Without a word, I grabbed the little girl with twin braids and a blue dress and pulled her out of the plaza. In a daze, I sensed an immensely powerful ghostly aura shrouding the edge of the square.
The girl in front of me had big, adorable eyes and looked about eight or nine years old. The huge sword strapped to her back was taller than she was.
On the plaza ahead, Lord Shenyan held a bizarrely shaped sword in his hand, while the other ten Blue Wraiths raised their swords, pointing them at Lord Shenyan—seven men and three women.
The moment they landed, I could feel it—the ghostly aura within each of the ten was incredibly strong. Of all the sword-wielding Blue Wraiths I’d met, Vivian Maple was the strongest, but these ten were every bit her equal.
"Little sister, you..."
"Don't call me little sister, call me Carrie."
I nodded hurriedly and asked.
"Carrie, what is 'Sword Inquiry'?"
Carrie grinned at me.
"You'll see soon enough. They're famous swordmasters, you know. Here in Swordspire City, every so often, there's a Sword Inquiry. But today, since Lord Shenyan is back, all Ten Swords are out together—normally, you never see that!"
I looked up at the mountain above the plaza, shaped like a giant sword. There were small buildings and caves scattered across it—the Blue Wraiths had just emerged from those caves. The little girl named Carrie was also a Blue Wraith, which surprised me.
"Please..."
Lord Shenyan gripped his sword with both hands—at this moment, the bizarre Sinblade glowed faintly red.
"Sinblade looks excited today!"
Carrie said with a smile, and I glanced over.
"That's Lord Shenyan's Wraith Armament."
A rush of wind sounded; except for Jing Kerr, the other nine Blue Wraiths retreated onto the sword-shaped sculpture, sitting or lying there, smiling as they watched Lord Shenyan and Jing Kerr below.
"How did it go, Lord Shenyan?"
Jing Kerr asked, and Lord Shenyan smiled easily.
"No trouble at all."
With a swoosh, Jing Kerr thrust his longsword straight at Lord Shenyan. Two sharp clangs rang out as Lord Shenyan blocked with Sinblade, drifting gracefully backward before landing lightly on the ground.
My eyes widened. For a split second, I seemed to see an image—a rainbow fading after the storm.
The sword in Jing Kerr’s hand was stunning, its blade radiating rainbow light. The orange-tinted blade revealed a different scene altogether.
It was a normal clash, clear to the naked eye. Neither was using ghost aura—they kept every bit of it contained within.
What struck me most was how Jing Kerr and Lord Shenyan faced each other head-on, neither giving an inch. Their swords collided again and again, weaving together, with not a hint of retreat—yet both wore smiles.
After a while, their duel ended. Each bowed with their sword in salute.
"Is it over?"
Just as I spoke, a sudden flurry of clangs filled the air. I stared in amazement as streams of colliding energy wove together above. Both fighters grew serious.
Two sharp clangs—I stared as Lord Shenyan lay sideways in midair, an orange-red glow streaking across his forehead. Jing Kerr’s sword flared, chopping downward. Lord Shenyan twisted in the air, blocking each strike.
Suddenly, cheers erupted all around. I swallowed, noticing fresh gouges appearing in the ground. Though nothing seemed amiss from outside, I could tell how fierce the battle truly was.