For the others, a deafening shockwave resounded through the air, tearing apart the silence and nearly bursting their eardrums.
Dust and debris rippled outward like waves crashing against stone.
For Judas Spade, however, the noise was quickly drowned out by a sharper one... the sound of his bones snapping.
He could faintly hear the crunch of his forearms breaking under the sheer force before his body was launched backward, skidding across the stone until he crashed through a half-built barricade.
"Judas!"
Ais screamed, her voice strained with panic as she instinctively reached for her sword.
But by the time she blinked, Alfia's presence had already vanished from her line of sight.
A calm, chilling voice came from behind her.
"Gospel."
Ais's breath caught.
She could feel it... the immense surge of magic gathering behind her, compressed into a single, lethal point.
'A one-word chant... just like my Ariel?!'
Her instincts screamed at her to move.
She spun, her lips parting—
"Tempe—"
But she was too slow.
A deafening boom of sound struck her like a hammer.
The invisible force slammed into her chest, throwing her several meters back until her body smashed into the wall.
"Urgh—!"
The impact forced the air from her lungs.
The world around her spun, a high-pitched ringing filling her ears as blood trickled from her nose and eyes.
'She's... really strong!'
Ais staggered out of the rubble, her golden eyes trembling.
Then, through her blurry vision, she saw Alfia walking toward her... unhurried, composed, almost casual.
"Rule number two," Alfia said coldly, her boots echoing against the stone.
"The moment we stand on top of these walls... is the moment training begins."
Her words carried no hostility, yet the pressure she emitted was suffocating.
She looked all relaxed, without a hint of tension.
It seemed like she had let her guard down... a perfect opening.
However...
'It's an illusion. She's baiting me into attacking.'
Beads of sweat rolled down Ais's cheek.
Her instincts screamed that this wasn't just carelessness... it was a trap.
Every step, every breath Alfia took was deliberate.
"Hm?"
Alfia raised an eyebrow, her eyes still closed.
"Even though you're only an amateur, I guess you are still a Level 5 after all."
Her words were almost teasing—
And in that same instant, her head tilted slightly to the side.
A blur of motion passed where her face had been.
'Does she have eyes at the back of her head?!'
Judas thought, his expression darkening as his failed strike was effortlessly evaded.
"If that was your attempt at a sneak attack."
Alfia said, her tone calm and disinterested.
"I'll give that twenty points."
Before he could react, her hand snapped out, grabbing his arm.
A sudden shift of weight—
SLAM!
Judas's body was driven into the ground with brutal precision, dust exploding around him.
"You've improved at masking your intent."
"But your habit of letting your presence leak right before attacking hasn't been fixed."
"It seems you have been relying on your magic spells to supplement for your weak points for too long."
She continued, standing over him like an unflinching shadow.
Judas groaned, the stone beneath him cracking as he tried to push himself back up.
Just as she was about to continue her assault, the air in front of her split with a sharp hiss.
The tip of a sword appeared right between her eyes... so close that she could see her reflection in its steel.
It wasn't just that. Judas, having quickly assessed the opening, sprang to his feet with lightning reflexes.
Channeling strength into his legs, he twisted his body and launched a fierce back kick aimed straight for Alfia's chin.
"Hmph."
She exhaled softly, her expression as calm as ever. In a blur of motion, her right arm moved... fingers closing effortlessly around the sword's edge without even flinching.
Her other hand darted out like a viper, catching Judas's foot mid-kick.
The ground beneath her boots groaned as she slid a few inches back, dust scattering from the impact.
"Hm?"
Alfia glanced down, noticing the faint skid marks left behind. One brow rose slightly.
'Oh? This is the first time I've been pushed back.'
For a brief second, there was genuine intrigue in her otherwise unreadable expression.
Across from her, Ais's heart pounded.
Sweat rolled down her temple.
Even after attacking in perfect sync, Alfia had dismantled their offense like it was nothing.
"That was some neat teamwork you've got there."
Her tone carried a faint, mocking amusement.
"It feels like you two are already familiar with each other. You've fought before this, haven't you?"
Before either of them could respond, Alfia's hand shot out, grabbing Judas by the leg.
With one swift motion, she spun and hurled him straight into Ais... sending both crashing into the wall with explosive force.
"Rule number three, during training sessions, discard the idea that you lot have any free will, and that all sorts of decisions will have to go through me from now on."
"Which means your lives are in my hands in this time frame. I don't care if you have any urgent business to attend to or an important mission... you can only leave if I say so."
Just as she finished saying those words, Alfia's ear twitched.
Swish.
The sound of metal slicing through the air.
A dagger... perfectly aimed at her torso... but unfortunately, Alfia caught the attacker's wrist with ease.
"You're better than him at sneak attacks, I guess."
Alfia didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.
Belle, whose wrist was firmly in Alfia's grasp, gritted her teeth.
"It was worth a try."
In a desperate attempt, Belle tried to drive her knee toward Alfia's face, only for the woman to flick her forehead lightly... yet the impact was strong enough to send her flying into another wall.
cough
cough
Emerging from the rubble, both Judas and Ais found themselves covered in dust and bruises.
"Judas..."
Ais muttered, shaking bits of stone from her hair.
"You've been training like this almost every day?"
Judas spat blood to the side, rolling his shoulders with a grimace.
"Hmm, yeah. But honestly..."
He said, glancing toward Belle... who was currently being pummeled into the ground by her own aunt.
"She's had it even worse. She's been enduring this kind of hell since childhood."
Hearing that, Ais fell silent for a moment.
Her eyes flicked from Judas's scarred but determined face to Belle's struggling figure.
Something stirred within her... envy, admiration, maybe both.
"Let's move."
Judas said, stepping forward.
His body smoked faintly as his wounds began closing, steam rising from his skin.
"Belle won't hold out for long."
As he charged, the ground cracked beneath his feet.
Ais tightened her grip on her sword.
Her lips curved upward ever so slightly.
'I knew it...'
She thought, feeling the pulse of her own heartbeat quicken.
'He's the key. Being with him will help me grow stronger.'
Ignoring the dull ache of her injuries, Ais crouched low, her golden hair fluttering as she pushed off the ground and rushed after him, the spark of battle gleaming in her eyes.
The air trembled once more as four streaks of light clashed in a blur of motion... steel, fists, and sound echoing across the top of the city wall.
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