The foxkin boy leaped at Valeria again, his body a sh of movement as he sprang high above her, his ws gleaming with a brilliant, raw light.


    SWOOSH!


    She recognized the technique instantly, an innate skill of the beastkin.


    ''Their natural ability to channel mana without formal training… incredible.''


    She could feel the weight of his mana pressing down on her, radiating from his entire body, amplifying his power and speed. It was a level of skill that required years of training for most Awakened, yet he wielded it effortlessly, instinctively.


    SLASH! SLASH!


    As he descended, ws shing through the air, Valeria raised her Zweihander, bracing herself against his attack.


    CLANK!


    She managed to intercept his strike with a swift parry, her de catching his ws in a sh that sent sparks flying. But even as she deflected his blow, she could feel the immense force behind it pushing against her, unrelenting.


    ''I can''t gauge his strength…''


    she thought, frustration and focus mingling as she searched for any sign of weakness.


    His movements were so unpredictable, each strikeing from a new angle as if he were a whirlwind of ws and raw energy.


    The boy spun around her, and she felt a surge of danger as heunched another rapid assault, ws gleaming as they struck at her side.


    CLANK!


    She barely dodged, her armor catching a ncing blow, the sheer impact leaving her side stinging.


    Her gaze locked on his, and she could see the intensity, the hunger in his eyes—there was no hesitation, only pure, honed instinct. She tightened her grip, her focus narrowing.


    ''If I don''t adapt, he''ll tear right through me.''


    That feeling.


    It was really simr to what she felt at that time when she fought with ''him.''


    ''Simr, but not as desperate.''


    Maybe, this boy was the rawness that Lucavion had possessed before? Maybe, Lucavion was also like this boy at one point in his life.


    Whatever it was, the boy''s way of fighting was simply fighting to kill, without any type of systematic technique at all.


    The boy lunged forward, his body a blur as he closed the distance in an instant, ws outstretched. Valeria steadied herself, her grip firm, her breath controlled.


    ''I''ve fought this intensity before… I won''t underestimate him.''


    Without hesitation, she channeled her mana from her core, feeling it surge through her, spreading warmth and power across every muscle and tendon. She focused her energy into her Zweihander, her family''s techniqueing alive as she whispered,


    "Sword of rion: Knight''s Arc."


    The de pulsed with energy, shimmering as her mana flowed into it, charging each inch of steel. As the boy''s ws aimed for her, she swung her sword in a wide, powerful arc. Mana trailed behind the de, creating a radiant half-circle that carved through the air, a brilliant arc of energy surrounding her.


    SWOOSH!


    The arc of mana cut across the space between them, colliding with the boy''s iing attack.


    BOOM!


    The raw force of her strike sent a powerful shockwave through the arena, stopping him in his tracks as his ws met the mana-infused steel. His fierce expression flickered with surprise, his body forced back from the sheer impact.


    The energy left in the wake of her de hung in the air for a moment, a shimmering half-circle that radiated strength and precision—a testament to her family''s refined technique.


    The boynded on his feet a short distance away, his fierce gaze still locked onto hers, but Valeria could see the glint of newfound caution in his eyes.


    He''d felt her strength, her control, and realized this was a battle that would require more than raw instinct.


    "Grrr…."


    The boy''s eyes narrowed, a renewed focus settling over him as he crouched low, his muscles tensed.


    SWOOSH!


    Valeria tightened her grip, bracing herself as heunched forward with even greater speed, his ws now gleaming with his own mana, a wild, feral energy emanating from them.


    ''So, he''s no stranger to channeling mana himself,''


    she thought, readying herself as he closed the gap.


    CLANK!


    Their weapons met again, her Zweihander shing against his sharpened ws. The force of his strike reverberated through her arms, more powerful and controlled than before. She gritted her teeth as his ws scraped against her armor, leaving faint lines across the metal. He pulled back quickly, only to strike again from a different angle, his movements fluid and relentless.


    ''He''s learning with each move?''


    Valeria realized, a flicker of respect mingling with her focus.


