Seven

Ryu dodged back, the tip of Sarriel's sword just barely grazing him. However, despite the fact it certainly touched him—albeit to a small extent—it left nothing but a white mark.

Sarriel's pupils constricted. She knew the world of her sword, and she also knew exactly how sharp it was.

Likewise, she knew that if Ryu wanted to dodge completely, a mere fraction of a millimeter would be what stopped him. That meant he had let it happen on purpose.

He was showing her that the gap between them…

Was no longer there.

In fact, he was showing her something even more profound than that. He had grown to the point that if she wanted to mess around with him to test his bottom line… he could mess around with her right back.

"Fine," she growled.

Sarriel didn't wait any longer.