Ramiel believed in preventing problems rather than dealing with their consequences. Ramiel stood firmly without moving from his spot. His dark purple eyes stared at the frightened women.
Did I overreact? - The man thought.
Ramiel's fears were understandable. The aura he used to intimidate the women wasn't much different from the bloodlust of an apex predator.
Ramiel had reason to be so brutal toward Asme and Caera. Perhaps only toward Asme. Before the fight began, the horned beauty had managed to underestimate her opponent.
A few days ago, during a rat invasion, Ramiel explained to her why such behavior leads to premature death. It seemed to him that the woman understood the lesson. However, the reality turned out to be quite different.
The first words Asme said after Ramiel's proposal acted like a bull's-eye on him. Too many times, he had seen hunters lose their lives on the battlefield through their stupidity and audacity. He didn't want his women to end up in the same way.
Ramiel was more in favor of preventing problems than treating their consequences. That's why he chose to be so brutal to women. According to his twisted logic, if he gives them a painful lesson, they will remember not to make the same mistakes in the future.
Seeing that the women were unable to move, Ramiel stopped emitting his deadly aura. His index finger moved characteristically, encouraging the women to take the initiative.
" You don't have to be so afraid. I won't attack first. "
Caera momentarily breathed a sigh of relief. The suffocating air that had been chilling her blood suddenly disappeared. The woman was sure of one thing: She would never make the same mistake again in her life. Even if the world fell apart, she would never mock Ramiel's abilities again.
A small dose of his abilities was enough to strengthen her in this belief for the rest of her life.
Regaining feeling in her limbs, Caera improved her grip around the hilt of her daggers. If one said A, one must also say B. The elfess knew there was no turning back. Her friend's thoughtlessness and loose tongue had led them into this hopeless situation.
Caera put her hand on Asme's shoulder, her lips moving closer to the woman's ears. " Asme, we should attack together. "
A cold shiver ran down the white-haired beauty's back. The thought of fighting against Ramiel terrified her. If Caera had made such a suggestion five minutes ago, Asme would have jumped at it without a second thought.
But now that she felt Ramiel's aura on her skin, her urge to fight disappeared. Asme desperately wanted to retreat into the past and tell her younger self to shut up. The woman didn't need to be a genius to know she was at a disadvantage. All she had to do was look at Ramiel.
Even at the very beginning of their relationship, she didn't feel such fear toward him.
Asme took a deep breath. Her heart, which wanted to jump out of her chest, calmed down under the touch of the elfess. " Fine, I'll be right behind you. "
Caera nodded her head. Their plan was simple. Caera would take care of the distraction and breaking down the defenses, while Asme would be responsible for finishing off Ramiel.
At least, that's how it was supposed to look in theory. As is often the life case, theory doesn't always coincide with practice. The women were to find this out painfully for themselves.
" Remember, only one victory is enough. We don't have to succeed the first time. " With these words, Caera kicked the ground, approaching Ramiel with dizzying speed.
If there was anything the elfess could be proud of, it would be her agility. From a young age, Cara was faster and smarter than her peers. When she reached an age that allowed her to explore the great forest, her companions were amazed by her good form.
It wasn't often that a young elfess could keep up with old veterans. This was something that deserved sincere praise. After all, they had years of experience behind them, which Caera hadn't been able to acquire.
Swoosh!
With a sound that pierced the air, the blade of the weapon zoomed towards Ramiel's exposed liver.
Caera analyzed Ramiel's attitude as she ran. It was full of gaps, flaws, and holes.
She searched for the area with the best chance of a successful attack. In this way, the choice fell on the man's left side.
Swoosh!
Boom!
" What ?!!! " Surprise was written all over Caera's face. She was unable to comprehend what had just happened and, more importantly, why. Just two seconds ago, everything was going according to plan. However, now she saw the world upside down.
A few moments earlier.
At the last moment, Ramiel raised the weapon's lowered blade and blocked Caera's persistent attack. The woman's dagger slipped through the man's sword without the slightest difficulty.
Painful mistake
Ramiel, using the momentum of the elfess' body, knocked her over his knee. Before Caera could blink, she found herself in the air, losing ground. Moments later, her back hit the hard ground with a loud thud.
