The ground cracked beneath her feet as she launched forward, blade pointed straight at Jericho's throat with terrifying speed.
Jericho's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh—!"
He barely had time to react as the distance between them vanished in a heartbeat.
Jericho twisted his body at the last possible instant.
The cold edge of Erica's blade sliced through the air where his throat had been a fraction of a second earlier. A single strand of his hair drifted down between them.
The impact of her charge shattered the ground behind him with a loud crack.
For a brief moment—
Silence.
Then the knights burst into stunned gasps.
"…He dodged that?"
"That speed—!"
Jericho landed in a low stance several meters back, one knee brushing the dirt. His eyes were wide—not with fear, but with genuine surprise.
"…That was by inches," he muttered under his breath.
Erica slowly pulled her blade back, her eyes shining with excitement.
"You saw it coming?"
Jericho straightened slightly, a small smile touching his lips.
"Barely."
She laughed.
"Then you really weren't exaggerating about being decent with a sword in your past life."
Jericho shifted his footing and exhaled slowly.
"And you weren't exaggerating about being a genius."
The air between them sharpened.
Without another word, Erica dashed in again—this time feinting low before snapping her sword upward in a brutal rising slash.
Jericho ducked under the arc of the blade and slid backward, the tip of her sword grazing just close enough to cut fabric from his shoulder.
William narrowed his eyes from the side. "She's pressing him hard."
Alice's fists were clenched tightly at her sides, her eyes never leaving Jericho.
Erica didn't give him a moment to breathe.
Her strikes came in a flurry—clean, precise, ruthless.
Jericho moved purely on instinct.
Step.
Twist.
Slide.
Each strike missed him by a breath. Each near-hit sent dust spraying into the air.
The knights watched in stunned silence.
"She's not holding back…"
"And he's not using soul energy…"
Erica suddenly spun on one foot and brought her sword crashing down in a heavy overhead strike.
Jericho crossed his blade just in time—
Clang!
The impact rang across the forest edge.
The force traveled straight through Jericho's arms and into his chest, driving him backward several steps.
His boots dug into the dirt as he skidded to a stop.
"…So this is the strongest knight in the world," Jericho said with a breathless smile.
Erica grinned back. "And you're starting to look less like a god and more like a swordsman."
She lowered her stance again.
The real duel was only just beginning.
Erica took a slow step back.
The smile on her face didn't fade—but something about it changed.
The air around her shifted.
Jericho felt it instantly.
"…You're not done," he said quietly.
Erica didn't answer.
She lowered her sword and closed her eyes for a brief second.
Then—
The ground beneath her feet cracked.
A surge of heat rushed outward in a sudden wave, forcing the knights closest to them to stagger backward.
Jericho's eyes widened.
"Soul… energy? — but how? It's only been under a month!."
Scarlet flames burst to life around Erica's blade, spiraling upward like living fire. The heat was brutal—raw—ferocious. The air itself warped around her.
Then she opened her eyes.
They were blazing.
"Soul Technique…" she said calmly.
The flames exploded outward.
"Hallow Inferno."
She vanished.
Not ran.
Not dashed.
She simply disappeared from where she stood.
Jericho barely had time to register the killing intent before the world in front of him turned red.
A flaming arc tore through the air straight for his chest.
His instincts screamed.
He crossed his sword—
BOOOOOOM!!!
The impact detonated like a blast of molten steel.
Jericho was hurled backward like a broken missile, crashing through the dirt and skidding several meters before coming to a violent stop.
Smoke rose from the ground.
Burn marks scorched the earth in a long trail.
The knights stood frozen in absolute shock.
"…She used it."
"She already used a Soul Technique…"
Alice's heart nearly stopped.
William took a slow breath. "…Unbelievable."
Through the smoke, Jericho slowly pushed himself up.
His clothes were torn.
His arms were trembling slightly.
And his sword—
Cracked straight down the middle.
"…Wow," he muttered, genuinely stunned. {she is already good enough to unlock the second class of the flame element?… is she really human?} he thought, with a nervous smile, but also a look of respect for Erica.
The flames around Erica faded as she rested her sword on her shoulder, her chest rising with steady breaths.
She grinned.
"Told you," she said proudly, a spark of mischief in her eyes,
"I was a genius."
Jericho stared at her for a long second.
Then he laughed—soft, breathless, impressed beyond words.
"…You really are."
The knights erupted in awe-filled murmurs.
And for the first time since the duel began—
Jericho realized something very clearly.
