The two continued to exchange moves, one after another.
At first glance, it seemed like they were on equal footing.
However—
SWOOSH!
That balance was nothing but an illusion.
'Shit!'
A stinging sensation ran across his cheek.
Blood splattered onto the ground.
'That was too close.'
Make no mistake... Judas was doing far better than before.
He was growing... that much was undeniable.
But in truth, Judas was still on the defensive, unable to land a single counterattack.
Compared to him, who was pushing himself to the absolute limit, Alise was moving effortlessly, slashing with absolute confidence.
Judas and Alise continued to clash, the relentless exchange of blows tipping further and further in Alise's favor.
He parried another one of her slashes, but the sheer force numbed his arms and sent a sharp jolt of pain through his body.
His vision blurred for a moment as blood dripped from his nose.
Alise seized the opening.
In one swift motion, she struck the back of his hand with the hilt of her sword.
His grip faltered, though he still managed to hold on to his staff.
Seeing this, Alise couldn't help but let out a cheerful smile.
"You were right."
"You did surprise me."
Alise exhaled, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"I thought you wanted a challenge."
Judas smirked despite his exhaustion.
"I have no idea how you did it, but it felt like you were reading me like a book."
She admitted nothing, instead pointing her sword straight at him.
'I could feel it... he was growing throughout this entire battle.'
She studied his expression.
"I am ending this right now."
Her expression turned serious as her figure gave off a terrifying presence.
"Looks like Alise has finally decided to use that skill."
Kaguya commented, narrowing her eyes.
Blocking another strike from Alise, Judas felt his insides rattle violently.
'Am I imagining it... or did Alise just get even stronger?'
He wiped the sweat from his brow, but before he could regain his bearings—
"Judas, take this!"
Alise flashed to his side, executing a horizontal slash aimed at his lower body.
'Can't dodge that!'
Judas defended with his staff, but his eyes widened when the weapon split clean in half.
The wooden weapons they were using were not ordinary.
They were crafted from branches of the sacred tree of the Wishe Forest, designed to handle the strain of sparring between first-class adventurers.
'I even reinforced that with magic power to make it more durable.'
Before he could react, Alise's outstretched foot drove into his chest.
Judas crossed his arms to defend, but the instant they connected, he felt the bones in his arms and ribs shatter into pieces.
He was launched back, crashing into a wall as blood sprayed from his lips.
'She hit so hard... even compared to before, it felt like I got struck by a speeding truck. Where did this extra bit of strength come from?'
Judas thought as he kneeled on the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
'Is it a skill that boosted her strength?'
The Skill section of the Falna.
One of the most important aspects of the blessing because it reflects the unique abilities tied to the adventurer's nature, experiences, or potential.
Skills are not taught or learned like magic spells.
They manifest naturally when an adventurer meets certain conditions... through experiences, emotions, or growth.
Each skill is highly personal and unique.
They can enhance physical power, grant special abilities, or even defy the normal rules of the world.
Just like how Judas possessed powerful skills that granted him extra power.
It wouldn't be far-fetched for other adventurers to possess powerful skills as well.
'Alise Lovell... I heard from Loki that they consider her the strongest Level 5 in Orario, if Ais Wallenstein doesn't use her wind.'
Judas thought, his breaths ragged and labored.
"Judas, is this all you've got?"
Alise asked as she walked toward him with a smile.
"Heh..."
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Judas stood back up.
"Not yet... I'm not done just yet..."
He raised the two pieces of his broken staff and summoned a magic circle that bound them back together.
"I have no intention of losing."
He spun the staff in his hand and pointed it toward his red-haired opponent.
Then his body flared with intense waves of magical energy as his mana pool drained at an alarming pace.
The Falna on his back flickered.
[Body Reinforcement]
Exchanging mana for more power, he pushed his body to the very limit of a Level 4, teetering on the precipice of Level 5.
"Full Power!"
His body exploded with surreal power.
However, such a boost came at a steep price.
'I feel like my body is about to explode.'
He gritted his teeth, a vein throbbing violently on his forehead.
Just maintaining this state tore his muscles apart.
But he endured the pain... and then stared directly into Alise's eyes.
"You still had something up your sleeve, huh?"
Alise's grin widened as she shifted into her stance.
No more words were shared.
The two rushed at each other without hesitation.
Blow for blow, with Alise's mastery of the sword against Judas making full use of his range advantage with the staff.
Every exchange... every clash of their weapons... sent shockwaves tearing through the arena.
A flurry of attacks shattered the ground, stone debris scattering in every direction.
Judas was still at a disadvantage.
After all, Alise's experience in close combat was nothing to scoff at.
On top of that, her superior stats meant it would always be a difficult battle for him, no matter how much he tried to bridge the gap with technique.
But this time, there was a difference... it was no longer one-sided.
He spun his staff, defended, attacked, and parried with it.
With each second, his mastery of the weapon improved by leaps and bounds.
'A chance!'
And at last, he landed his first real strike... swinging his staff into Alise's shoulder, leaving it bruised.
"Amazing!"
"So fast!"
"Woah!"
"So this is Judas Spade... I guess those rumors were true after all."
The members of the Astraea Familia watched in awe, voices filled with amazement at the display.
In a location some distance away, a lone figure stood atop a rooftop, staring toward Stardust Garden.
"I was wondering where that noise came from. Looks like those brats are having fun."
With her white hair swaying in the wind, Alfia spectated the battle from afar.
In the highest chamber of the Tower of Babel, another pair of eyes gleamed with far greater interest.
Freya sat upon her throne, her delicate fingers resting against her lips as she watched Judas's battle unfold through her divine mirror.
Beside her, Ottar remained silent, observing.
"Ah... marvelous."
Freya whispered, her voice filled with unrestrained delight.
"What a stunning display."
A knowing smile curled her lips as a glint of desire flickered in her violet eyes.
"Judas Spade..."
She leaned forward slightly, anticipation thick in her tone.
"Win."
His biggest fan cheered him on.
----
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