Thundering pain pierced the elfess' body. At the moment of contact with the ground, Caera rolled on it several times, ripping the skin off her exposed arms in the process. Small traces of blood trailed along the rocky ground, ending near the woman's body.
At the same time, Asme was literally being destroyed. The woman knew it would be bad but didn't expect it to be this bad. No matter how hard she tried, she could not reach the man.
With a minimal margin of movement, Ramiel parried the woman's attacks, responding with ruthless counterattacks. Within seconds, Asme's body was covered in dozens of dark purple bruises.
Ramiel didn't restrain himself. He took advantage of every possible opening, and there were indeed many of them. Starting with Asme's bad posture and ending with the derivation of attacks.
Swoosh
Ramiel's sword struck the woman's exposed side, sending her several meters to the side. It wasn't a beautiful cut, nor was it executed technically correctly. The man simply dodged the weapon blade aimed at his right leg, sending his sword with brute force.
The man didn't have to worry about injuring the woman. After all, they fought with wooden swords. Aside from a few bruises and abrasions, no one should be seriously injured. Despite appearances, Ramiel could be brutal, but he held himself back. He wanted to teach Asme a lesson, not beat her to a crisp.
Feeling a burning pain under her ribs, Asme's pupils contracted. Losing ground, she fell to her knees, clutching her aching stomach. In an instant, Asme's stomach contracted, and its entire contents came up her throat.
The woman covered her mouth, holding back her convulsions. Hearing Ramiel's heavy footsteps nearby, Asme stiffened. A hint of the man's aura left his body, affecting the kneeling succubus.
Feeling Ramiel close to her, Asme didn't know when things had gone so wrong. The entire time, she was unable to lay a single finger on him. When she wanted to stab him, Ramiel's sword was there to block her attack. Ramiel's sword was already there when she cut crosswise, waiting to block her blade.
According to Asme, such a thing shouldn't be possible. Ramiel might have had a great experience, but she had an advantage in statistics. She was stronger than him, faster. The woman couldn't understand how her lover defeated her.
Ramiel leaned over the kneeling Asme. His calm whisper caused shivers to run down her spine. " Didn't I accidentally tell you... to never underestimate your opponents? "
Asme's pupils dilated in shock. Like a bolt from the sky, an event that had taken place not so long ago appeared in her mind. During a brief conversation before the battle, Ramiel gave her advice, which she should remember for the rest of her life.
Asme felt a strong bitterness. She knew perfectly well where she had gone wrong. She could have avoided this hell if she hadn't been overconfident. However, now, there was no escape from it. Even if she confessed and bowed her neck to Ramiel, he wouldn't forgive her.
Swallowing the contents of her stomach, Asme pulled herself together. Weighing all the pros and cons, the woman decided to try. Not that she had anything to lose. At most, she would make an already hopeless situation worse.
" I understand... I will never do it again... " A trembling voice left the woman's lips. Spots of scarlet liquid were visible at their corners.
" Is it so? Prove it. "Ramiel's face showed a cool smile. His eyes, like those of a grim reaper waiting for his prey, stared at the helpless woman.
Along with Ramiel's smile, all hope Asme had died. If she was deluded before, now she had no doubts. Ramiel will not let go so easily.
I have a really long afternoon ahead of me...
Clearing her mind of unnecessary thoughts, Asme rose. Her sword was aimed at the man's chest. Unlike the previous time, she didn't charge mindlessly. Before attacking, she tried to plan each step.
As before, she saw many flaws and gaps in Ramiel's posture but ignored them. Her attention focused on his eyes and breathing. Asme didn't see if it would help her at all, but nothing prevented her from trying. At most, she would be beaten again.
" Oh... Should I become serious, too? " The corners of Ramiel's mouth lifted into a fierce smile. There was an unwavering confidence beaming from his figure.
" Umm... I'd rather you didn't do that ~ You don't want to damage that beautiful face, do you? ~ " Asme flirted with Ramiel in the middle of the fight. This wasn't something she did on purpose. It was her natural instinct.
