Chapter 347

In the next second, the Clusia host saw a fencer emerge from the right side of the arena. He could only tell from the figure whether it was a man or a woman. The host’s jaw nearly dropped as he glanced down at the list in his hand. ‘Wait a minute, this clearly says Jeremiah, male, Clusia major general. How did he turn from a man into a woman in less than half an hour”

Not only were the Clusia hosts surprised, but even the spectators were taken aback. ‘How could a woman come up to compete?‘

Most of them already knew Jeremiah would be competing. ‘What on earth is going on? Clearly, this is a last- minute switch!‘

Those who were quick to connect the dots remembered Clifford’s serious expression earlier and realized something big must have happened; otherwise, Jeremiah would never have left mid–way. The atmosphere instantly became tense.

The host, confused, quickly looked toward the staff below the stage but was surprised to see Clifford standing to one side.

Clifford nodded, giving the host a reassuring look, then took the conversation headset. “Continue.”

The host suddenly understood and, drawing on their professionalism, began to explain the competition rules again.

Clifford watched the figure on stage, rubbing his temples, fatigue and worry evident in his eyes. He hadn’t expected Jeremiah to let Yvette compete in his place. ‘I wonder if this decision is really the right one?‘ However, thinking of Yvette’s identity with Interpol, Clifford felt that perhaps his future daughter–in–law could really surprise him.

On the main stage, Jase subtly glanced at the figure in the center, his gaze deepening. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t surprised; he was completely bewildered about what this kid could or couldn’t do. He began to question whether the information he had was complete. ‘I hope this kid can give the Clusian people another surprise,‘ he thought eagerly.

Kyle, sitting beside Jase, had been watching his movements with keen interest. ‘How could Clusia send a woman to compete?

That’s impossible! Even if they’re not using their major general, they could easily grab a few men from the army. What kind of ability is it to have a woman compete? It seems they really have no one left to use. Ybaulla is bound to win this match; they have to reclaim all the dignity they lost in the last round.’

No one noticed that after Clusia’s representative appeared, Kaiden was completely dumbfounded. Standing on stage, he stared blankly at the figure walking toward him leisurely, panic and fear nearly impossible to hide in his eyes. Though his face revealed nothing, he could never forget those eyes–cold and indifferent, devoid of warmth–as if nothing in the world mattered to her.

Kaiden’s hand holding the sword trembled slightly. He had never expected that after calculating every angle to keep Jeremiah from competing, he had ended up switching his opponent to a coach. ‘Is God playing tricks on me? Why? Why is the coach competing instead of Jeremiah? What went wrong? I must have missed something crucial...‘ Kaiden’s mind was in chaos, nearly losing its ability to think.

The fencing match was still being broadcast live, capturing Kaiden’s dazed and disoriented state clearly. Online viewers began discussing it again.

[I mean, does anyone else think Kaiden looks really weird? He seems to know our competitor somehow.]

[Upstairs, I feel the same way. Not only that, I think Kaiden looks scared. Is his left hand shaking?]

[But that’s not the main point, is it? Don’t you think the real shock is that Clusia’s competitor is a woman again? The goddess’s performance yesterday was fierce, and I’m even more excited for today. Who do you think is prettier, this girl or the goddess?]

[Upstairs, fellow kindred spirits! I’m super excited, but it’s a pity we can’t see the girl’s face. She must look incredibly cool.]

[Do you think it’s possible that this person is the goddess herself [What kind of daydreaming is that upstairs? The goddess can’t compete in two matches; that’s just absurd.J [I really hope left for us ordinary people.

; if the goddess is this amazing at fencing, there’s [Exactly... If we win this match, it’ll be our second victory in a row.]

At the competition venue, Charles focused on the person on stage. He recognized that familiar figure. ‘Something must have happened for the coach to suddenly compete? This has to be Kaiden’s doing. He’s always been willing to do anything to secure victory, but I wonder what it is this time? How could he get Jeremiah removed from such an important match?

Charles sighed; he suddenly felt a bit sorry for Kaiden. “This fool must not have figured out the relationship between coach and Jeremiah, or he would never have dared to target Jeremiah. This is just fate playing tricks–now the coach is the one handling him. To Charles, the outcome of this match was already certain, with no suspense. ‘I just wonder how the coach will deal with Kaiden. Today is definitely going to be Kaiden’s worst nightmare. Given the coach’s protective nature, if Kaiden really has set his sights on Jeremiah, his life might be in danger.’

Andrew’s eyes widened in surprise, swallowing hard. “Charles, is that Yvette?”

On stage, Yvette stood facing Kaiden, her gaze piercing and cold, lifting her eyelids just to glance at him before looking away.

That look of indifference only fueled Kaiden’s anger. ‘Why has the coach never seen my growth and effort over the years? I’m already the heir of the Steel Serpents, yet the coach still views me as worthless. Do I not even deserve to have the coach acknowledge me?‘

Kaiden kept his head down, glancing at the sword in his right hand, which was starting to tremble. He knew he had already lost most of the match before it even started; he couldn’t muster the strength to resist in front of Yvette. I’ve known since training camp how high the coach’s fencing level is. Is there even any point in this match anymore?‘ Kaiden realized he had no way out;

he couldn’t retreat. If he went back to the Steel Serpents, he would still be a lamb to the slaughter.

Yvette stood casually, sword in hand, appearing utterly unconcerned about the match. From her stance alone, it was obvious she was just going through the motions, completely lacking the seriousness expected in a competition, contrasting sharply with Kaiden’s tense demeanor.

The disparity was obvious to everyone present; they looked at each other in disbelief. ‘Where did this powerhouse come from?

Why does this match seem so casual and easy?