The sun rose high over the Aegis Guild’s mountain outpost, casting a bright, golden light over the training grounds where Katsuo and Serena stood, facing each other at opposite ends of the sparring ring. Around them, a crowd of vanguards had gathered, eager to witness the highly anticipated match between two warriors who had spent the past week pushing themselves to their limits.

Katsuo gripped his odachi, his muscles tense with anticipation. His heart was racing, but it wasn’t from nerves. It was the thrill of the challenge—the knowledge that he would be facing off against someone he respected, someone who had trained just as hard as he had.

Serena, standing across from him, twirled her tonfas with a calm confidence. Her expression was unreadable, but Katsuo could sense the determination in her eyes. She wasn’t just here for a friendly spar. She was here to win.

The sparring ring was set, the crowd murmuring in excitement as the two combatants prepared for battle. Among the spectators, Yuu, Dachi, Natasha, and several other vanguards stood at the front, eager to see the outcome of the match.

Zin Mirallis, acting as the unofficial referee, stood at the edge of the ring, his voice carrying over the crowd. "Alright, everyone. The rules are simple: no lethal force, no magic above Tier 2, and fight until one of you can no longer continue. Keep it clean, and give us a good show."

Katsuo and Serena exchanged a glance, their silent challenge already understood. They had trained side by side for a week, but now it was time to test themselves against each other.

Zin raised his hand, signaling the start of the match. "Begin!"

The moment the word left his lips, Katsuo and Serena sprang into action. Katsuo charged forward, his odachi slicing through the air with a powerful overhead strike. Serena darted to the side with incredible speed, her tonfas spinning in her hands as she deflected his blow with a sharp clack of metal.

Katsuo wasted no time, shifting into the 1st Form, The Way of the Blade. His sword moved swiftly, fluidly, as he unleashed a series of precise strikes aimed at Serena’s defenses. Each swing of his blade was calculated, his movements a testament to the rigorous training he had undergone with Yuu and Dachi.

But Serena wasn’t just defending. She met Katsuo’s attacks head-on, her tonfas moving with a rhythm all their own, blocking and parrying with practiced ease. She spun on her heel, ducking under one of Katsuo’s strikes and countering with a sharp jab to his side.

Katsuo barely managed to block the hit, gritting his teeth as the impact reverberated through his arm. Serena’s speed was impressive—far faster than he had anticipated.

"That all you’ve got?" Serena taunted, her voice calm but edged with a competitive fire.

Katsuo smirked, stepping back to reassess his strategy. "I’m just getting started."

He shifted his stance, transitioning into the 4th Form, The Iron Mountain. His posture became more defensive, his body a fortress of steel as he prepared to weather Serena’s next assault. Sure enough, she was on him in an instant, her tonfas whirling as she struck at his defenses with a barrage of swift, precise blows.

Katsuo stood firm, deflecting each strike with the flat of his odachi, his eyes locked on Serena’s movements. He knew that her speed and agility were her greatest strengths, but he also knew that she wasn’t expecting what came next.

With a sudden burst of movement, Katsuo shifted back into the 1st Form and launched a counterattack. His sword moved in a blur, slashing at Serena from multiple angles in rapid succession. Serena’s eyes widened, barely managing to keep up as she blocked each strike, her tonfas spinning to deflect the blows.

But Katsuo wasn’t finished. He adjusted his grip on the odachi and unleashed a new move he had been practicing all week with Yuu and Dachi—a combination of both the 1st and 4th Forms. He spun low to the ground, using the weight of his sword to increase the force of his strike, and aimed a powerful blow at Serena’s midsection.

Serena saw the attack coming, but it was faster and stronger than she had expected. She had no choice but to cross her tonfas in front of her, using them to absorb the impact. The force of the blow sent her skidding back across the ring, her boots digging into the dirt to keep her balance.

The crowd murmured in excitement, clearly impressed by the exchange.

Serena narrowed her eyes, her expression hardening with determination. "Not bad," she said, adjusting her grip on the tonfas. "But you’re not the only one who’s been training."

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She darted forward again, faster this time, her body a blur of motion as she closed the distance between them. Katsuo braced himself for the onslaught, but Serena surprised him by suddenly veering to the side, using her speed to circle around him.

Katsuo barely had time to react as Serena’s tonfa struck the back of his knee, causing him to stumble. She followed up with a rapid series of strikes, each one aimed at his vulnerable spots—his ribs, his shoulders, his legs. Katsuo grunted in pain as he tried to block, but Serena’s speed was overwhelming.

Realizing he needed to change tactics, Katsuo planted his feet firmly and raised his sword high, summoning the full power of the 4th Form. His body became an immovable object, and as Serena’s tonfas clashed against his defenses, the force of her attacks seemed to bounce off him like waves against a rock.

