Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

"Now entering the stage is Edith Academy's Sitasia, and her opponent is Lin Wei from Thunder Edge."

"Those who have made it to the third round each hold their own advantages and characteristics. Sitasia pressures her opponents with high speed and high lethality, and if they can't withstand the most dangerous first 20 seconds, it usually ends in defeat. Lin Wei from Thunder Edge, on the other hand, is equally known for his tough and swift attributes, having broken through the front lines in the first two rounds, exchanging blow for blow and resolving each battle within 15 seconds."

"Let's look forward to it, to see what kind of excitement and surprises the two competitors will bring us!"

The announcer's voice echoed throughout the venue as Sitasia stepped onto the platform with light footsteps. Dressed in a black and red short skirt for the night, the upper layer of her skirt was black, the lower layer rose-red, with a red petticoat inside, exuding youthful vibrancy. Her well-shaped legs were covered in black sheer stockings, and the scythe handle she held behind her back rotated effortlessly as she walked onto the stage, the crimson blade dancing in semi-translucent circles, her dark red eyes peering at her opponent through the shadow of the scythe.

Lin Wei from Thunder Edge entered the high platform with a slim blade drawn, wearing a crisp deep blue outfit, the cuffs of which hinted at silver bracers underneath. Anyone who had seen the first two matches would know that his black gloves and bracers boasted excellent defense, explaining his victories by taking hits head-on and trading injury for injury.

'Edith Stacia, fourth year.'

'Lin Wei from Thunder Edge, fourth year.'

After the referee announced, both of them, contrary to their usual aggressive tactics, instead of attacking hurriedly, were sizing up each other with calm observations and analysis.

Thus, after a motionless standoff that felt like ten seconds, both acted simultaneously and, without exception, each unleashed their most skillful and dominant moves right from the start.

Lin charged at Sitasia like a fired bullet, his blade in hand tracing a slight arc in the air. The silver trajectory of the blade's tip was like a thread aiming straight at his opponent, with no hesitation or pause, making it difficult for many to react quickly, and the moment was fleeting.

"Clang—" Sitasia flicked her rotating scythe from a reverse grip to a standard grip, then struck it against the direct and forceful blade.

Tiny sparks flew, her scythe was knocked aside, and Sitasia used the momentum to leap back.

"Red Moon Secret Technique: Bloodthorn."

As she leaped back, a vibrant red array appeared behind Sitasia from which dark red chains surged out toward Lin, sealing off his movement from every angle.

The straight blade swung again, cutting through the incoming chains and severing most of them, yet some connections remained.

"Alpha Saber Technique: Steel Break," Lin was not surprised and quickly changed the art formula on his blade, followed by several beams of silver light, cleaving through all the chains that approached, leaving smooth cuts as if slicing through straw.

As Sitasia gained time with the chains, she also finished preparing. The dark red magic power in her eyes nearly overflowed, and then she lifted her left hand, condensing a dark red, twisted sphere until it shrank and she flung it forward.

"Red Moon Secret Technique: Heart-eating Bloodsphere."

The dark red bloodsphere smashed against the ground, flattening out and then violently bouncing up, shooting towards Lin at high speed. As he dodged, it grazed past his side, shredding a layer off his deep blue uniform, with the cut disappearing as if annihilated.

But it wasn't over. The bloodsphere bounced and turned after flying past, whizzing by Lin several times until at one point Lin found an opportunity to strike it with his blade, triggering an explosion.

Dark red venom corroded the blade, emitting wisps of white smoke, splashing some onto Lin's face in the explosion, giving him a particularly fierce and stern look.

"Alpha Saber Technique: Instant Slash"

In an instant, Lin pushed off the ground, his figure vanishing and then appearing before Sitasia. His blade slashed down, and if not for Sitasia's own quick reflexes and speed, she might have been severely injured right on the spot.

After using her scythe to block the blade, Sitasia no longer continued with probing and spells. She leaped into the air and upon landing, she dashed with speed. Her form, like a red and black lightning, likewise slashed towards Lin Wei across from her. In the ten seconds that were too quick for onlookers to follow, they clashed dozens of times. Sparks flew from the clashing blades until, at last, Sitasia's blood-red arc blade swept across and severed the sword in air, declaring the end.

