Ingridt then channeled gusts of wind at the tip of her sword and shot out multiple spears of wind toward Adaceus.
Martial Art! Spear cascade! She yelled.
Adaceus dodged in quick succession with a leap back, successfully evading the majority of them as he had to swat the remaining ones with his blade.
Damn it! Adaceus cursed in his thoughts.
I was certain that it would've worked, at least, or even impede her just a bit. I know she's strong, but this has been taken to an absurd level! I wouldn't have stood a chance if she really were serious.
Ingridt then dove down, gliding at fast speeds with her sword at the ready and aiming at his head. She swooped, but her strike found no purchase as Ingridt flickered out of the way again.
"I really do dislike fighting essence users, especially an arcana mage like you, Ada, quite the disadvantage for a fighter like me," she said, turning to him in a graceful motion, still calm, wings fluttering beautifully in the air.
"You always keep evading, but that should be expected. You need distance to effectively use your spellwork."
She then launched herself into the air, going straight to Ada like a drawn arrow, faster than the eyes could catch. Adaceus barely reacted as she struck his blade in front of him.
If a regular person were to be struck by this attack by Ingridt, one of the most powerful in the world, most would be swiftly dispatched without much effort. Their arms would be broken, snapped in half, and their weapons shattered like glass.
But Ada was different. The strike only caused shivers to rise his arms, and he barely held on to his blade as the power weakened and staggered his grip. He held on, continuing to enforce his arms with a dark aura to withstand the attack.
Just then, Ingridt floated up and quickly dove down to strike at him. Adaceus stepped back as she continued her series of attacks, bobbing up and down and attacking him with abrupt and quick slashes. Strong barrages that were hard to defend against, and as each strike hit, he could feel his muscles searing with pain.
It was like a raptor, clawing and nipping away at his prey from below.
Another attack was coming, but Adaceus quickly rolled to the side, sensing that this one was much worse than the others, and just as he'd imagined, it left a massive crater as the sword hit the ground.
Ingridt appeared out of the rubble and dust, and sent forth a swing of her sword, and a slash of condensed air shot out of it. Adaceus held out his hand, and a circle of magic appeared.
A barrier of blue appeared, blocking the incoming slash. Two more came, and Adaceus blocked them with a couple of shots of Fireballs he cast out from his hands.
Damn it, that last spell I laid out used the majority of my essence, and my mana reserves are nowhere near enough to make more, so I can only depend on lesser spells. My aura is still at a reasonable level, and my aura core still has ample mana in it, but a head-on confrontation is not ideal, especially now.
Adaceus looked down and saw his arms were shaking and trembling on his blade. He looked to the cloud of smoke and saw Ingridt walking out of it, slicing apart the smoke and exiting through like a model on a catwalk. She strode, confident and stoic, her eyes fierce and determined, as she held her sword forward.
This was Ingridt, The Wind Walker, The Hidden Blade, Cloud Dancer, and Living Mist, wielder of the element of wind that granted her with unmatched speed and velocity, a person of great strength and dubbed by the world as strongest, one of the mightiest there was, and here she is, in all of her glory, calling out to him to battle. An invitation, a bidding, a challenge, she silently declared with her blade.
This was truly an honor, but most importantly, this was a trial, a trial to prove he was capable enough to finally begin and go out into the world.
If he couldn't be up to her standard, then he wasn't prepared to take on the mysteries of this world.
Adaceus gulped, holding on tight to his sword as it shook, and stared again at the peerless foe across from him.
Guess I have no choice.
He steeled himself, with a heavy heart, and uncertain breath, he poised himself again. He bent his knees, puffed his chest, put one arm in his back, and straightened his blade forward. He's body glowed with darkness, reinforcing himself with his black aura, and he prepared himself for what was to come.
Ingridt ran and lunged at full force, meeting Adaceus's blade. The collision of steel sent sparks flying. Adaceus felt the intensity of the blow as the energy from this exchange shot through his entire arm. He gritted his teeth, bearing through the pain as in a quick action, using the momentum of Ingridt's strike, to shove it upward.
Ingridt's face turned stunned, eyes wide as she was successfully parried. Adaceus' body flashed green, indicating a spell was activated. This was a set spell that he cast a while back, and it granted him with temporary boost of speed that allowed him to perform a sideward slash that was directed straight at her face.
Adaceus channeled everything into his arms and into the sword.
It would have hit, certainly it would have hit, if it were any normal enemy, but this was Ingridt, a person far from what anyone would call ordinary.
Ingridt leapt back, almost in a blur at how fast she was, and evaded the swing.
He cursed under his breath.
Ingridt landed and stared at Ada, with a hint of delight in her expression.
