Shi Yun Lan — known in his homeland as the little genius of the clan — was not an opponent who could be defeated by ordinary means. He could crush rivals of the same level with ease; whatever technique they used, he would find its gap and shatter it. Shi Yun Lan was not someone one could beat through raw effort alone.
Shion Lan faced Shi Yun Lan, and when he saw the form that man took, his eyes widened. A dark raven with blazing, fiery claws moved at insane speed, wrapped in a deathly aura. The moment the raven's body struck the vortex, Shion was hurled far away; he landed utterly broken. Still, he rose again and used (Stellar Vortex) and (Raging Storm). Shi Yun Lan looked at him in astonishment, and used the same techniques in response — with the same result. This time the claws pierced Shion's chest and flung him away, but he did not die. He rose again and launched the two techniques once more.
Shi Yun Lan thought: What is that fool trying to do? His circle and star belong to Water — there is no reason for him to use Wind techniques. Don't tell me he's trying to copy me, to blend elements; those aren't ordinary skills anyone can perform, they are signature arts. My (Aura of Death) should ignore such restrictions, allowing me to employ any technique and fuse it with another beneath the aura… but he is not doing that.
Again the exchange repeated. Shion bled heavily; on the fourth impact his body was badly warped. If this world had been real, he would have been permanently disfigured. Despite the piling injuries, Shion made no sound and did not flinch. That puzzled Shi Yun Lan — he could not understand what the other was attempting. Shi Yun Lan closed his eyes, gathered himself, and activated (Dark Body), (Dark Crow), and (Fire Claws), merging them under (Aura of Death). Everything was in place.
When Shi Yun Lan moved, he found Shion looking back at him with a smile. Though his wounds had twisted him into a warped figure, silver eyes still shone with the certainty of a victor. Shion said, plainly, "Shi Yun Lan. I want to see you try to destroy this vortex — now."
Shi Yun Lan did not know what that man wanted, but he advanced and struck with fierce, cruel, cold force. This time he could not reach Shion; the whirlpool was far stronger than before. Shi Yun Lan was pushed away and stood, bewildered. Shion approached in pride but Shi Yun Lan asked, "What happened a moment ago?"
Shi Yun Lan did not understand. Shion answered: "Were you wondering why I used (Raging Storm) even though I have no support for it? You remember — I can use any element I choose. But at that moment I didn't intend to deploy a full-fledged technique. I wanted to use the concepts of it. As you see, I didn't use the (Raging Storm) last time, did I?"
Shi Yun Lan nodded, and Shion continued, smiling: "If you try to fuse techniques like that, I couldn't manage it. I have one star and one circle; both belong to Water. You, on the other hand, have three stars and three circles and are not bound to a single element — you can execute nearly six different techniques at once. Me? I improved my technique by adding concepts and principles of (Raging Storm) to it. Both can serve for offense and defense and rely on the flow and movement of currents. So I strengthened the vortex with those ideas and used you to observe the results."
Shi Yun Lan was stunned. Shion grinned: "Yes — you were a very useful test subject. So accept your death here and now."
"You talk too much," Shi Yun Lan snapped, and from the ground he launched (Earth Thorns), which pierced Shion through and through.
Shion — silent — then spoke: "Shi Yun Lan."
Shi Yunlan: "Farewell."
Shion left the place and returned to reality. His body trembled slightly. 'That bastard! he thought. That was worse than any previous time — ten earth spears pierced me; some struck my head, my heart, other vital organs. Wait for me next time, you scoundrel!'
"Shion, are you all right?" Sol Hart asked, worry in her voice.
He reassured her: "I'm fine. I only remembered a wretch I wanted to beat up." Then he looked back to the arena and saw that the showcase was still on third place: Rose Gard.
"Isn't it your turn, Baro?" he asked.
"Actually," Baro Ferrer sighed, "the show lengthened from five minutes to ten. There are still ten minutes before our turn."
"Okay." Shion watched Rose's performance with his mind elsewhere. He was trying to find a way to defeat Shi Yun Lan. Defensively I'm fine — but my offense is still weak. I need something.
