Outside. The soldiers including Zaramias and Juliet stared at a transparent screen that floated in the air. Displayed within were the figures of Natalie and Dan pointing their swords at each other while mumbling.
The mocking expressions of the soldiers towards Natalie disappeared after witnessing her prowess in tactics and leadership, knowing that Dan would inadvertently be on guard from aerial attacks, she took advantage of it and hid her squad members on the ground.
Even Zaramias couldn't help but nod his head in satisfaction, 'It seems like my son really got himself a solid wife...' He inwardly thought, however, he knitted his eyebrow along with the soldiers who realized that Dan didn't have much hit points left, two more strikes and he would lose.
Everyone whispered to each other with some even betting for the outcome, Zaramias calmly observed the scene with his granddaughter on his lap, playfully eating her watermelon.
Inside the field, both husband and wife narrowed their eyes as their figure sped towards each other. With a swing of their swords, dull sounds of wood clashing against wood echoed as the two retreated.
A numbing sensation spread on both of his arms, Dan had the advantage of a higher cultivation, but Natalie had the advantage of hit points. Dan would still need to hit her five times while he would 'die' if struck two more times.
Calming their nerves, they knew that if they eliminated the other party and took their flag, they would obtain two points, effectively ending the simulation and winning the game.
The two went on a standstill, calmly observing each other for openings. They knew that with just a distance of five meters before them, the other party could easily take the initiative and attack.
Scanning his surroundings, Dan knew that once the smoke that surrounded them, disperse, he would have less opportunity to maneuver. And after experiencing the taste of his wife's schemes and ability, he didn't dare to look down on her.
Lowering his center of gravity, he utilized the same ghastly footsteps and danced around the smoke, Natalie smirked. She knew that her husband would use this technique and that's one of the reasons why she prepared these small potholes around their area.
After she memorized those potholes, she easily avoided them, but it was not the same for Dan.
"Shit!" Dan exclaimed, after about ten steps, he found himself stuck in a pothole and Natalie swiftly took advantage of his circumstances, sending a flurry of attacks on his chest.
However, when Dan saw his comrades perish before his eyes, he already knew about these potholes, even if they were not that deep, they could still trap the foot, but in the fact of Dan's powerful lower body, these kinds of small holes couldn't hinder his movements.
Slamming the ground with his free foot, the ground shook and he freed his left foot all the while deflecting his wife's constant attacks. Natalie smirked, her sword moved in a strange angle that closely followed Dan's blind spot giving the latter a constant headache and without a leeway for a counter-attack.
Their constant exchange of attacks stirred the air itself as Dan repeatedly stepped backward, smiling to himself, he turned to Natalie's flag behind him and inwardly thought, 'If I'm a disadvantage when clashing with you, why should I?' In the next instance, Natalie became shocked to find that Dan abandoned her and went towards the flag!
"Oh, no!" Natalie exclaimed but it was too late, Dan shamelessly avoided her attacks and made a run to it with the flag towards his base. His actions garnered the rolling eyes of the soldiers that observed him outside.
Even his father couldn't help but awkwardly cough as he stared at his son's antics. But they couldn't really blame Dan, in the face of such aggressive attacks, turning tail and focusing on the objective would be the smartest choice.
Soon, Dan's base could already be seen His strange movement techniques made his wife speechless as she closed on him. But it was too late, Dan threw the Flag beside his Flag as a point indicating the objective captured rose in the air.
"A = 1 B = 0"
Natalie clicked her tongue, 'Do you really think that you're the only one that can be shameless?' She sneered and pretended to attack him. But when Dan raised his sword in defense, Natalie swept past his figure and captured his flag before shamelessly running towards the opposite direction!
"Hey! That's dirty!" Dan shouted and Natalie rolled her eyes, 'Dirty? You're the one who employed this first!'
Although Dan's speed was fastest, he lacked the mobility that Natalie had. The latter weaved through branches after branches and using the soft parts of the ground and the thick branches on the trees as her advantage, Dan almost wanted to scream in anger and shame.
"A = 1 B = 1"
Huffing and puffing, both husband and wife stared at each other, Dan pointed his sword towards Natalie and said, "You shameless little apple! How dare you do that! Fight me fair and square!"
Natalie couldn't help but chuckle, "Hubby, why are you calling me shameless when you're the one who used that tactic first..."
Dan choked in his words, calming his nerves, he stared at his wife and found that for some reason, he couldn't get a good grip of her, and this realization made him somewhat speechless.
But at the same time, he felt satisfied knowing that her wife wasn't just a pushover and could handle everything that comes her way. But still, he had some questions in his mind that he would ask when night comes...
Eyes flashing in seriousness, Dan hinted, "Be careful!"
Bang!
Both figures clashed in mid-air in a flurry of successive attacks, the soldier who observed outside could barely see their movements as they moved too fast while Zaramias who stared at them lifted a small smile on his lips.
Natalie was the ideal daughter that she wanted to have! Not only she's beautiful, she also has the mind to scheme and to be shameless! Ruffling the head of her granddaughter, he hoped that she would grow up like her mother, but not like his son...
In just under a minute, both parties exchanged not less than a hundred strikes! Standing at a distance of twenty meters between each other. Both parties furiously breathed with their chest violently heaving.
Exhausted painted on their faces, but their eyes still shone in a light of determination and excitement.
Natalie and Dan's armor looked bedraggled and dilapidated, according to the faint light that enveloped it, it could only withstand a single attack before dying out.
Meaning, both parties only needed to land a single strike to defeat each other!
Gripping their wooden swords, Dan took a posture of sheathing the sword without the sheath while Natalie assumed a standard offensive stance.
Dan imagined the figure of Rurouni Kenshin within his mind and slightly bent his knees, holding his wooden sword on his left waist, he used his left hand as a sheath while his right hand readied to release and attack!
The atmosphere around them turned cold as everyone who observed outside became quiet, no one dared to give a single sound nor blink their eyes, afraid that they may miss such a spectacle that was bound to happen.
"Come, my little wife..." Dan signaled with his eyes as Natalie's figure disappeared, releasing his wooden sword, Dan retaliated with a horizontal slash while Natalie sent a thrust!
Both parties froze before each other as their figures wobbled, falling on the ground, they turned into light particles as the entire training ground in the outside world, exploded into cheers!