Astron's palm shot forward, cutting through the searing heat and directly toward Irina's body. His movents were decisive, his eyes locked onto her with a
determination that ignored the burns on his shoulder and leg. His singular focus on the offensive sent a clear ssage: he wasn't backing down.
Irina smirked, her flas burning brighter around her. "You're persistent, I'll give you that," she said, her voice steady despite the charged atmosphere. "But you should know by now-
The faint shimr of her barrier ca into view as his palm neared it.
"-this won't work," she finished confidently.
Astron's hand stopped just short of the barrier, his movents suddenly shifting. His sharp gaze flicked downward for a fraction of a second before his leg swept low in one fluid motion. The unexpected strike aid directly at her balance point, catching her off guard.
Irina's smirk faltered slightly as she realized what he was doing. Her telekinesis was focused on compressing and bending the space around the barrier, creating an anchor that absorbed montum from direct attacks. But that sa precision also ant she couldn't shift her focus quickly enough to counter his leg sweep.
THUD!
Astron's leg connected, sweeping her feet out from under her. The sudden loss of balance caused her to stumble, the carefully compressed space of her barrier shifting awkwardly as she instinctively tried to reorient herself.
"Damn it," she muttered, catching herself just before she hit the ground by flaring her flas outward for stability. Her eyes snapped up to et his, blazing with both irritation and grudging respect.
Astron stepped back, his stance balanced and ready. "Barriers are great for stopping direct attacks," he said calmly, "but they don't help much if you can't stay on your
feet.""
His hand was right before her face, shimring. The exchange just now, had already made it evident.
This fight.
Irina lost.
Irina let out a slow breath, her flas dimming slightly as she lowered her hands. Her gaze remained locked onto Astron's, his hand still hovering near her face, the faint shimr of his mana a silent declaration of victory.
She straightened, brushing off the lingering heat around her shoulders, and gave a wry smile. "Alright," she said, her tone calm but edged with reluctant acceptance. "You got ,"
There was no need for useless pride-Astron had acted decisively, exploiting her weakness with precision. As much as it stung, she couldn't deny that he'd earned this
win.
Irina's thoughts turned inward, analyzing the exchange. Her barrier, while strong, had an inherent limitation: its focus. Compressing psions to bend space required pinpoint accuracy and control, but that precision also made it difficult to shift the focal point quickly. Even with her imnse telekinetic proficiency, moving the barrier's focus mid-battle remained a challenge.
'It's still a new technique,' she thought, her flas flickering faintly in response to her frustration. 'I haven't had enough ti to refine it-especially against soone like him.'
Her gaze softened slightly as she glanced at Astron, his stance still poised but without arrogance. She could tell he wasn't gloating; he was simply acknowledging the result of the duel. That alone eased the sting of her loss-slightly.
"You exploited the weakness perfectly," she admitted, rolling her shoulders as her mana settled. "My barrier's strong, but it's not invincible. I can't move the focal point fast enough to counter sothing like that. At least... not yet."
Astron lowered his hand, his expression neutral but carrying a faint glimr of respect. "You're already miles ahead with it," he said evenly. "The technique itself is incredible. It just needs more ti."
Irina tilted her head, studying him. "You figured it out mid-fight, didn't you?"
He gave a small nod. "It wasn't hard to notice the way you shifted focus. The compression is flawless, but there's a slight delay when you transition. That's the only opening-and even then, it's small."
'Small, but he exploited it perfectly,' Irina thought, her respect for his analytical skills growing despite herself. She folded her arms, the corner of her lips twitching into a faint smirk. "You're really sothing.... Not bad....
Astron tilted his head slightly. "Neither are you. That technique is sothing I'd rather not face once you perfect it."
The complint caught her off guard, and for a mont, she didn't know how to respond. She shifted her weight, hiding her reaction behind a casual shrug. "Give a little ti, and you won't be able to exploit that opening again."
"Is that so?"
"Then, let's try again."
The faint shimr of the arena's restorative formation activated, bathing Astron in a soft, golden glow. The burns on his body faded in an instant, his skin knitting back to its original state as if the damage had never occurred. Irina's eyes flicked to the light briefly, noting the sa effect on her own residual strain, though hers had been far less significant.
The system had determined the exchange was over, and with that, it reset the field. It was one of the reasons they could keep pushing each other like this-injuries and fatigue were temporary, allowing them to test their limits without fear of long-term consequences.
Astron rolled his shoulder experintally, flexing his fingers as if testing the restoration. "Impressive setup," he remarked, his tone calm as he glanced at the glowing formations embedded in the walls. "No wonder you're used to fighting at full
force."
Irina folded her arms, her flas flickering faintly around her. "It's convenient," she admitted, though her tone carried an edge of pride. "But don't think the system's doing all the work. You still have to handle the heat when it's on."
