The Transmigrated Author

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Main Stage]

"So, Gerrard... your daughter's facing the surprise of the tournament. Any predictions?"

Kang watched, shame twisting his gut. Gerrard wouldn't shut up. How Valencia had beaten Jan a few years ago, but Louise couldn't?

The gloating was unbearable.

Each word was another blow, magnifying Louise's failure – and the shameful victory of his daughter's friend.

Now, all he could do was pray. Pray that his ambitious daughter would also fall, humbled by this... this nobody archer.

Gerrard sighed. "I stand by my daughter, of course. But this boy...he's an outlier. Unpredictable."

"True enough," Kang conceded. "But given what we know of your daughter's skills, and how that archer fights..."

Gerrard nodded slowly. "His ability to recover in dire situations is uncanny. Rumour has it, he gave a brutal beating in an earlier round and still pulled through."

"Ah yes, I've heard," Kang mused. "The other boy is a friend of my son..."

Gerrard's eyes flickered down to the arena floor, awaiting Valencia's entrance.

"How's your son? Recovering well, I hope?"

"The doctors say he depleted his mana reserves. They've warned him off powerful techniques like that elemental zone he displayed." Kang paused. "The mana scans... they spiked when Louise's mana signature peaked during the fight."

Gerrard raised an eyebrow. "Impressive stamina after so much mana loss. Interesting." A hint of tension remained beneath his words, a tension Kang picked up on.

"Something worrying you?" Kang asked.

Gerrard turned, his expression serious. "Not worried....simply unprepared for the possibility of Valencia losing."

***

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Main Stage]

"Good evening, everybody! I hope you've enjoyed the tournament so far!"

The announcer's amplified voice boomed across the stadium.

He paused, letting the watchful hush fall over the arena.

"Because today, fighting for their place in the final, we have two undefeated powerhouses! On our left, the surprise of the semis, the so-called 'Uncanny Archer' who switches fists for arrows if need be... Rel Laurence!"

The crowd response was almost dead but polite clapping and a few scattered cheers were heard.

No one had expected Rel to come so far.

"And on our right... a fighter who needs no introduction! A force to be reckoned with, her nickname strikes fear into even the strongest opponents: the Sword Saint, Valencia Freya!"

A roar erupted as Valencia stepped into the spotlight.

Wolf whistles and shouts of "Kill that archer, Freya!" echoed from the predominantly male student section.

Valencia approached the centre, her eyes locked on Rel.

And there he was – not using his usual crossbow, but now a bow.

Had he been holding back? The thought sent a shiver of unease through her.

Yet... that same emptiness, the complete lack of mana within him, remained.

It was just as confusing as ever. He seemed calm so calm it made Valencia frustrated.

She had to be smart. Because of the sudden switch up of crossbow to bow she needed to be careful of what he could do.

Since there was no way she was charging in blind. If those arrows held techniques that could potentially beat her, she might need to unleash a form immediately.

A flash of her near-defeat by Jae Yoona flashed in her mind.

She was too reckless, using her Elemental Zone so early.

She wouldn't make that mistake again. Archers were one thing... but this felt different. This fight could be her last.

***

{Rel's POV}

The roar of the crowd washed over me as I stepped through the gates.

Announced names, nicknames, I barely heard it.

All I saw was her. Valencia. A flicker of tension in those eyes, but nothing I could read.

My own nerves buzzed under my skin... haaah... I'm feeling the pressure...

Sure, I put on a calm face, but deep down inside, I was terrified.

I knew Valencia's power – her elemental zone: storm-shroud, the ten forms, and all of her abilities.

This fight will be the death of me...

Because I knew I made the mistake of progressing so far in this tournament.

I was caught up with what I wanted to do... and it was to stay alive in this world.

I needed to become strong, for myself, and for this story.

But Is it all even worth it, this world I had written?

That's what I have to find out.

"Are our fighters ready? Please raise your weapons!" The announcer's voice echoed through the arena.

Valencia drew her katana, a flash of steel in the spotlight.

Her face was a mask of focus, and I felt a chill, not from nerves, but from the knowledge this was a fight I wasn't prepared for.

My fingers trembled as I reached for the bowstring, fumbling to get a grip.

Finally, I raised my bow, my eyes meeting Valencia's gaze.

huuuu...

I took a deep breath, trying to steady the trembling in my hands.

Focus.

All I had to do was wait for the countdown. Survive the first few seconds.

Then... I had no idea what to do.

The announcer's voice pierced the tense silence.

"Okay! Let's get this match going! Three... two... one... FIGHT!"

***

A tense silence hung in the air.

Rel and Valencia stood frozen, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

Sweat trickled down Rel's face as he stared at Valencia.

She hadn't even blinked. "Attack dammit..." he gritted out under his breath.

DASH!

Suddenly, Valencia was a blur. Mana surrounded her, the air crackling with lightning.

In a flash, she charged, her blade clenched tight. Sparks trailed in her path, marking the incredible speed of her advance.

SWING!

The blade arced towards Rel, a strike imbued with the fury of her element.

"...!"

[Sixth Sense (Passive) Has Been Activated!]

[Evasiveness (Passive) Has Been Activated!]

Instinct took over. Rel's body moved before his mind could process the danger.

His [Evasiveness] and [Sixth Sense] ability flared, and he dodged, the lightning-charged sword, that cut through the air where he had stood just a moment before.

Rel tracked backwards, after barely avoiding Valencia's speed.

If her dash was faster than his, he needed to create distance.

All the opponents he had faced so far in this tournament were by no means ordinary, but a below-average student like him, going against a main character of a story was like climbing out of hell.

Rel knew he couldn't have an exact plan to defeat Valencia, but he knew what archers were capable of and what he needed to do was chip away at her health, a little damage at a time.

Huuuuu...

With a flash, he activated [Clockwork of Time].

The world slowed, giving him a precious window of opportunity.

He conjured three arrows, each infused with his elemental attribute of fire, and then aimed them straight at Valencia.

TAK, TAK, TAK,

Returning time to its normal pace, he watched the fiery projectiles streak towards his opponent.

"...!"

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Valencia reacted.

Even with the blinding speed of the arrows, her composure remained.

SLASH!

With a single lightning-fast upward swing, her aura-infused blade shattered the flaming projectiles.

BOOM!

The explosion that followed momentarily covered her from Rel's view.

Rel had a split second.

The smoke from the explosion still hung thick in the air, momentarily obscuring him from Valencia's sight.

With a quick dash, he summoned an arrow and charged. This was his chance!

As the smoke swirled, Valencia caught a glimpse of movement.

"What? where did he..."

Then so suddenly she saw Rel, and he was uncomfortably close.

As she raised her blade, to swing down at him she had thought he was going to shoot her within that distance... But he wasn't using a crossbow.

But what Rel had planned was far more unexpected.

The arrow in his hand wasn't aimed to shoot.

He was going for a close-quarters stab!

____________________

Authors Notes:

- Rel referred to Valencia as having 10 forms, this meant that she had 10 different sword techniques that she could use.

- Rel's dash towards Valencia occurred within 2 seconds.

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