Alexander was simply using this trial to blow off steam. He had long since deployed his weapon of choice from the metallic briefcase attached to his back: a short sword of impressive quality. The blade was double-edged, wide, and had a slight curve to it. Its guard split into three curved golden prongs designed to protect the hand. The handle, oval in shape, was crafted from polished white wood.
He marched through the colosseum, cutting down anyone who dared to challenge him with a single, precise strike. His facial expression remained stoic, yet his eyes conveyed a simmering anger.
While Alexander's training with his Vessel had made him proficient with swords, it was not just his skill with the blade that allowed him to perform so well. His prowess was due more to his Soul Incantation and the disciplined training of his Conscious Mind. He had honed his mind to hyper-focus while remaining aware of his surroundings. In addition, he wielded a deceptive Soul ability. He could temporarily coat his blade in a thin aura of Soul Energy, allowing him to subtly extend the reach of his strikes. This ability was difficult to detect, with the only visible trace being a faint line of Soul Energy that lingered briefly in the air.
As Alexander cut his way through the colosseum, he came across a peculiar sight: a large, open area where no Ascended were fighting. Driven by simple curiosity, he began walking in that direction. What happened next was even stranger. The Ascended in the surrounding area did not attack him as they noticed his movement. Instead, they continued their battles, some even giving him looks of pity as he passed.
The moment Alexander stepped into the open area; a powerful attack was launched at him with such speed that it caught him off guard. Forced to block rather than deflect the strike, Alexander slid a full one hundred- and eighty-degrees before coming to a stop. He gritted his teeth and gripped his sword tightly as a sharp wave of pain coursed through his sword arm.
The pain, however, cleared his mind, sharpening his focus. His eyes locked onto the Ascended who had attacked him.
She was an incredibly tall woman with piercing red eyes and a wolfish smile. Her raven-black hair, streaked with red highlights, fell to mid-back in a naturally wild, mane-like cascade. She had a well-endowed figure and an impressively muscular build. She wore a long-sleeved cropped leather jacket and had cloth wrappings that covered her chest in place of a shirt. Her hands were similarly wrapped. She also wore a baggy pair of formal-looking black pants and mid-length red boots.
She wielded a massive, unwieldy spiked metal club made of silvery-black metal; its handle wrapped in cloth.
Her Ascended name was Lioness Rose. She spoke to Alexander in an amused tone, "I'm surprised someone still has the nerve to challenge me after the display of wrath I've shown."
Alexander merely took up a fighting stance. From what he had gathered, she was simply a powerful Ascended, which wasn't enough to deter him. However, his expression shifted to one of slight confusion—he wasn't sure what the woman was referring to.
Observing his confusion, Lioness began to elaborate. "When the trial began, I decimated each opponent who faced me with the utmost brutality—so much so that none dared to approach me. I had no intention of slaughtering my way through the muck in search of a decent fight. The coliseum is massive, and I felt it would be a waste of time."
Before continuing, she shifted into a combative stance. "So, I stayed in the spot where I originally stood. But that doesn't mean I stopped fighting. By entering this area, you've challenged me! I don't care if it was intentional or accidental—we will duel!"
Alexander nodded in thanks for Lioness's explanation. He thought to himself, pleasantly surprised, Despite her hostile nature, she's actually rather polite.
Lioness gripped her weapon tightly. Immediately afterward, the massive metal club began to crumple and collapse in on itself. It rippled like a restless body of water before resolidifying in a new shape. The spiked metal club had transformed into a massive longsword. The hilt of the blade was oval-shaped and wrapped in the same cloth. The guard featured an intricate rectangular design, and the blade curved and single-edged. However, Lioness deliberately dulled the edge to reduce its lethality.
Before their duel began, she mentioned one last thing: "You should know I prefer defeating my opponents with their own forms of combat. I find it rather amusing."
With those final words, their duel began.
Lioness dashed toward Alexander in an explosion of power and speed, delivering a swift upward slash. While Alexander managed to deflect the attack, the force of it sent him flying into the air. Lioness showed no intention of letting up. She leaped after him, executing a powerful downward slash.
With no footing, Alexander was forced to block the attack directly. He was sent hurtling back to the ground. Though he landed without injury, he had to grit his teeth against the immense pain in his sword arm.
As he recomposed himself, he analyzed his opponent's combat style. That weapon is incredibly heavy, yet she swings it as if it weighs nothing. The power behind each strike is immense, and it feels like every blow is meant to kill. The only reason I'm not worried for my life is that the blade has no edge.
Lioness landed a few feet away a moment later, immediately unleashing a flurry of slashes.
Alexander reacted quickly, using his Soul Incantation to temporarily extend his blade's reach, interrupting each of her strikes before they could build momentum. The clash of their swords was so loud it drowned out the other battles raging around them.
Alexander dashed toward her in an attempt to close the gap between them. Lioness lunged backward, maintaining her advantage of superior reach. She then performed a powerful sweeping sword strike. While the attack was too powerful to block or deflect, Lioness's repositioning gave Alexander just enough time to dodge. As the slash came barreling toward him, he slid underneath it; however, that seemed to be part of Lioness's plan.
She swiftly transitioned her sweeping slash into a downward strike. In his current position, Alexander couldn't properly block, nor could he evade in time.
What Alexander did in response to the incoming attack surprised Lioness. Since escape or defense was impossible, he simply attacked her blade. With a precise strike, he split the blade in two, sending one half flying upward.
This occurred due to their earlier clash. As Alexander had repeatedly struck the same spot on her sword in order to weaken it.
From his low position, Alexander broke into a sprint toward Lioness. She attempted to launch another strike, even with her broken blade, as its reach was still considerable. Alexander, however, had no intention of letting that happen. He used his Soul Incantation once more, extending his blade's reach and slashing into her forearm, disabling it. He then closed the distance further, entering proper melee range, where her weapon's length would put her at a disadvantage.
Despite this, Lioness did not seem concerned. She even smiled as Alexander aimed a strike at her side. She raised her hand into the air and caught the broken part of her sword. With incredible speed, she transformed it into another blade and delivered a powerful slash across Alexander's chest, the force of which was enough to send him flying.
Alexander lay on the ground, feeling the wound on his chest as blood leaked out. Despite the pain, a smile formed on his face. He thought to himself, pleased: Despite the pain I'm in, I'm really enjoying this duel. I also take solace in the fact that her arm is in just as bad a state as my chest.
He stood up, ready to continue the fight. Both combatants still had the strength to carry on despite their injuries. They dashed toward one another again.
However, rather than attacking each other, they passed by one another. Alexander knocked an incoming spear away before it could hit Lioness, while she cut down an assailant attempting to strike Alexander from behind.
The two turned to face one another. Alexander, his tone heavy with both pain and gratitude, said, "I enjoyed our duel. I hope we can continue this some other time." Lioness nodded in agreement, displaying her wolfish smile.
They came to a silent understanding as their attention shifted to the ones who had interrupted their battle.