

BANG!

Her fist struck the wall, leaving a hole in its surface.

"I couldn’t even fight him properly!"

Her voice broke as she stared at her bloodied hands. Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she struck the wall again, unable to contain the frustration that had been building inside her since Vesper was carried away.

"I couldn’t even avenge Vesper! He gave us the chance to win the first round, and I wasted it!"

No one spoke.

There was nothing they could say that would change the result, and none of them could honestly tell her that she had done well when the truth was that she had been forced to surrender.

Sabel turned away from the damaged wall, wiping her face with the back of her arm, but the tears continued to fall.

Across the arena, the announcer called for the fourth participant from Class 7-D.

It was Kane’s turn.

Corwin’s team had already secured two victories, and if Kane lost the next round, their chances of winning the duel would become even slimmer.

Kane remained rooted to the spot.

He had watched Sabel fight with everything she had, only to be forced into surrender by a weapon she had no means of countering. He had also seen what Jayden did to Vesper, and he couldn’t stop thinking about what might happen if he stepped onto that stage.

He was a C-rank Guide.

Jayden was a Sentinel whose rank was higher than his, and he possessed an Enchanted Weapon capable of overwhelming opponents far stronger than Kane himself.

How was he supposed to fight against someone like that?

The announcer called his name again.

"Kane of Class 7-D, please proceed to the stage!"

Kane didn’t move.

He stood with his head lowered, mumbling to himself as though repeating his words might somehow make the situation less frightening.

"I can’t do it. I can’t fight him. What’s the point of going up there if I’m just going to lose..."

The announcer waited a moment before beginning the countdown.

"One!"

Kane’s shoulders stiffened.

"Two!"

His fingers curled nervously against his uniform.

"Three!"

He remained where he was, unable to force his feet to move.

"Four!"

The screen above the arena shifted to display the waiting area assigned to Class 7-D.

The moment the image appeared, students throughout the stands began noticing the scene unfolding beneath it.

Kane was still standing in the same spot, trembling and refusing to step forward, while Aisha and Sabel stood nearby.

A few spectators exchanged amused looks.

"Are you serious? Is that guy planning to forfeit without even trying?"

"Looks like they really have no one left who can fight."

Laughter spread through the nearby rows. Some students were already preparing to mock Class 7-D for their apparent cowardice, certain that the duel was all but over.

Then—

SMACK!

Aisha slapped Kane across the face so hard that his head snapped to the side.

The sharp crack echoed throughout the arena.

No microphone was attached to their waiting area, yet the sound carried far enough to silence the mocking voices in the stands. Even those who hadn’t been paying attention turned toward the screen, startled by what they had just witnessed.

Kane slowly turned his head back toward Aisha, one hand pressed against his cheek.

Aisha stood before him, her expression cold.

"Get on the stage. Don’t let anything distract you."

Kane stared at her in disbelief.

"But what’s the use of going up there when I’m only going to lose?"

Aisha stepped closer.

"Whether you lose or win, that still has yet to be seen. As long as you still have a breath left, you have no right to give up."

Her gaze remained fixed on him.

"Or... are you just going to look away and die a coward?"