Astounding Ada, I thought you lasting this long was impressive, but... to think... you certainly are going to be an impressive person in the future. It really is a shame that you're going away from my tutelage. I would have liked to have taught you myself, watch you grow into a powerful force in this world with my knowledge to teach you.
The world, huh, that was definitely something.
A satisfied look rose from her face.
And that something was quite wise, the world will teach you quite nicely, Ada, If my days as an adventurer were to say something. Hah, thinking about it now, the insane thing I've seen, and the things me, Lunoo and my old party did, were spectacular... and downright crazy.
She raised her sword upward, a smile on her face.
Enough of that, I have a fight I need to test, so come, Ada, show me if you are worthy, worthy to walk the world.
Ingridt focused on Ada as he acted a pose with his sword. He gripped the handle with his two hands and placed his feet far apart for balance, and placed the sword to his chest with the blade rose upward.
He's channeling something; an aura is gathering on the blade, but what could it be?
A shock ran through Ingridt's body, a course of lightning that shot his warrior instincts into action and told her that danger was close.
Where? She wondered. Where is it coming from?
An answer quickly appeared.
It happened fast, and it jolted something in her that she hadn't felt in a long time.
Concern, panic, danger incoming.
She quickly focused her eyes to see where it came from, and in front of her, hands both clasped at the black blade, was Ada. From what Ingridt could tell from the aura he was emitting, he was channeling something, something within the blade. That was when she witnessed Ada, in a smooth motion, stabbing the air straight with his sword.
Fast.
Something burst out of the blade in the blink of an eye, shotting out from the outward ip of Ada's blade, something so fast Ingridt's masterful senses struggled to see it coming. It was small, thin like a needle and as black as night, and it trailed the sky like a black string. Ingridt still dodged it, but only by a hair as it missed her head, cutting her cheek.
Adaceus cursed under his breath as she dodged, his arms dropping to the floor weakly. Adaceus finished his attack and quickly resettled himself in a defensive form.
Ingridt leapt a couple of steps more and lowered his sword. Her eyes widened in stupefaction and surprise that was unlike her, seeming to pause for a moment from the battle to absorb what had happened.
She felt something warm trickle down her cheek. She reached for it with her hand and saw on her fingers, blood.
"Heh," she scoffed, a smile curving upward on her mouth.
"That was close," Ingridt said, tensing her eyes.
"Not close enough, it seems," Adaceus chuffed, breathing heavily.
"But it was still close, you hit me, that is something that needs to be appreciated."
"I would've appreciated it more if it actually did some damage, and not just a small nick."
"Of course, but I didn't quite expect that from you; you've exceeded expectations, again."
She extended her hand with the blade.
"Show me more, Ada."
Wings fluttered from her waist, and air enveloped her body as she strode to where Adaceus was.
Adaceus met her blade, and they began trading blow for blow, sparks flying like a hammer to hot steel in overwhelming masses. Adaceus went for a stab, penetrating through their clash, only for Ingridt to kick him in his chest. Instantly, all the air escaped his lungs, and he was knocked away a considerable distance.
Ingridt launched with an overhead slash, and Adaceus, in his kneeling position, blocked.
Ingridt jumped high and spread her arms wide.
Mist Territory! She casted.
"YOU'RE LASTING LONG! ADA! LONGER THAN I PERCEIVED, SO WHY DON'T I THROW AN OBSTACLE IN YOUR WAY!"
Large clouds of wind began covering the arena in a fast circular motion, and Ingridt's form disappeared within the constantly swirling smoke.
Adaceus hurriedly stood up, wobbling as he did so, but managed to find his balance. He stared down the encircling tornado and swung his head in every which way, trying to find where she had gone.
Dammit, I can't find her!
Her figure was perfectly concealed in the mist, and no matter where he turned, he couldn't find any trace of her. Adaceus stood on guard, cautious at every angle, as she could appear about anywhere and attack. He knew all too well he was at a disadvantage and any mistake could mean trouble.
She was invisible, unseen in a space of her own creation.
I'm trapped, dismayed, Adaceus thought.
Suddenly, a jolt sparked on his neck that ran down his spine. He sensed something coming, coming from behind him.
He didn't even hesitate as he already knew what it was, and he swung back with his blade, hitting Ingridt's sword.
Or at least he thought it was.
As the strike landed, the Ingridt that was in front of him revealed itself as only a cloud of smoke shaped to look like Ingridt, and in moments it puffed into non-existence. Multiple took its place, and, as before, Adaceus received their attacks head-on.
Wait. Adaceus thought as he swatted away the misty figures, his arms wailing in their muscles. Let's see if this can work.
Adaceus focused, putting his concentration into his blade, where in its whole metal body began condensing with with his elemental power.
Got you!