Kyle made it back to his feet, unsheathing his short swords.
"So, you still have a little fight in you, cutie," Jasmine said with a smug smile.
"Little!?" Kyle retorted. "I haven't even started."
As Kyle said those words, he advanced toward Jasmine once more. In turn, she fired arrows at him again—only this time, none of them landed.
This guy… he's evading all my arrows casually.
"You probably think if you close the distance you've won. Well, that's where you're wrong," Jasmine said as she unsheathed the sword at her side and rushed toward Kyle. She swung her blade diagonally, but Kyle blocked it and pushed her back.
The two clashed swords as Jasmine showcased her remarkable swordsmanship. Kyle, however, didn't back down either.
"She's quite the prodigy," Lucius commented.
"I agree. Even at the continental level, warriors proficient in both sword and archery techniques are rare," another replied.
(Note: Warriors are not limited to a single weapon type; they can learn skill books of both sword and archery techniques. Still, it's rare to see someone excel in more than one.)
Just then, Jasmine activated the skill Vertical Split. A green aura enveloped her blade as she slammed it down. Kyle raised both swords above his head, blocking the strike. A large shockwave dispersed through the stage.
Kyle pushed her blade off with his and coated his own with poison before swinging forward. Jasmine leapt back, but not fast enough—his blade cut her cheek.
"Damn it!" she cursed.
"Who the heck is that devil!?" Mark announced.
"He's trying to blemish her beauty! Damn brat!" Mark cursed again.
"What the—? They're all against me, huh?" Kyle laughed. "Seems like you're really popular. You've been poisoned; you won't fight as well. So why don't you forfeit before you really get hurt?"
"Not a chance!" Jasmine snapped as she fired more arrows from her quiver, this time activating the Hunt skill.
"Tsk, not this again," Kyle complained as he ran toward her. "I'll just have to end this before they hit me."
The arrows hovered above him—but then Kyle disappeared, activating Advanced Stealth. The arrows froze completely in their tracks.
"What the—" Jasmine began, but before she could finish, two blades materialized at her neck.
"Ready to quit now?" Kyle whispered with a smug look.
Jasmine sighed in defeat.
"A… A… and the winner is that stupid bastard, Kyle!" Mark lamented.
"Yesss! I made the right call betting on the South!" The man who had lost his house was now elated.
However, he seemed to be the only one. The crowd booed loudly as Kyle walked off the stage.
"You guys can boo all you want—I don't give a damn, as long as I win," Kyle said, rejoining his group.
"Tough crowd out there, huh?" Harden joked.
"Tell me about it," Kyle replied.
"The next match is going to be between the Northern Continent and the Western Continent," Mark announced. "And the contestants are Kurk versus Rudolph! Will this match be as heartbreaking as the previous one, or will it be different?"