Chapter 140: Valeria Olarion (4)

"I'll see for myself," she declared, her tone laced with challenge.

Without any further warning, she reached for the sword at her side and drew it in one smooth, practiced motion. The blade gleamed in the light, and the sound of steel against the scabbard was sharp and clean, echoing through the quiet street. Her movements were controlled and precise—everything about her radiated the discipline and training of someone who had been wielding a sword since childhood.

I didn't reach for my weapon immediately, though my hand instinctively rested on its hilt. I watched her carefully, reading her stance. She was poised, ready, her eyes locked onto me like a predator waiting for the slightest movement from its prey.

I tilted my head slightly, still holding her gaze. "So," I asked, my voice calm, almost curious, "how exactly are you planning to see it for yourself? What are you going to do?"

Valeria's eyes narrowed, and her grip on her sword tightened. "Isn't that obvious?" she replied, her tone cold and direct. "I'll see with my own blade."

She shifted her stance slightly, her sword held in front of her with perfect control. "Words can be deceiving," she continued, her voice steady, "but a blade does not lie."

The moment she said that I couldn't help but let out a small, amused chuckle. There was something about her unshakable conviction that struck me. Maybe it was the fact that she believed in her sword with such purity, or perhaps it was because I had always appreciated that exact sentiment.

"You're right about that," I said, a smile spreading across my face as I began to unsheathe my estoc, the blade glinting in the light. "A blade never lies. Those who know how to communicate with it can say more in one duel than in a year of talking."

Valeria's expression softened just a fraction, enough to show that she acknowledged my words. "I'm glad we're on the same page, then," she said, her tone no less serious but with a flicker of respect beneath the surface.

The moment I held the estoc with the blade gleaming under the sun, I felt the thrill once again.

'I wonder how it will be.'

Facing someone competent. It had been a while.

******

As Valeria watched Lucavion unsheathe his estoc, something shifted in the air between them. It was subtle at first, a slight change in his posture, the way his hand wrapped around the hilt of his blade. But then his gaze—those once calm, almost playful eyes—hardened. The casual air that had surrounded him moments before evaporated, replaced by something far more dangerous, something primal.

Her breath hitched in her throat, her muscles tensing instinctively. She had faced plenty of warriors before, but the change in Lucavion's presence was unlike anything she had encountered. His smile remained, but it no longer carried the warmth of amusement. Now, it seemed… predatory.

'What… is this?' Valeria thought, her heart skipping a beat as a cold, creeping sensation crawled down her spine. He had seemed so relaxed, so easygoing just moments ago. Now, it felt as though a storm was gathering right in front of her, and she was standing in its path.

Her grip tightened around her sword, the weight of it suddenly feeling much heavier. This man—no, this warrior—was not the same person who had been teasing her earlier. His eyes, locked onto hers, radiated a fierce intensity that made her question everything she had assumed about him.

Lucavion raised his estoc, the blade gleaming dangerously in the sunlight. His movements were slow, deliberate, yet there was an unsettling fluidity to them, like a predator circling its prey. His gaze never wavered, piercing through her with an unnerving clarity.

For a moment, Valeria's mind raced, trying to reconcile the man before her with the carefree knight she had been so frustrated with earlier. How could he change so suddenly? The shift in his demeanor was so drastic, it left her momentarily off-balance.

Before she could fully process her thoughts, Lucavion took a step forward, his blade raised in perfect synchronization with his movements, and their eyes met. A chill ran down her spine, the intensity of his gaze locking her in place.

Valeria's heart pounded in her chest. This isn't normal. The aura he was emitting now felt oppressive, suffocating even. It was as if the playful smirk was a mask he had discarded, revealing something much darker beneath. Something far more dangerous.

Focus. She reprimanded herself, shaking off the creeping dread that had begun to cloud her thoughts. She couldn't afford to hesitate. Not now. Not in front of him.

But despite her attempts to steel herself, a small, undeniable voice whispered in the back of her mind: What kind of person is this man?

