CHAPTER 91: CHAPTER 91 - DANCING BLADES

The man moved with a slow pace, it almost seemed like he didn’t care about the fighting happening around him, but Morena could tell that wasn’t the case.

She could see the rage under his calm, his cheekbone biting down as he ground his teeth together, and whenever he moved his hand to swat someone out of his way, he did it with such strength that they died upon impact.

Morena could feel his eyes land on her as he drew closer, the sharpness of his gaze almost as piercing as a blade, and for a second, the chaos faded into the background; all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart.

The soldiers near her were still fighting, but she raised a hand slightly, signaling them to pull back.

"Clear the area."

They hesitated for a moment but obeyed, retreating a few paces until the circle between her and the man was empty. She didn’t want them getting involved; it would just end with them dying or getting in her way, and she didn’t want that.

The warrior stopped a few strides away from her. He stood tall, his body built like a statue, scars running down his arms and chest where his armor didn’t cover, and in his hand, he held his greatsword resting against his shoulder.

As she hopped off the horse and stopped in front of him, he spoke aloud to her. His voice was calm, hiding his emotion within.

"A girl? Are you the one leading them? Huh, I expected more."

Morena didn’t answer his blatant taunt; only a fool would fall for such a thing. Instead, she adjusted her stance, lowering her body slightly as she gripped her spear tighter.

The man smirked slightly, as if amused.

"You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that."

As soon as he finished speaking, he moved.

The shift was almost too quick to see. His greatsword came down with a force that made the air itself split, and Morena barely rolled to the side in time.

The ground where she had been standing split open, dirt and rock scattering like shards in a mass of dust.

’Fast...’

She turned on her heel, stabbing forward with her spear toward his exposed flank. The strike was straightforward, aimed to wound rather than kill, but the man twisted his body and caught the shaft with his gauntlet.

The sheer force of his strength almost tore the weapon from her hands.

He shoved forward, and the force sent her stumbling back several steps.

She caught her balance, her boots digging into the dirt as she brought the spear back up. Yet the man simply laughed, a low, grating sound that cut through the clash of blades and sounds of fighting around them.

"Not bad. You actually blocked that without breaking your arms. I suppose you wouldn’t be completely weak to step up. Alright, let’s see."

Morena didn’t bother replying; she pushed off the ground and charged forward. The spear flicked out in a series of quick thrusts, aimed for his neck, knee, and chest in rapid succession.

Each strike was faster than the last. She wasn’t just testing him anymore; she was outright aiming to hurt him. She knew it was probably nothing to him, but it was an experience to her.

He deflected each one with minimal effort, his greatsword sweeping in wide arcs that forced her to keep moving or be cleaved in two.

Her movements were fast, efficient, but compared to him, she was small, her reach was nothing against his sheer strength. Once more she understood just how tall of a wall Rank 1 really was.

It wasn’t a matter of energy; it was the sheer amount of physical capabilities they had compared to a normal apprentice. They were faster, stronger, and more durable; it was like fighting a mountain.

When he swung again, she ducked under the arc, the blade cutting through the air just above her head. She twisted, using the motion to drive her spear upward at his ribs, but it barely pierced his armor before he slammed his elbow into her shoulder.

The impact sent her sprawling backward, her body rolling across the dirt until she dug her spear into the ground to stop herself.

She coughed, spitting blood to the side.

’He’s too strong...’

Her hands trembled slightly from the recoil of the last hit. Even her reinforced body couldn’t absorb the full force behind his swings.

Still, she stood up again.

She steadied her breath, her eyes narrowing. This was a learning experience for her, unlike the previous encounter with a Rank 1; this time she had Adolf and the captain behind her.

They could easily step in and save her if things got too dangerous. She wanted to use this chance to learn, experience fighting a Rank 1, and maybe even do some damage.

She didn’t need to win, just learn.

’AI, assist. Predict movement pattern.’

[Pattern Analysis: 72% accuracy. Opponent relies on strength-based sweeping arcs. Recommend close-quarter approach to minimize momentum advantage.]

’Close-quarters, huh... that’s easier said than done.’

The man began walking toward her again, blade dragging lightly against the ground. Sparks jumped where the edge scraped the stone.

"You should’ve brought your men. You can’t beat me alone."

"Maybe not."

She stepped forward, grip tightening on the spear.