This training… had just become dangerous.
Silence fell over the training ground. Smoke still drifted through the air.
Jericho stood there, staring at the cracked sword in his hand.
Then—
He lifted his head.
And for the first time since the duel began…
his presence changed.
The knights felt it instantly.
A strange pressure washed over them, heavy yet calm, warm yet terrifying.
Erica's eyes widened.
So did the others.
Jericho slowly exhaled.
"Guess I to shouldn't hold back that much anymore."
A faint silver glow began to leak from his body, like mist rising from warm water. It wrapped gently around his arms, his shoulders, his chest—flowing not violently like Erica's flames, but with absolute control.
The ground beneath his feet trembled lightly.
Alice took a sharp breath.
William's eyes narrowed.
The knights stood frozen.
"He activated it… effortlessly."
Jericho flexed his fingers as the broken sword in his hand dissolved into light and faded away. In its place, a new blade of pure condensed soul energy formed—stable, smooth, and terrifyingly refined.
Erica stared at him, getting a bit excited Jericho is finally taking her seriously.
"…You activated it that cleanly."
Jericho turned to her and suddenly smiled.
"Erica," he said sincerely,
"you are truly amazing."
She blinked.
"You didn't just discover your best element…"
"You already know how to call upon it perfectly."
Then he laughed lightly, scratching the back of his head.
"I think you just made my heart skip a beat."
For half a second—
Erica's brain completely shut down.
"Eh—?!"
Her face turned bright red instantly.
"D-d-d-don't say stuff like that in the middle of a mock battle!" she shouted in embarrassment, pointing her sword at him.
"T-that's cheating!"
The knights stared.
Alice nearly crushed the wooden post beside her.
William sighed deeply. "…As expected."
Jericho chuckled softly.
"Alright, alright," he said, raising his glowing blade.
"No more distractions."
His eyes sharpened.
"Come at me again, Commander."
Erica's embarrassment slowly faded… replaced by a fierce, excited grin.
"Heh…"
"So now you're serious too?"
Her flames reignited.
And this time—
Both of them vanished at the same time.
Their soul energies collided head-on in a violent shockwave that tore through the training ground, sending dust, heat, and pressure exploding outward.
The real battle—
Had finally begun.
Their soul energies collided head-on.
BOOOOM!!!
A violent shockwave tore through the training ground, ripping the dust from the earth and sending a ring of raw pressure blasting outward. Several knights were nearly thrown off their feet as the air itself twisted from the impact.
Flames clashed against silver light.
Erica's blade burned like a living inferno, her soul energy roaring wildly around her in brilliant crimson waves. Jericho met her head-on, his glowing blade cutting clean through the fire with frightening precision.
Their swords locked.
Metal screamed.
Power howled.
Erica gritted her teeth as she pushed harder, her flames surging violently.
"Don't think that little compliment is going to soften me up!" she growled.
Jericho slid back a few feet from the force, boots carving through the dirt—but he didn't fall. His grip tightened, his silver aura flaring sharper.
"Wouldn't dream of it."
In a blur, he vanished.
The knights gasped.
Before Erica could even blink, Jericho reappeared at her flank, his blade sweeping toward her ribs. She twisted at the last second, barely deflecting the strike as sparks and fire erupted between them.
They exchanged blows at terrifying speed.
Slash.
Block.
Spin.
Crash.
Each impact sent tremors through the ground.
To the knights, their movements were almost impossible to follow—only streaks of fire and silver light tearing through the battlefield like twin storms.
"She's keeping up with him…" one knight whispered in disbelief.
"No… she's matching him."
Erica leaped backward and slammed her sword into the ground.
"Soul Technique… Hallow Ember Pulse!"
A wave of compressed fire exploded outward.
Jericho crossed his arms instantly, silver soul energy hardening around his body like a shield. The attack smashed into him head-on, skidding him across the dirt in a long trail before he finally stopped.
Smoke poured from the impact zone.
For a brief moment, the training ground fell silent.
Then Jericho slowly stepped out of the smoke, unharmed—though his breathing had slightly deepened.
Erica stared, eyes burning with excitement instead of fear.
"So that's what a god's defense feels like…"
She grinned.
"Good."
Her flames flared even higher.
Jericho returned the smile, eyes sharp and focused.
"And that's what the strongest knight in the world feels like."
The pressure around both of them skyrocketed.
The knights could barely breathe.
Alice clutched her chest unconsciously.
