The sun has fully risen, casting a golden glow over the arena, but the warmth does nothing to ease the cold, steely determination in the siblings' eyes.
Alexander, towering and intimidating in his gleaming silver plate armor, looks down at his little sister. "I'll let you have the first strike, Arie," he says.
But Ariella shakes her head, her ponytail swaying. "Big brother, you seriously think I will fall for that?"
Hearing his sister's words, Alexander chuckles, a deep, resonant sound. "I see, so you've grown wiser."
"Wiser? No, I'm just less stupid." Ariella's voice is steady and confident.
That's because in a fight like this, whoever attacks first will be at a disadvantage, especially if it's the weaker one. If Ariella charges in blindly, the fight will end in a flash second.
So, the best strategy for her is to wait for Alexander to make the first move, analyze his attacks and patterns, and patiently wait for a chance to land a hit.