The flying blade grazed Sitasia's cheek, almost cutting into the bone and leaving a deep wound, but Sitasia continued her attack, unfazed. The dangerous, unceasing scythe blade drove Lin Wei into a corner of desperation.

Having lost his sword, even though Lin Wei drew a short gun to attack, the threat greatly diminished. Soon, Sitasia broke through his defense, and the blood-red blade swung again, sending the hand holding the gun flying into the air, landing far off on the ground.

"Victory to Edith Sitasia!" the referee announced, and immediately the medical staff hurried to pick up the hand from the ground. Then they helped Lin Wei into a life-saving pod and took him to the medical department at the side of the venue for treatment.

When looking at the overall strength, the gap between the two was minimal. However, the Blood Pupil Sequence still held a slight advantage in Armor-Breaking Enchantments and other spells, managing to sever the opponent's weapon first. This left Lin Wei weaponless, and his power plummeted, leading to his defeat.

If Lin Wei had been holding a higher rank and sturdier weapon at the time, the outcome might have been different.

Sitasia's battle was but a microcosm. Compared to previous years, the students from Edith Academy seemed particularly well-versed in combat during this Winter Festival Tournament, exuding an unusual ferocity and rationality. Although there were plenty of geniuses from other academies, they often became momentarily confused, losing their composure and panicking when blood was shed or faced with grievous wounds during the competition.

Such a reaction wouldn't last long, but in the tense and fierce one-on-one duels, a moment's negligence could easily give an opponent an opportunity to exploit a weakness and take control.

At first, this trend wasn't very noticeable, but as the third round of the competition commenced, some spectators finally began to sense something amiss, and they were somewhat astonished.

"Could it be they've undergone some kind of special and hellish training?"

"It wasn't that hellish."

A girl sitting in a corner of the preparation area responded to her companion's question while eating popcorn.

"There was a time when I suggested to a teacher that we should increase real combat content, as well as reactions and handling of various hazardous situations, based on the experience we summarized after our training earlier this year," Tilan explained about the situation a few months back.

"But what really made a difference might be the excellent medical department of the academy, um," Tilan opened her mouth to bite into a chestnut that Efnie had peeled and put into her mouth. As she crunched down, the warm and sweet flavor spread over her tongue.

"Because everyone realized that many scary injuries could be easily healed, they started to go all out during sparring sessions."

Although lacking the Radiant Feather Sequence, the Natural Sequence and Withering Sequence were dominant sequences at Edith Academy with deep technological accumulation and collaborations with many pharmaceutical companies, so there was never a shortage of medical resources. The only drawback was on certain special and direct injuries due to the lack of expertise in the Radiant Feather Sequence, like what happened with Valke before.

However, with Tilan providing covert support behind the scenes, the academy's directors, after evaluating and calculating, gradually became confident enough to increase the intensity of training, eventually setting them apart from other academies.

As this culture intensified, and since everyone was training underground, away from the public and without outside observers or benchmarks, they immersed themselves in the practice, unaware of how excessive their training was. It was virtually a life-and-death struggle every time, with swords and scythes pointed directly at each other's vital points, without any hint of avoidance.

"As long as the academy's medical department can heal, just fight with confidence," Mr. N pressed down the brim of his hat, explaining to everyone with a nonchalant face.

After all, the students were between 16-18 years old and weren't fully aware of the extraordinary medical methods, nor did they give much thought to the possibly irregular conditions due to being accustomed to the superior educational environment of Edith Academy. They soon overlooked any potential misgivings.

It wasn't until the competition concluded that people slowly started to ponder over the matter, sensing that something was amiss. It was one thing to say other academies were lax, but Thunder Edge was military academy material—how could they too seem a bit 'soft,' their responses not decisive or 'cool-headed' enough?

"Ahem, look for reasons within yourselves and ignore what outsiders think. You are the best group I've ever taught, and I've seen all your hard work. Such results are to be expected, there's no need for guilt or doubt," Mr. N stood in the hall after the contest, explaining and boosting everyone's morale this way.

"For the first time, I think Mr. N might be lying. He doesn't sound as straightforward and assertive as usual," some students commented afterward.