Rose twisted mid-air, flipped, and landed heavily on the wall, her armored claws biting deeply into the stone, temporarily holding her up. As the wave of frost quickly reached her perch, the surface froze under her grip, forcing her to push off before she could be trapped! Woosh!
But by then—
Soryn was already moving!
She stepped forward, the distance vanishing in an instant! Ice condensed around her sword, forming a thin, translucent edge that hummed softly in the condensing cold.
The blade rippled, resharpening itself enough to make the air recoil with its mere rise.
Soryn struck forward.
The first slash was simple and clean, but Rose barely blocked it, her gauntlets ringing with the screech of metal as Soryn, who was already in front of her, slashed down. Magic steel met the conjured ice, and—
Boom! The impact drove Rose backwards, skidding across the floor, leaving a trench!
Her eyes widened.
What a heavy strike! No, wait!
Swoosh! The second cleave came from a different angle, flashing along the horizon, then a third, a fourth, then the flurry of ice shards that had followed each swing!
Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh-swoosh! Boom!!
Soryn flowed seamlessly from one technique to the next without pausing. It was an elegance unbefitting of her almost sickly complexion, continuing in a dance of the rigid basics. Swish! Each movement was precise, painstakingly trained, and cold! Frost trailed her blade, carving pale ribbons through the air, and leaving after-images that functioned as a second hit!
Woosh! Rose tried to close in—
She lunged low, attempting to slip past the sword, but Soryn pivoted smoothly and brought the blade down in a diagonal slash that forced Rose to explode backwards!
The cat girl frowned. 'For such a rigid person, she's awfully—Hm!' Boom!
Ice burst from the ground near Soryn's feet. Thin, needle-sharp spikes shot upwards in a quick cluster! Rose barely dodged them, flipping backwards and landing on all fours. Her breathing became heavier, steam pouring from her nose and mouth as she narrowed her eyes.
Soryn didn't chase her, she didn't need to! She was an all-range fighter! She raised her sword, and the air around the blade began to 'bend'.
Light gathered along its edge, then—
She swung!
Hooong!
A crescent blade formed from pale blue energy tore from the sword, screaming across the arena. It was a bit like flicking blood off a sword, only with something… 'different'. The sword light struck the ground and exploded into a wall of frost, forcing Rose to dive sideways at the last moment.
The air went silent…
That was—
- Sword light!
Petra leaned forward, crossing her legs and resting her elbows on her knees.
Mm, it was not a normal way to sit…
"…That's not right," she muttered. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Soryn.
There was something off. It's not that she was surprised that she could use such a high-level sword technique, no, there was something else that was bothering her! Not in the technique, but in her body! The way her energy was circulating, it seemed to be unstable…
Petra hummed softly.
"Is there something wrong, or… is she going to…?"
Petra's eyes suddenly sparkled!
-
Down below, Soryn pressed forward.
Her sword flashed!
Another blade of energy followed, then another, and another! Each one was thinner, sharper, and more refined than the last, clearly developing in real time. They weren't brute force, no! They were her intent given form! They were 'Sword Intent!'
Rose, realizing that this was bad, roared and surged forward!
Boom!
She was followed by a cloud of dust.
A crimson-colored spiritual energy exploded from her body as she repurposed it all into enhancing her physical abilities! Her muscles swelled slightly, veins rippling as she forced her way through the chaos of ice and snow. She took a sword light head-on, crossed her gauntlets, and skidded backwards, before rebounding and exploding forwards with an even greater momentum!
She didn't stop! Not even when hit! This time, she got close enough to strike.
Her fist slammed toward Soryn's ribs!
Soryn turned her wrist and redirected the blow with the flat of her sword. Boom!! Ice burst outwards upon impact, throwing Rose aside in a spray of mist.
They separated, a shockwave forming around their feet.
For a brief moment, both of them stood still…
Then—
They moved at the same time!
The sword and the fist collided in an explosive exchange! Pale Ice and red energy clashed, erupting outwards in expanding waves that rattled the arena!
The ground cracked!
The final clash sent both of them flying backwards!
