Mok and Lukeandria exchanged blows with precision and strength: elbow against elbow, knee against knee. At first glance, it seemed they were evenly matched, but it was clear that Mok was holding back his power. His skill far surpassed hers, though he carefully restrained himself to avoid injuring her. Lukeandria continued launching quick and accurate attacks, but the butler dodged them with exaggerated ease, as if he were training a small child.
The young woman soon realized what was happening. Though her punches and kicks managed to make him step back slightly, there wasn't even a hint of pain on Mok's face. Her fists collided against his body without budging him—an experience vastly different from what she had witnessed in other fights.
"Come on, fight with all your strength! I know you're holding back. That can't be all your power... I know you're stronger than me!" Lukeandria exclaimed, frustrated but determined. She was also gauging the limits of her own power, trying to understand where she stood against such a skilled opponent.
She unsheathed her sword and lunged at Mok again, who deflected each of her attacks with a pair of small but sharp knives. The girl was adept with the sword, but she was still no match for the butler's expertise.
"Come on, Mok! I know that can't be all your power," she insisted, watching as he effortlessly blocked her strikes with just the two knives. "Please, don't hold back. I need to know and understand my limits."
The butler, seeing the determination reflected in Lukeandria's eyes, decided to oblige her. He brushed his hand through his hair, as if wiping sweat from his brow, and calmly said, "Very well, I'll get serious."
From his coat emerged a wave of knives that floated in the air as if suspended by invisible threads. Lukeandria, upon seeing the sheer number of weapons approaching her, smiled with excitement. However, she quickly noticed that these knives moved at a much greater speed than before.
She dodged the first wave with agility, but as soon as she finished deflecting them, another barrage appeared to replace them. The knives seemed endless, pursuing her without giving her a moment's rest.
Lukeandria grinned, relishing the challenge. She decided to advance toward Mok, directly confronting the rain of knives. With swift and precise movements, she began blocking each weapon that came her way. She moved like a burst of energy, striking and deflecting the knives that tried to reach her. However, no matter how many she managed to block, others immediately emerged to force her back.
She attempted to use the environment to her advantage. She leaped nimbly between the branches of nearby trees, trying to confuse the knives. But, to her surprise, they pierced through the trunks as if they had minds of their own, relentlessly pursuing her.
"These knives... do they have a mind of their own?" Lukeandria thought, astonished as she watched them pierce through obstacles to continue pursuing her relentlessly.
Lukeandria decided to keep leaping between the trees, trying to gain an advantage over the knives chasing her without pause. However, one of them cut her path with surgical precision, forcing her to lose her balance.
"Damn!" she exclaimed as she fell from the tree. But before hitting the ground, she pulled out her shield and used it like a branch, driving it into the trunk to perform a midair somersault and land safely without harm.
"These knives are strong... and they won't stop chasing me," Lukeandria thought as she retrieved her shield from the tree. "I need to find a way to evade them."
"That's enough," Mok said, raising his hand to halt the attack.
But the young woman wasn't ready to give up. "No, I want more," she responded with determination.
Seeing her inexhaustible energy, Mok launched the swarm of knives again, this time with even greater intensity.
Lukeandria used her shield to repel them, seizing the moment to hurl the shield at the knives and carve a path toward Mok. With an agile leap, she quickly closed in on the butler, sword in hand.
"Not bad," Mok commented, unsheathing his own sword just in time to block Lukeandria's attack.
"Alright, then it'll be sword against sword," she thought resolutely.
"If that's what you desire," Mok replied calmly.
Both began exchanging rapid and precise blows. The metal of their swords clashed forcefully, sending sparks flying with each impact. Lukeandria desperately sought an opening to strike Mok, but he blocked every attempt, leaving her no chance for an attack.
Every time she thought she had found a gap, Mok closed it with mastery, leaving her frustrated. The young woman started to feel exhausted—not just physically, but mentally as well. The duel was dragging on too long, and she hadn't managed to do anything more than clash swords.
She decided to change tactics, using her legs and free arm to try to surprise him. However, Mok remained impenetrable, blocking even those attacks with only the hand holding his sword.
"He's definitely someone to fear... I wonder why he didn't face us when we arrived," Lukeandria thought, disturbed by her inability to defeat the butler.
Mok, noticing that Lukeandria's attacks were beginning to weaken, decided to end the fight. With a quick and precise circular motion, as if forming a tornado, he disarmed her effortlessly. In an instant, her sword fell to the ground, and Mok brought the tip of his own blade to Lukeandria's neck.
"This is over," he declared serenely.
The young woman collapsed to the ground, utterly spent from the effort she had exerted. She had never fought someone who moved so swiftly, like lightning, leaving her completely defenseless.
"Did all my training amount to nothing?" Lukeandria wondered silently, filled with frustration. "There will always be someone stronger than me in this vast world..." she added in her thoughts, feeling a mix of defeat and humility.
"Not bad, girl, but rest for a while," Mok said, calmly sheathing his sword.
After a moment of rest, Lukeandria slowly opened her eyes and looked at the butler with admiration.
"You're an interesting person, Butler Mok," she said sincerely. "I wonder... who taught you everything you know?"
Mok, always with his polite and serene tone, replied: "Well, girl, it's been years of hard training. Plus, I had one of the best teachers."
"Oh? Really? Who?" she asked, intrigued.
"Well... life itself," Mok answered with a faint smile. "She made me who I am today. Besides, I owe a great deal to one of the kings of Avocadolia, who gave me shelter when I needed it most. I could never repay all that he did for me. I'll always remain his loyal servant, and even though he's no longer here, I'll continue his legacy by protecting Paltio."
"Ah! I see... That little prince is lucky," Lukeandria commented with a small smile.
"Don't say that," Mok replied calmly. "It's just a matter of practice. And if we had more time, I could teach you a few things. But as you can see, time is short. In other circumstances, perhaps we could dedicate ourselves to that." He paused before adding: "And regarding what you said about Paltio... I'm not sure if it's exactly luck, but I'll always be there to protect him, as well as everything he holds dear—including his friends... and you're part of them now."
"Don't say those things!" Lukeandria exclaimed, averting her gaze as a light blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Alright, it's time to go," Mok said, changing the subject with his usual composure. "One more day and we'll reach the next kingdom."
They both climbed into the carriage and set off once again, leaving behind the dark forest bathed in the moonlight.