Grace scrutinized Orian from head to toe while he squinted slightly in the darkness of the hallway. Unlike Grace, Orian lacked magical night vision, which made the dark surroundings a challenge for him. Suddenly, Grace emitted a scoff, which soon escalated into a light chuckle, then erupted into full-blown laughter. Orian's smirk wavered ever so slightly. "Why are you laughing?" he asked, a hint of annoyance coloring his tone.
Struggling to contain her amusement, Grace managed to speak between bouts of laughter. "How could I not, with an introduction like that? Goddess, you're utterly pathetic," she remarked, wiping away a tear from her eye. Orian released a light sigh. "Arrogance, regardless of one's strength, is never a commendable quality," he retorted, drawing his sword from its scabbard on his hip.
"Don't lecture me about arrogance; a fly can't tell a lioness how to live," Grace shot back once her laughter subsided, though a smirk lingered on her lips. "I agree, but you're taking me a bit too lightly," Orian responded, holding his sword forward with his right hand.
Grace shrugged casually before crossing her arms. "Then prove it. Come at me, Deadliest Man Alive," she challenged with amused confidence, her tone dripping with taunt.
Orian began advancing towards Grace, his sword held forward as if aimed at her throat. Grace remained still, her gaze fixed on him as he closed the distance. When he was within mere inches of her, nothing happened. "You're that strong that it doesn't affect you? Hah, I have my work cut out for me," Orian remarked, a grin playing on his lips. Grace merely shrugged in response. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, despite knowing exactly what Orian had just attempted.
Without warning, Orian swiftly swung his sword towards Grace's throat at unnatural speeds. Yet, Grace stood firm, unfazed by the attack, causing Orian's eyes to widen momentarily before he jumped back, putting some distance between them. "What's wrong? Didn't want to commit to that feint?" Grace mocked, a smirk dancing on her lips. "If you see it coming, then there's no point in executing a feint," Orian retorted, his gaze sharpening as he observed Grace.
"True, true. Anyway, I should probably—" Grace began, taking a step forward, but she was interrupted by Orian's command. "Mince her, shred her to pieces," he declared with a smirk. Suddenly, several thick, shifting shadows materialized all around Grace, slithering across the floor, walls, and ceiling. There were nearly two dozen of them, and they all surged towards her with menacing intent.
"Cute," Grace remarked coolly as a plethora of weapons emerged from the shadows, ranging from daggers to swords to axes, launching their relentless assault on her. With graceful agility, she raised her right leg to evade a slashing dagger, smoothly shifting her head to the right to avoid another slash. With a deft movement of her body, she sidestepped a stabbing motion, swiftly grabbing an arm to halt another impending attack. Through it all, she made the intricate dance of evasion seem effortless.
However, amidst the flurry of strikes, Grace sensed a deadly force hurtling towards her with alarming speed. Ducking her head just in time, she narrowly evaded a blade of wind. Simultaneously, she dodged four spears that aimed to impale her. "Damn, you're a real monster, evading all of that," Orian remarked with a grin, his admiration mingled with amusement.
"These things are just playing distractions for you, are they?" Grace inquired with a raised brow, effortlessly dodging several more attacks. Orian shook his head. "No, they were supposed to land hits while I finished you off, but you're just too strong," he explained nonchalantly, his tone betraying a hint of resignation.
As Orian pointed his finger at her and swiped, another near-invisible blade of wind came hurtling towards Grace at incredible speeds, faster than sound. This time, she dodged it effortlessly. *I have to keep my eyes on him; one of those could actually end up hitting me,* she thought to herself, her focus unwavering despite the relentless assault of the shadowy entities. *But these things are getting in my way too much.*
As another group of six shadows lunged at her from behind, Grace reacted swiftly, pointing her palm at them. A beam of light erupted from her hand, annihilating all six shadows in an instant and forcing the rest to emerge from their shadowy concealment. Their lanky, armored forms now blocked Orian's view, obscuring his line of sight.
"Smart," Orian muttered, his voice tinged with grudging respect. Some of the shadow figures surged forward to attack Grace, while others retreated back into the shadows, regrouping for another assault. Grace braced herself, ready to unleash another beam of light to counter the oncoming shadowy assailants.
However, before she could attack, a blade of wind sliced through the charging shadows and into Grace's palm and upper body. As the shadowy forms fell and dissipated, leaving behind a trail of dark mist, Orian observed with a satisfied smirk as blood began to seep from the wound he had inflicted. "I win," he declared triumphantly, unleashing more blades of wind towards her, each finding its mark and inflicting further wounds upon Grace's body.
Yet, as more blood trickled from Grace's injuries, Orian sensed something off; something just didn't feel right. His brow furrowed in confusion as he watched Grace stare intently at the cut on her own palm, seemingly preoccupied by it as the shadows charged at her once more. *Why is it taking so long for her body to fall apart?* he wondered, his apprehension growing with each passing moment.
His question was swiftly answered as he witnessed the miraculous healing of Grace's injuries before his very eyes. "What? You can't heal with light magic," he blurted out in disbelief, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. Light erupted from Grace's body, obliterating all the remaining shadows in an instant and causing Orian to shield his eyes from the blinding light.
As the light subsided, Orian lowered his arm, only to find Grace standing before him, fully healed. Not only that, but her clothes remained pristine, untouched, despite his earlier attacks having torn them. His eyes met hers, and for the first time in his life, Orian felt a cold shiver of fear grip his body, rendering him paralyzed and unable to move or think. "Time to die," Grace stated coldly, her voice carrying a chilling finality. But before she could fulfill her promise, the entire mansion shook violently, accompanied by the sound of something shattering and tearing.