In her words, Pyris found out that Lizzie wasn''t as he had initially expected. Although she was surprised and a little disappointed to discover his rtionship with Suzie, there was nothing deeper than that.


    She admitted that her feelings for Suzie had always been a pipe dream.


    Suzie wasn''t into women, and Lizzie had always respected that. She had also known for some time that Suzie harbored feelings for Pyris, but she had never imagined their rtionship had progressed to this point.


    What stung the most, she exined, was that Suzie hadn''t shared any of it with her.


    As close as they were, Lizzie had hoped for openness between them, but she also understood theplex dynamics of the situation. Suzie had known about Lizzie''s feelings, and Pyris being their boss added anotheryer ofplication.


    Pyris stood silently, listening as she poured it all out. Though Lizzie''s tone was calm and understanding, there was a faint undertone of hurt she couldn''t entirely hide.


    When she finished, Pyris didn''t speak right away. Instead, he opened his arms and gave her a small, reassuring smile. Lizzie hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward, her tears slipping free as she shyly epted the hug.


    "That''s apensation, I think," Pyris joked lightly, his tone warm.


    Lizzie let out a weakugh, her head still pressed against his chest.


    Before she could respond, the air behind them rippled violently. A quiet hum of power swept across the rooftop, sharp and impossible to ignore.


    "You shameless boy…" a voice cut through the moment,ced with irritation and authority.


    The air behind them rippled violently, cutting her words short. A quiet hum of power swept through the rooftop like a pulse, impossible to ignore.


    Both of them froze, and before either could react, the space behind them tore open with a sound like shattering ss. A pair of short legs stepped through the rift first, followed by a small figure.


    It was a woman—short, petite, and radiating an aura of authority thatpletely outweighed her size. Her youthful body and face seemed no older than fifteen, yet her sharp gaze carried the experience of someone far older.


    Her expression was anything but friendly.


    "Here I thought you''d be waiting here to wee me," the woman said, her voiceced with irritation. "And instead, I find you hugging a woman. Do you have no respect for your teacher?"


    Before Pyris could respond, a steel de erupted from the tiles beneath him, aiming straight for his chest.


    Space mana crackled around his feet, and he vanished just before the sword could impale him. Reappearing at the far edge of the rooftop, Pyris gently ced Lizzie down, his expression unreadable.


    "Stay here," he said, his tone firm.


    Lizzie barely nodded before he was gone again, reappearing directly in front of the woman.


    "Teacher," Pyris began, but she didn''t give him the chance to speak. Weapons—des, maces, hammers, spears—manifested around her, circling her form like a deadly halo.


    "You don''t get to talk your way out of this, boy," she snapped, her tone sharp as steel. "Let''s see if that mouth and lust of yours are as sharp as your forging skills."


    "Very well teacher, I will go easy on you. No magic but purely craft!" Pyris clenched his fists, summoning his own weapons in response. des forged from pure mana shimmered into existence around him, their edges gleaming with the intricate patterns of his craft.


    "Brave, I like that boy!" The rooftop became a battleground of artistry and mastery as the two forgers shed.


    Her weapons moved with precision, cutting through the air like they were alive, forcing Pyris to dodge and block with every ounce of skill he had. She didn''t fight like someone wielding tools—her weapons felt like extensions of her will, each strike carrying the weight of decades of mastery.


    Pyris countered as best he could, his own craft creations meeting hers in a violent symphony of sparks and shing steel. A mace shattered a hammer in midair. A de curved dangerously close to his neck before he parried it with a glowing spear.


    But she wasn''t just testing him—she was pushing him to do his worse, perhaps best...


    He shifted his strategy, summoning weapons with designs far more intricate than before—desced with glowing runes, shields that absorbed the force of her attacks and redirected them. His newfound forging skills began to shine through, allowing him to hold his ground.


    Before he could fight in a craft exchange with her but now it was different with the Eternal Forge! For a moment, Pyris thought he might actually have the upper hand.


    But then, her eyes narrowed, and the air around them darkened.


    "Not bad," she said, her voice low and almost approving. "But you''re still not good enough. Hundred years away!"


    With a flick of her wrist, the weapons surrounding him twisted and shifted, forming a cage that locked him in ce.


    The prison of des shimmered with a deadly energy, every edge humming with restrained power. Pyris gritted his teeth, his golden eyes scanning for an opening, but the weapons moved in perfect harmony, leaving no room for escape.


    The woman crossed her arms, tilting her head as she looked at him. "You''ve improved. I''ll give you that. But you still have a long way to go, boy."


    Pyris let out a slow breath, his mind racing as he calcted his next move. He wasn''t out of tricks yet.


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    The air between then crackled with raw energy as their weapons shimmered into existence ferociously.


    The rooftop itself seemed to tremble under the weight of their sh, the skies above shifting and twisting unnaturally. Clouds coiled into spiraling patterns, and lightning arced like living creatures, drawn to the power surging between the twobatants.


    Pyris''s golden eyes narrowed as his teacher made a move. She didn''t just summon her weapons—they erupted from the space around her like a storm given form. des and hammers spun in a deadly orbit, glowing with runes that seemed to hum with her intent.


    Without hesitation, she closed the distance in a blur, faster than Pyris could track.


    A massive gauntlet materialized on her hand mid-charge, its jagged edges sparking with violent energy. Pyris barely had time to react before she swung it with impossible force.@@novelbin@@


    The impact hit him square in the chest, and the world tilted as he was sent flying across the rooftop. He skidded to a halt at the very edge, his boots grinding against the tiles. Below him, the city stretched endlessly, its distant lights flickering like stars.....Just a single step back and he will go down falling from such an impossible height.


    "Sloppy," she taunted, her voice sharp as she materialized another weapon—a colossal greatsword. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled it at him like a spear.


    Pyris dodged at thest second with his body twisting in midair. The de plunged into the tiles, sending shockwaves that cracked the rooftop beneath them. Using the momentum, Pyrisnded on the t side of the sword.


    "Not bad," he muttered, skidding down the de''s surface like a board. As he reached the hilt, heunched himself toward her, delivering a sharp kick aimed at her chin.


    But she was faster.


    Before his strike couldnd, she shifted, her body dissolving into a blur of motion. Pyris''s kick hit nothing but air. She reappeared behind him, another weapon—a war hammer glowing with molten energy—already swinging toward him.


    Pyris twisted, summoning a shield to block the blow. The hammer connected, and the force of the impact cracked his shield and drove him backward, his feet skidding across the rooftop.


    "Too slow, boy," she said, her tone dripping with mockery.


    Pyris growled, summoning a spearced with intricate runes. He charged, the spear glowing brighter as he poured energy into it. Their weapons shed in a brilliant explosion of sparks and light, the force of it sending tremors through the rooftop and cracking the ss barriers around them.


    The sky above them cracked as well, thunder roaring like a living beast. Bolts of lightning rained down, drawn to the raw power of their fight.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" she said, sidestepping his next attack with ease. Her footwork was effortless, like she wasn''t just dodging but dancing.


    Pyris gritted his teeth, switching tactics. He summoned a wave of smaller weapons,unching them toward her in rapid session. des, axes, and maces hurtled through the air, their runes zing with destructive intent their sharp sings echoing in the rooftop audibly so.