"Hmph, that''s still better than the downfall of the Gaghers," said Marino.


    "Hey, hey, hey, did you get something wrong here? It was your family that caused the fall of the Gaghers, wasn''t it?! So, you''d better know your ce and shut your mouth!" Teresa was clearly enraged.


    She did not want to be entangled with the past. Yet now, her enemy was standing right in front of her, provoking her without fear. He was repeatedly crossing the line.


    Marino drew his sword. "Oh, is that so? What a pity. All of you will probably repeat the same mistakes!"


    Teresa pulled out two short staves from her waist andbined them. In an instant, one end of the staff transformed into a sharp spear.


    "Let me show you the de of the Gagher family!"


    "Hmph, my sword is no less deadly!"


    With that, the two of them shed fiercely.


    Teresa took advantage of the length of her weapon to gain the upper hand temporarily. She knew she had to maintain control over the distance. If she got too close, Marino''s sword could easily wound her.


    However, keeping it mid-range was only useful for wearing him down. Tond a fatal blow, she would still need to close the gap.


    Essentially, this battle was a contest of endurance for both of them.


    As long as neither of them exposed a vital weakness, the oue would remain uncertain. But if one of them lost patience and got too close, a decisive strike could end the match instantly.


    Even though Teresa appeared to be aggressively advancing with small, quick steps, these subtle movements allowed her to adjust the distance. If she sensed the range was off, she would immediately correct it.


    Marino noticed her strategy and thought, ''This girl has never really closed in. She has always maintained a specific distance. She''s probably wary of my abilities, and she hasn''t used her true energy at all. How cautious of her...''


    The arena echoed with the sounds of their fierce engagement. In the spectator seats, Anox and the others watched Teresa with bated breath.


    Kalo asked anxiously, "Why is Teresa exhausting herself like this? This isn''t her usual fighting style..."


    Chevy responded, "It''s simple. She ns to use her abilities for a single fatal strike."


    "But..."


    "It''s about finding the opening," Anox added. "Both of them are waiting for the other to expose a weakness. Teresa is banking on this."


    At that moment, Teresa swung her spear horizontally.


    Marino blocked it with his sword, but suddenly, he exerted extra force and pinned the spear to the ground.


    Teresa was caught off guard by this unexpected move. Her body tilted, and her weight shifted to the right as if she were about to fall.


    Spotting her chance, Marino stepped on the spear and closed in on Teresa with his other foot.


    "This distance is perfect!" Marino''s sword began to create afterimages.


    The Hansel family''s ultimate skill, the Four-Point Sword, involved using true energy to elerate the sword''s shes.


    When it reached its peak speed, the sword would produce afterimages, making it appear as though four swords were simultaneously shing forward.


    However, this ability was effective only within the weapon''s range. Marino was confident that at such a close distance, he could end Teresa in an instant.


    Nheless, Teresa just shed a sly smile. "Finally, you''ve taken the bait."


    In truth, Teresa''s sudden attack was a ruse. It was a deliberate move to feign vulnerability and lure Marino in.


    She knew Marino would seize the opening and initiate an attack, closing the gap between them.


    Teresa understood Marino''s abilities well as they were part of the Gaghers'' legacy. The Hansel family''s ancestors had used that very power to kill the Gaghers'' patriarch.


    Thus, she was well-versed in the Hansel family''s techniques as well as their weaknesses.


    Suddenly, Teresa''s two staves separated. One of them swiftly lunged toward Marino''s chest.