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On the morning of the finals, Mitsuki woke up groggily. Yesterday, she had prayed earnestly for Seiichi's match, even though she had always believed there would be no problem.
It's better to be safe than sorry!
Mitsuki got up, washed, changed, and put on an apron, beginning to prepare breakfast for the Kamiya household.
She mixed the sandwich filling, then wrapped it between two slices of bread, and two delicious sandwiches were complete.
She took two eggs from the refrigerator to fry and heated some fresh milk.
After everything was prepared, Mitsuki untied the apron from her waist and went upstairs to wake Seiichi.
Returning to Seiichi's room, she found his phone in a drawer and began her daily check of Seiichi's chat history.
No suspicious girls! Safe!
She put down the phone and gently shook Seiichi's body with both hands.
"Onii-chan, wake up, breakfast is ready!"
Waking up in a daze, Seiichi opened his eyes and saw Mitsuki's small face incredibly close.
Ever since returning to the main world, I had become comfortable, sleeping in every day. This wouldn't do. I have to regain the vigilance I had in Demon Slayer.
Just a little more sleep.
Seiichi closed his eyes again.
"Onii-chan, today is the finals of the Grand Tournament. If you don't get up soon, you'll be late..."
"If you don't get up, you won't have breakfast today, hmph."
Seiichi instantly shot up.
He coaxed the slightly miffed Mitsuki, then began to wash and change.
This was just an everyday occurrence. The Grand Tournament hadn't brought too many waves to the Kamiya family.
However, the Shinomiya family was a different scene entirely.
Two figures sat facing each other in the spacious training room, their postures very upright. They were Shinomiya Saki and her teacher, Shinomiya Ayano.
"Saki, do you remember our strategy?"
"Yes, sensei, I understand."
"Repeat it."
"Avoid direct confrontation, try to force him to use that move early, and once his sword is damaged, we can counterattack."
"Exactly. If our predictions are correct, that sword technique of his requires a very high-quality sword, so it can only be used once. After one use, the sword will be damaged and the move exhausted. At that point, a swordsman without a sword is like fish on a chopping block."
Shinomiya Ayano analyzed the strategy in detail, including how to set up and how to conserve spiritual power.
"Saki, the family no longer insists that you must win first place, but I hope you can achieve it!"
Shinomiya Ayano was a very strong-willed person. As a second-tier expert, she held great power within the family, but she had always been responsible for training new members of the Shinomiya family without interruption. This had also made the level of the entire new generation of the Shinomiya family far surpass that of other families.
Her white hair was gathered over her right shoulder, revealing her fair, jade-like neck. Shinomiya Saki's soft pink lips uttered a "Yes."
The sky gradually brightened, and the morning light streamed into the room through the window.
"Let's go. Your father and I will both be there to watch."
Shinomiya Saki pursed her lips and said, "Yes."
There was still nearly half an hour until the 10 AM start time, but Hall 10 was already packed. All seats were filled with spectators, and some even sat directly on the stairs or steps. The noise was constant.
Inside the arena, the massive platform was clean, without any stone walls blocking it. It was a complete, large square stone platform, spacious enough for two to move around.
At the four corners of the platform, several barrier ability users were setting up powerful isolation arrays, with even second-tier experts helping with the setup.
Compared to before, a special VIP area had been designated in the spectator stands, inviting the four major families and dozens of large extraordinary families to watch the match.
"So many people!"
Fujito sighed. He had narrowly lost in the round of 8 to 4 and later achieved a fifth-place ranking in a separate elimination match.
Of course, compared to before, it was much, much better. His parents were stunned, almost putting up banners at their doorstep, and his younger brother adored him, his eyes sparkling all day long.
"Good thing we came early, otherwise we probably wouldn't have gotten a spot."
Several boys also felt the same way. They had arrived an hour earlier and had already settled in their seats.
Dozens of teachers had also taken their seats in advance, with only the main platform still empty.
In the waiting area, Mitsuki was holding Seiichi's hand, drawing blessings on his palm.
"Onii-chan, it doesn't matter even if you don't win. The most important thing is not to get hurt."
Seiichi affectionately stroked her head.
"How is it that when people doubted me, you were full of confidence, but now that everyone thinks I'll win, you are starting to worry about me?"
He finally playfully tweaked her small nose, then told her to return to the spectator stands. There was a special golden viewing area reserved for family members. Seiichi had no other family there besides her, so Mitsuki sat there with Chiyo and their friends.
Time flowed slowly, the clock's hands ticking by second by second. The tense atmosphere made the noise in the arena gradually quiet down, and everyone spoke in increasingly hushed tones.
Dong!!
A loud bell rang, and the entire venue fell silent.
On the main platform, more than a dozen powerful individuals had appeared silently. As usual, Nitta Shinji stood up and announced the start of the finals.
"Will both contestants please enter the arena!"
Seiichi stepped out of the waiting area, pushed off with his feet, and jumped directly onto the platform.
In front of Shinomiya Saki, a magnificent ice staircase instantly formed, and she slowly climbed to the platform.
As soon as the two appeared, a tremendous, deafening cheer erupted. When people exceed ten thousand, it becomes a sea of humanity, and this was precisely the situation, with a vast, dark mass of people in the spectator stands.
Seiichi took a long sword from the weapon rack nearby, while Shinomiya Saki picked up a longbow.
"She can use a bow and arrow?"
"I've never heard of that before."
"I don't know."
Whispers and discussions rippled through the spectator stands.
"This match, stop before serious injury! I declare! Let the match begin!"
Shinomiya Saki's smooth white hair moved without wind, and her light blue eyes radiated a crystalline brilliance.
She made the first move, waving her hand, and a large quantity of ice crystals formed in the air. The ice crystals were diamond-shaped, with sharp points facing downwards, and the air temperature in the arena was dropping rapidly.
"Fall!"
A melodious, bell-like voice came from her lips, followed by the rapid descent of the ice crystals in the air.
Seiichi drew his sword from its sheath, and sword light filled the surroundings. All falling ice crystals were shattered, and a cold mist filled the arena.
Shinomiya Saki clenched her hand, and the shattered ice covering the ground spread wildly, rushing towards Seiichi, attempting to freeze his movements.
Seiichi simply jumped, dodging the ice impact.
Such an attack couldn't possibly hit me. What is Shinomiya Saki doing?
Even the audience felt a hint of doubt.
Seiichi, returning to the ground from the air, felt his feet slipping. A thin layer of ice had formed across the entire platform's surface, significantly reducing the grip of anyone standing on it.
Interesting, first she weakens my mobility.
With a cold snort, four ice dragons roared forth from around Shinomiya Saki. Their four large mouths opened, spewing cold air that destroyed everything in its path. The ice layer on the ground grew thicker under the frigid dragon's breath.
The closer an ability is to its user, the stronger its controllability. This is why both Yamada Akira and Shinomiya Saki's powerful attacks originated from their immediate vicinity.
Seiichi stomped his feet hard, his toes directly embedding into the ice layer, steadying himself. His sword light flashed, and the four ice dragons shattered with a roar. Huge chunks of ice covered the entire arena, even sending the weapon rack flying off the platform.
You've removed my backup sword, so what will you do next?
Seiichi was quite curious.