Rose was thrown back and slammed into the far wall, dropping into a crouch, panting, while Soryn slid back along the arena floor, her boots carving a thin line through the ice.
Her sword never fell, and her expression never changed. Seeing this, for the first time, Rose seemed to realise that this pale-skinned big sister was holding back!
The momentum died down.
Rose, with her red eyes filling with frustration, slowly straightened…
'Fine, have it your way!'
She wiped a streak of frost from her cheek and sharply exhaled. Her breath came out in a high-pitched growl, the warm breath mixing with the chilling air, producing a cloud of steam.
"So that's how you want to play…" she grumbled, rolling her shoulder in a circle.
The red runes along her gauntlets flared, heat bleeding out into the air as her stance changed completely. Her posture dropped lower to the ground, her spine bent, and her weight shifted to the tips of her feet. The leather armor she was wearing had been crafted by Mell, and the gauntlets she was using were created by the dwarven sisters. They were both relatively 'high-level' artifacts, so with her current level, she could only 'activate' them for a few minutes.
Soryn raised her guard.
She squinted her eyes, feeling the subtle shift.
Rose had stopped fighting like a person, now—
She moved like a beast! Boom! Rose exploded forward!
She didn't charge in a straight line, no! Her body twisted mid-step, feet slamming into the tiles as she ripped back and forth at sharp angles, zigzagging across the arena.
Fooush! Fooush-fooush-fooush—! Each movement was abrupt, unpredictable, and almost predatory, as her speed was constantly breaking and restarting, blurring in an unpredictable charge!
Soryn's eyes narrowed.
These movements undoubtedly had a great strain on her body, but—
Blades of ice formed instinctively, firing in a quick succession at where she predicted Rose would appear, but she still slipped between them with ease! One shattered against her shoulder guard, another grazed her side, and another pierced her leg, forming a flowing frost that covered the edge of her armor!
—How troublesome, Soryn thought…
That armor seemed to be making up for the abrupt changes in direction! How useful!
Rose didn't slow down!
Woosh! She dropped even deeper into all fours mid-run, sliding under a horizontal slash of white energy. Her claws scraped across the ice as her fist came up in a rising uppercut aimed at Soryn's chest. Bang! The sound of Steel rang out! Soryn blocked, but the impact forced her into the air and back a step.
Swoosh! Then another!
Rose pressed forward, refusing to let her create distance!
Her attacks came in short, brutal bursts of bestial brutality, with elbows, knees, and claws, all striking from unexpected angles. Every blow carried a contrasting heat and a raw physical force that seemed to exceed her cultivation level.
This wasn't flashy, it was just pure violence!
From the side, 'Lira', Rose's sister, cheered her on!
Next to her, 'Noah', who was also watching, remained silent as she observed…
Soryn countered with her sword, ice coating the blade—increasing its width—as she redirected and deflected. Rose stayed in her range, not wanting to play from a distance! Every time Soryn tried to step back, Rose followed with an equally swift step forward!
The air distorted from their interaction, forming a faint mirage!
The arena floor cracked under their feet!
Frost hissed as it met the heat, then refroze!
Rose twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding a downward cut, swoosh! Then slammed her shoulder into Soryn's chest with everything she had! Bang! Ice burst outwards, but Soryn was sent flying back!
For the first time, Soryn frowned. It seemed that she needed to take this silly cat a bit more seriously, but—Rose didn't give her time to think! She spun, keeping close to the ground, and swept at Soryn's legs, before transitioning into an erupting strike upwards!
Soryn leapt back, but Rose was already moving, her claws tearing towards her with a crimson light.
The air shook!
Her eyes darkened, ready to smash this crazy cat with a great-sword formed from Ice, but just then—
Swoosh!!! A sharp snap cut through the air!
Bang!
—! Something struck Soryn's side!
She was shot backwards in a blur, skidding across the ground, then jumped back and supported herself with her sword, before grimacing in pain.
Her eyes flickered slightly as she gritted her teeth.
What was that?
A red blur flashed behind Rose…
"…Her tail? Tsk!" Petra muttered from above.
Rose grinned.
