Sorcerer’s Handbook

“Eye!”

As the audience gasped in shock, Arsenault’s voice rang out: “Ms. Therave successfully attacked Vlozrada’s eye. Could this be the pivotal turning point in the Final?”

Boom!

Though his eye was attacked and forced shut, Dimy effortlessly countered Blood Moon Shattered Lake. Yet, instead of attacking, he swiftly retreated. This was Sonya’s chance to capitalize on her enormous advantage and completely anchor her victory!

“A brilliant move,” Nidhogg commented, “but Dimy-or rather, the swordsmen from the Vlozrada family-are never opponents that can be defeated by schemes alone. Only complete domination in strength can defeat the Stargazer lineage, because they…”

“Have no weaknesses.”

Within seconds, Dimy wiped away the blood from around his eye and opened it again. His damaged eye had already been repaired-remarkably efficient self-healing even in the heat of intense battle!

Sonya’s hidden gambit was thus easily neutralized!

Dimy drew a circle, the circular vibration nearly shattering everything around. Sonya had to retreat to defend herself.

Then he stepped forward, speaking clearly: “I understand your intention now, Ms. Therave. Truly, my proposal for a draw was merely a patronizing gesture. Whether or not we draw, it won’t dim your brilliance; in fact, a draw might only mar you. It was a careless suggestion, and I apologize for the trouble it caused you.”

“So, out of respect for you, I will exert all my strength to defeat you.”

“Moreover, I must preemptively apologize; I am a bit angry right now. The upcoming battle isn’t just a competition for the Stars’ glory but also a venting of frustration. So… beware!”

Boom!

Sanctuary-level Vlozrada Vibration Swordsmanship, unleashed in full force!

More ferocious than the Raging Slashing Dragon, more savage than the Savage Jackal Dragon, sharper than the White Fast Gragon!

Sonya felt as though she faced a Virtual Realm beast, with the intricate vibrations in his hands becoming sharp claws and fangs viciously tearing at her flesh!

Miracle: Moonlit Water!

Miracle: Blood Moon Shattered Lake!

Sonya fought back fiercely, but she could not penetrate Dimy’s Sanctuary and was repeatedly pushed back instead! Nevertheless, she displayed fierce tenacity and didn’t retreat a single step, engaging in close-quarter combat with Dimy, their vibrations clashing violently!

Crack!

With a resounding boom, the Red-Haired Sword Princess was sent flying, crashing into the rubble and raising a cloud of dust.

Dimy paused, spitting out a small, bloody piece of his tongue. It turned out that Sonya had locked her gaze on the inside of his mouth at close range, and The Invisible Hand’s Secret Blade had almost pierced through to the back of his neck!

However, under the protection of the Sanctuary, any attack that couldn’t reach the core could only cause minor inconvenience to the sorcerer. The more Sanctuary Sorcerers valued trans-spatial attacks, the more ineffective ordinary attacks were against them.

Dimy’s expression was a mix of anger and admiration: “Do you want to win that badly?”

Sonya stood up, leaning on her Wooden Sword; her combat attire was unrecognizable, smeared with dust, gravel, blood, and mud.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Sonya replied, “Because the more radiant and attention-grabbing I am, the stronger I can become.”

She paused, “Right now, I’m still too weak.”

“Though I can sense your determination, I won’t yield, and you don’t need a victory handed to you by me.” Dimy sheathed his sword, “If that’s the case, then let me conclude this splendid Final with the highest-caliber Miracle.”

“Please enjoy what comes next: Annihilation Vibration.”

Annihilation Vibration!

A secret of the Vlozrada Family, a Radiant Rainbow upper-tier Miracle capable of instantly clearing the entire battlefield!

Negus’s much-anticipated “Red Lotus Sword Formation” was crushed into a pool of blood by this very technique!

Had Dimy used this move at the outset, Sonya would have lost long ago.

But the fact that Sonya forced Dimy to use this technique made her almost as good as a winner in everyone’s eyes.

An honorable defeat.

But it was still a loss.

Sonya lifted her head, meeting the gazes of the audience. Some were curious, some envious, some happy, some regretful-there were myriad reactions.

Without a doubt, the Red-Haired Sword Princess at this moment had captured everyone’s attention.

