"Did he just… breakthrough?"
Sophia's eyes sharpened as Jan slipped past her latest attack—his movements were different: cleaner, faster.
She didn't dwell on it. Her grip tightened, and her speed surged.
*Hiss—* *Whoosh—* *Boom—* *Hiss—* *Whoosh—* *Boom—* *Hiss—* *Whoosh—* *Boom—*
One inferno arc after another erupted from her blade, roaring toward the advancing Jan.
'I can see it!'
Every attack was evaded as if anticipated beforehand. Jan slipped between them as if he already knew where they'd land. He bobbed and weaved until Sophia was finally within his reach.
Her eyes widened as a lightning burst from his body.
[Tesla Coil!]
'Not so fast.'
[Physical Enhancement!]
[Featherstep!]
Sophia's body glowed faintly as her speed spiked. She pushed mana through her legs, stepped back, and vanished from his range in a blur of flame.
Jan didn't hesitate. He channeled all the energy from his [Tesla Coil] into his blade and thrust the sword toward where she'd land!
This accuracy wasn't luck. [Mind Overclock] and [Insight] worked together in perfect sync—reaction and analysis fused into one seamless thought.
He was one step ahead of Sophia. However—
*Whoosh—*
Sophia twisted aside, dodging what looked like a finishing strike.
Her battle instincts and experience still eclipsed his. She had come prepared—she had studied him, she knew how he fought—how he liked "to throw things."
She had learned from their first duel. No more underestimating him, no more losing her focus to anger.
Jan didn't flinch. In his overclocked mind, he'd already seen her dodge.
If he wanted to win, he had to make yet another breakthrough—something she would never see coming.
This fight had been mostly one-sided. Only when he dared to try something new with [Mind Overclock] did he truly give her trouble.
So he dared to try again.
*Ziziziziz—*
Mana surged through his veins as he extended his hand. Lightning crawled up his arm and gathered in his palm.
*ZAP—*
The bolt ripped through the air. Sophia raised her sword to intercept, but it flew wide.
A clean… miss.
Sophia's eyes narrowed. 'He missed?'
Seeing an opening, she landed lightly, planted her feet, and rushed toward him, her blade ignited in flame.
That's when Jan finally pulled back his palm.
*TANG—* *BOOM—*
Sophia hit the ground flat on her face.
'It worked!'
What Sophia hadn't seen was the true target of Jan's lightning attack. He hadn't missed. He'd hit his sword with his lightning while still in flight.
As he pulled back his palm, the lightning linking him to his blade tightened, like a chain pulled taut. The sword at its end jerked midair, reversed direction, and smacked Sophia squarely on the back of the head.
[ Congratulations! You've learned a new skill: Arc Chain Lv. 1 ]
Sophia pushed herself up groggily—only to find Jan standing over her, palm crackling with lightning.
[Duel over!]
[Winner: Jan Lv.80!]
She slumped to her knees in defeat, rubbing her head. "What hit me?!"
Jan lifted his hand. The sword hummed, then shot back into his grip in a flash of sparks.
Sophia gawked. "Not fair! Why are you always pulling such dirty tricks?!"
Jan smirked, twirling the blade once. "It's not dirty, it's science."
Lightning, like any current, flows between two poles—positive and negative. And by channeling his Lightning Mana, Jan could decide which side was which!
Lightning mana didn't obey real-world physics—it bent it. By weaving polarity into the current, Jan could shape attraction the way a pyromancer shaped flame.
The arc leaped from his palm, tethered by intent. The current tightened, invisible but firm, pulling on the metal it recognized.
His sword obeyed the call, snapping back toward him.
It's not telekinesis, it's electromagnetic recall, guided by his mana tether.
Sophia clicked her tongue playfully. "Tsk. One more time!"
"No!" Jan protested immediately. "We agreed on one duel, and we already had two!"
"Then tomorrow!"
"Fine," Jan sighed. "Besides, Aeris is waiting for us to have breakfast."
*Groooowl—*
At the mention of food, Sophia froze, cheeks puffing slightly. "You're not serious about not making me pancakes, right?"
"..."
===
Jan stood firm this time—no extras, no fancy dishes, just the basics.
They had fresh bread they'd picked up on the way back, some stored cheese from the inn, and omelets sizzling on the pan.
Aeris kept asking about the duel. She'd wanted to watch, but they'd decided she was better off staying inside, where the knight guards were already stationed.
The fewer places she went—and the fewer eyes saw her—the better.
Maria had been clear: Jan and Sophia were responsible for Aeris's safety. The knights were just backup.
As for Maria herself, she didn't come back for breakfast either. As the sun rose, work had already piled up. The three of them felt bad for her, so Sophia called for a knight and asked him to deliver her a plate.
Of course, once Aeris learned that Sophia had lost to Jan, she did not miss the chance to tease her.
That, naturally, didn't end well.
Jan didn't even try to intervene anymore. He knew better—it always ended badly for him.
As always, he was in charge of cooking, not cleaning. The two princesses reluctantly cleared the table and carried the dishes to the kitchen once they'd finished eating.
That's when a knock came at the door.
It was Vinica.
She stepped in, carrying a small wooden case. "Good morning. I've brought the mana-stabilizing potions."
Opening the case, she handed Aeris a small vial.
"Drink one every day, Princess. It should bring your mana flow down to the level of an ordinary human." Her eyes flicked toward Jan for a moment, and then she added, "Please try not to use your mana at all. We don't want your condition to worsen."
"Have you figured out an antidote yet?" Aeris asked, worry creeping into her tone.
Vinica's expression darkened. "Unfortunately, no. We still haven't identified the source of the imbalance. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit longer. My apologies." She bowed.
"It's okay," Aeris murmured softly. "You don't need to apologize…"
Vinica's gaze then returned to Jan. But she hesitated again. She looked like she was weighing whether she should talk to him or not.
Sophia, who was comforting Aeris, noticed immediately.
"Is there something wrong?"