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As Erin ran through the woods towards the massive structure of dirt, rocks, and plants, the sounds of battles erupted all around her. There was the clangour of steel, flesh ripping, throes of the dying, and many more kinds.

“What the hell is going on?” Erin mused in her heart. She took a deep breath every few steps. The toll was huge on her body. She was still suffering the effects of using one of the strongest spells of Spatial Magic. Therefore, her pace was slow.

Her gaze was fixed towards in front of her. She didn’t pay any heed to the sounds around her. She was baffled by them at first but she came to a realisation after some thinking. The Acolytes and Apostles of different faiths were vying for her bounty.

Instead of cooperating, they were fighting each other. It was clear then, to Erin, that these people cared not about the reason for the bounty on her head. They wanted the reward, whatever it was they were promised by the Guardians. That was all they cared about. Otherwise, they would have cooperated.

There was a clearing ahead that ran for a quarter of a mile before the path was once again swallowed by the dense growth of trees. A foul whiff drifted towards Erin from ahead. It was the smell of blood and a heavy one.

Erin brandished her sword as she entered the clearing. The sight bodies scattering all over the ground came into her sight. She was curious but she didn’t let it stop her. She kept on running while glancing at the bodies. None of them were in one piece. Whoever did this, they were ruthless and efficient.

Erin was halfway through the clearing when a shadow sped towards her in the corner of her view. All the alarms in her head went off at the same time. She covered herself in Arcane Armour and swung her sword around.

The assailant dodged under her blade and followed with a thrust. Erin retreated a step and parried the assailant’s sword with her hand. She suffered no wounds as a result of her Arcane Armour. She riposted with a wide cut but the assailant flipped out of her range.

“As expected of a level fifty-six.”

“Good. Very good,” the assailant said with a chuckle. It was a woman, donned in simple leather armour. Her hair was black, short but it was a mess, with strands stuck on her bloody face, though none of the blood was hers.

“Who the fuck are you?” Erin questioned. She cast her senses in a wide area around in case the assailant had allies lying in wait.

“Oh, don’t worry, Miss Fox. It’s just me.” The woman chuckled. “There’s no one else here. I won’t let anyone disturb this eventual meeting of ours.”

“Who are you?”

“The name’s Eliza but please, call me Liza.”

“Not a pleasure to meet you,” Erin said and lunged at a speed that the average eyes would not see her coming.

However, Eliza moved just enough to dodge Erin’s blade that threatened to take her head. “You are indeed a master of the sword,” Eliza cheered.

Erin pivoted her sword and brought her sword around.

Eliza smirked and once again, moved her body just enough to avoid being cut apart.

“Short-flow Clairvoyance,” Erin muttered after using Appraisal. It was one of the Innate Skills the women appeared to have. The man from before had the same skill. “Is this what it is?”

“How rude of you, Miss Fox. I thought a Fae is supposed to be—”

Erin came at Eliza again before she could finish her sentences. Erin missed her slash again but she threw an Aura Shot at point blank. Eliza’s eyes widened but her surprise was fleeting. She leaned backwards, showing off her remarkable flexibility.

Erin pounced on the opportunity. She brought her sword down before Eliza could recover from her queer posture. Contrary to Erin’s expectation, Eliza twisted her body away. Erin chased after her but Eliza dodged her strikes without even glancing her way.

Erin reeled in her sword and cast Lightning Bolts at Eliza.

As if reading the future like an open book, Eliza avoided all of the Lightning Bolts without any wasted movements. “You don’t disappoint, Miss Fox. Oh, this fight is going to be so… worth it. You have no idea how long I have waited for this ever since I heard of your exploits.”

The moment Erin began casting a greater spell, Eliza moved in.

“Too slow,” she sneered, appearing right in front of Erin in a split second.

Erin forwent the spell and fended Eliza off with her sword.

Their blades clashed. Sparks scattered as the two edges grazed against one another. Erin lurched forward with a low cut. Eliza spun gracefully to the side. Erin’s blade followed her. Eliza snickered and parried the thrust while wielding her sword in a reverse grip.

Erin pressed forward and unleashed a flurry of attacks on Eliza. The bloodied-face woman smiled widely and received the barrage with parries and dodges. None of Erin’s attempts managed to even touch a strand of Eliza’s hair.

“This is really exciting. My heart is pounding. Never have I ever crossed swords with such a virtuoso of the sword. Love is in the air. Tell me, my good lady, do you already have a lover?”

Erin responded with another flurry of attacks that cut only the air.

“Oh, what am I saying? Of course, you have. How can someone as beautiful and strong as you don’t have anyone to warm your bed at night?”

Erin paused her assault for a while and surveyed her surroundings. “I’m being watched. Her allies? No, their bloodlust is directed at the two of us. They are waiting for an opportunity.”

“Worry about those peepers?” Eliza tittered. “Don’t worry, my lady. They won’t interfere. They’re cowards. They won’t do anything until we show weakness, which we would never do. Am I right, my dear?”

“You talk a lot.”

“Isn’t this a trait of yours? From what I have heard, you talk a lot too. So come on, talk with me more, my love.”

Erin grimaced. “No thanks.”

