She didn’t wait. In a single motion, her body surged forward, disappearing from his field of vision in a fraction of a second.
Her aura literally exploded out of her. A network of crimson lightning enveloped her legs and arms with a violent crackling, multiplying her muscular power by five.
The ground beneath her feet exploded into shards of earth and stone under the force of her propulsion. Kara reappeared instantly on Kris’s right flank, her claws already in motion for a lateral claw strike.
He only had ti to hastily step back half a pace and raise his spear across his body in a makeshift parry.
Her claws struck the shaft of his spear, releasing a shower of sparks. Without the slightest pause, Kara followed up. An ascending knee strike aid at his ribs—he managed to dodge at the last second.
But imdiately after, a left hook charged with electricity targeted his temple. Kris succeeded in blocking the three chained attacks by using the length of his weapon to intercept, but the raw power of the impacts sent him sliding backward several ters, his boots carving furrows in the earth.
"You bastard!" she spat.
She charged again without giving him ti to catch his breath or respond.
A low circular kick targeted his right ribs. Kris barely parried by slamming the shaft of his spear against his side, but the shock reverberated through his bones.
He spun on himself to use the montum and attempted a quick frontal thrust. The sharp tip of the spear passed within a few centiters of Kara’s stomach. She bent backward, placed one hand on the ground for support, and propelled herself forward again, using the position for a four-legged leap that brought her back into striking range.
"Too fast!!!"
Kris frowned, a flash of intense concentration passing through his gaze. He had never faced an opponent so aggressive and explosive right from the first seconds of a fight.
"Wow, why are you so violent? It’s just an exam," he said, forcing a light tone despite his shortness of breath. "Are all half-beasts such uncontrollable savages?"
The response was imdiate and unambiguous. Kara struck head-on, abandoning all finesse. A direct punch, charged with electric aura, smashed straight toward his chest.
Kris instinctively activated his defense.
A dense compression of air ford in front of him just in ti.
’Good thing I’m also a second-circle mage,’ he thought, the impact making the invisible barrier vibrate and pushing him back a step. ’Otherwise that strike would have already shattered my sternum.’
The impact crackled through the air and sent sparks flying in all directions. Kara also stepped back, surprised by the magical defense but in no way impressed.
"Savage?" she repeated, her eyes blazing with anger. "You’re exactly the arrogant pig I recognized at that slave market!"
"What!?"
Kris froze for a fraction of a second, eyes wide from the suddenness of the accusation. That brief mont of shock was enough.
Kara exploded into motion again. She slid low under his now-loose guard and executed a double claw sweep across his left flank.
Her claws sliced through fabric and flesh.
"Arhh... Shit!"
Blood spurted, splashing the grass. Kris gritted his teeth, a groan of pain escaping him, and shoved Kara back with a violent circular swing of the shaft that she barely parried.
"I don’t even know you!" he exclaid, his voice mixing pain and indignation. "You’re slandering to justify your attack?"
He resud his fighting stance, planting the base of his spear into the ground to stabilize himself, and unleashed his own Art.
Vivid orange flas burst along the weapon, enveloping the tip in an intense halo of heat. He struck straight ahead, a simple but devastating thrust. At the precise mont of impact, he amplified the attack.
The fire, fanned by the wind, exploded into an incandescent cone. The ground was literally torn away for several ters, hurling earth and debris.
Kara, unable to resist the combined force of the two elents, was blown backward. She rolled across the uneven ground for several ters before managing to stop on one knee.
Her breathing was rapid and wheezing, superficial burns marked her arms, but her gaze remained deadly calm.
She rose slowly, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Exactly three years ago. At the Neon slave market. It was you who examined in that cage, you who discussed the price. You wanted to buy , right?" Her voice was low, but everyone watching the scene through the caras could hear her accusations.
"I never forget a scent. The scent of nobility and the vile cruelty that is yours."
Kris felt an icy grip tighten around his chest as mories suddenly surged back.
’Three years ago? Neon... That was when I infiltrated that network to investigate the Paragon family’s activities. Shit, she must have thought I was a buyer.’
He advanced, going on the offensive to regain control. He now used the full reach of his spear. Each strike was heavy, imbued with physical strength and mana, designed to break guards and shatter defenses.
Kara had to dodge constantly, at the limit of her abilities. Sotis she wasn’t fast enough. The tip of the spear grazed her skin, tearing it and tracing a long gash across her arm. A burst of burning stone struck her in the abdon.
After all, lacking her speed, Kris compensated with devastating area attacks.
Kara adjusted her strategy. Realizing that direct confrontation played into Kris’s strength and reach, she opted for cunning and redoubled aggression, exploiting her superior speed.
She threw herself forward. Kris prepared his parry, shifting his weight onto his stance. At the last mont, Kara spun on her right leg in a twisting motion, dodging the spear tip and ending up on his left flank.
Before he could readjust his guard, a precise circular kick sank deep into the muscle of his right thigh. The impact was sharp and profound, drawing a stifled groan from Kris and making his leg buckle.
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