章節 53: How can someone be so cruel to a child?
As soon as Elira stepped forward, her grin radiating confidence, I knew I was in trouble. There was an almost imperceptible hum in the air around her a sign of her reinforcement magic coming to life.
Her aura was sharper, brighter, and undeniably stronger. She didn't even need to say it; the fight was inevitable.
But that didn't mean I wasn't going to try to weasel my way out of it.
"Actually," I began, taking a cautious step back, "I'm feeling a little tired after that match with Galen. You know, wouldn't want to overdo it and pull a muscle or something…"
Elira's grin widened. "Tired already? You just won. Shouldn't you be riding that high?"
I raised a hand, stalling for time. "Right, but, uh… recovery is important! Carlos always says that!"
From his spot leaning lazily against a training dummy, Carlos snorted. "Don't drag me into this."
Galen had retrieved his sword and stood off to the side, smirking. "Oh, come on, Ren. She's giving you the honor of a fight. Don't disappoint her."
"Honor?!" I spluttered, throwing Galen a glare. "We all know how this ends! I'm not stupid!"
Elira's laughter rang out, warm and infuriating. "Smart girl. But you're still fighting me." She cracked her knuckles, and the sound sent a shiver down my spine.
I sighed, resigned. There was no getting out of this. "Fine. But when I'm unconscious on the ground, I'm holding you responsible," I muttered, pointing at Carlos.
He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Noted."
Taking a deep breath, I stepped onto the sand, facing Elira. She hadn't even drawn a weapon; her magic was enough to make her a force of nature.
The glow around her intensified, and her grin took on a sharper edge.
I wasn't going to win this by sheer strength I knew that much. If I wanted a chance, I'd have to fight smart and keep my distance.
Elira didn't give me the luxury of thinking for long. She dashed forward, closing the gap between us in a heartbeat.
Her speed was unnatural, a blur that made my stomach drop. I barely had time to react, throwing myself to the side as her fist slammed into the ground where I'd just been standing. The impact sent a shockwave through the sand, a testament to her overwhelming strength.
"Too slow," she teased, her eyes glinting with amusement.
"Too fast," I shot back, rolling to my feet and raising my hands. The heat of my magic surged through me, and I concentrated, shaping it into a weapon. A fiery bow materialized in my grip, its string crackling with energy.
Elira raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "A bow? Interesting choice."
"It's called strategy," I said, nocking an arrow of flame and drawing the string back. "Let's see if you can keep up."
She smirked. "Challenge accepted."
I released the arrow, and it streaked toward her like a comet. Elira sidestepped effortlessly, but I was already drawing another.
I loosed a volley in quick succession, forcing her to dodge or block each one. She was fast, ridiculously fast, but I wasn't aiming to hit her directly. I needed to keep her moving, to buy myself space.
The air between us was a blur of motion and fire, each arrow lighting up the training ground.
Elira weaved through them with a grace that made it seem effortless, but I could tell she was watching me closely, waiting for the right moment to strike.
That moment came sooner than I expected.
She lunged, closing the distance with alarming speed. My heart leapt into my throat, but I was ready. I threw up a barrier of red fire between us, the flames roaring to life like a wall. Elira skidded to a halt on the other side, her smirk never wavering.
"Not bad," she said, placing a hand on the barrier. Her strength was unbelievable; the flames trembled under the pressure of her magic-enhanced touch. "But you'll need more than this to keep me out."
I gritted my teeth, reinforcing the barrier with everything I had. Sweat beaded on my forehead, the effort of holding it up against her strength making my arms tremble.
She stepped back, giving me a brief reprieve. "You're getting better, Ren. I'll give you that. But let's see how long you can keep this up."
Before I could respond, she darted to the side, testing my reflexes. I moved with her, adjusting the barrier's position to block her advance. But she was relentless, feinting one way and then darting the other, her movements impossibly fast.
I fired another arrow over the barrier, forcing her to dodge, but she was already circling around, looking for an opening.
"You know," she said, her voice maddeningly casual, "if you spent less time running and more time fighting, this might actually be fun for me."
"If I didn't run, I'd be a pancake right now!" I snapped, loosing another arrow.
Elira laughed, the sound rich and unbothered. "Fair point."
She came at me again, her fist slamming into the barrier with enough force to send cracks spiderwebbing through the flames.
My heart skipped a beat. I poured more energy into the shield, but I could feel my reserves draining.
"You're holding up better than I thought," Elira admitted, stepping back to examine the barrier. Then she grinned, and my stomach dropped. "But let's kick this up a notch, shall we?"
Before I could react, she leapt into the air, her magic-enhanced strength propelling her high above the barrier. Time seemed to slow as she came down, her fist glowing with energy.
I barely managed to roll out of the way as she crashed into the ground, the impact sending a shockwave that obliterated the barrier and threw me off balance.
I scrambled to my feet, panting, and raised my bow again. She was relentless, already closing the distance. I fired arrow after arrow, but she batted them away like they were nothing.
Her fist connected with my side, and pain exploded through me. I staggered, clutching my ribs, and barely managed to raise another barrier as she advanced.
"How can someone be so cruel to a child?" I thought bitterly, dodging another blow that would have sent me flying.
But even as the thought crossed my mind, I couldn't deny the exhilaration coursing through me. This was the toughest fight I'd ever faced, and despite the pain, I wasn't ready to give up.
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