Lucavion's smile widened, but this time, it didn't reach his eyes. There was nothing lighthearted about it—only a predatory gleam. He raised his blade, the air between them crackling with anticipation.

"Ready?" he asked, his voice still calm but laced with an undercurrent of something far more sinister. His gaze bore into hers, a challenge—one she knew she had to meet.

'Tsk…..What the hell are you doing Valeria?'

She could not help but get angry at herself.

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The words reverberated through her, steadying her resolve. She had faced countless opponents, honed her skills through years of rigorous training. Lucavion was no different. He couldn't be. She was the daughter of House Olarion, a knight with a legacy to uphold, and she wouldn't allow herself to be rattled by a mere shift in demeanor.

She straightened, her grip on her sword tightening as she locked eyes with Lucavion. The unsettling, predatory gleam in his gaze still lingered, but this time, it didn't shake her. She would face him head-on, just as she had always done.

"I'm ready," she declared, her voice firm and steady, cutting through the charged atmosphere.

There was no time to waste. No hesitation. Her instincts screamed at her to act now, and she followed them without a second thought.

–SWOOSH!

In an instant, Valeria surged forward, her body moving with the precision and speed of a seasoned warrior. She didn't wait for Lucavion to make the first move—this wasn't a fight she could afford to test the waters in.

The unsettling feeling he exuded was enough to drive her to strike with everything she had from the very start.

Valeria's strike was swift and precise, her blade cutting through the air with a deadly grace that only years of disciplined training could produce. The weight of her family's swordsmanship coursed through her veins as she channeled everything into that first blow—a strike that embodied her legacy, her honor, and her relentless pursuit of perfection.

But the moment her blade met Lucavion's, everything changed.

–CLANG!

The force of the collision reverberated through her arms, but it wasn't the impact that caught her off guard. It was the effortless way in which Lucavion deflected her strike. His estoc moved with an almost unnatural fluidity, a subtle shift in his wrist sending her attack veering off course as if it were a mere inconvenience.

Her eyes widened as she saw it—the black starlight coiling around his blade. Tiny pinpricks of light shimmered in the dark aura, like stars scattered across a night sky, and it pulsed with a power that sent a shiver through her.

'What is that...?' Valeria's mind raced, but there was no time to dwell on the question. Lucavion's counter came without warning.

With a flick of his wrist, his estoc swept toward her, its black starlight trailing behind it in a mesmerizing arc. Valeria barely managed to parry, the force of his attack far greater than she had anticipated. Her feet slid back, the ground scraping beneath her boots as she struggled to hold her stance.

–CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Their blades clashed again and again, each strike more ferocious than the last. Lucavion's movements were smooth and precise, his every motion calculated to dismantle her defenses. There was no hesitation, no wasted effort—just cold, unrelenting precision. All the while, the black starlight danced along his blade, casting eerie shadows across the ground.

Valeria gritted her teeth, trying to regain her footing, but it was as if she were fighting against a force of nature. Lucavion's presence was suffocating, his gaze never leaving hers, that predatory intensity growing with each passing second.

'How... how is he this strong?' she thought, her heart pounding in her chest. She had fought countless opponents before, but this—this was different. Every time she tried to push forward, to take advantage, Lucavion was already a step ahead, his blade meeting hers with terrifying precision.

Another strike came, and this time, Valeria could feel the weight of his intent behind it. She raised her sword to block, but the moment their blades met, she was forced back once more. Her arms trembled under the strain, and the weight of her family's sword suddenly felt like a burden.

–SWOOSH!

Lucavion didn't relent. His estoc moved with almost serpentine grace, weaving through the air as if it had a will of its own. Each swing brought the black starlight closer, its presence pressing down on her like the weight of the night itself.

'Damn it... focus,' Valeria scolded herself, shaking off the growing unease in her chest. She couldn't afford to falter now—not when she was facing such a dangerous opponent.

Her family's swordsmanship had never failed her before, and it wouldn't fail her now.

And at the same time, she had realized this point.

'I made a mistake…..He was indeed the person who had dealt with that Bandit Leader.'

Since there was no way any normal person could fight with her like this normally.