Everyone was again dumbfounded at the sudden turn of events, especially Kirov and his n.
They understood just how challenging it was to overco Heron.
Not only did he excel at dragging battles out, but he also had a keen sense for seizing the perfect mont to strike.
Among his strike force, only the most elite fighters could hold their own against him in a sparring match.
No one had ever managed to defeat the towering man apart from the squad captains and commanders.
Now, they just witnessed him get outclassed to the very end by a young scout who was barely in her 20s!
anwhile, Shirley and Ian had a myriad of conflicting emotions in their hearts.
Of course, they were proud and happy to see how strong Maia had grown, but at the sa ti, they were worried about making the decision to allow her to join the Black Dawn Unit.
In all honesty, Ian feels she has already proven herself worthy of joining the unit.
After all, Heron was indeed a tough nut to crack.
Being able to defeat the big guy speaks volus about her competence in combat.
"I-Ian…should we really…" Shirley asked, a bit hesitant.
She, too, thinks that Maia is ready. However, she didn't dare make the decision lightly.
After all, on the battlefield, one could lose one's life in an instant regardless of how strong in combat one was.
This naturally included Shye himself.
Being the brightest young talent the world had ever known didn't make him invincible.
"Leave this to , Shirley," Ian assured. "I shall make the call after testing her myself."
Maia skipped excitedly as she headed towards Ian to ask him about her final opponent.
To her surprise, the vice commander abruptly stepped away from his position and leapt into the center of the sparring area, gesturing for her to join him.
"Co, Maia, I shall see for myself how ready you are," Ian said, secretly crushing a combat simulation talisman. "Don't worry, I will only use [Common] and [Uncommon]-tier skills."
Maia was montarily dumbfounded before the widest of smiles graced her gorgeous face.
"Oohh!! I've missed learning combat tips from you, Big Bro Ian!" she exclaid with excitent, rushing into the sparring area as soon as she processed what was happening.
Her unexpectedly positive outlook on her final test earned her the admiration of Kirov and his n.
Nonetheless, they were eager to see how she would fare against Ian, not daring to count her out this ti.
Not after witnessing her fierce, smart, and decisive fighting style.
Who knows, maybe she can at least make the renowned Alpha Three bleed?
Unbeknownst to everyone, Ian had a different plan in mind when he said that he was going to test how ready Maia was.
There were now no doubts in his mind that Maia's combat prowess was among the top even if she joined the Black Dawn Unit.
However, could she do what she needed to when the ti ca, was the question.
Ian drew his dagger, a confident smile erging on his face. He made it seem as though he was looking down on Maia.
The next mont, Maia drew her own weapon, excited to try her hand at sparring with Ian once more.
It had been years since they last fought each other.
Although Ian had a massive advantage due to the Valenzian Scout Hero Crest, Maia didn't care.
All she wanted was a good old sparring match with one of his respected big brothers from the academy.
Soon, the fight began.
Ian's speed as he charged at Maia generated gusts of wind, a testant to his peerless agility in combat.
However, the younger scout wasn't fazed, the smile on her face widening as she charged right back at Ian, although her speed was evidently slower than her opponent.
Maia was excited due to the fact that Ian was looking down on her, which would probably give her a chance to take him down if she played her cards right.
It was quite evident due to the straightforward way he attacked her.
Soon, Ian arrived within striking distance, his dagger glowing red as he slashed it towards Maia's neck.
The younger scout responded by ducking the attack and pushing closer to her opponent.
Unfortunately, this move had long been predicted by Ian. In fact, it was a part of his plan all along.
Almost imdiately after Maia dodged, a vicious knee ca flying towards her chin, aiming to knock her out in a single precise blow.
The little sister's focus and reflexes weren't sothing to scoff at, though.
Despite being caught in the older scout's trap, she still managed to position one of her palms to block the blow, although it still landed with lesser force, making her slightly dizzy.
Ian wasn't one to let an advantage go to waste, small or not.
As Maia stabilized her footing, he imdiately went on a relentless onslaught of vicious attacks, attacking his opponent as though he was truly aiming to take her life.
With his precise control over his movents, he could effortlessly halt his dagger if Maia reached a point where she could no longer defend herself.
However, this was only the first phase of the test he planned in mind, and seeing how focused, calm, and fearless Maia was in dealing with his attacks, she passed the first phase of the test with flying colors.
It was clear as day that she did not fear death despite her inexperience.
This, of course, further earned her the respect of everyone in the room.
Like her brother, she was a fearso little character.
After confirming that she was ready to die, Ian moved on to the second phase of his test which would answer another question.
Suddenly, Ian's attacks beca fiercer but more reckless.
He began to give Maia small openings to exploit, gradually making them bigger and bigger, his face showing a hint of frustration to make them seem believable.
Naturally, the younger scout noticed the openings and was slowly growing excited at the thought of a coback win.
After a few more seconds of aggressive footwork, lethal stabs, and fierce slashes from Ian, Maia finally struck back.
'Chance!' she thought.
With a swift yet vicious counterattack, she spun, using the montum of her spin to make her stab attack faster.
On the other hand, Ian was in the middle of an attack. He deliberately made this one slightly slower than usual.
However, the attack was as ruthless as it could be, unhesitatingly targeting Maia's neck, and there were no signs of him stopping despite clearly being at a noticeable disadvantage in this specific exchange.
If nothing went wrong, Maia's attack would reach Ian's neck first.
However, even a brief mont of hesitation would flip the situation entirely, leaving her coughing up blood on the ground, her life slipping away.
Will she be able to unhesitatingly take Ian's life?
Maia had witnessed enemies dying before, but it was always Leffen who shielded her from such attacks.
She had never taken a life herself.
Would she be able to kill soone, especially those close to her should they et in a life-or-death battle?
Maia was on the verge of hesitating at the critical mont, but then her big brother's face flashed in her mind.
How many lives has he taken for the sake of protecting their family? For the sake of protecting her?
Shye probably didn't enjoy decapitating his opponents and watching their headless bodies twitch beneath him, but he still did it for the sake of securing a future for her.
'This ti…for sure…' she thought, her gaze resolute.
Her attack didn't slow down one bit, in fact, it even sped up, rcilessly stabbing at Ian's neck with her dagger coated with a corrosive property.
If it landed on Ian's neck, it would undoubtedly end his life.
Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that if she stopped now, she would never be able to shoulder even a fraction of the burden her big brother carried.
Rather, she would not be allowed to.
Noticing the resolute yet slightly bloodthirsty look on Maia's face, a smile finally appeared on Ian's face.
"Well done, Maia." He said as he dissolved into blue mana particles. "Welco to the Black Dawn Unit."
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