Clang!!!
The clash rang out as Claudia's blade met Abel's, the impact running through her arms and forcing her a step back. That alone told her enough—this opponent wasn't normal. Not just strong, but controlled. Precise. Dangerous.
Cold air gathered around her blade as her grip tightened. "…Then I won't hold back."
Frost crept along the edge of her sword as her aura rose. She stepped forward, her movement shifting into something fluid, almost effortless, like she was being carried by an unseen current.
"Lunar Gale Severance."
Her sword cut forward in a smooth arc. For a split second, it looked simple—then the wind followed. A cold, invisible force wrapped around the blade, accelerating it mid-swing and distorting the air in front of it.
Clang!
Abel blocked, but the moment their swords met, the wind slid past his guard and cut into his side. A thin line of blood appeared, the cold clinging to the wound and slowing him ever so slightly.
He stepped back once, adjusting.
'So this is her style.'
Claudia didn't stop. She pressed forward, her attacks flowing one into another, each strike guided by that same invisible current.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Her blade moved like a continuous stream, sharp and relentless. Abel deflected everything with minimal movement, each motion precise, almost effortless—but not perfect. Another shallow cut formed along his arm. Then another.
Claudia's eyes narrowed. 'I'm reaching him… but it's not enough.'
Her stance shifted. The fluid motion faded, replaced by something tighter, more deliberate. She stepped in again, this time waiting.
Abel moved first. His blade came down.
Claudia's eyes sharpened. Now.
"Lunar Cataclysm: Shatter Reversal."
Clang!
Their swords met, and in that instant, her blade struck a precise point on his. Once. Twice. Three times. Each hit wasn't meant to block—it was meant to disrupt.
Abel's sword shifted slightly off-line.
That was all she needed.
Claudia stepped in, her aura surging as she poured everything into her next strike.
Clang!!!
A sharp crack rang out as Abel was forced back.
"…Got you."
But the words didn't feel right the moment she said them.
Abel stood there, looking at her. Not pressured. Not surprised. If anything… interested.
"…Good."
The air changed.
He stepped forward—and vanished.
Claudia's eyes widened. Too fast.
She turned just in time—
Clang!!!
The impact slammed into her blade, sending her crashing back as the ground beneath her shattered. Her arms trembled from the force, but before she could recover, another strike came.
Then another.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each blow heavier than the last, faster than the last, forcing her back step by step. Her breathing grew uneven, her rhythm breaking under the pressure.
'He's… adapting.'
No—he's been holding back this entire time.
That realization hit harder than anything else.
She tightened her grip. "I'm not done yet—"
Her voice cut off.
Abel had stopped.
He stood there, completely still, his sword lowered slightly.
Then the wind began to gather.
Not wild or chaotic, but controlled—condensed. It wrapped around his blade like veins, faint at first, then growing sharper, brighter. A tiger-like presence formed behind him, heavy enough to make the void itself tremble.
Claudia's body locked up.
Her instincts screamed at her to move, to get away—but she couldn't.
"…What is that…?"
Abel raised his sword, his gaze steady.
"Tempest Art."
The wind roared.
"White Tiger Slash."
He moved.
And in that moment, everything in front of him disappeared. No sound. No resistance. Just a single, absolute cut.
Claudia's vision went white.
Her eyes snapped open as she gasped for air, her body drenched in sweat. Her heart pounded violently in her chest as she looked around her room, trying to steady her breathing.
"…What was that…?"
It felt too real to be a dream.
Her gaze slowly shifted toward the door.
---
As I stand between the hallways, I mutter to myself:
" …That was closer than I expected."
Not just the fact that I could have been caught, but Claudia herself was much more powerful than I expected.
I clench my fist.
I hate to admit it, but if I'm at her level, the way I am now, I wouldn't stand a chance against the weakest of all the gods.
I make my way towards my room, open the door and then close it shut behind me.