Ka'mal led the group down a side corridor to a wide, open area that could be used as an arena. It was originally meant to be a place to test various abilities and, to a certain degree, the teamwork of those involved in the operation. The elf was under no illusion that people wouldn't end up sparring in this arena, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly. Everyone gathered behind the protective glass to watch the fight while Hera and Blade walked to opposite ends of the room.

"I hope you understand I wasn’t trying to offend you. I just don’t believe you are strong enough to handle this task," Blade spoke up.

Hera raised an eyebrow. "I mean, you’ve got to hear how that sounds, right? It’s the most backhanded way of saying I’m weak. But don’t worry, I don’t care about that. Honestly, if you think you’re better suited for this part of the mission, I’m fine with you going. We should send the person with the best odds of getting the job done. But I’m not sure you’re the right person for that either."

Blade frowned. "And why not?"

"Because the way you’re acting, I’m assuming you didn’t even read my file."

"What file?"

Hera rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Do you really expect me to believe that an intelligence agency doesn’t have files with the abilities of everyone who works for them? And that you didn’t go through mine once we were called for this mission?"

"I don’t have any file. And it’s really sad that you’re so distrusting that you think the Agency keeps files on everyone," Blade huffed.

"Actually, the Agency does keep files on everyone who works here. It’s part of the deal. But we don’t share those files with anyone unless we either have the authorization of the person in the file or their abilities are specifically relevant to the mission. In this case, the only thing I told them was that you have your snakes, Hera," Ka'mal explained through the intercom.

Hera frowned and turned back to Blade. "So you didn’t even read my file."

"No," Blade said, looking vindicated.

"That’s even worse. You didn’t read my file, you didn’t use [Observe], or at least, I couldn’t tell if you did, and you just assumed I was weak."

"I didn’t assume anything. I can tell you’re weaker than me. Once you reach a certain degree of mana sensitivity, you’re able to tell without using any skills."

"Oh, I understand that. I can tell you’re much stronger than I am. I can also tell that you’re stronger than Ziltan, who’s stronger than Ka'mal. But I can also tell that the difference in strength between you and Ziltan isn’t as big as the difference between Ziltan and Ka'mal. Trust me, mana sensitivity is kind of my thing. But it doesn’t change the fact that you took a cursory glance and decided I wasn’t fit for the job without knowing my skill set or anything about me, really. That shows a lack of foresight and critical thinking that might be a problem for a solo mission. And I mean no offense by this. Maybe you’re just having a bad day, or you want revenge for some reason, or there’s someone in there you want to save. I don’t know, but that doesn’t justify acting like that."

"The Guild tricked me, tricked us, into attacking the centaurs. After that, they arrested everyone. I was able to escape, but here’s the thing. No one has been admitted to a prison. But no one knows where those prisoners are. There’s every possibility that the people I fought with, the people who were by my side, are all being experimented on. Or worse. So yeah, I do have some emotional attachment to this. If that area is more well-protected, maybe that’s where they’re being kept," Blade said, her voice rising. Her yell wasn’t directed at Hera but at the situation itself.

The Empress gave her a nod. "That’s understandable. And that’s even more reason why you shouldn’t let your emotions guide you now. What if they are there, and because you got distracted, you fail to notice a guard or someone triggering a deadman switch that kills everyone?"

"And you’re saying you’d be able to notice something like that?"

"If I’m more likely to stay focused, then yes."

"Fine then," Blade said, drawing her sword. "Let’s see if you can beat me."

Hera sighed. "I don't think that I can beat you. But I do think you’re going to struggle more than you expect." She created a venomous longsword, a weapon very similar to the one Blade was wielding. Her Court was still inside her legacy. Not because the Ophidianite intended to fight without them, but to use their presence as a surprise tactic.

"Before you start, just a reminder. The arena has placed a barrier around each of you. If the barrier gets broken, you lose. No arguments, no second chances. This is supposed to be a spar, not a death match," Ka'mal’s voice came through the intercom once more. "Are you two ready?"

"Yes," both replied at the same time.

"Then fight!" Ka'mal shouted, signaling the start of the duel.

The initial moments were completely still. The warriors measured their opponent, waiting to see who would make the first move. For what felt like an eternity, not just to Hera, but also to those watching, the two women simply stared at each other. After a very long 40 seconds, there was a change. A minor one. The Empress noticed a small wobble in the mana surrounding Blade. It was such a subtle movement that most would chalk it up to interference or their own poor proficiency in sensing mana.

Moving on instinct, the Ophidianite shifted her body to the side and raised her sword to block an attack she wasn’t even sure was coming. The two longswords collided, the impact so strong it almost sent Hera flying backward. The only reason she wasn’t pushed away was her tail, which provided the necessary support to withstand the blow.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Blade raised an eyebrow, surprised by the reaction. She hadn’t attacked with her full strength. After all, Hera was more than 20 levels weaker than her, but she still hadn’t expected the Ophidianite to block the attack. Taking advantage of her opponent’s hesitation, the Empress flipped backward, kicking Blade away. Her tail worked as an anchor so she wouldn’t fall, and as the extra appendage left the ground, Pyro appeared on its tip. The tail blade slashed at the fighter known as the Blade of Dawn.

The woman jumped back, evading the attack completely. She now noticed that Hera had a tiara on her head, which hadn’t been there previously. However, her confusion was overshadowed by what the Ophidianite was doing.

Hera unhinged her jaw and let her fangs pop out as if she was about to spray poison on her opponent. Blade held her sword in front of her, keeping the flat side facing the Empress. The weapon began to heat up with radiant energy, preparing to form a shield to protect against the presumed attack. But instead, Hera created a flashbang spell inside her mouth. A cone of light burst from her jaws, like something out of an old monster movie.

