The impact of the spears echoed through the training field like a dry thunderclap.
Damon slid a few steps back, his feet carving shallow furrows in the hardened earth as he tightened his grip. His left arm still vibrated from the shock, an uncomfortable numbness rising to his shoulder.
"Damn it…" he murmured, adjusting his posture. "You're going too hard."
Esther didn't respond immediately.
She remained motionless in front of him, the spear resting naturally on the ground, as if the previous blow hadn't required any effort at all. Her posture was impeccable, her body erect, her shoulders too relaxed for someone in combat. Her gaze, cold as always, analyzed Damon from head to toe.
Then she smiled.
Not a gentle smile. Not an amused smile.
A smile of calculated disdain.
"Funny," she said, her voice too calm for the tension in the air. "You defeat thirty useless guys, break bones, humiliate an entire escort… and now you want me to go easy on you in training?"
