chapter 9: A duel at dawn.

The morning sun cast long shadows across the open field, its golden light washing over the tall grass swaying in the cool breeze. Despite the crisp air, heat crackled between us—a silent tension that needed no words.

Kael stood across from me, his golden fur shimmering in the soft light. His rune-etched staff spun lazily in his grasp, but there was nothing casual about his stance. He wasn't just preparing for a fight.

He was feeling the battle before it even began.

I rolled my shoulders, gripping my dual blades. The weight was familiar, reassuring—but instincts screamed at me. This wasn't like fighting goblins, elves, or any other enemy I had faced. Kael radiated something more than strength. Precision. Mastery. Control.

He wasn't here to kill me.

He was here to see my strength with some reason it didn't knew.

That almost made it worse.

A few steps behind me, Aria stood at the edge of the battlefield, her hands gripping her cloak. Worry flickered in her emerald eyes, but she didn't speak.

She didn't need to.

I gave her a slight nod before turning back to Kael.

His golden eyes locked onto mine.

Then—

He moved.

Lightning-fast.

A blur of motion, his staff whistled through the air, streaking straight for my ribs. My instincts screamed—Move!

I twisted, barely avoiding the strike—

But Kael was already ahead of me.

His staff reversed mid-swing, sweeping low for my legs. I barely had time to react, jumping back just as the weapon slammed into the earth, sending a shockwave rippling through the grass.

I skidded backward, boots digging into the dirt.

Kael smirked. "Good. You're fast."

No time for words. I lunged, my dual blades flashing in the morning light. My right blade slashed for his chest, the left for his midsection—clean, efficient attacks.

Kael danced through them.

Effortless. Like a river flowing around jagged rocks. He twisted past my first slash, parried my second with his staff, and countered—

Thwack!

Pain jolted through my shoulder as the staff connected. I staggered back, gritting my teeth.

He was testing me. Watching how I moved, how I reacted.

Fine.

I shifted my stance, my blades moving faster, sharper. My speed kicked up another level—fluid, relentless. I feinted left, then spun right, slashing for his side.

Kael's eyes gleamed.

At the last second, he ducked, flipping backward with unnatural agility. He landed on one hand, spun mid-air, and brought his staff crashing down.

I crossed my blades just in time.

CLANG!

The force rattled my arms, but I held firm.

Kael chuckled as he landed a few feet away. "You're holding back."

I exhaled sharply. He wasn't wrong.

If I fought at a normal level, I'd lose.

I needed to unleash more.

My grip tightened. "Alright," I muttered. "You asked for it."

Kael's ears twitched.

Then I vanished.

Flash Step. A burst of speed closed the gap instantly. My blades became a storm, slashing in a blur. Kael barely had time to react as I pressed forward, steel clashing against enchanted wood in a blinding exchange.

His smirk widened. "There it is."

He deflected my strikes—until I changed the rhythm.

I twisted mid-strike, bringing my left sword down in a powerful overhead slash—

Kael blocked.

But I wasn't aiming for him.

My blade slammed into the ground, kicking up a storm of dust and debris.

For a split second, Kael's vision was obscured.

That was all I needed.

I launched through the dust, aiming for his blind spot—

THWACK!

Pain exploded in my ribs as Kael's staff struck faster than I could react.

The force sent me skidding across the dirt, gasping for air.

I barely had time to recover before his voice cut through the dust.

"Smart move," he admitted. "But predictable."

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself up. My side throbbed where the staff had landed, but I couldn't afford to slow down.

Kael twirled his staff effortlessly. "You're strong, human. And fast. But your movements are still too rigid—too trained. You're mimicking someone's techniques like they aren't your own."

I froze.

He could see that?

Kael lowered his stance, the runes on his staff glowing brighter. "Let me show you what true mastery looks like."

The air shifted.

I barely had time to react before he exploded forward—faster.

His staff became a blur, each strike chaining together like an unbroken current. I blocked one, dodged another—

Then his staff slammed into my shoulder.

Another strike swept my legs out from under me.

I hit the ground hard.

Kael didn't stop.

He moved like water, unrelenting, every strike seamless, calculated. A perfect extension of himself.

I rolled away, barely avoiding a downward blow that shattered the earth where I had been.

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself up.

If I kept fighting like this, I'd lose.

I needed to adapt.

I inhaled sharply—then let go of rigid technique.

Instead of thinking—

I flowed.

Kael's next strike came. This time, I didn't block it conventionally. I shifted, letting the staff glide past me by mere inches. My blade flicked out, forcing him to step back.

His golden eyes gleamed.

[Skill level You are now a Novice fighter,Mastery skill increased 20%]Mira's voice echoed in my mind.

I grinned. The best way to grow stronger is through battle .

No more holding back.

"Let's go again."

Kael's grip on his staff tightened, his stance shifting slightly. I could see the flicker of excitement in his golden eyes.

He was no longer testing my strength.

It was a battle to push each other further.

I lunged first, this time not relying on a pattern. My blades weaved unpredictably, slashing from awkward angles that forced Kael to adjust. His staff spun defensively, countering with flawless precision.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Our weapons rang out, the sound echoing across the open field. My muscles burned, my lungs heaved for air, but I didn't slow down.

Kael's strikes came even faster, but now I could see it—the flow.

I wasn't just reacting anymore.

I was moving with the battle, shifting with his rhythm while creating my own.

His staff slammed down, and instead of blocking, I let it pass an inch from my side before twisting into a counterattack. My blade nearly caught his wrist, forcing him back.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face before his smirk returned.

"You're improving."

"You're holding back."

Kael chuckled. "Perhaps."

The duel continued, our movements growing sharper, faster, more refined.

Each clash sent sparks flying. Every dodge, every counter, was a lesson in real combat.

I could feel it—

I was getting stronger.

Kael saw it too.

His next attack came at full force, but this time, I didn't just react.

I was in control.

Steel met wood.

And neither of us backed down.

The fight was far from over.

End of Chapter.