He sat and thought for a while, then gave his attention to Rose's display, observing and noting her mistakes. "Look closely, you two — Baro, Fiore. That move Rose did was totally wrong. She should have closed the distance more; her excessive caution cost her. That man nearly killed her. As for that fool, he failed to seize the prime chance to knock others down; he focused only on Rose. Big targets are like whales — valuable, but extremely dangerous. And that move…" Shion continued, explaining every detail to Baro Ferrer and Fiore Tai. Ears tuned to him even from a distance; Petalin listened, irritated by his critique yet unable to refute him — he was right. Sol marveled at his insight and analysis. In the end Shion told her: "She simply copied someone else's style. Watch her strikes and you'll see she does them without thought — not as instinctual reactions. There's a difference between learning and imitation."
Shion paused, thinking: If I can't find techniques to learn from that bastard, let's find ideas on the field. He closed his eyes and shifted back to Shi Yun Lan, who awaited him calmly as ever.
"Let's fight!" Shion declared.
He thought to himself: I upgraded my defense successfully, but I haven't tried fusing techniques as that man does—he has enough power to. I can at most combine two techniques, and if I layer the (Star Aura) with them, that becomes three. Rose's aura flowed from her body without tying to a circle or a star. If I can make the aura stream inside me like blood, without relying on a star as a generator, then I can fuse two techniques and wrap them with my aura — effectively using three techniques.
Shion called forth the (Star Aura), lit his great star, and the stardust inside it gleamed. The aura surrounded him as he tried to absorb that force into his body. Across from him, Shi Yun Lan blended his techniques and attacked. Shion dodged. 'I need that pressure to reach the perfect stillness. I must bind the aura to the blood flow, and also…' Shion thought. He evaded many strikes over a long span, then opened his silver eyes and said quietly: "(Stellar Summit: Manuscript of the Stellar Body)."
'I actually wanted a manual to strengthen the body — I only have Shi Yun Lan's basic knowledge, but it's enough for me.'
The aura curled calmly around Shion, following muscle motion and the blood's flow. He looked at Shi Yun Lan without concern and thought: Now I use the aura with my body and soul without relying on a star or circle. Let's fuse my best techniques. Under a barrage of attacks, (Rain Drops) formed on his sword and a (Water Bomb) in his other hand. Shion tried to merge them — and failed. His head was severed again.
He woke once more, touching his neck. It was time for Baro's and then Fiore's display but he didn't find them "Where are those two?!" Shion asked and Sol replied "They're around The Second Princess Jina as her highness summoned them" and in the arena both Baro and Fiore put on remarkable fights. Shion continued to point out faults to Sol, glancing at the two fools standing with the Second Princess — who tried to avoid his stare. Naturally, he mentioned the best way to kill Vione Lucius, better than they had done.
He looked at sixth place and saw someone perform moves he wanted to try against Shi Yun Lan. He narrated that combat's flaws and conceived a plan: he would abandon defense and put everything into one strike. He would have one chance to hit with his full force, then die at Shi Yun Lan's hand. He closed his eyes and tried, replacing (Rain Drops ) with (Water Bomb). Unexpectedly, an explosion killed him at Shi Yun Lan's hand; he felt his heart. He analyzed seventh place, noted mistakes, saw something new, then returned to Shi Yun Lan. This time he managed to set (Water Bomb) and strike — but they detonated the moment the aura activated, and he was killed again. He studied the eighth competitor, shrank the bombs smaller, compressed them better, then struck at full power — they detonated mid-flight and he died again. By ninth place, he synchronized the bombs with his aura, but the bombs no longer flew like the dagger-like drops of before — they failed him again.
Up in the balconies, Feri Lucius realized Shion was commenting on contestants so thoroughly that even the announcer focused on him. Strange was the pattern: after his analysis, Shion closed his eyes, then opened them to list faults of the next participant. She wanted to hear what he would say about her daughter. When Shion began, he first praised her talent and intelligence, then added: "If she weren't clinging to petty grudges like a fool, she could have slipped into Baro's trap and taken him quietly — but she revealed herself and fell to Baro's quick reaction. She died a second time like a fool."
Rage flared in Feri. She wanted to kill him, but a guard held her back and told her the First Prince, Jaiden Joul, had summoned her. When she arrived, she found him on his balcony, exhausted and furious. He said, venom in his voice, "I'll give you the chance to strike that bastard!"