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The clash of steel echoed once more—but this time, something changed.
The moment Vera barked "Again," I lunged without hesitation, moving on instinct rather than hesitation. My blade clashed against hers, and instead of bouncing back like before, I let the sudden pull of momentum guide me. I pivoted, stepped in close, and caught her arm.
Her eyes widened in the briefest flicker of surprise.
In the next instant, I twisted her wrist, leveraging her weight against her balance. With a grunt, I swept her off her feet, pinning her to the dirt. My breath was ragged, heart hammering. For once, I had the advantage.
Or so I thought.
My hand, in all its reckless fumbling, had landed… somewhere it shouldn't.
Her breast. Full, soft, warm beneath the hardened plates of her half-unfastened armor. The sheer, shocking softness filled my palm before my brain could even register what I was holding.
For one, stunned second, I didn't know whether to let go or hold tighter.
Her eyes went wide.
The moment shattered.
With terrifying strength, she twisted under me, and in the blink of an eye, I was the one on the ground. Her hand locked around my throat, armor pressing down on my chest as she straddled me, the pressure cutting off my breath.
My vision blurred at the edges.
Yet—despite the danger—the system pulsed behind my eyes.
[Warning: Hostile Grapple Detected.]
[Opportunity Detected: Intimacy Sync (Candidate: Vera)]
[Recommendation: Proceed.]
The words blazed in my vision. My throat was burning under her grip, but my body reacted before thought could catch up. The sheer weight of her pressing down, the curve of her ass settled squarely against my hips—it made the temptation unbearable.
I wanted to move. To grab. To claim.
But if I did it wrong, she might kill me.
Her green eyes locked on mine, blazing with fury—or was it something else? Then, slowly, she leaned down, her chest pressing flush against mine. The hard curve of her breastplate shifted, her softness brushing my chest through the thin layer of my tunic.
Her lips hovered dangerously close.
"Did you enjoy yourself?" she asked, her voice low, teasing, but edged with steel.
I swallowed hard, words tangled in my throat. "I… I didn't— I mean, it was an accident—"
My excuses broke off as her lips crashed against mine.
Not a gentle kiss. A hungry one.
The kind that left no room for hesitation.
The world blurred, every nerve alight as her tongue pressed against mine, claiming me as fiercely as she'd claimed the battlefield.
[System Notification: Intimacy Sync Activated.]
[Partner Identified: Vera Althaine, Knight-Captain.]
[Enhancement Bonus: Physical Proficiency Boost.]
The ping lit through me, shuddering down my spine. My arms moved without thought, sliding beneath the plates of her armored skirt until my palms found the curve of her ass. Man, it was perfect. Too big for me to hold with just one hand, round and firm yet yielding beneath my grip.
Her body jolted, a moan muffled against my mouth as I pulled her harder onto me, guiding her rhythm against my hardness.
She didn't resist.
Instead, she ground against me, each roll of her hips sharper, more desperate. Her breath grew ragged, her moans breaking into the kiss until she finally tore her lips free, her head thrown back, auburn hair tumbling like fire in the sun.
With a fluid motion, she reached down and unclasped the latches of her armor. The plates fell away with metallic clatters, piece by piece, until the weight that had restrained her was gone.
She was breathtaking.
The proud knight, stripped of her steel, revealed beneath to be flesh and fire and raw desire. Her breasts spilled free, bouncing with each movement, the sight enough to make me ache painfully beneath her.
"Mmhh…" Her voice trembled with pleasure as she rode my grip, each thrust pushing her harder onto me. "Not… bad… for a rookie."
Her teasing words only spurred me on. My fingers dug into the supple flesh of her ass, guiding her hips, making her grind faster, harder. Every gasp, every moan that escaped her lips felt like a victory.
Yet, some part of me still doubted. Was this the same Vera that had sneered at my weakness minutes ago? The woman who had called me pathetic, who nearly strangled me into unconsciousness?
It didn't matter.
Because right now, she wasn't the Knight Captain. She was mine.
Her body trembled, sweat glistening on her skin as she leaned forward again, her breasts pressing against my chest, her lips finding mine once more in a kiss that stole what little breath I had left.
And then, with a sudden sharp gasp, she pulled back. Her eyes were wild, pupils blown wide, her chest heaving.
"…Not here," she panted.
Before I could ask, she snapped her fingers.
The world twisted.
Light swallowed the training ground, the stone walls, the dirt beneath us. In the blink of an eye, the courtyard was gone.
When the light faded, we were no longer outside.
I blinked, breathless, my back pressing against soft sheets instead of hard ground.
My room.
She had teleported us.
Vera straddled me still, her hair clinging to her sweat-dampened skin, her eyes burning with a hunger that made my chest tighten. Her lips curled into a smile, dangerous and seductive.
"Now," she whispered, her voice husky, "let's see if you're worthy of what this world expects from you."
And she lowered herself onto me again.
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