Heroine Creation: All My Summons Are Custom Made

”UNBELIEVABLE!” the announcer’s voice echoed in the stadium, the sounds of chants, cheers, murmurs—all proof of the overwhelming excitement in the platform—rolling in the air.

”RENAN FALCONHART SINGLEHANDEDLY EVENED THE ODDS! THEY WERE THREE, AND NOW THEY ARE ONE!”

As the blinding light cleared inside the battlefield, only two participants indeed were left.

Luke and Renan.

The giant Tribute Coin sat in the center where Amira had been standing, glowing softly.

”LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! IT’S A ONE-ON-ONE FOR THE GIANT TRIBUTE COIN! IT’S AN ARSENAL VERSUS A KNIGHT! WHO’S TAKING IT?!”

Both men looked at the coin. Then looked at each other.

Their eyes narrowed, and as if they’d both counted down to the same number, they sprinted at once.

They ran not at the coin but at each other, because they both knew that whoever reached the coin first would be struck down before they completely picked it up.

They got closer... closer... closer...

Clang!

Luke’s Sunpiercer met Renan’s Black Gale.

Orange smoke exploded from the point of impact, billowing around them like a fiery cloud. Silver mist swirled from Renan’s blade, mixing with the orange, creating a storm of sun and moon light.

The crowd roared.

”THEY’VE CLASHED!” the announcer bellowed. ”LUKE TRAVERS VS RENAN FALCONHART! THE GIANT TRIBUTE COIN BETWEEN THEM! THIS IS IT!”

Luke pushed forward, but Renan continued to hold strong.

Realizing that Renan was stronger than him. Luke dismissed Sunpiercer and summoned Devil’s Fangs, using the sudden lack of weight to change his trajectory. He dropped low, daggers aimed at Renan’s ribs.

Renan swept his sword downward, deflecting both daggers, then followed with a backhanded slash that would have taken Luke’s head off.

Luke dismissed the daggers and summoned the Gilded Aegis.

CLANG!

The shield caught Black Gale. Luke’s boots skidded backward, carving furrows in the stone. Despite the powerful hit, the golden shield didn’t have a dent.

Renan noticed, and as a lover of armory, he was a little intrigued.

Regardless, he pressed forward, his sword becoming a blur of black steel. Luke retreated, shield raised, blocking blow after blow. Each impact sent tremors through his arm.

”LOOK AT THIS!” the announcer screamed. ”LUKE TRAVERS IS HOLDING HIS OWN AGAINST THE HEAVENLY KNIGHT!”

Luke’s eyes flicked to the coin. He figured if he was able to escape, to twist his way behind Renan, he could catch the Knight off guard and reach the coin before him.

He executed his plan quickly.

He dismissed the shield and summoned his sword. Then he sliced the ground, spilling a fresh surface of sand into a cloud of blinding dust.

It hit Renan’s face, making him cough and stand still.

Luke immediately sprinted toward the coin. He was fast so it only took him a few steps before his hand started to close around it.

But Renan swung a spectral slash his way. Luke’s eyes widened, seeing the giant silver bladed arc coming for him.

He rolled as fast as he could. The slash just passed above his boots as his legs then touched the floor and holstered him up.

”WOAH!”

The giant coin was clutched to his chest, and he had Sunpiercer in his other hand. Renan leaped high, bringing Black Gale down. But rather than going defensive, Luke swung his sword.

Renan parried the attack, his feet hitting land with heavy force, causing Luke to be dragged back by the shockwave.

Orange smoke billowed. Black mist swirled.

They were face to face now, blades crossed, inches apart.

Lancet was more focused than he’d ever been since the competition. He watched the sword lock, realizing one thing: Renan was definitely holding back.

From the novel, Lancet knew that at this stage, Renan was definitely able to take down Luke with at least two moves, three if he wanted to stretch it. But it seemed he was being generous with Luke, allowing him to test his strength against someone at Renan’s level.

Nevertheless, this didn’t mean that Luke was a small fry. Lancet’s ex roommate and friend was actually proving himself, matching Renan at least in some basic combat skills and causing the Heavenly Knight to rethink strategy.

Lancet wanted Luke to win badly. But unfortunately, he knew too much to expect any other result in this battle.

Renan pushed, and Luke was sent flying backward, skidding across the stone. The coin slipped from his grasp and landed between them.

Both men spun their swords at the same time.

Both lunged.

A storm of a battle was what followed after that.

Luke summoned and dismissed weapons so fast the cameras couldn’t track them. Devil’s Fangs for a rapid stabbing flurry—Renan deflected three strikes, dodged two, but the fourth grazed his arm. Blood sprayed.

He swung Black Gale in a horizontal slash that would have cut Luke in half.

Luke dismissed the daggers, summoned the Gilded Aegis mid-swing. The shield caught the blade, but the force sent Luke spinning. He used the momentum to dismiss the shield and summon the godtree bow while still in the air.

He fired three arrows before his feet touched the ground.

Renan’s sword deflected all three in a blur. Clink, clink, clink! But the third arrow shattered on impact, releasing a cloud of silver dust that clung to Renan’s eyes.

”Tch.”

Renan blinked, momentarily blind. Luke, narrowed his eyes, summoned Sunpiercer and charged.

Orange smoke trailed behind the blade as he brought it down in an overhead chop. Renan couldn’t see, but with his powerful senses, he could definitely hear.

He raised Black Gale blindly.

CLANG!

The impact drove Renan to one knee.

The crowd screamed.

”HE’S GOT RENAN ON HIS KNEES!” the announcer roared.

Luke pressed the advantage. He swung again—Renan parried. Again—Renan blocked. Again—again—again—each strike faster than the last, orange smoke filling the air.

Renan’s knee buckled further, sinking into the earth. But it was then that his eyes finally cleared.

He looked up at Luke who froze at the sight of Renan’s silver eyes. Then, Renan exploded into an attack.

Black Gale swept upward, catching Sunpiercer’s edge and throwing it aside. Luke’s sword flew from his hand and now he was open.

Renan thrust forward.

Luke summoned the Gilded Aegis, but the shield was too slow. The tip of Black Gale punched in the center of the shield, just as it was still forming in front of Luke.

’What kind of speed?!’ Luke thought with wide eyes.

Thankfully, the shield solidified just around the sword, stopping Renan’s attack before it punched his heart. It was only a literal inch away.

Luke froze, his heart panting. He looked up at Renan whose eyes were watching him over the edge of the shield. Both of them were still.

Renan pulled the sword. It didn’t budge. It was stuck!

Luke had taken away Renan’s weapo— Huh?!

Renan pulled again. And again?!

It was then that Luke saw a small crack form on the back of the shield. His head rang bells of alarm.

Luke’s shield was an S-Grade weapon, but so was Renan’s sword. Was Black Gale powerful enough to shatter his mythic shield?!