Reborn as the Last van Ambrose-Chapter 78: Max Luminaris Vs Master Marksman

The crowd’s excitement had barely settled after Lady Huangyan’s victory when the tournament official stepped back into the center of the arena.

"Our second quarterfinal match," he announced, "pits Lord Maxwell Luminaris against Rayden, The Master Marksman!"

The announcement drew enthusiastic cheers, particularly from the noble section where the Luminaris allies were concentrated. Max was a tournament favorite. He was young, handsome, technically skilled, and bearing the prestigious Luminaris name. His opponent was a master marksman who was quite skilled with a bow. He eliminated someone by constantly shooting arrows until they were forced out of the ring. He advanced through the ranks with his remarkable archery skills, surprising everyone by qualifying for a tournament that was mostly comprises of swordsmen.

Max entered the arena. He waved as he made his way to his starting position. His weapon of choice was rapier. His expression was so confident that one would think it was arrogance.

Grim watched from the competitors’ section. Max represented everything he despised. The unearned privilege of those who had profited from House Ambrose’s destruction, the smug certainty of those who believed their own sanitized version of history.

As Max took his position in the arena, his gaze swept across the competitors’ section, finally landing on Grim. Max didn’t bother hiding his contempt, his lip curling slightly as their eyes met.

In that moment, Grim made a decision. Rather than giving Max the satisfaction of his attention, he stood abruptly and turned his back to the arena, heading toward the exit.

[What are you doing?] the voice asked.

"Sending a message," Grim muttered as he walked away. "He thinks he deserves my respect, my attention."

He could feel Max’s eyes fixated on his back, he could almost taste the indignation emanating from the arena. Public disrespect was a language the nobility understood all too well, and walking out just as Max’s match began was an insult that wouldn’t go unnoticed.

Instead of leaving completely, Grim positioned himself in the shadowed archway of the exit, where he could observe without being obviously present. From here, he had a clear view of the arena without giving Max the satisfaction of his visible attention.

The official raised his hand. "Begin!"

Max was still glaring in Grim’s direction when Rayden nocked an arrow and loosed it with 2 seconds of the official’s call. The shaft caught Max in the shoulder, its impact sending him staggering backward with a shocked expression.

"Damn it!" Max’s curse was audible throughout the arena as he steadied himself, his pristine white uniform now stained with his crimson blood. The arrow hadn’t penetrated deeply, but it had struck with enough force to draw blood and wound his pride.

Rayden already had another arrow nocked, circling to maintain distance as Max recovered. "The great Maxwell Luminaris," Rayden called loudly enough for the front rows to hear. "Bleeding from the first shot. Your father must be so proud."

That was all it took. Max’s face contorted with fury, his earlier poise completely abandoned. "You frontier trash," he snarled. "You’ll regret that."

His rapier began to glow yellow untik it turned almost golden in color. Max rushed foward until he managed to get close enough to Rayden. He decided to parry his arrows rather than dodge. "Radiant Dawn: Piercing Light!"

Max executed a lightning-fast thrust toward Rayden, who had positioned himself at what should have been a safe distance. At the moment max extended his arm for the strike. The golden light suddenly extended. The blade’s reach extended by a foot. The unexpected extension caught Rayden off guard as he tried to backpedal, the glowing tip slicing into his dominate arm. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

Now it was Rayden’s turn to wince in pain. He had judged the distance based on the physical length of Max’s rapier, never expecting the weapon to suddenly extend its reach during the thrust.

"Not so confident now, are you?" Max advanced, as he let gis anger show. "Let me show you the difference between frontier archery and true martial cultivation."

Rayden loosed another arrow, but struggled to get the speed from his first arrow. Max was ready this time. His blade flashed again, the golden light taking on a cutting edge that extended well beyond the physical sword. "Radiant Dawn: Radiance Slash!"

The technique created an arc of light that not only deflected the arrow but continued outward in a sweeping crescent. Rayden tried to dive aside, but the slash caught his leg, leaving a burning wound.

From his position in the shadows, Grim watched with narrowed eyes. The Radiant Dawn techniques were impressive. They were flashy, effective, and precisely controlled despite Max’s emotional state.

Rayden struggled to his feet, quickly nocking three arrows at once and firing them in rapid succession. Max was forced to dodge the first two, but his anger had transformed into a cold, focused rage that seemed to intensify the golden light emanating from his blade. The crowd leaned forward in anticipation, sensing a finishing move approaching.

"Radiant Dawn: Solar Flare!"

Max drove his rapier into the arena floor, channeling his mana downward. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the ground beneath Rayden erupted in a vertical column of golden light, engulfing him completely.

When the light faded, Rayden was on his knees, his skin reddened as if from severe sunburn, his bow lying useless beside him.

In the arena, the official was declaring Max the victor. Despite the early wound, the Luminaris heir had dominated the latter portion of the match. He stood triumphantly over his defeated opponent, his golden mana still swirling around him as the crowd cheered.

As Max turned to acknowledge the applause, his gaze once again sought Grim in the competitors’ section. Finding him absent, Max scanned the arena until he spotted Grim in the exit archway. Their eyes locked across the distance, and Max’s expression shifted from triumph to cold hatred.

Grim allowed himself a small, mocking smile before turning away. He’d seen enough.

He made his way through the corridors surrounding the arena, processing the information.

A familiar figure caught his attention, it was Chen Xing.

"Chen Xing," Grim called.

"Yes little brother?" Chen Xing said.

"I need you to find someone," Grim said. "Lady Huangyan, bring her by the manor tomorrow night.

Chen Xing nodded. "Any particular message to accompany the invitation?"

Grim considered for a moment. "No she knows me, she’ll come."

"It’s been complicated since the moment I returned," Grim replied quietly. "The question is whether these new complications will help or hinder my purpose."

As Grim settled into his seat, he noticed Julius Luminaris watching him, a calculating smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, and Julius raised his glass slightly in mock salute.

The gesture itself was innocent enough, but something in Julius’s expression made Grim’s instincts flare with warning. It was the look of a man who knew something his opponent didn’t. The smug confidence of someone holding cards yet to be played.