Tension filled the air as Meira and Irethiel stood across from each other in the open field. Meira held two gleaming daggers at the ready, her body tense and poised to strike.
Irethiel cracked her knuckles, and her nails grew into razor-sharp claws. She grinned wickedly, her eyes glowing with excitement.
"Alright, you two, you can spar to your heart's content, but please, let's keep it friendly and avoid any serious injuries as I wanted to leave for the academy soon. Is that clear?" I stated as I stepped in between Meira and Irethiel.
Meira looked at me and nodded, a look of understanding in her eyes. Irethiel, on the other hand, had a mischievous grin on her face.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt her too badly," Irethiel said with a playful tone.
"...."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her comment, but I still made sure to step away from the field, keeping a watchful eye on the two of them.
As a precaution, I scattered my shurikens around the field, just in case things got out of control. I didn't want to intervene unless it was absolutely necessary.
"Come at me, little assassin. Show me what you're made of," Irethiel immediately challenged Meira with a taunt.
Meira didn't bother to reply, but instead lunged forward with her daggers charged with an aura. She faked to the left before quickly shifting to the right, hoping to catch Irethiel off guard.
Despite Meira's attempt to surprise her, Irethiel's movements were incredibly fluid as she easily dodged Meira's attack and countered with a powerful kick.
Meira quickly jumped back, narrowly avoiding the strike. Although she was taken aback by Irethiel's speed and power, she knew she had to keep her focus and stay on guard.
!?
Irethiel suddenly lunged forward, aiming her claws at Meira's face. Meira swiftly twisted to the side, managing to avoid a direct hit, but not before Irethiel's claws left a deep scratch on her cheek, causing blood to trickle from the wound. Despite the sharp pain, Meira quickly regained her composure and prepared herself for the next attack.
"You're better than I thought," Irethiel sneered, impressed that Meira had avoided her attack. "But you're still no match for me," she added, tauntingly.
Meira with an expressionless face charged forward again. She realized that she had underestimated Irethiel's strength and knew she needed to be more careful in her approach if she wanted to win.
As she lunged towards Irethiel, her daggers gleamed with her aura, but Irethiel moved with incredibly fast speed, effortlessly dodging Meira's attack. Without missing a beat, Irethiel delivered a powerful blow that sent Meira flying back, crashing to the ground.
SMACK—
Meira smashed onto the ground with a loud thud from the intensity of the attack.
THUD—
She groaned as she tried to get back up, but Irethiel was already on her, her claws poised to strike.
Meira managed to roll out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding the attack.
SHICK—
"Arhg" Meira winced in pain as she pushed herself back up and moved forward again, by feinting and aiming for Irethiel's heart.
However, Irethiel was too experienced to fall for such a simple trick. With a quick sidestep, she easily dodged Meira's attack and retaliated with a powerful punch to Meira's face.
THWACK—
The impact sent Meira stumbling backward blood seeping from her nose and her head reeling from the force of the blow. She struggled to regain her balance and get back into a fighting stance.
Irethiel was too strong, too fast, and too skilled for her.
"What good is a servant who is weaker than her master and can't even lift her own weight? You'll be nothing but a liability to him.
Maybe I should dispose of you now so you won't drag us down in the future," Irethiel rushed towards Meira, not giving her a moment to catch her breath.
She taunted Meira as she approached, her claws slashing through the air and causing the ground to tremble beneath her.
Meira gritted her teeth and braced herself for the attack, determined not to let Irethiel get the upper hand. She watched as Irethiel closed in, her movements fluid and graceful, like that of a predator on the hunt.
As Irethiel's claws descended toward her, Meira leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. She landed in a crouch and sprang back up, ready to face Irethiel head-on.
SWISH—SWISH
She did her best to evade Irethiel's continuous attacks, her daggers moving with incredible speed as she searched for an opening in Irethiel's defense.
As the fight wore on, Meira's desperation grew. Her once precise movements became erratic, and her once-confident expression twisted into a grimace of pain and frustration.
Irethiel's monstrous strength was proving to be too much for her to handle.
However, just when it seemed like the battle was over, a strange aura began to emit from Meira's body, starting from her feet and spreading throughout her being.
Her eyes turned a bright shade of green as she underwent a powerful transformation.
Suddenly, it happened. A snake tattoo materialized near her right eye, and her aura erupted in a burst of energy, unleashing a massive gust of wind that sent debris flying in all directions.
Meira felt a surge of power coursing through her body, as if a hidden reserve of strength had been unlocked. She could feel her senses sharpening, her reflexes quickening, and her movements becoming more fluid and precise.
"Ah, this is what I've been waiting for!" Ares exclaimed with an excited grin, watching Meira's transformation with satisfaction. He was eager to see how much Meira had improved and how she would fare in battle against Irethiel.
Ares knew that Meira has no chance to go against Irethiel and had already advised Irethiel to hold back her strength and taunt Meira to provoke her into using her constellation powers.
He wanted to see if Meira could control her power or if she would be consumed by it as she had been in the past.
When Irethiel sensed a change in Meira's aura, a grin spread across her face. She relished the opportunity to fight with a chosen one.
With a green aura emanating from her daggers, Meira charged forward with newfound speed and grace.
The two of them clashed, their movements blurring together as they exchanged blows.
CLINK— CLINK—
Meira lunged with her daggers, aiming to strike Irethiel's neck. But Irethiel was not caught off guard so easily.
With reflexes honed from countless battles, she dodged Meira's attack and countered with a swift punch to Meira's gut.
SMACK—
Meira gasped for breath as she flipped backward, just barely avoiding another one of Irethiel's powerful strikes.
She landed nimbly a few feet away, her mind racing as she scanned Irethiel's form for an opening. She quickly calculated the best angle of attack.
With a burst of speed, Meira charged forward, aiming for Irethiel's heart. Irethiel easily parried her attack with a flick of her wrist, but Meira spun around, using her momentum to launch a rapid series of strikes aimed at Irethiel's legs.
SWISH—SWISH—SWISH
Irethiel's fluid movements allowed her to easily evade Meira's blows and with a wicked grin, she lunged forward, her claws slashing through the air as she aimed for Meira's throat.
Meira's body twisted with impressive agility, allowing her to narrowly avoid Irethiel's deadly claws.
SWISH—
With a snarl of fury, Meira immediately retaliated with a swift and powerful swipe of her dagger, slicing through Irethiel's arm and drawing blood.
SLICE—
!?
As Irethiel stumbled back in pain, Meira took advantage of the opening and delivered a powerful kick to Irethiel's chest, sending her flying backward.
THUD—
Irethiel landed heavily on the ground, but quickly sprang back up to her feet.
Meira felt a surge of satisfaction as she finally landed a hit on Irethiel.