A long, flexible tail whipped out from behind her, wrapped in the faint red glow of spiritual energy. It moved independently, striking out like a whip. As the two re-engaged, the tail continued to become increasingly more difficult to deal with, snapping at joints and blind spots wherever Soryn's focus failed to follow! Soryn felt as if she was fighting a person with five arms!
How troublesome! But I must win! For the sake of tonight's 'meal dibs'! Soryn thought…
The pressure doubled, but Soryn didn't falter!
She refused to lose to someone who was eight 'small levels' below her!
But—
Soryn was forced back again and again!
This continued!
Ice barriers shattered under the relentless impact of the red cat! Her sword flashed, but Rose slipped past it at an abnormal speed, her tail striking whenever an opening appeared.
If there were a knowledgeable outsider present, they would realize that both of these girls were fighting above their levels! Despite only being in the Third Realm, they were both fighting in the early levels of the Fourth Realm! In other words, they were both top geniuses!
The small handful of onlookers could feel it too.
As the battle dragged on, the balance quietly tipped.
Soryn's breathing grew uneven, with each clash stealing a little more energy. Her fingers clenched around her sword, her knuckles whitening as cold sweat crept across her brow. Ice spread from beneath her boots, denser than before, as if her will was bleeding into the ground.
She knew, in her heart, that Rose's talent was above hers...
What she didn't know—what she couldn't know, was that this wasn't a matter of weakness! Rose wasn't merely gifted, no, she was a one-in-a-million monster!
And this ignorance gnawed at the back of her mind…
Soryn was a gold-rank adventurer! She had slowly built up that title with her own hands. She had no clan, no mentor, and no backing! Even with a sickly body, she had tried, again and again, clawing her way up through self-discipline and sheer will alone!
Fighting above her level was her pride, the proof that she had worked hard enough!
So being forced back—
By someone with a lower cultivation…
To her, that was a humiliation that struck deeper than any wound!
Her frustration swelled with every exchange.
She wouldn't lose!
She wouldn't let herself lose!
Her soul screamed!
Soryn's fighting spirit ignited! Something seemed to click inside of her…
Her spiritual energy surged, then compressed.
Rose lunged forward, her five fingers leaving five thick red trails in the air!
But this time, Soryn didn't retreat…
She exploded with a fierce momentum! Her eyes widened as she took a step forward! BOOM!
The air froze, and for a split second, everything paused, then—
Humm! Power uncontrollably surged throughout Soryn's body!
She advanced!
Vital energy, or—the Natural Energy of Heaven and Earth, formed an imperceptible vortex with the surrounding spiritual energy! While mixing with the nearby Ice-element elemental energy, Soryn's body became a black hole, stripping power from the environment and violently pulling it inwards, creating a building vortex of ice-type mana!
The surrounding space began to vibrate!
Soryn sped up!
The energy was continuously drawn into her body, beginning to condense around her golden core at a speed far exceeding what she could have done in the past!
Hooong!
Her sword cried sharply as her sword intent sharpened.
Rose's instincts immediately screamed!
Her hair stood on end, before her attention snapped back, and she jumped backwards, before rebounding in one last explosive strike!
Boom!
They crashed together, ice and fire detonating outwards in an explosive shockwave that tore entire chunks from the arena floor! BOOM!! Both were thrown backwards, grinding to a halt on opposite sides of the arena!
They stopped!
Rose straightened her back quickly, her instincts still prickling. Her chest rose and fell as her eyes burned with excitement, no, with impatience! Her amber eyes peered across the devastation towards Soryn, then paused…
Soryn stood still, unfocused, her sword slowly lowering in her hand.
Frost curled around her feet...
The frustration was gone, but now—
-
She didn't move…
Her half-lidded eyes were unfocused. As her breathing slowed down—one breath… two breaths… then another, and another… becoming deep, resonating, and settled in a calm, natural rhythm. What remained wasn't mere emptiness, but a compression, a power that folded tighter and tighter, until it was drawn in, condensed, and completely forced into a single point in her dantian!
The air changed.
Petra straightened her back, her posture shifting as a sudden interest flickered across her face. She leaned forward, peering down with her big black eyes.