Anyi regarded her thoughtfully and replied, "I just offered suggestions—you choose your own path. If you want to be a warrior, train with your warrior teammates. I know swordsmanship, not martial arts, but your soldiers will know how to guide you."

"Okay!" Karen replied with fierce determination and turned toward the soldiers to begin her training.

Seizing the moment, Ariana sidled up to Anyi with a mischievous grin. "Anyi…how about we go out and have some fun?"

Anyi’s expression didn’t change. "No, your training isn’t over yet."

Ariana’s shoulders slumped as she protested, "But I want to go out and play…!!"

…

Afterward, Anyi focused on teaching Ariana how to time her skills accurately. With 15 points in Technique, her combat reflexes were theoretically fast, but her lack of real experience held her back. She was like a novice player—some rush in and use all their abilities at once, while others hesitate, fearing they’ll miss. Ariana belonged to the latter group.

Fortunately, there was a high-Agility target in their midst. Anyi instructed Miruku to move continuously, stopping at random intervals, so Ariana could practice finding and exploiting openings. The requirement was simple: attack at the first opportunity, using any spell or skill at her disposal.

The training began, and Miruku responded effortlessly. From her perspective, Ariana’s actions were practically in slow motion. She would stand still until Ariana’s attacks were close, then dodge at the last moment, creating a frustrating game of cat and mouse. In her own way, she was teasing Ariana, letting her attacks miss by just inches.

Ariana grew frustrated, muttering about Miruku’s speed and how her attacks could never keep up. But rather than resign herself, she practiced, though she seemed less than hopeful of success.

Then Anyi stepped in. Wielding his slime sword, he demonstrated the technique, transforming the lightning-fast Miruku into a spinning top of motion and fury, leaving Ariana in awe. Miruku finally lay off to the side, covering her head with a wince.

"Miruku is so fast! How did you do that?" Ariana asked, eyes wide with admiration.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Catching her isn’t easy, but remember, she doesn’t always move,” Anyi explained. “Even at her speed, she pauses. Focus, wait for the slightest break, then strike with precision."

Ariana laughed sheepishly. "I thought I was preparing myself, but she always saw me coming."

"Then try preparing moves she can’t see. Like this…" Anyi’s hand shot up, making a feint towards Ariana.

Ariana froze, but then she felt the cold press of the slime sword against her neck and gasped.

“Why didn’t you dodge right from the start?” Anyi asked, revealing the sword he’d hidden behind his back.

Ariana touched her neck, astonished. "Huh? Dodge? Wait, so you were really going to hit me?"

"Just a prank," he smirked.

Ariana laughed. “Hehehe… I didn’t dodge because Anyi used the sword! I wasn’t expecting that!”

"Fair enough," Anyi released his hold, eyeing Ariana. "Did you notice my attack just now?"

Ariana shook her head, then realization dawned on her. "Oh! So I need to hide my preparations too? Make sure the opponent doesn’t see it coming!"

"Exactly. If the opponent doesn’t anticipate an attack, they won’t prepare to dodge." Anyi nodded approvingly.

"I get it!" Ariana replied, eyes lighting up. She looked over to Miruku, a spark of determination flickering in her gaze. Miruku might be fast, but she wasn’t invincible—if Ariana concealed her attack carefully enough, she’d finally land a hit!

The second round of training began. Ariana's staff shimmered, transforming into a slime orb as a confident smile played on her lips. "Miruku, let’s start!" she called out.

Miruku nodded from a distance, then burst into motion, her Agility at a level Ariana’s eyes couldn’t even follow. She darted back and forth, her movements swift and elusive.

As Miruku paused briefly, Ariana launched a Water Arrow from her slime orb. Miruku dodged effortlessly, slipping past the attack with ease and then resumed her high-speed movements. But Ariana kept her gaze steady, hands still as she prepared her next strike. Miruku noticed this; Ariana hadn’t even lifted her arm or made any obvious motion—the Water Arrow seemed to shoot from her orb by pure intent.

It was clear Ariana was honing in on subtlety, hiding her every intention within her spell. Now, Miruku had to rely only on the brief flash of the Water Arrow’s trajectory, rather than on Ariana’s visible movements.

Anyi observed in satisfaction. Ariana was progressing remarkably fast, adapting her approach to remove any "tells" that might give her next move away. Miruku, he thought, might even be feeling the pressure.

Suddenly, a Water Arrow shot toward Miruku again, and she moved to dodge—

But then the arrow curved sharply, veering from left to right!

"?!?" Miruku leaped out of its path, abandoning her usual composed dodging for a full, startled jump back.

"Hehehe! Miruku, maybe it’s time to fix that bad habit of yours!" Ariana taunted, her grin triumphant.

Anyi gave a nod, impressed. Ariana had read Miruku’s cocky habit of avoiding every attack without retaliation. Her sharp, strategic attacks had turned Miruku’s own confidence against her.

The day would come soon enough when the tables turned, and Miruku would face a real challenge.