Blade had not expected this kind of attack and instinctively looked away. It was just for a moment, but it was enough for the entire court to appear in their weapon forms. When the human regained her vision, she found herself surrounded by floating armaments.

"What the…" Blade mumbled just before the weapons charged at her. She blocked, parried, and dodged as fast as she could, but some blows still landed on her, causing her barrier to shimmer as tiny webs of flames wrapped around her.

Hera didn’t wait idly while her court attacked. She joined the assault, slashing at Blade with both Pyro, still attached to her tail, and her venomous longsword. The Ophidianite was considering that this was a fight simulating conditions inside the lab. This meant she had to be careful with noise, her mana, and the cooldown of her skills. The flashbang she had used was already pushing the limits of what would be too much.

Hoop came flying horizontally, spinning in a wide arc. Though he was far from reaching the maximum stacks of [Momentum Mastery], his speed had already increased considerably. Slamming into Blade’s legs, he managed to sweep her off her feet. As the human was airborne, Viper and Crimson shifted into their titled forms. Crimson wrapped herself around Blade’s right arm, preventing her from wielding her longsword effectively, while Viper coiled around her legs to stop her from regaining her footing.

The human was unable to recover from the fall, landing hard on her back. As she hit the ground, she saw Forge, who had transformed from a forging hammer into an anthropomorphic kangaroo, land feet-first on her chest. Forge immediately jumped back, giving Livy and Lurize room to bring down their weapons. The Zweihander and the war axe slammed into Blade’s chest, causing her to snarl before disappearing in a flash of light. She reappeared a few meters away, surrounded by a glowing radiance.

The entire court jumped to intercept her, but this time she was ready. She deflected the floating weapons with bursts of radiant sunlight that looked like miniature solar flares erupting from the air. It was a very different interpretation of Sun’s skill and one that worked brilliantly.

When the titled blades stepped in, Blade blocked their attacks herself. Her movements were so precise and fast that it was hard to believe she was wielding only a single sword. She used every part of the weapon, from the tip of the blade to the handle and even the pommel, moving fluidly to counter the incoming attacks.

Hera rushed toward Blade, prepared to use a Break Combo. With a common weapon, the damage would be minimal, but she could quickly create another and continue the fight without issue. However, this time, it was Hera who failed to anticipate her opponent’s move. Blade lunged with a stab, missing the Empress by only a few centimeters. The tip of Blade’s sword hovered in the air, directly in front of Hera’s eyes.

Blade activated a spell called Blinding Sun. The light was so intense that Hera’s ears began ringing as her mind struggled to process the overwhelming sensory input from her eyes. The same effect struck the entire court, even those who had their eyes closed or were looking away.

Despite being blinded, Nimbus quickly deployed several barriers around the Empress, hoping to block any incoming attacks. It wasn’t enough. Blade triggered a skill called Ray of Sunshine, which imbued her weapon with radiant light and allowed her to deliver a rapid succession of powerful strikes. This skill was a lesser version of her signature ability, but using her full power would likely have broken the arena’s barrier and left Hera in critical condition.

As Nimbus’s mana shields shattered under the relentless blows, the rest of the Court continued their attacks. They were able to sense mana through the Empress, which allowed them to target Blade even without seeing her. Blade ignored their attacks and pressed on, taking the hits without diminishing the power behind her own strikes. On the fifth blow, the barrier around Hera shattered, sending her crashing to the ground.

Everyone froze as Ka'mal’s voice rang through the intercom. "Stop. The fight is over. Blade is the winner."

The human took a few deep breaths before sheathing her sword and extending a hand to help Hera up. "I underestimated you, even if you cheated." She turned to Ka'mal. "I thought you said only one person was going through that air vent."

"I did. That is why Hera is the better choice," Ka'mal replied.

Blade frowned and turned back to Hera, who smiled. "Technically, this was a one-on-one fight. My Court is part of my legacy. They are sentient weapons that can take their own forms and act independently."

"Oh, shit. So you’re literally a one-woman army?"

"I think we’re more like a one-woman squad. Maybe a battalion if Hera uses a specific skill," Livy added.

"I see why Ka'mal suggested you take the mission now. It might actually work," Blade nodded.

"That is exactly why I said it!" Ka'mal exclaimed. "Also, Blade, your barrier was about halfway to breaking. Sure, it only took you a couple of swings to break Hera’s, but you took a lot more damage. She can handle herself just fine. In addition, you are the strongest member of this team, so my idea was for you to act as bait. If we show the lab personnel that you are the bigger threat, they will send their strongest guards after you, leaving Hera to deal with the ones left behind."

Blade paused, staring at the elf through the glass for a moment. "Why didn’t you say that sooner? That’s actually a good plan. We wouldn’t have needed to do all this."

"You didn’t let me finish!" Ka'mal snapped.

The entire court laughed at the elf’s exasperation before Hera turned to Blade. "So? Are we okay with these roles? I’m fine if I’m not the one going through the vents."

"Yeah, that might work. And I do agree that having a group go there is better than sending just one person. You know, this plan is really starting to take shape. We might actually complete this mission without any problems!" Blade smiled excitedly.

Hera, her Court, and the entirety of the Harmony Guardians let out loud groans.

"She had to say it," Flint grumbled.

"I know. We are screwed now," Skyler sighed.

"I’ll start making some potions. We are definitely going to need them," Neria said, heading back to the main room.

"What did I do?" Blade asked with a confused expression.

"You raised a flag," Hera replied.