"Alright. No pancakes for you tonight, then."
"Hah! You think that's a punishment?" Sophia scoffed, though a flicker of worry crossed her eyes.
Darick, the training ground instructor, stepped in. "I see both of you have unsheathed your blades and are ready. Shall we begin?"
He glanced at Jan. "Hero?"
Jan nodded. Sophia snapped back impatiently, "Just start already!"
"Very well. Let the duel begin!"
[ A duel has been initiated by the Training Ground Instructor. ]
[ Jan LV.80 VS Sophia LV.82 ]
[ Warning: Fatal damage is disabled during duels at the Training Ground. ]
[ Note: Physical pain will still be experienced. ]
[ Start! ]
'What the—?!' Jan was still staring at the glowing text when Sophia's blade nearly split his face.
Instinct took over. He barely raised his sword in time to block, but the sheer weight behind her swing wrenched his guard wide.
'So heavy!'
Before he could recover, her boot slammed into his chest.
The kick sent him tumbling. He twisted midair, arms crossed to absorb the blow, rolled twice, and landed on his feet.
"There it is!" Sophia barked. "Absent-minded again! You can't afford to drift off during a fight!"
"I wasn't—!"
*Clang—*
Sophia didn't give him the chance. Sparks flew wildly as their blades locked again.
"You're thinking about last night, aren't you?" she asked, forcing him back.
Jan gritted his teeth, straining to hold off her next attack. "What do you mean?!"
Her eyes burned as she pressed harder. "What do you mean? What do I mean? That was your first kill, wasn't it?!"
The words struck him harder than her blade. His grip faltered for an instant, but he forced himself steady. With a final push, they broke apart, each blade poised at the other's throat.
"I'm fine," Jan said, forcing the words out. His voice was steady, but his chest tightened. The image of their eyes wide, then empty, haunted him last night. "I knew it was coming. I… prepared myself."
Sophia's eyes softened just slightly. She lowered her sword. "Good. Don't dwell on it. I know you didn't sleep. If you let it eat at you, it'll break you."
"I know…"
"Last night—it was kill or be killed. That's the truth."
"I know…"
He didn't need her to remind him. If he'd hesitated, they would've struck him—or worse, escaped and come back for Aeris.
"Jan," Sophia said louder, sharper, "you can't afford hesitation. Not against someone like Saveth. He won't give you a second chance."
The name hit him like a blade of ice down his spine. His expression hardened. Fingers tightening around the hilt, he nodded.
Sophia smiled faintly in response.
And then her form blurred.
Steel flashed.
*Clang—*
*Clang—*
Jan barely caught the first two slashes before their blades locked again.
'Too fast!' That's when his nose twitched. 'Burning?'
His eyes darted past her. And there it was, two blackened patches still smoking on the ground, charred where she'd stood.
Sophia smirked. "You noticed? That's just one way I can mix fire magic with my swordsmanship."
*Whoosh!*
Her blade erupted in flames, heat forcing Jan to stumble back.
"Learning to control mana is one thing," she said, her voice steady despite the blaze. "But wielding it in battle—that's another. You saw how my mom and uncle fought, right? Every swing, every step—mana is the essence behind it all."
With that, she thrust her blade into the ground.
*Crack—* *Crack—*
The soil split open beneath her strike. Jagged lines spread outward, racing under Jan's feet. He glanced down—faint light glowed from the cracks.
"Shit!"
He launched himself skyward just as fire roared upward, a pillar of flame chasing after him.
Jan's eyes widened at the blazing column. He'd jumped with every ounce of strength in him, barely clearing the inferno.
"I'm not finished."
Sophia's voice rose through the flames. Then—her feet ignited. Fire blasted beneath her like a rocket, propelling her upward.
In an instant, she was in his face.
*Clang—*
Jan managed to meet her strike midair, but the sheer force behind it hurled him backward, his body spiraling out of control.
'I can do it.'
He calculated quickly—if he twisted now, he could springboard off the wall and maybe catch Sophia before she landed.
He tucked in his knees, spun once, and that's when he saw it.
With her lower body engulfed in flame, Sophia blasted forward like a jet, closing the distance at terrifying speed.
*BOOM—*
The impact was so overwhelming—even the instructor threw his hands over his head, gasping in awe.
They crashed into the ground so hard that dust exploded around them. Jan coughed blood as his back slammed against the dirt, while Sophia loomed over him with her blade poised at his throat.
Her eyes were cold—so merciless his instincts screamed at him to move.
Lightning erupted from his body like quills from a startled porcupine.
*Ziziziz—* *BOOM—*
The current surged into her, making her entire frame tremble violently. Seizing the moment, Jan shoved her off and scrambled to his feet.
A second later, the current faded. Smoke curled from Sophia's back as her muscles loosened.
"That hurt," she muttered, almost amused. Then her lips curved into a smirk. "But it seems you're starting to figure it out. Good."
She turned fully, her blade still glowing, eyes gleaming with fire.
"That was just warm-up. The real battle starts now."