Serena, unfazed, stepped back and reassessed. She knew she couldn’t overpower him directly—not with the Iron Mountain in play. But she had a few tricks of her own.

She took a deep breath, focusing her energy, and in a flash, she activated her Blitz ability—a technique that allowed her to move at blinding speed for short bursts. In an instant, she was gone, her figure disappearing from Katsuo’s sight.

Katsuo’s eyes widened. "Where—?"

Before he could finish the thought, Serena reappeared behind him, her tonfa already swinging toward his back. Katsuo spun just in time to block the hit, but Serena was already gone again, using her Blitz to dart around the ring in a series of rapid strikes.

The crowd gasped in awe as Serena’s speed left afterimages in her wake, her attacks coming from every direction.

Katsuo gritted his teeth, trying to keep up with her movements. He couldn’t afford to stay defensive any longer. With a roar, he unleashed a powerful horizontal slash, his odachi cutting through the air in a wide arc. Serena dodged to the side, but the force of the attack created a gust of wind that momentarily disrupted her balance.

Seizing the opportunity, Katsuo rushed forward, switching back to the 1st Form and delivering a flurry of strikes that forced Serena to go on the defensive. His sword moved like a blur, each swing carrying the weight of his training, the strength he had built over the last week.

Serena blocked and parried, her tonfas moving in tandem with Katsuo’s blade. She gritted her teeth, refusing to let him overpower her. With a sharp breath, she feinted to the right, then spun low to the ground, aiming a sweeping kick at Katsuo’s legs.

Katsuo saw the move coming and jumped to avoid the kick, but as he did, Serena struck upward with her tonfa, catching him off guard. The blow hit him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him stumbling back.

The crowd erupted into cheers, the excitement palpable as the two combatants continued to trade blows.

Katsuo regained his footing, his breath ragged but his determination unshaken. "You’re not making this easy," he said, his voice laced with both admiration and exhaustion.

Serena smirked, though her own breathing was labored. "I told you—I’m not here to lose."

They circled each other, both of them battered and bruised but unwilling to give up. The intensity of the fight had only increased, and neither one of them was holding back anymore.

Katsuo tightened his grip on his odachi, his mind racing as he searched for a way to break through Serena’s defenses. She was fast—too fast to pin down with brute force. But he had something that might give him the edge.

With a deep breath, Katsuo shifted his stance, preparing to unleash the move he had been saving for this exact moment. It was a combination of everything he had learned—the strength of the Iron Mountain, the precision of the Way of the Blade, and the fluidity he had developed through his training.

He locked eyes with Serena, a determined smile crossing his face. "Let’s finish this."

Serena’s smirk faded, replaced by a look of intense focus. She could sense that Katsuo was about to pull out something new, something powerful. But she wasn’t about to back down.

"Bring it," she said, her voice steady.

Katsuo moved first, his odachi cutting through the air with incredible speed as he launched into a series of strikes that were faster, stronger, and more unpredictable than anything he had shown before. His movements were a blur, his sword a whirlwind of power as he pressed Serena back.

Serena’s tonfas moved in a defensive whirlwind, blocking and parrying with all her might. But Katsuo wasn’t letting up. His attacks were relentless, and for the first time, Serena found herself on the defensive, struggling to keep up.

But she wasn’t finished yet.

With a burst of energy, Serena activated her Blitz ability one final time, moving at blinding speed as she weaved between Katsuo’s strikes. She was everywhere and nowhere at once, her tonfas spinning in a deadly dance as she aimed for Katsuo’s weak points.

The two of them clashed again and again, their weapons ringing out like a symphony of steel. Neither one of them was willing to give an inch, each strike more powerful than the last.

Finally, with a roar, Katsuo delivered a powerful overhead slash, and Serena, with her last burst of energy, blocked it with both tonfas crossed in front of her. The impact sent a shockwave through the ring, the ground beneath them shaking as the two warriors locked eyes, their weapons locked in a final clash.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

Then, slowly, both of them stepped back, panting and exhausted, but neither willing to give up.

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, the vanguards surrounding the ring in awe of the display of skill and determination.

Katsuo and Serena stood across from each other, breathing heavily, but there was a mutual respect in their eyes. They had fought with everything they had, pushed themselves to the limit, and in the end, they had both grown stronger because of it.

Serena smiled, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Not bad, Katsuo."

Katsuo grinned, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "You weren’t too bad yourself."

The match may have ended, but the bond between them had only grown stronger.

The sun was setting and both of them decided to enjoy dinner together for their last night of training.

They made it back to their rooms wishing that this day would never end but all good things must always come to an end.

even if it was done abruptly