<h4>Chapter 576: Like a Sack of Grain</h4>
"Aghhh!" he yelped, the pain ripping from his throat before he could swallow it. His massive frame writhed as Nnenna, not even breaking a sweat, pinned him with one knee. Her hand pressed lightly against his arm, but the pressure was enough to make Rick’s face contort in agony.
"Stay... down," she said softly, almost kindly, her smile never leaving. The calm in her voice only made his heart hammer faster.
Rick’s eyes bulged with disbelief. Impossible... I train men twice her size! She is just a... how can she...
The onlookers gasped, their whispers tumbling over one another.
"Did you see that?! He did not even touch her!"
"She flipped him like he was a sack of grain, did not even struggle!"
"That’s the head trainer of the royal guards... and she made him yelp like a recruit on day one."
"Graceful... terrifyingly graceful."
One of the younger guards swallowed hard. "She really is His Highness’s sister. No doubt about it."
Another added in awe, "Not just his sister... she’s his shadow. Look at her! She is exactly like he was when he was her age."
"This can’t be true. It’s not possible. Plus, she should be using more strength if she’s really doing any damage."
"Oh that’s right. I just noticed too. Her precision is very good but her strength is very little."
Meanwhile, Rick’s body shook beneath her effortless hold, the humiliation burning hotter than the pain. Every groan he let out only seemed to tighten the noose of fear around his chest.
And Nnenna’s smile never wavered.
By this time, someone had already sprinted out in desperation to find Daniel and Elin. Surely only the heads of security could stop this madness and put the tyrant in her ce.
The messenger found Daniel first and hurriedly ryed the chaos unfolding inside the security building.
Daniel froze mid step. "What did you just say? That puny little girl... overpowered Rick? Rick, the head trainer of the royal guards? A man three times her size?"
He almostughed at the absurdity. It was impossible. Rick’s strength was notorious; even seasoned guardsmen steered clear of sparring with him. Surely this was some exaggerated tale.
Yet his feet carried him at full speed to the building, his heart pounding.
When he burst into the lobby, what he saw made the blood drain from his face.
There, in the very center of the room, Nnenna stood over Rick. Rick! as he iled helplessly, his huge arms trying and failing to block her. His voice cracked in high pitched yelps.
"Ouch! Please! Stop, ouch—"
Daniel’s jaw went ck. His mind scrambled for exnations, but none made sense. This... I must be dreaming. There’s no way. This is impossible.
What unsettled him most wasn’t just Rick’s humiliation, it was her.
Nnenna’s fistsnded with precise, sharp punches, yet her expression remained unnervingly calm, almost serene. She moved as though she were sparring with shadows rather than dismantling the head trainer of the royal guards.
And worse, worse than everything else, was how she looked while doing it.
Not a single strand of her hair was out of ce.
Daniel blinked. "This... this doesn’t even look like a fight. It looks like a... performance."
His heart sank, his disbelief giving way to a cold realization: if Nnenna could reduce Rick to this state without breaking a sweat... then maybe she wasn’t the weak little girl they all thought she was.
"How can this be possible...?" Daniel’s thoughts spun as he watched. Rick, head captain of the royal guards, a man feared by all, lookedpletely powerless beneath Nnenna’s relentless fists.
Wait... could it be...? Daniel’s brows twitched. He must be letting her. Yes, that’s it. If he retaliates too seriously, he’ll be punishedter. That’s the only exnation. He’s allowing her to overpower him on purpose.
With that excuse soothing his pride, Daniel finally steadied his nerves and stepped closer. His chin lifted, his voice cutting the air coldly.
"Your Highness, that’s enough."
Silence.
Nnenna didn’t even nce at him. Her fists kept driving down, one after another, sharp and merciless, like his voice hadn’t existed at all.
Daniel’s eyes narrowed. "Your Highness, I said, that’s enough of you!" He raised his tone this time, his boots striking the marble floor as he came forward.
Again, nothing.
The sound of her blows drowned out his authority. It was as if his words were nothing more than a breeze passing her ear.
Daniel’s jaw tightened. "Fine. If you won’t listen..." His gaze snapped to Rick, beaten but still resisting beneath her grip. A wicked edge crept into Daniel’s voice. "Stop showing her mercy, Rick. She attacked you first, didn’t she? Whatever you do now, it’s just self defense."
He stepped back, gesturing as though granting Rick the stage.
Around them, the others instinctively shuffled back too, their anticipation thickening the air. Whispers rippled through the lobby like sparks in dry grass.
The onlookers shuffled back quickly, eyes darting between Daniel and the ridiculous scene unfolding before them. Whispers exploded around the lobby like sparks leaping from dry wood.
"Self defense? Is that what this looks like? He’s the one screaming for help!" one guard muttered, trying not tough.
"I swear I saw him yelp like a child, didn’t you hear that high pitched squeak?" another whispered, pressing a fist against his mouth to muffle the chuckle.
"No, no, this has to be an act. There’s no way Head Trainer Rick is being beaten like this by... her."
"Are you blind? Look at his face! That’s not acting, that’s pure terror."
"But Daniel said so... maybe Rick is holding back for a reason?"
"Then why’s he rolling around like a fish out of water?"
"He has always had a funny bone. Maybe he’s pretending."
"That makes sense."
The more Rick iled and yelped, the harder it was for the gathered staff to keep straight faces. Yet beneath the bubblingughter was something else, nervous awe from some who believed Nnenna was really stronger than Rick.