As Rellana spoke, a faint smile curled on Renna's lips, hidden beneath the wide brim of her hat.
After a moment of mental preparation, Mohg accepted the reality that he was about to take a beating. At the same time, he began to feel a surge of excitement. To be able to trade blows with a top-tier powerhouse of the Lands Between without the fear of actually dying was, in a sense, an opportunity that no amount of money could buy.
In the Mohgwyn Dynasty, he was the absolute pinnacle of strength. Even back in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, the gap between him and Morgott hadn't been insurmountable. Finding someone who truly possessed the power to crush him—and thus someone he could truly learn from—was no easy task.
Fortunately, he had found such a target. His only regret was that he couldn't go all out; otherwise, he could have seen exactly how large the gap between them truly was. Still, gaining combat experience and observing a different fighting style was a worthwhile endeavor.
Since he intended to operate under a hidden identity for the foreseeable future, developing a new combat style and method of engagement was an absolute necessity.
After waiting a while longer, Rellana finished processing the documents that required her attention. she stood up and walked over to Mohg.
"Let's go. We'll head to the armory first to pick up some practice weapons and gear."
Mohg nodded and followed Rellana out of the room. As soon as they stepped out, Rellana ordered the Carian soldiers stationed at the door to clear the practice grounds, as she would be using the facility.
Left alone in the room, Renna waited until they had departed before silently returning to the main seat. She used her sorcery to observe their movements from afar.
Rellana sensed something the moment Renna cast her spell. She glanced briefly into the empty air before withdrawing her gaze, placing no restrictions on Renna's observation—effectively consenting to her watching.
While Rellana trusted Mohg to a degree, if his fighting style revealed anything suspicious, she would not hesitate to eliminate the potential threat.
"Catch."
Mohg reached out and caught the greatsword Rellana tossed his way. He flourished the blade with both hands before pointing it toward her, simultaneously inspecting the weapon. He felt a quiet sense of relief when he realized the practice greatsword was unedged.
"Has this place always been part of the Academy?" Mohg asked curiously, looking around at the various training facilities. He noticed several pieces of aged equipment, many of which seemed specifically designed for sorcerers. He had seen similar devices in Rellius's office.
These devices were primarily used to enhance a sorcerer's focus and magical control. Their main drawbacks were high construction costs and the significant time required for training. Many sorcerers disliked using them, feeling such mundane exercises slowed their progress in actual magical research.
"No. We built this after arriving at the Academy. This area used to be a holding site for experimental subjects. I felt such space was being wasted, so I had it torn down and converted into this training ground."
Mohg nodded, shifting his focus from the surroundings to Rellana herself. She had removed her helmet and was now clad in light practice armor, much like his own.
"Are you ready?" Rellana asked, slowly raising her own greatsword and pointing it at Mohg.
Mohg silently tightened his grip on the hilt, settling into a combat stance.
Whoosh—
As a gust of wind swept through, the practice grounds fell silent. A heavy, murderous aura gradually began to permeate the air.
Seeing that Rellana had no intention of making the first move, Mohg decided not to wait. He lunged forward, activating the weapon art: Stamp.
The six-meter distance between them vanished in an instant. Carrying immense force, Mohg's greatsword swung toward Rellana's arm.
In that moment, Rellana moved. She took a half-step back and twisted her wrist.
In the blink of an eye, her greatsword flowed like water to meet Mohg's strike. Mohg felt a sudden force diverting his momentum, guiding his power harmlessly to the side.
His expression shifted instantly. He moved his feet, going with the direction Rellana was guiding him, and seamlessly transitioned into another skill: Spinning Slash!
Rellana retreated a step to clear Mohg's range, a smile finally spreading across her face as she looked at the cracks his strike left in the ground.
In the next second, a faint whistle of air cut through the silence.
Without time to think, Mohg hoisted his greatsword horizontally to block.
Bang!
Screeech—
An overwhelming force slammed into Mohg's sword, skidding him backward nearly ten meters. He finally dug his heels in to stabilize himself, taking a deep breath as he felt his hands trembling slightly.
Before he could recover, Rellana's figure appeared before him like a ghost. The tip of her blade, trailing a terrifying glint of light, lunged toward him with sudden violence.
Faced with this abrupt thrust, Mohg didn't choose to retreat. Constant dodging would only surrender the rhythm of the fight to his opponent, and a defense held too long would eventually fail. Seizing the opening to counter-attack—that was his style!
Clang!
A crisp metallic ring echoed through the air as sparks erupted between them. A flash of surprise flickered in Rellana's eyes.
The next moment, Mohg stepped forward, pressing down with his weight. A white arc of sword light slashed upward from below.
Clatter!
Rellana looked down at the shallow dent left on her chest plate before looking back at Mohg.
"You have given me quite a surprise, Gwyn. Your grasp of timing and your reaction speed far exceed others at your level of strength. Is this your natural talent?"
"Perhaps. I don't know much about such things, so I'm not entirely sure."
Mohg tightened his grip on the greatsword. He didn't dare relax his guard for a second, knowing that for the two of them, the fight had only just begun.
"Very well. But be careful from here on out—I'm going to get serious."
Rellana nodded, raising her greatsword with one hand and leveling it at Mohg.
Seeing this, the corner of Mohg's eye twitched. He knew exactly what kind of weapons Rellana was most proficient with. The greatsword he held wasn't particularly heavy for him... and it was the same for Rellana. In fact, it was likely even lighter for her than her own signature weapons. Which meant...
Ah—
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (412 Chapters – Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────