Darius's heart pounded in his chest as he faced the girl who had effortlessly blocked his strike. She stood before him with an air of grace and poise, her slender frame clad in light armor that highlighted her fluid movements.
Her red hair, tinged with copper, flowed like a waterfall, cascading down her back in gentle waves. Her striking azure eyes shimmered with a calm confidence that unnerved him. Now that she had shed her previous meek and timid facade, she was more mesmerizing and more terrifying than ever.
Her stance was low and balanced, her body poised like a coiled spring ready to unleash a torrent of attacks. Every movement she made was deliberate and precise, a delicate dance on the battlefield.
But behind that elegance, Darius could sense the refined control she had over her mana, though she wasn't using it. No, she relied solely on her basic swordsman skills, honed through countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears.
"Traitorous rat, how is it? The feeling of regret? Do you feel like your intestine has turned green yet?" she asked, her voice soft but dripping with malice.
Darius growled, trying to shake off the fear that threatened to paralyze him. With a roar, he lunged at her, his blade aimed to cleave through her slender form. He channeled his mana, attempting to activate a powerful skill that would overwhelm her, but just as the energy began to surge, she moved, attacking him with a sword thrust right to his heart, causing him to panic and the energy he collected to dissipate.
He parried her attack in a hurry and was about to counterattack with a huge thrust of his sword. Faster than he could track, she sidestepped his strike with a fluid motion that seemed effortless. Her blade flashed out, aiming for a precise strike at his exposed side.
He barely managed to parry her attack, the force of it reverberating through his arms. His attempt to counter with another mana-infused skill was swiftly thwarted as she pressed her advantage, forcing him back into a defensive stance.
The clash of steel rang out as their blades met, but the girl was relentless. She attacked with a seamless blend of offense and defense, her strikes calculated and precise. Each time Darius tried to activate another skill, she was there, interrupting him with a perfectly timed strike, pushing him further and further back.
It was like fighting a whirlwind. She spun and twirled around him, her strikes coming from every direction. Darius's mind raced, trying to anticipate her next move, but she was always one step ahead.
In desperation, Darius gathered his remaining strength, focusing on his strongest mana-infused skill. He began the incantation, feeling the power surge through him as he prepared to unleash it. But the girl was faster. Her blade slashed across his arm, disrupting his concentration and dispersing the energy he had gathered.
"Pathetic," she muttered, her voice cold as ice. "Relying on skills you haven't even mastered."
Her blade danced through the air, a blur of silver that he could barely keep up with. He swung his weapon with all his might, attempting to break through her defense with brute force, but she deflected each blow with a grace that was almost infuriating.
Kael, watching from the sidelines, couldn't stand it any longer. "Enough of this! She's just a girl! We can take her down together!" he shouted to his party, who moved to attack her.
But before they could reach her, the boy from the adventurer team intercepted them. "You'll have to get through me first," he said, his voice calm but firm.
Kael sneered. "You're a fool if you think you can stop all of us."
The boy smiled, a predatory grin. "Try me." His confidence was unsettling, and Kael hesitated for a moment before signaling his party to attack. The two sides clashed, their battle unfolding alongside the ongoing fight between Darius and the girl.
Darius, meanwhile, was growing desperate. His strength was waning, and every time he tried to use his mana, she was there, cutting off his every attempt. He was being toyed with, forced to fight on her terms. And all the while, she wasn't even using her class skills, just pure, physically trained swordsmanship.
As the fight continued, Cruzer watched intently from the sidelines, the realization dawning on him. This girl, whose name he still didn't know, was fighting without the aid of flashy techniques or powerful skills. She had trained herself to the peak of her basic swordsman skills, and that alone was enough to overpower Darius.
Cruzer's eyes widened as he understood the lesson unfolding before him: power wasn't everything. Mastery of the basics could be just as deadly, if not more so.
Tessa, standing beside Cruzer, noticed his expression. "You see now, don't you? Sansha doesn't need mana to beat someone like Darius. She's honed her blade through relentless training, earned with her blood, sweat, and tears. She's not just powerful, she's a true master of her craft."
Cruzer nodded slowly, etching the name of the girl, Sansha to his heart, his admiration for Sansha growing. She wasn't relying on her powers solely as a Mystic. Instead, she was using skills she had earned through hard work, through sheer dedication.
He realized that to truly become strong, he would need to follow a similar path, not just relying on powerful skills but mastering the fundamentals as well.
Meanwhile, Darius was reaching his limit. His breath came in ragged gasps, sweat dripping down his brow. Sansha, in contrast, was as composed as ever, her movements still graceful and precise. She shifted her stance, becoming more aggressive, and closed in on him with lightning speed.
Her blade lashed out at him, faster than before. He tried to block, but her strikes came too quickly, each one pushing him further back.
In a final, desperate move, Darius lunged forward, aiming for her heart. But Sansha was ready. She sidestepped his attack with ease, and before he could recover, she struck. Her blade slashed across his chest, sending him crashing to the ground.
Darius gasped, the pain searing through his body. He looked up at Sansha, who stood over him with an expression of calm indifference. Her blade was poised for a killing blow, but she hesitated.
"You were never a match for me," she said softly. "This is where it ends."
Just as she was about to end his life, Tessa's voice rang out. "That's enough, Sansha. Trash like him doesn't deserve to sully your blade."
Sansha turned to Tessa with a respectful gaze. "Yes, Young Miss, as you command." She then looked back at Darius, her voice cold. "I hate traitors like you the most. Too bad I wasn't able to end you."
With that, she turned her back on him, walking away with the same grace she had shown in battle. Darius lay there, his body trembling with pain and fear. The realization that he had lost without even being able to activate any of his skills because Sansha didn't give him a chance made him feel like a complete failure. The weight of his defeat crushed him, a bitter reminder of his inadequacy.
As he lay there, defeated, the urge to end his own life surged within him, a dark thought born from the humiliation and despair of being so utterly outclassed.
Cruzer continued to watch, his mind racing, as he found a new path to make him even stronger. He wouldn't make the same mistake as Darius. He would train harder, master the basics, along with raising his power as a Mystic, and ensure that he was never caught off guard again.
The path to true strength was more than just powerful skills; it was about discipline, mastery, and the relentless pursuit of perfection. He came to this realization thanks to Sansha.