NoveLight ™
To be honest, Luce’s skills aren’t quite at the world-class level just yet. While she’s undoubtedly at the pinnacle of the domestic league, the story changes when you broaden the scope to the global stage.
Of course, I believe Luce has the potential to grow far beyond where she is now. But that’s just a matter of possibility. Speaking objectively, without my fan bias, she’s probably somewhere in the upper-middle tier. If she faced Cerberus in the semifinals, her win rate would likely sit around 20% to 30%.
But I don’t admire Luce because she’s the strongest player. Not long ago, I asked her something over dinner at a restaurant.
Only after hearing her answer did I realize how dumb my question was. She was right. You don’t need a profound reason to dream.
Why did I start kendo in the first place? Looking back, it was probably from watching historical dramas with my parents. I was just a young boy back then, and something about the sword stirred an instinctive sense of ‘cool’ in me.
A little later, I realized kendo wasn’t about wielding real swords. But that didn’t matter. By then, I was already hooked and couldn’t stop.
The way she said that, with a gentle smile, was radiant. As someone who once dreamed, and then started dreaming again, she was someone you couldn’t help but admire.
…Anyway, Blink would be a good warm-up match ahead of facing Cerberus. He’s a top-tier pro from the Japanese league, consistently ranked among Asia’s best Dark Swordsmen. If I wanted to be prepared for Cerberus, I had to be ready for a Dark Swordsman too.
[Infinity Arena Main Tournament – Round of 16 – Match 12]
[Battlefield: Boiling Lava Fields]
[Sigma Luce (Paladin) vs. JWM Blink (Dark Swordsman)]
The battlefield luck wasn’t in Luce’s favor.
The “Boiling Lava Fields” is a map covered with scorching heat. True to its name, lava flows freely, enhancing all fire-type skills. It’s an environment that gives an edge to a Dark Swordsman who can wield elemental magic.
On top of that, the periodically flooding lava forces players to move. Naturally, such gimmicks are easier for the more mobile character to handle. It’s not like a Paladin has no options, but their deck of tricks is smaller.
《The match has started. Both players are immediately surveying the field.》
《Wait a moment. Luce has changed her weapon. She usually favors a sword or mace, but today she’s brought a flail?》
《This is interesting. A flail has a longer reach than a mace due to the chain, which could be a plus. It also gets more bonuses from holy spells.》
《But it’s harder to handle. It takes longer to land an attack, making it a bit slower. Since this is the first time Luce is using it, we’ll have to keep an eye on her.》
The commentators were right. This was Luce’s first time using a flail in a match. I could be sure—I’d watched every recording I could find of her past games.
In her personal streams, Luce is quite experimental. She often practices builds and skills that others don’t use. This adaptability made her particularly good at adjusting to new metas.
However, she doesn’t bring new weapons to official matches until she’s sure of them. So in the past, she hadn’t used that many different weapons.
《It looks like Luce is moving toward the canyon area. Probably trying to control Blink’s mobility and secure her back and flanks.》
《Blink’s “Blink” skill is powerful. Plus, this player has a knack for using it effectively.》
《Yeah, you can see the confidence in his nickname.》
The two found each other, and the battle began.
The first move belonged to the Dark Swordsman, who had superior long-range skills. When a blazing spear of fire flew toward her, Luce raised her shield and charged forward. The spear exploded against the shield and vanished.
Three spears in a row, followed by another three. Finally, a volley of fire arrows rained down from above. Her shield, planted firmly, blocked all the magic.
But the Paladin’s guard gauge isn’t unlimited, and Blink’s class isn’t purely a magic caster.
《He’s closing in as soon as the spells land—Blink!》
《I don’t think the guard can hold up against this.》
“She’ll block it.”
That kind of attack was standard fare for a Dark Swordsman. Focusing fire and then striking with a sword at the peak moment made it hard to defend against. But Luce wasn’t someone who would fall for such a simple strategy.
Of course, the Dark Swordsman had to have a backup plan.
A bright, holy aura descended on Luce. With a brief moment of invulnerability, she effortlessly blocked the sword strike. Immediately, she timed her holy wall to counter the following spell, forcing it to dissipate.
She slammed her shield into the ground, radiating holy power. As her opponent slowed down, Luce swung the flail. Her timing was spot on, but the weapon’s speed held her back.
“Hmm, maybe a mace would’ve been better.”
If she’d used a mace, would that last attack have connected? It wouldn’t have been a critical hit, but better to land something than nothing at all.
On the burning ground, holy spells and dark magic clashed. The result was predictable. Paladins specialize in defense and support, while fire magic is all about destruction. And with the field bonus, it was a one-sided match.
The silver lining was that Paladins have exceptional magic resistance. Despite taking hits, Luce’s health bar hardly budged. It didn’t mean she was in a good spot, though.
《Blink’s attacks are impressive. With all this fire magic, it must be hard for Luce to keep track of him.》
《She needs a way to turn the tables here.》
《Guard break! The once-sturdy shield has reached its limit.》
The situation was tilting against her, but Luce’s gaze remained steady. Even as the chat and commentators talked about her disadvantage, she seemed unphased.
Luce can always block her opponent’s attacks in the best way possible. But just blocking doesn’t mean she’s fighting well.
Specifically, she was behind in tactical maneuvering.
She’s growing, but Luce’s combat style isn’t yet complete. Against an opponent with more tools, she often ends up slowly withering away like this. It’s a common issue for the slower warrior classes.
She used the Paladin’s unique skill to restore her guard gauge. But Blink still had plenty of mana to spare.
As long as she held up her shield, he would keep trying to knock it down. A series of spells and sword strikes soon overwhelmed it. Intent on sealing the match, Blink targeted her midsection.
“Huh?”
And then I felt like I’d been given a gift.
As the fire-infused blade pierced through her armor, Luce’s flail twisted around Blink’s arm in a spiraling motion. It was a technique I recognized well—the same one I’d used against Reaper in the group stage.
Dark Swordsmen don’t have immediate escape skills like the Mistweaver’s ‘Mistscreen.’
In Infinity Black, no class has only advantages. Magic requires a chant, and a chant can be disrupted by enough damage. That’s why Dark Swordsmen need to stay on the outside.
Being restrained like this was the worst-case scenario.
《Luce has him!》
《She’s going for a throw! This could be big!》
《Who knew Luce could do this? She’s showing exactly why she brought the flail!》
《Reminds you of Gawol’s match last week, doesn’t it?》
She slammed her massive shield down on the fallen Dark Swordsman. With the weight of her tower shield and the strength of a Paladin, it was more than a Dark Swordsman could withstand, and Blink’s health dropped sharply.
However, the situation wasn’t exactly the same as mine. I’d been able to lock down Reaper repeatedly with my chain scythe, but Luce’s flail could only wrap around once.
Blink broke free and tried to create distance again.
But Luce didn’t let him.
She called forth light, and the battlefield was filled with its radiance. Amid the searing light, Blink couldn’t escape. If the light was divine retribution, then the flail’s iron head was earthly judgment. No Dark Swordsman could survive a blow like that.
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TL notes:
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