Duel (2)

"Life is never fair, is it?" Lily says, her half-smile tinged with mockery "So, get ready. I'm really curious to see how the genius of the century performs"

Kaiser lets out a weary sigh. The blatant unfairness of the situation leaves him feeling disheartened, but he has no other choice. He tightens his grip on the scythe in his hand, feeling its familiar weight, and his gaze gradually shifts to one of intense focus

"You can begin whenever you're ready" Lily says, firmly gripping her training spear. Her tone is full of challenge, her eyes locked on him like a hunter observing its prey

Kaiser smirks slightly, masking his tension with a faint smile "Don't you think fighting your student is a bit too-" Before he finishes, he suddenly lunges at Lily with surprising speed, swinging his scythe in a deadly arc toward her

Lily remains still, completely unfazed. In an instant, she spins her spear fluidly and blocks the strike just before the scythe can reach her. The sharp sound of metal clashing against metal shatters the silence of the training ground

"Do you think you can catch me off guard? Still too inexperienced" she says, pushing back forcefully, causing Kaiser to stumble a few steps back

Kaiser doesn't respond, instead retreating to maintain distance. His amber eyes glow brightly as he begins channeling Mana. A powerful surge of energy surrounds him, and then he unleashes a barrage of sharp energy blades that shoot toward Lily at incredible speed

Lily doesn't flinch. She quickly creates a Mana circle in the air, conjuring a transparent shield. The energy blades strike the shield with force, creating a dazzling display of sparks before dissipating

"You've already reached this level of Mana control? Truly worthy of your Master rank" Lily remarks, her tone both praising and subtly teasing

Kaiser wastes no time, immediately charging at her again and launching a series of scythe attacks. His strikes are unpredictable, each swing sudden and hard to anticipate. Lily, with her superior experience, moves with agility, dodging each blow while countering with sharp, precise strikes from her spear

In one swift moment, Lily launches a powerful counterattack. Her spear sweeps through the air in a lightning-fast motion, sending Kaiser flying into the air. But instead of panicking, Kaiser pulls a small Mana gun from his holster, his eyes still unwaveringly focused

"With that posture, do you think you can hit me?" Lily asks calmly, her dark eyes gleaming with a mix of confidence and challenge

Unfazed by her words, Kaiser quickly charges Mana into the gun and says in an even tone

"In her heart"

Kaiser shoots five Mana bullets in quick succession. The bullets streak through the air with incredible speed, flying directly at Lily and forcing her to dodge unexpectedly. At the same time, she activates a protective Mana barrier around her body for defense

"How can you fire with such precision...?" Lily murmurs, her brows furrowing as she senses the powerful energy radiating from the bullets "This energy... you just used-"

Before she can finish her sentence, Kaiser appears right in front of her. Taking advantage of the moment when she focuses on defense, he charges forward, swinging his scythe down with astonishing speed, leaving a sharp gust of wind that tears through the air

Lily reacts with lightning reflexes. She spins, raising her spear to block just in time. The clash of metal rings out loudly, creating a shockwave so powerful that the ground beneath them cracks. Lily is pushed back a few steps but regains her balance, her eyes glinting with admiration mixed with challenge

"You're better than I thought, Kaiser" she says, a thin smile on her lips that barely hides her excitement "But that's still not enough"

Lily raises her spear, her dark eyes glowing faintly, and a layer of blue light envelops the weapon. She twirls the spear skillfully, drawing graceful yet forceful arcs as she attacks

Kaiser tries to lift his scythe to block her strikes. The sound of clashing metal echoes continuously, each of Lily's blows heavy with power, forcing him to retreat step by step. His arms tremble under the pressure, but his gaze remains steadfast

"You're blocking my attacks, but do you understand why I'm choosing these angles?" Lily asks, her voice calm as if she's teaching a lesson. She shifts her attack patterns, pushing Kaiser to move faster to defend himself

Kaiser grits his teeth and doesn't reply. He attempts a counterattack by swinging his scythe upward, but Lily anticipates it. With a quick spin, she dodges easily and immediately lowers her spear to block his counterstrike

"You rely too much on the power of your scythe" Lily continues, her tone unchanged, as though unaffected by any pressure "A good weapon won't win you a fight if you don't know how to adapt to the situation"

Kaiser pants heavily, sweat streaming down his face. He tries to turn the tide by retreating and forming a defensive Mana circle, but Lily doesn't give him the time

'"You're reading my attacks well, but can you keep doing that forever?" she says before charging forward with a powerful strike. Her spear pierces Kaiser's Mana shield, shattering it instantly as if it were fragile glass

Kaiser stumbles, nearly falling to the ground. He tries to lift his scythe for one last stand, but Lily is faster. She sweeps his weapon aside and points her spear directly at his chest, her dark eyes calm and unwavering like a still lake

Kaiser gasps for breath, sweat dripping from his forehead. He looks at Lily with a resigned expression. 'I've lost,' he admits, his voice tinged with both frustration and respect

'I couldn't do anything to her. This feels just like fighting Myreni' he thinks to himself

Lily lowers her spear and steps closer to Kaiser, her gaze steady but not unkind. She studies him for a moment before speaking

"Kaiser, you have immense potential, but you haven't fully tapped into it yet. You're good at adapting, which is commendable, but you rely too much on reacting in the moment rather than having a clear plan. Your fundamental skills still have many gaps. When you fight, you focus solely on delivering strikes without considering whether they're effective. To be honest, facing you didn't feel like being attacked by a real opponent - it felt more like being bitten by a few mosquitoes"

Lily pauses briefly before continuing, her voice carrying a hint of sternness

"That strategy may work when you're facing opponents of equal strength, but to surpass me, you'll need a better plan"

She steps closer, her dark eyes meeting Kaiser's amber ones, which now glimmer with exhaustion after the battle

"You also need to learn how to conserve energy. In this match, you've burned through far too much Mana just to defend and keep your distance. When your strength runs out, you'll lose any chance to turn the tide"

Lily tilts her head slightly, a faint smile softening the sharpness of her previous remarks

"However, I must say that your reaction speed is excellent. That's a rare quality, and if you learn to combine it with patience and a more thoughtful strategy, you'll become a formidable opponent."

She turns to leave, but before walking away, Lily stops and adds

"Remember, true strength doesn't lie in your weapon or the amount of Mana you possess. It lies in how you use them. Keep training, Kaiser. I'm looking forward to a tougher fight from you next time"

Kaiser, despite his exhaustion, nods slightly. In his eyes, a fierce determination begins to shine "Next time, I won't lose so easily"

He breathes heavily, bends down to pick up his scythe from the ground, and slowly leaves the training ground. As he walks away, the gazes of the other students around the arena lock onto him, filled with awe and admiration

"His weapon skills are incredible!"

"He not only good at using weapons but also an exceptional Mana user. Is he a monster or something?"

"How can someone our age fight like that?"

The murmurs ripple through the training ground, but Kaiser doesn't seem to care. He walks straight toward Amelia, who is waiting for him. When he gets close, Kaiser slumps down beside her and sighs heavily, drained

"That match was so hopeless" he says, his voice low and full of frustration

"But you did really well" Amelia replies, her voice gentle as she offers him a comforting smile "She's a professor, so of course, you can't beat her. But think of it positively - you definitely learned a lot from that match"

Kaiser thinks for a moment, then nods slightly

"I guess so" he responds, his gaze falling to the silver pistol at his side