After a brief rest, the afternoon would determine the first, second, and third place winners from Cyno, Angie, and Lumine.
The competitors who had secured their rankings early already knew their rewards, but for the remaining three and the three eliminated in the morning, the prizes remained unknown.
This uncertainty only heightened the anticipation. Both Lumine and Angie were fiercely determined to claim the top spot.
As for Cyno...
While confident in his abilities, he acknowledged that he couldn't defeat Angie.
As for Lumine, given her demonstrated combat prowess so far, the outcome of a match between them was far from certain.
The match pairings were soon announced: Cyno vs. Angie, with Lumine drawing a bye and advancing directly to the finals.
Cyno: "..."
Well, fighting a strong opponent is the only way to truly understand my weaknesses.
-
Viewing Platform
"Great news, Lumine! We got a bye!" Paimon exclaimed, delighted with the outcome. Advancing directly to the finals without a match meant they could conserve their energy and practically secure a top-two finish.
Lumine and her Mondstadt companions watched Angie and Cyno take their places on the arena floor, already strategizing how to counter Angie's tactics.
Arena
"We meet again, General Mahamatra," Angie said.
Cyno: "Your strength far exceeds my expectations. I will give this my all."
"Just what I was hoping for."
-
Player World.
Upon learning she had drawn a bye, Chen Xiyao was thrilled. Not only did it mean avoiding a tough match, but she would also get to witness the epic clash between Angie and Cyno!
The Summit's animated sequences were so spectacular, like watching a high-quality anime, that she and the other players were completely hooked.
Chen Xiyao wasn't alone in her anticipation. Many players eagerly awaited the clash between Angie and Cyno.
Unfortunately, after a long wait, the black screen simply displayed a message:
After a fierce exchange, Cyno was defeated, and Angie emerged victorious.
The players: "..."
You made us wait this long for this?!
-
On the arena stage, Angie and Cyno's battle ended swiftly.
Angie's victory wasn't effortless. To describe it, fighting Cyno was like fighting her older brother—well, her brother before he activated his Vision.
Angie declined the staff's suggestion to rest, claiming she hadn't exerted much energy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, next up is the final match of the Kaiyang Martial Summit! Witness the clash between the renowned Traveler and Angie of Snezhnaya! Both fighters have reached this stage with undefeated records, promising a clash of titans!"
"Now, please welcome our contestants!"
Angie remained on the stage, never stepping down. After the Ministry of Civil Affairs staff retreated, she turned her gaze to Lumine, who was watching from the spectator stands.
"Lumine, you've got this! Even if you can't win, promise me you won't get hurt!" Paimon chirped in Lumine's ear, repeating her earlier warning.
Lumine patted the little creature's soft cheek, then rose and leaped onto the arena stage. A thunderous roar of cheers erupted from the spectator stands.
Fidelle watched this scene from the arena stage, eager to see firsthand the true extent of the Traveler's legendary power, famed throughout the Seven Nations.
"We're old friends, so let's skip the formalities. Come at me," Angie said with a smile, drawing her longsword.
Lumine returned the smile and drew her... Dull Blade.
Angie's smile froze instantly.
"You... you're using that weapon?"
-
Live Stream
[Wow, finally someone's calling it out! With such a powerful weapon like Unrelenting Will, why does she keep using the Dull Blade?!]
[Probably sentimental reasons. After all, the Unrelenting Will holds special significance for Lumine. What if she accidentally damaged it?]
[As if it's that fragile!]
[This just shows how much Lumine values that weapon!]
-
Lumine awkwardly scratched her head, sheathing the Dull Blade and drawing another longsword: Harbinger of Dawn.
Angie sighed, switching her own weapon for a different blade. She refused to gain an unfair advantage over Lumine in terms of equipment.
"You don't have to do this..."
"Enough chatter. If you can beat me, I'll gift you a sword—guaranteed to be far better than anything you're using now."
Angie attacked first. Her movements were graceful and unhurried, simply extending her sword forward with a delicate thrust.
Clang!
A sword flash, nearly imperceptible to the naked eye, shot forth silently. Where it passed, the air froze instantly, leaving behind a fleeting trail of ice crystals radiating lethal cold.
Lumine's instincts outpaced her thoughts. She slammed her foot into the ground, her body recoiling like an arrow released from a bow.
Simultaneously, the Harbinger of Dawn traced an arc before her.
Hum!
A thick, sturdy amber-colored crystal shield materialized mid-air, instantly condensed from pure Geo Element. It positioned itself precisely in the path of the icy-blue sword beam.
There was no thunderous clash, only the chilling sound of freezing and piercing.
-
The sword light, condensed to its absolute limit, pierced through the thick Geo Shield with ease. The shield instantly froze into a pale blue hue before shattering into countless icy fragments.
This momentary obstruction bought Lumine crucial time to evade. The icy blue sword light grazed the hem of her robe before slamming into the protective barrier behind her, sending ripples through the barrier.
Lumine dared not underestimate her opponent, remaining on high alert.
Angie's eyes twinkled with amusement, as if everything were unfolding according to plan. With a flick of her wrist, she traced a perfect circle in the air with her sword tip.
Whoosh—!
Centered on her, a terrifying wave of frost erupted like a tsunami.
Countless razor-sharp ice thorns, as thick as human arms, burst from the ground, growing, spreading, and intertwining wildly.
These living ice serpents, driven by a will to freeze all existence, coiled around Lumine from all directions, intent on crushing her.
The area they covered spanned nearly half the arena!
Perpetual Frost Domain: Frigid Thicket!
Lumine's figure dwindled amidst the rapidly growing forest of ice thorns. The bone-chilling cold threatened to freeze her blood solid.
Yet no panic flickered in her eyes. The Harbinger of Dawn in her hand blazed with a brilliant cyan light.
"Gale Surge!"
Lumine's figure blurred instantly, transforming into a swift, azure whirlwind. Rather than clash head-on, she harnessed the Anemo Element's extreme speed and agility, weaving through the gaps and leaping between the thorns of the deathly thicket.
Like a butterfly flitting through blossoms, or a fish swimming against the current, each perilous near-miss scattered shards of ice crystals severed by Wind Blades.
Brief Anemo footholds materialized beneath her feet, allowing her to gain a route on the vertical ice walls and maneuver nimbly.
The ice thorns' crushing attacks repeatedly missed their mark, leaving only more jagged ice spikes embedded in the arena floor.
Angie's brow furrowed imperceptibly.
Lumine's agility far exceeded her expectations. Abandoning her wide-area spell, Angie now aimed her blade's tip with pinpoint accuracy at Lumine, who was moving at breakneck speed through the ice thorns.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Three ice cones, more condensed and faster than before, shot forth in a triangular formation like venomous vipers locked onto their prey. They tore through the air, sealing off every avenue of escape.
Nowhere to run!
A fierce glint flashed in Lumine's eyes as the azure glow of her blade instantly transformed into a searing purple.
"Lightning Shadow!"
BOOM!