Astron's lips twitched faintly at her quip, his sharp eyes studying her for a mont before nodding. "Fair enough," he said. Then his stance shifted slightly, more relaxed but no less focused. "If you're ready, then so am I."
Irina raised an eyebrow, her own smirk widening. "You're not backing out of this one, huh?"
"There's no reason to," Astron replied smoothly, his voice carrying a quiet confidence. "Fighting you pushes as much as it does you. And it's not like I need to hold back.
just because you're getting stronger."
Irina's flas flared brighter, her excitent rising at his words. There was sothing gratifying about hearing him acknowledge her growth, even if he said it so matter-of-factly. She let her arms drop, her stance widening slightly as she channeled her mana once more.
"Good," she said, her voice laced with challenge. "Because I don't plan on losing this
ti."
Astron's response was a slight tilt of his head, the smirk in his eyes deepening, sohow she could see it, as his aura flared to life around him. "Then let's see what
you've got."
The air between them grew charged again, the energy of the arena responding to their rising mana. Flas crackled along Irina's arms, coiling like serpents, while Astron's presence sharpened, his movents already hinting at his readiness to
strike.
Neither hesitated.
And then Irina moved first, her flas surging outward in a fiery wave as she cast a barrage of searing spears, each one aid with precision.
Astron darted forward, weaving through the assault with practiced ease. His speed had increased again, and Irina noted the subtle adjustnts in his movents. 'He's already improving,' she thought, her respect for his adaptability growing even as her resolve hardened. 'But I'm not done yet!
With a flick of her wrist, she redirected the spears mid-flight, her telekinesis bending their trajectories to cut off his escape. At the sa ti, she summoned a wall of flas to block his advance, forcing him to shift his approach.
Astron didn't falter. His movents were fluid, almost instinctive, as he shifted his weight and countered with a sudden burst of mana, propelling himself into an unpredictable trajectory. He aid for her flank this ti, his hand already poised to
strike.
But Irina was ready.
Her barrier shimred into existence, not as a single point of defense but as a flowing, adaptive shield that moved with her. She had learned from their last exchange, and this ti, her telekinesis allowed her to counter his speed more effectively.
"Not bad," Astron remarked, his voice calm even as his strike t the edge of her
barrier.
"Still think you've got figured out?" Irina shot back, her flas roaring as she pressed forward.
Their fight intensified, the room pulsing with heat and energy as their spells and
strikes collided in a seamless blend of offense and defense. For both of them, this wasn't just a spar-it was a test, a challenge to see who could adapt faster, strike harder, and push themselves further.
And neither had any intention of holding back.
*******
The arena was a battlefield of scorched floors and lingering mana, the air thick with the heat of flas and the tension of unyielding combat. Three hours had passed since the duel began, and neither Irina nor Astron showed any sign of backing down. Irina's flas burned fiercely around her, though they flickered more unevenly now. Her breathing was labored, and beads of sweat dripped down her face, dampening strands of her fiery red hair that clung to her skin. Blood trickled from a shallow cut on her arm, the result of Astron's relentless offensive, and her once-pristine sparring attire bore scorch marks and tears.
Across from her, Astron stood, his figure shadowed by the faint glow of mana still emanating from his body. Though his stance remained composed, his condition was no less telling. His clothes were tattered, singed at the edges with streaks of soot and blood where her flas had found their mark. His calm breathing belied the strain of their prolonged battle, but the gleam in his eyes showed no sign of fatigue-only
focus.
Irina wiped the back of her hand across her brow, saring a streak of ash. Her lips
twitched into a faint smirk despite her exhaustion. "You're not making this easy," she said, her voice hoarse but steady.
"Wouldn't want to disappoint you," Astron replied evenly, his tone calm but edged with
quiet resolve. He shifted his weight slightly, his muscles tense and ready for the next
exchange.
Both combatants remained still for a mont, their gazes locked as they assessed
each other. The silence was heavy, the only sounds were the faint crackle of dying flas and the steady rhythm of their breathing.
"You've improved," Astron said at last, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her.
"Even when you're tired, your control hasn't slipped."
Irina chuckled faintly, though it was laced with exhaustion. "You're not so bad yourself," she admitted, rolling her shoulders despite the ache that settled in her
muscles. "But you're starting to look a little ragged. Are you sure you're not running out of steam?"
Astron glanced down at his torn sleeves, the faint sheen of blood visible beneath the
fabric. He raised an eyebrow, the ghost of a smirk tugging at his lips. "You could say I've had worse," he said, his tone dry.
Irina's smirk widened, though it was tempered by the fatigue pulling at her features.
"Is that so?"
She stepped forward, flas flaring to life once more around her arms. Despite the
strain in her body, her mana surged, the familiar heat rekindling her resolve. If Astron
thought he could outlast her, she was determined to prove him wrong.
"Then a final fight?" "Indeed. A final fight."
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