William's eyes were locked in absolute focus.
Even Erica's own soldiers were frozen in awe.
This wasn't just a spar anymore.
This was a clash between monsters.
Erica's flames roared higher, erupting into a swirling inferno of crimson fire that danced wildly around her blade. The sheer intensity of her soul energy was unlike anything Jericho had seen before. It wasn't just power—it was raw, untamed, chaotic brilliance.
"Hhhhhh…!" Erica gritted her teeth, sweat and sparks flying as the fire around her surged uncontrollably. Her sword glowed white-hot as if trying to contain the inferno—but the weapon couldn't hold.
"Erica!" Jericho called out, his eyes narrowing. He leaped forward, dodging a wave of molten fire that ripped through the training ground. "Focus! Control it!"
Her flames screamed louder, circling and clashing with Jericho's silver aura. The heat was unbearable, and even the knights at the edge of the field were forced to shield their faces and look for cover.
She swung her sword in a desperate arc, attempting to strike Jericho—but the intensity of her soul energy backfired. The blade shattered into countless pieces, each fragment glowing faintly as they fell to the ground. The shockwave sent Erica sprawling to her knees.
Dust and sparks settled around her. Her chest heaved, hair sticking to her sweat-soaked face—but she was grinning, eyes sparkling with exhilaration rather than defeat.
Jericho landed beside her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. His silver aura rippled out, calming the violent currents of her soul energy.
"Easy… steady… breathe." he said softly, his tone both commanding and encouraging. "Your power is incredible, Erica. But right now, it's untamed. You have to guide it, not let it guide you."
Erica nodded, taking deep breaths as her flames gradually simmered down, coiling around her body like a living mantle instead of exploding uncontrollably. Her broken sword lay in pieces at her feet, but she didn't seem discouraged.
"I… I can feel it now," she whispered, her chest rising and falling. "It's… like it's alive… it wants to fight with me, not against me."
Jericho smiled, impressed despite himself. "Exactly. That's the connection every wielder of soul energy must learn. You've made more progress than most manage in months. Don't worry about the sword—it can be reforged. What matters is you."
Erica finally lowered her head, still kneeling, a proud smile playing across her face. "Heh… I lost, but… it feels amazing."
The knights around them could only gape, murmuring among themselves in awe. Erica, already known as the strongest knight in the world, had just demonstrated the terrifying potential of her soul energy—and survived her first lesson in controlling it.
Jericho straightened, looking down at her with a glint of admiration. "Next time, we'll push it further. But for now… rest, and remember what you've just learned."
Erica's grin widened. "I won't forget. I'll get it right next time."
The training ground was silent for a moment, only the settling dust and crackle of fading fire marking the aftermath of her first breakthrough.
After the heat and sparks of Erica's attack finally settled, the knights who had taken shelter cautiously began to emerge, their eyes wide as they surveyed the aftermath. The training ground was a mess—scorched earth, splintered trees, and the remnants of Erica's shattered sword scattered across the field.
"Oh… wow," one knight muttered, his voice barely audible. "Was this damage… caused by our commander?!"
"This is insane…" another whispered, shaking his head. "And Lord Jericho survived all of this? Those two… they're inhuman."
William and Alice stepped forward, surveying the scene with tense expressions. Alice's hands tightened nervously around her sword. "William… the commander was already a force to be reckoned with, even without soul energy… what do you suppose we call her now?" she asked, her voice small but laced with awe.
William let out a quiet sigh, his eyes softening as he watched Erica rise from her knees, dusting herself off with that same determined smile. "Well," he said, a proud grin tugging at the corners of his lips, "there goes any chance of her ever acting according to her status or title. But now… every one of her doubters will see she is truly a genius."
He glanced at Jericho, who stood beside her, still radiating calm authority despite the chaos around them. "And it's clear Jericho knows exactly how to bring out the best in her," William added, shaking his head in quiet admiration.
Alice's nervous smile faltered for a moment, replaced by a sense of wonder. "I… I've never seen anything like this. It's… incredible."
From the corner of her eye, Erica caught their gaze, a small teasing smirk on her face. "You lot staring too much will get scorched next," she joked, though the fire in her eyes betrayed just how powerful she had become.
Jericho chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Let's leave the theatrics for later. There's still a lot to learn—and I want all of you ready for the next step."
The knights exchanged glances, a mixture of awe and nervous anticipation settling over them. Whatever lay ahead, they knew this training would push them further than anything they had faced before.