Chapter 122

As the dust cleared, the battlefield lay in ruins, cracks spiderwebbing across the shattered stone. Keqing and Seele stood motionless, their weapons lowered, chests rising and falling with labored breaths. Their eyes met—violet against crimson—silent, unreadable.

Then, the referee finally found his voice. "The winner of this match… Seele!"

A wave of cheers erupted from the crowd, but neither fighter reacted. Seele remained still, her scythe resting at her side, the lingering energy of Veliona slowly dissipating. Keqing exhaled sharply, rolling her shoulder as if testing her limits.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other. No words needed to be spoken. There was no resentment, no regret—only understanding, a mutual respect forged in battle.

Keqing was the first to move. She sheathed her sword with a flick of her wrist, then turned on her heel and walked off the battlefield, her steps steady despite the exhaustion weighing on her.

Seele watched her go, gripping her scythe a little tighter before finally allowing herself to relax.

The fight was over.

" eele is really strong though...I'm seriously impressed." Yuri said with awe.

"Keqing was so impressive as well..." Firefly also had a similar amount of awe.

"I think both of them were the strongest we've seen...I expect things to still be very interesting in Top 8..." Yuri put his arms together as he laid back.

"March! Destroy everybody!" Kevin said with fire in his eyes as he snickered.

"Heh...I will..." March rubbed her hands together with a similar fire in her eyes.

Yuri and Firefly laughed at the sight as Ayaka merely muttered "Troublesome..." under her breath.

The fifth match is...Noelle vs Boothill!

Well, well," Boothill drawled, adjusting his hat with a lazy flick of his wrist. "A knight in shining armor, huh? Betcha think that makes you special." He spat to the side, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Lemme tell ya somethin', sweetheart—fancy titles and heavy armor ain't gonna save ya from a good ol'-fashioned beatdown."

Noelle's hands clenched into fists. She had fought many opponents before, but few had the audacity to disrespect her right from the start. Her usual composure cracked, replaced by a rare flash of anger.

"You're awfully confident for someone who hasn't faced me yet," she shot back, drawing her blade. "Let's see if your words are as sharp as your skills!"

Without waiting for the referee's call, she lunged. Her sword slashed through the air in a precise arc, aimed directly at Boothill's smug expression.

Boothill barely moved. At the last moment, he tilted his head to the side, letting the blade slice just past his cheek, close enough that a strand of his hair fluttered to the ground. He whistled. "Whoa there, darlin'. Feisty."

He spun, his coat flaring as he drew his revolvers in one smooth motion. With a cocky grin, he fired a shot—not at Noelle, but at the ground near her feet. The force of the impact sent up a burst of dust, momentarily obscuring her vision.

Noelle didn't falter. She surged forward, shield raised, slamming it forward in an attempt to break through Boothill's flashy tricks.

Boothill sidestepped with effortless ease, twirling one pistol around his finger. "Predictable. C'mon now, you gotta give me somethin' fun to work with." He fired again, forcing Noelle to pivot sharply.

She growled in frustration. His entire style of combat was aggravating—darting just out of reach, taunting her with every movement. But she refused to lose to a showboating gunslinger. Gritting her teeth, she feinted left before launching into a spinning slash.

For the first time, Boothill looked impressed. "Not bad."

But he was faster. Before her blade could connect, he ducked low and fired point-blank at her gauntlet. The shot sent a jarring impact through her arm, throwing off her balance. In that split second, Boothill struck.

With a fluid motion, he swept her legs out from under her, sending her crashing to the ground. The crowd gasped. Before Noelle could recover, she found herself staring down the barrel of his revolver.

Boothill tipped his hat, flashing a victorious smirk. "Looks like this round's mine, sugar. Mighty fine effort, though."

"Damn it..." Noelle muttered to herself.

"This guy..." Kevin showcased an annoyed expression by the antics of the one known as Boothill.

"What a showoff..." March simply shook her head at what she had seen.

"A match between him and Seele would be a spectacle." Yuti was intrigued by the display that he had seen...She wanted to know more of this strange individual.

"I really wish I was let in...This gives me such an itch to get in there Yuri..." Firefly sighed to herself.

"Next time!" Yuri smiled with an immediate answer back with a smile.

The sixth match is...

Yanqing versus Yunli!

"Oooh! This will be good!" Firefly excitedly yelled out.

"Let's see what these two have got." Yuri crossed his arms.