The fighting style of the succubi was to seduce their enemies during battle. They used charm magic and many other things to do this. In Asme's case, magic was forbidden. She had to use her natural strengths and Ramiel's attachment to defeat him.
Calming her mind, Asme recalled Ramiel's previous advice. " No matter how hopeless a situation you find yourself in, if you start to panic, you will be dead. A cool mind is essential in a fight to the death. If you give in to your emotions, you will be no different than a punching bag. "
Following his advice, Asme was in front of the man in the blink of an eye. The tip of her wooden sword was aimed at Ramiel's chest. Seeing his sword move, Asme changed her intention from a thrust to a cut aimed at his right wrist.
When Asme was sure of her victory, something unexpected happened. Ramiel's two swords fell freely to the ground. Before the horned beauty could react, Ramiel caught her wrist with his left hand.
Using the momentum of the succubus' attack, the man tilted his body to the side, throwing Asme behind him.
A quick " Stop! " came from the woman's panicked mouth.
Boom
Moments later, Caera and Asme collided with each other.
Seeing this, Ramiel laughed under his breath.
" The plan was good, but you should keep your intentions short. Even standing with my back to you, I was able to sense what you wanted to do. This isn't a problem at your level... but if you want to become stronger, you must get rid of it. "
Ramiel's words were directed toward Caera. He didn't have much to reproach her for... for her level. She used her strengths in a good way, trying to make a surprise attack. Ramiel could hazard a guess that the mindless charge was also part of her plan.
The elfess stealthy attack might have succeeded if the opponent hadn't been someone of Ramiel's level.
~~~~~~
Ramiel sat down next to the lying women after the sparring. With a quick nod, he motioned for Felix to begin healing. Aside from numerous bruises, bruised ribs, and countless scrapes, the women were fine. Ramiel tried to control himself during the fight. Otherwise, he could have done them great harm, even with wooden swords.
Caera, feeling Ramiel's normal gaze on her, breathed a sigh of relief. The last three hours had been a real hell. She had been beaten in many different ways, and in the last attack, Ramiel went so far as to attack below the waist. Rolling her over his knee, the man gave her two juicy spanks. Care, by now, felt a burning pain in her butt.
" Umm... Ramiel? " The shy voice of the elfess reached the man's ears. Seeing her blushing face, he already knew their evening would be full of madness.
" How did you do it? You always knew where the attack would come from. This isn't normal. Can you teach me this? " Caera's words acted on Ramiel like a bucket of cold water, effectively cooling his sex drive. Did I misread the mood? The man thought. He definitely expected words like. " Can we be alone today ? " or something similar.
A heavy sigh left the man's lips. Asme didn't know why, but she had a strange feeling that Ramiel was disappointed about something.
" It's simple. You were attacking me exactly where I wanted. "
A grimace of displeasure crept onto Caera's face. Seeing this, Ramiel rebuked himself in his mind. Women were green in these matters. If he says something like that, they will definitely not understand him.
" It's hard to explain. I was giving your minds subconscious signals, where my defense should be weakest. Such gestures as a sudden movement of the eyes at the last moment or the trembling of certain muscles in the hand are subconsciously registered by your mind. With their help, you can easily manipulate the movements of intelligent beings. "
" This... It's amazing... " Asme couldn't get out of her awe. What Ramiel was talking about seemed unreal.
" No, in fact, it is simple. " Ramiel contradicted Asme vehemently, but the real bomb was yet to come.
" Something truly amazing is the next stage. Imagine a sword coming from the right. Your eyes see it clearly, but all your senses are screaming for an attack coming from the opposite direction. If you aren't someone who is used to this, I guarantee you that you will hesitate for at least a second, and a second when fighting at my level is really a lot. "
" You ?!!? Have you mastered something so absurd? " Ramiel just smiled in confirmation. Seeing this, Asme's jaw dropped to its lowest point. This was far too much for her small and limited mind. The shock of realizing what kind of monster she was dealing with short-circuited her circuits.
Caera's reaction was quite the opposite. The elfess only blushed, and her ears fluttered merrily. She had suspected Ramiel's true strength for some time and was proud to be the woman of such a strong man.