Elaris whirled around and slashed, but her blade met only air.
Azrael was gone.
No—he was there, just beyond her senses.
Her red eyes darted across the battlefield, scanning for any trace of him, but there was nothing. No sound. No presence. The suffocating aura he had just released had vanished as if it never existed.
The knights watching the duel fell silent. Even Veyrin, who had been gleefully collecting bets, frowned in interest.
Then—
A sharp whisper.
"Behind you."
Elaris spun, slashing with all her strength—
CLANG!
Necrilith met her blade, stopping it inches from Azrael's throat.
He had appeared behind her out of nowhere, sword casually blocking her attack with one hand.
Elaris's heart pounded. That wasn't teleportation. He had simply moved without being noticed.
Azrael's golden eyes gleamed with amusement. "You panicked."
Elaris gritted her teeth and pushed forward, forcing him back. "Don't mock me."
Azrael grinned. "But it's so easy."
She lunged again, her aura flaring with radiant light. Faster, sharper, more precise. She refused to let him slip away again.
Azrael met her strikes effortlessly.
To the onlookers, the fight seemed even. Elaris's speed kept her relentless, while Azrael's skill allowed him to block her attacks without losing ground.
But Elaris knew better.
He's still holding back.
Even as she pressed harder, he didn't retaliate. He was just reacting, testing, playing.
Her frustration grew.
Fine.
She changed tactics.
In a split second, she twisted her stance, letting her next strike come at an unnatural angle. Instead of aiming for his sword, she swung for his legs—a move designed to be difficult to block.
Azrael's reaction?
He stepped on her sword.
The clash of metal-on-metal rang out as his boot pinned her blade to the ground.
Elaris's eyes widened. What?!
Azrael tilted his head. "Creative. But not enough."
Then he shoved her back with a single hand.
She stumbled but caught herself, her red eyes burning with frustration.
Veyrin, watching from the sidelines, whistled. "I should've bet more on Kaelthorne."
One of the knights near him groaned. "He was the obvious choice!"
"Hey, I like an underdog story," Veyrin shrugged.
Elaris ignored them. Her gaze locked on Azrael, who hadn't even broken a sweat.
"Stop playing with me," she demanded.
Azrael raised an eyebrow. "Playing?"
"You're toying with me," she hissed. "I'm fighting seriously. So fight me seriously."
Azrael sighed dramatically. "Fine. But don't cry about it later."
BOOM!
The ground shattered beneath his feet as he surged forward.
This time—he attacked.
To Be Continued…