The Red Lotus Lounge (17)

Erik and Mia stood facing each other, their swords at the ready. The atmosphere was tense, and the sound of their breathing was the only thing they could hear, despite the chaos in their surroundings.

Erik knew that he was almost done, as the thug in front of him was too strong. Mia was quick and agile, and he could not match her strength.

Until now, he resisted, thanks to Nathaniel's power, which gave him enough speed and power to counter her blows, but his meager mana was almost empty and he didn't know how long he could go on like this.

At the same time, Mia was left stunned by Erik's skills. It wasn't an everyday occurrence that a 16-year-old kid could fight for so long against someone her age.

He was indeed on the losing side and had many wounds on his body, but the feat remained.

However, it was apparent to her expert eye that the kid would reach his limit soon.