But why haven’t I become stronger?

She was deceived by the Observer, Sonya thought.

He claimed that her Golden Blessing, ‘luminous star,’ would make her stronger the more attention she received in battle and the more people who liked her.

But if the Final in the Meteor Trial, the highest stage she could currently reach, couldn’t bring her any further transformation, then the Golden Blessing was really useless, wasn’t it?

Even obtaining The Invisible Hand’s Secret Blade from Professor Trozan, Sonya knew she couldn’t defeat Dimy at this stage. She was only hoping that the Golden Blessing would conjure a Miracle.

In the end, her Invisible Hand still couldn’t reach Dimy’s core.

Just like her hand couldn’t touch the warmth of the Observer’s body.

She had truly tried her best, but she couldn’t draw strength from the audience’s gazes or gain encouragement from their cheers.

The vanity she once longed to bask in felt somewhat meaningless now.

Maybe it was because the pair of eyes she yearned for was not among the gazes here, or the voice she wanted to hear was not in the cheers.

It turned out such things were true-two people could miss, think about, and care for each other without ever being together. Like two stars close to one another, yet still separated by a vast distance.

Sonya looked at Dimy, knowing she would lose. She had no Miracle to counter Annihilation Vibration, unless the Observer helped-just like with Blood Moon and Blood Moon Blossoms, where she had a breakthrough mid-competition and suddenly grasped a game-changing Miracle.

But alas, no help came.

Her only reliance, the Golden Blessing ‘luminous star,’ was utterly useless.

The name of the blessing suggested she was a ‘luminous star,’ but Sonya knew she only sought the vanity of being a luminous star, the attention it brought. She couldn’t warm others or become the light in their hearts.

Rather than becoming a luminous star, her true goal now was to pursue her luminous star.

If she became stronger, if she shone brighter, would the distance between stars become smaller?

At this moment, it seemed the Stars finally heard Sonya’s prayer. The starlight transformed into the instructive voice of a professor. Countless spellcasting insights were reconstructing and coupling within her mind, forming a stunning Composite Miracle.

She thoughtfully held her Wooden Sword horizontally, countless threads enveloping her body.

Moonlit Water?

Dimy naturally recognized this counter Miracle, but its attack range was quite short, making it meaningless here, especially since his Annihilation Vibration covered the entire arena. In a flash, Dimy swung his long sword.

Dong-

It resonated like a distant bell toll, striking the hearts of the audience. The arena seemed to isolate a spherical space, cutting off the inside from the outside. As Nidhogg explained, Dimy centered the attack sphere on himself, indiscriminately targeting everything within.

It seemed the Red-Haired Sword Princess would have to exit the stage…

Snap!

Just as the space sphere was forming, it suddenly shattered.

The arena bore no traces of Annihilation Vibration’s scourge. The Moon Threads around Sonya had vanished, and beside her right hand appeared The Invisible Hand, revealing The Invisible Hand’s Secret Blade in action.

Dimy stood calmly before her, asking, “Using water as guidance, space as the path, accelerated by time, and harmonized with Swordsmanship… you’ve actually fused the ‘Boundless’ time spirit into your counter Miracle. By rippling space to bind threads to me, determining spatial coordinates with these threads, and shortening the process with the time spirit, you finally ended everything with The Invisible Hand… What do you call this Composite Miracle, encompassing various Spellcasting Sects?”

Sonya looked up and saw a meteor streak across the night sky.

This was the celebratory Ritual marking the end of the Meteor Trial; a meteor would fall every time a victor emerged.

“Look,” she pointed at the meteor and said, “The tail of the meteor is the gaze of another meteor watching it.”

“Even unreachable meteors carry thoughts that accompany life and death.”

“This Miracle is called Meteor Trial.”

Dimy was momentarily stunned and chuckled wryly, “You’re not great at naming, are you?”

As soon as he finished speaking, his body erupted into floral bursts of blood, limbs severed into pieces, scattering to the ground, instantly triggering the Death-Prevention Miracle.

Witnessing this, the Sports Arena fell silent for a moment, then the cheers of the audience almost lifted the roof off Galaxia!

“The victor of the Meteor Trial Final is-” Arsenault’s voice echoed through Galaxia, spreading to all the Stars: “Sonya Therave!”