“I’m not in a hurry. I will take my time with you. Time shall open your heart to me, eventually. I’m in no rush. I do enjoy the process. This shall be a trial for me, set by Her Grace.”

Erin rolled her eyes and conjured another sword.

“Oh, finally getting serious with me?”

Erin cast Spatial Sense and strode towards Eliza while pivoting her swords.

The ever-present smirk on Eliza’s face shrunk. “Oh… this is getting a little unnerving.”

When Erin got within range of her swords, she began swinging.

Eliza dodged the slashes. It was easier than before but for some reason, this only made Eliza uneasy.

Then, the rhythm of the slashes began to increase.

Eliza frowned but she still dodged all of the slashes. Though she was smirking through all the slashes she dodged seemingly with ease, behind her facade of confidence, she felt her posture breaking.

A slash came close to grazing her cheek but Eliza dodged it by a hair’s breadth. Her heart thumped hard and loud. In the next moment, the next slash, she raised her sword in defence. She groaned when she received that blow.

“You’re not different from everyone else,” Erin muttered as she poured strength into her grip and leaned into Eliza.

“This is it….” Instead of getting flustered with despair, Eliza got flustered for a whole different reason. “This is why I adore you… so much.”

Erin frowned. She didn’t fail to notice Eliza’s legs were quivering and some kind of fluid was trickling down from the inner region.

“Yes… Erynthea… Look at me more… Stare at me as if I’m the most deplorable thing in this world.”

“Gods be good. You’re insane.”

“I know!” Eliza shrieked gleefully and slithered her way out of the blade-lock.

Erin recovered her stance and lunged with a powerful thrust.

Eliza tried to parry the thrust but she underestimated Erin’s strength. Her sword nearly flew out of her hands. She gripped her sword tighter and riposted.

Erin pivoted her swords and blasted Eliza with relentless blows that quickly overwhelmed the shorter girl’s stamina.

Still, despite her disadvantage, Eliza’s spirit did not falter. She didn’t mind that she was losing in this swordplay. After all, Erin had yet to land a cut on her. All was not lost, Eliza firmly believed. As long as she had Short-flow Clairvoyance, she would eventually come out the victor.

Gradually, Erin cast away all forms and patterns to her swordplay and focused on only landing a strike on Eliza. The unhinged girl was not at all reliant on her skills despite the jibe Eliza hurled her way. Eliza had talent and the realisation brewed doubts in her mind.

“What’s the matter, my dear?” Eliza asked with a chuckle. “You’re getting sloppy. I can see so many holes in your stance. Your blows are no longer as precise as before. Are you getting tired? Come on, now. Don’t disappoint me, not after we came this far. I truly don’t wish for this to end so… prematurely.”

“Don’t you worry. This won’t end prematurely,” Erin retorted.

“Then, show me the legend that you are, the legend that I have heard so much about.”

Erin clicked her tongue. On one hand, she wished to enjoy this fight longer but on the other, the circumstances did not allow her to. Furthermore, being in the presence of Eliza was not good for her mental well-being. Erin felt that she would be dragged along into the abyss that was Eliza’s common sense.

The girl had a twisted view of love if it was even love in the first place.

“You’re losing your focus!”

Erin bent her knees, avoiding a slash that would have else wise taken her head.

“This is very unlike the Erynthea I have heard so much about. Are you a sham all along perhaps?”

Erin sighed. “I have enough of this,” she murmured.

“If you are a sham, then you shall die a dog’s death!” Eliza screamed and flew towards Erin with all her might and ferocity.

A glint flashed across Erin’s gaze as she prepared to receive Eliza’s torrential attacks. The sword of Eliza came like a storm, carrying a hail of blades.

“Prove that you are the real one!”

Erin offered no retort with words but only actions. She received the hail and launched counterattacks after each parry. Lightning covered and surged through her body.

In the blink of an eye, Eliza’s advantage was gone. Not that she ever had any from the start. It was only an illusion. The novelty of her ability was her only superiority but novelty was not everlasting. As soon as it faded, Ering reigned the flow of the fight.

Eliza was still dodging Erin’s attacks but not for long. A slash came. Eliza could see the ruse coming with it. She was prepared to dodge accordingly. She saw the future. She saw how the ruse would happen. However—

—the future changed, all of a sudden. This had never happened before. Though Eliza wasn’t over-reliant on her abilities, that wasn’t to say she wasn’t reliant at all.

She saw the future. She saw how the blade would have pierced her head but it didn’t. Not only that, the blade disappeared altogether as if it had stopped existing.

A strange feeling grasped her heart and it pressed tightly down on her. It was fear, an emotion she had long forgotten due to her Short-flow Clairvoyance.

She never stopped seeing the future and she never stopped accustoming herself to it but when it changed so abruptly, her body failed her perception. She did what she could but it was a moment too slow.

The blade streaked across her eyes and her arms went twirling in the air, scattering blood all around. Before she could realise those arms were hers, something sharp, cold, and solid slithered across her throat. The cold feeling disappeared, replaced immediately by a warmth that spread down her body.

She looked down and all she saw was red before her sight turned blurry and her world eventually fell into complete darkness.