    The boy moved with fierce determination, his strikes unrelenting as he unleashed a barrage of attacks. Valeria countered, her Zweihander forming arcs of energy that illuminated the air, but his speed and unpredictable movements kept her on her guard.


    SLASH!


    One of his ws slipped past her defense, grazing her shoulder as she twisted to deflect his next blow.


    "Argh-"


    Pain red through her arm, the sting sharp, but she held her ground, her focus unwavering. She countered with a powerful swing of her de, forcing him to retreat a few paces.


    ''This kid….''


    But he was undeterred, his fierce gaze fixed on her as he came at her again, his strikes even faster. Valeria met him head-on, channeling more mana into her Zweihander, the de gleaming brighter with each swing.


    CLASH!


    The impact forced them both back, but the boy recovered instantly, pressing forward with a burst of speed.


    ''Legs!''


    He spun low, sweeping his ws toward her legs, and though she managed to deflect part of his strike, his other w grazed her thigh, slicing through her armor with surprising ease.


    Blood seeped from the fresh wound, but Valeria pushed the pain aside, her focus sharp as ever.


    ''I can''t let him wear me down…''


    she thought, adjusting her stance as she prepared to counter his next attack.


    Their movements intensified, the air thick with mana as both fighters shed again. Sparks flew with each impact, the force of their strikes shaking the arena floor. But the boy was relentless, his strikes hitting harder, his instincts guiding him with deadly precision.


    With a final, swift move, he lunged forward, his w catching her arm just below the shoulder. Valeria felt the sting of pain once more as his ws scraped against her skin, another reminder of his ferocity.


    ''Come!''


    But this time, she didn''t falter. Gritting her teeth, she swung her Zweihander in a wide arc, her mana surging with a newfound resolve as she drove him back.


    "Sword of rion: Knight''s Arc."


    SWOOSH!


    The de swung in an arc, as she had utilized the same technique.


    ''I finally get it.''


    Was that pain? Or was that not being able to reach her opponent and being leftpletely defenseless?


    Or was that something else?


    But, she started getting ''it''.


    ''What I need to do.''


    She was a knight.


    A fighter who was supposed to protect people, standing beforethem.


    But, what kind of a knight she was?


    That was what she did not know.


    What kind of a knight the rion family needed to be?


    For some reason, she felt like she started getting it.


    As the boy charged forward, Valeria''s gaze was locked on him, her focus sharper than ever. She could feel a newfound rity settling within her, a sense of purpose that had eluded her until now.


    With calm precision, she channeled her mana, letting it flow from her core into her Zweihander. The de hummed with energy, and she raised it high, then brought it down in a powerful vertical sh aimed at the space between them.


    SWOOSH!


    A wave of energy erupted from her sword, a vertical arc of mana slicing through the air toward him. The boy''s reflexes kicked in instantly, and he dodged to the side, his movements swift and agile.


    But this time, Valeria didn''t wait for him to strike again. She advanced, meeting him head-on, her body aglow with mana, each step grounded with the power of her family''s art.


    Her Zweihander shone with a brilliance that reflected her intent, and she could feel her pulse steady, her resolve unshakable. She was done hesitating. She would face him with all she had.


    The boy reacted, his body twisting as he raised his leg to deliver a powerful kick aimed at her face, his mana surging through his limbs. Valeria saw iting, the raw intent behind the strike and braced herself.


    CLANK!


    She lifted her Zweihander just in time, intercepting his kick with the t of her de. The impact reverberated through her sword, but she held firm, refusing to be driven back.


    Their eyes met, his fierce and wild, hers calm and resolute, and for a moment, time seemed to pause, each assessing the other.


    And then, with a swift shift of her stance, she pushed back, using his momentum against him. He staggered, thrown off bnce, and she took advantage, bringing her sword down in a controlled arc, her body shining as she moved.


    ''This is who I am.''


    As her de came down, she felt the rity within her solidify.


    ''Me and that boy is different.''


    She wasn''t just fighting to win—she was fighting as the knight she was meant to be.