She rewound the footage to the very beginning… to the moment Eleanor charged in, hands already crackling with lightning. "Your initial assessment was correct. You were at a disadvantage. Your solution was the same as always: overwhelming speed and power. You learned nothing from our previous training session. You treated this stone dragon not as a unique problem, but as a stronger version of your previous opponents."
Annabeth paused the video on the first exchange, where Eleanor's jab whistled past Barrock's head. "You tested his reactions with a strike aimed at his throat… a killing blow. In a tournament, it's a permissible move. But what did it gain you? It told you he was confident and possessed excellent perception. You already knew that. It was a wasted movement that committed you to a close-range exchange against a stronger opponent. Your first move should have been to understand the environment… to use the space, to force him to move."