"But I didn’t come here to win."

He blinked, confused for a moment, and she used that moment to act, dashing toward him with a push off the ground.

Her spear moved like a blur; she channeled her denser energy around the blade itself, something no normal apprentice or even Rank 1 would be able to accomplish.

But she could. She could do it because of the various poison cycles she had done, granting her better control over her energy, and even stronger energy that could sustain itself outside her body longer.

Thanks to that, she could exert more force with the energy than he would expect; her blackish energy tinting the spear as she thrust.

The man swung again, but this time she didn’t retreat; she stepped in.

The blade passed so close to her face that she felt the wind tear at her skin, but in that instant, she drove the spear forward, the point grazing across his shoulder and leaving a thin line of blood.

It wasn’t deep, but thanks to the energy around her blade she was able to mark his durable body, something she couldn’t do as easily before.

The man looked at the wound, then at her.

His grin widened.

"So you’ve got some teeth after all."

He came at her again, faster this time, his blade rising high before crashing down and splitting the earth beneath it; Morena spun to the side, the impact sending dirt flying up into the air.

She countered right away, thrusting for his knee, but he kicked out, the force slamming against her spear and knocking her backward again.

Her arms burned, and her lungs felt like they were ablaze.

Every hit she blocked sent a shockwave through her entire body. The difference between an apprentice and a Rank 1 wasn’t something that could be bridged by skill alone; it was raw, physical reality.

But she didn’t back down.

She stepped forward again, even as her legs trembled. Her movements grew more refined with each second that passed. She figured ways to use the energy to optimize her actions, flowing just enough into her limbs, her organs, her muscles to react to each move he made, and make a move of her own.

Her change was noticeable enough that even the man could tell she was getting better.

"You’re still standing? You really don’t know when to die."

He swung horizontally this time, the blade cutting through the air like a wave. Morena dropped low, sliding under the strike and stabbing upward, the point of her spear scraping against his chestplate.

It didn’t pierce deep, but it was enough to make him stagger back with the force behind it.

"Annoying little brat."

He muttered as his patience was finally running low.

Before she could reset her stance, he lunged forward, grabbing her spear with one hand and yanking her toward him. She tried to twist free, but his fist connected with her stomach, knocking the air from her lungs.

The world spun for a moment as she stumbled back, gasping.

She looked up just in time to see the next swing coming.

She barely got her spear up in time to block; the impact sent her flying back several meters, the spear cracking slightly under the strain.

Her back hit the dirt hard, the taste of blood filling her mouth.

Her vision flickered for a second, but she forced herself to rise.

’Not quite right yet.’

The man straightened, dragging his blade behind him again.

"You should’ve stayed down, maybe I would’ve just overlooked you."

He raised the greatsword for a finishing blow.

Morena took a deep breath.

’AI, analyze.’

[Energy output 67% depleted. Risk of collapse if continued engagement.]

’That’s fine.’

She steadied her stance again, her body trembling from exhaustion, but she focused all the energy she had left in her body toward her legs, and toward the tip of the spear.

This time, when the man swung, she didn’t dodge or retreat. She stepped forward with as much speed as she could muster and twisted her body around the greatsword.

The blade barely missed her body as she slid past it and thrust her spear forward, directly for the man’s chest. She could see his movements more clearly, every shift of his muscles, as he moved to try and avoid the spear.

But it was too late to fully avoid it, a smile decorating her bloodied lips as all the energy from her body darkened the edge of the spear and pierced his chest.

The force of the energy broke through the surface of his skin and ate away at the flesh that lay underneath. If the man didn’t dodge, if he didn’t pull away from the spear, it would’ve pierced straight through him.

But he survived, not uninjured, but he survived. A hole in the side of his chest where flesh should be, the blood leaking a sign that his body had been wounded by a mere apprentice.

Neither spoke for a moment; the man was in shock, and Morena was completely drained of energy.

Then, from behind, Adolf’s voice cut through the chaos.

"My lady! That’s enough!"

Morena didn’t respond.

She could barely hear him anymore, all she could see was the man in front of her, and the rage that twisted his face as the shock settled.

The man was pissed, completely enraged, he swung his greatsword to outright kill her, but Adolf and the captain were already moving in.

The moment the blade came down, the two Rank 1 Warriors stepped forward, stopping the blade and moving Morena away.