Yanqing stood with his sword resting against his shoulder, his expression calm yet eager. "It is an honor to face you, Yunli," he said with a slight bow. "Your skill with the spear is well known."

Yunli returned the gesture, gripping her spear with steady hands. "The honor is mine, Yanqing. Your swordplay is legendary. I've been looking forward to this." Her eyes gleamed with anticipation, and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

The referee raised a hand, then brought it down in a sharp motion. "Begin!"

Yanqing was the first to move. He shot forward, his blade cutting a silver arc through the air. Yunli sidestepped, her spear spinning to deflect the strike. The clash rang through the stadium, followed by a rapid exchange of blows—Yunli's sweeping thrusts met by Yanqing's swift, controlled parries.

With a sudden pivot, Yunli drove her spear toward his side. Yanqing twisted, letting the strike skim past his ribs before bringing his sword down in a counter. Yunli barely had time to spin away, her spear flicking upward to force distance between them.

Yanqing smiled. "You're fast."

"You're faster than I expected," Yunli admitted, shifting into a lower stance.

Yanqing attacked again, his sword a blur of silver. Yunli met him strike for strike, her spear a spinning storm of wood and steel. The two moved like dancers locked in perfect rhythm—Yanqing's swordplay graceful yet relentless, Yunli's spear weaving like a serpent.

A feint. A sidestep. A parry. A lunge. The crowd gasped as Yanqing flipped over Yunli's sweeping attack, landing behind her and striking in one fluid motion. Yunli twisted just in time, her spear catching his blade, but the force sent her sliding back.

She steadied herself and took a breath. Then, gripping her spear tightly, she surged forward with newfound intensity. She unleashed a barrage of thrusts, forcing Yanqing onto the defensive. He deflected the first few, but Yunli's speed increased, her strikes becoming unpredictable. One finally slipped past his guard, grazing his shoulder.

Yanqing laughed, stepping back. "Impressive. But I'm not done yet."

His aura sharpened, and his footwork became even more refined. He weaved through her attacks, moving in closer until he was within striking range. With a burst of speed, he aimed a precise slash at her wrist. Yunli barely avoided it, but she felt the wind of the blade's edge.

Yunli countered instantly, spinning her spear and forcing him back with a sweeping arc. She feigned a high thrust, then pivoted low, striking for his legs. Yanqing leapt over the attack and retaliated mid-air, his blade coming down like a falcon diving for its prey. Yunli raised her spear just in time, blocking the strike and twisting away.

They circled each other, neither speaking, their movements a constant blur of attack and counter. Yunli struck with a sudden lunge, aiming for his chest, but Yanqing redirected the spear with the flat of his blade. Before she could recover, he stepped inside her guard, slashing upward. Yunli spun, avoiding the strike by inches, and used the momentum to bring her spear down like a hammer.

Yanqing barely dodged, rolling to the side. He launched himself back into the fight with a series of rapid strikes, pressing Yunli hard. She was forced into a defensive stance, parrying each blow, waiting for an opening. Finally, she saw it—an overextended slash. She ducked low and swept her spear at his ankles.

Yanqing reacted instantly, flipping backward, but Yunli anticipated this. She lunged mid-air, thrusting her spear just as he landed. He twisted his body, barely avoiding the tip, and retaliated with a precise cut aimed at her shoulder. Yunli deflected it but felt the impact vibrate through her arms.

Sweat dripped down both their brows. They breathed heavily, but neither backed down.

Then, with a powerful thrust, Yunli forced Yanqing to leap back. She spun her spear behind her, planting the butt end against the ground. "This next exchange will decide it."

Yanqing nodded, shifting into his final stance. "Agreed."

A beat of silence. Then they moved.

Yunli lunged, her spear cutting the air like lightning. Yanqing met her mid-charge, his sword flashing in an arc. The two clashed in a whirlwind of steel, their weapons ringing out in rapid succession. The final moment came when Yunli swept low, forcing Yanqing to jump. He countered mid-air, twisting his body for one last decisive strike—

Both landed at the same time, backs turned to one another. The crowd held its breath.

Then, Yunli's spear quivered in her grasp. A thin line appeared on her sleeve, a shallow cut. She exhaled sharply. Yanqing, still holding his sword steady, smiled.

"A close match," he said, turning to face her.

Yunli smiled back, bowing her head. "You were the better fighter today."

The referee raised his hand.

"Winner: Yanqing!"