"That was impressive," he admitted.
Mayumi lowered her stance again.
"You are still treating this like a game."
"You are wrong. I am just trying not to injure you by doing more than what is necessary."
"You will never understand my strength if you continue worrying about that."
Elion stared at her for a moment.
She was not speaking out of pride alone. To Mayumi, his restraint was not kindness.
It was disrespect.
She had spent years sharpening her body and technique to compensate for something everyone else considered a crippling weakness.
Every position she had earned had probably come after forcing others to acknowledge her through battle.
If he defeated her without allowing her to show everything she possessed, she would never be satisfied with the outcome.
Elion released a quiet breath.
"Very well."
The relaxed casualness in his posture disappeared as he straightened his back and adjusted his footing.
