Everyone quickly moved to the training grounds. Hearing the situation, some advisors and medical staff also joined them.

Alice moved to her part of the arena. The white markings on the sand floor glowed red, and surveillance drones flew down from their nest at the roof. "Alright, the second person you encountered challenged you to a duel. It is not a big issue, right? Be calm and first test the waters." Alice took a defensive form, sword up and ready, body behind, legs positioned forward.

On the other side, the white-haired girl walked in calmly, her steps slow and contemptuous.

She drew her saber, decorated with runic motifs from a long-forgotten era, pulsing now and then, and assumed a classical fencing position. The body turned sideways, the sword in one hand placed forward at chest height, and the free hand on the hip.

"Before we start, it is customary to give your opponent your name, and since I challenged you, I will give mine first. My name is Yulia Zimnyaya, Sickle Battle Academy, first class."

"Alice Ardenblade, currently not registered to any school."

Yulia shook her head. "We know that much, shut-in princess."

Alice stabbed the ground with her sword. "What do you mean by shut-in princess?" Her voice carried anger and a genuine curiosity.

Yulia broke her stance and lowered her saber. "Oh, you didn't know?" Her grin grew. "Zenith Ardenblade is your older brother, right?"

"Yes, he is, but you didn't answer my question."

"Oh, that's nothing." Yulia flicked the back of her hand outward, "He is like a rockstar in our business, the young prodigy of the famous Knighthood who was already strong as an adult knight at the age of twelve." Her grin disappeared, and her eyes, sharp, locked on Alice. "Then we have you, who stole the heir position and kept herself hidden from the world while her older brother took the world by storm."

Alice grabbed the sword. Some of her aura leaked as golden sparks while she filled the blade with it.

"Stay calm. You are not effectively controlling your aura." The sword warned.

"I know." Alice changed her stance, sword over her head, its blade pointed up.

"Oh, we are playing that way?" Yulia moved back to the stance she had before. "Alright, come in. Princess."

Alice took a deep breath and dashed forward, raising sand on her launch.

When her opponent entered her range, Alice slashed her sword down lightning-fast.

Yulia quickly stepped forward and blocked the attack with her saber, countering it.

When blades locked, a loud metallic scream echoed and sparks scattered.

Alice's attack forced Yulia back, her boots digging into the sand."Shit, it shook me to my bones." Her mask slipped as she gritted her teeth but quickly forced a smile back onto her face. "I assumed you to be stronger than this." Yulia pushed Alice back and slashed her sword horizontally from the left.

Alice quickly lowered her sword down and blocked the attack with its blade.

Yulia didn't stop with one strike. She quickly drew her sword back and attacked from the counter position.

Alice stepped back to avoid the attack, escaping Yulia's blade narrowly.

"Didn't you take an offensive stance a second ago? What happened?" Yulia shouted as she pressed forward, pushing Alice back with continuous attacks.

Alice, still trying to focus her mind, kept blocking the attacks until Yulia faked one of her slashes, leaving her open.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

She dashed to the side, thrusting her sword to Alice's abdomen. "Got you!" She shouted.

The golden aura covering Alice hardened into a barrier, deflecting Yulia's blow. "Can't believe she forced me to do this." Alice smiled. "Zenith, I stayed in your shadow for too long. Now, it's my time to make you proud, brother."

"What!" Yulia shouted.

"Surprised? Most usually are." Alice's sword shined as bright as the sun as it changed forms. From a longsword, it took the form of a greatsword with a blade thrice as wide.

Yulia leaped back and moved as far as she could when Alice slashed her sword.

The glow on Alice's sword gathered at the tip and erupted, scattering sand across the arena.

"What is happening... Why did I run so far." Her eyes shook, and her heart pumped as it tried to escape her chest. She looked at her hands. They were trembling.

"Hey! Eyes on me!" Alice shouted as she dashed forward, her sword above her head.

But this time, she was much faster.

Yulia broke her stance and focused on avoiding attacks.

"Her attacks are predictable, but what to do against them." Yulia bit her lip. "I can't block it nor risk countering because of the damned explosions."

"Alright, you wanted this!" Yulia suddenly cut her palm. Blood scattered on the sword caused it to vibrate like an alarm clock while the runes emitted red light.

In mere seconds, the wound on her hand healed, and all of her blood turned into vapor.

Alice sensed something was wrong but pushed anyway.

Instead of dodging the attack, Yulia blocked it with her saber, stopping Alice in her place.

Both swords were locked with a loud metallic sound, sending a shockwave that pushed the surveillance drones away.

"You are not the only one with tricks," Yulia pushed forward and said, her face covered in sweat, arms shaking.

Alice pushed as well. She looked better from the outside, but her aura wavered. "You surprised me, but I don't know if it was through your bravery or idiocy."

"We will see about that." Yulia tried to shove Alice away.

Alice used this to step to the side and dashed forward, her body loaded with aura. "Yes, we will!" She suddenly headbutted Yulia, knocking her balance.

"You bitch-" Yulia suddenly gasped.

Alice had closed the distance and kneed her stomach. Using the opening she created, Alice gathered aura around her leg and kicked Yulia to the other edge of the arena.

She rolled on the ground, her clothes gathering sand. To stop herself, Yulia stabbed the floor with her saber, cutting a straight line as she slowed down.

"This is it!" She snapped.

White vapor rose from Yulia's body as she healed. "Are you crazy!?" She shouted. "This is supposed to be a sword fight!"

"Sorry, since you talked so much about my brother, I assumed you were a fan and gave you a Zenith-style beating. Anything is a free game as long as it works. That's his style!"

Yulia strengthened her grip on her saber. "Good, now I am giving you my style of beating! And don't worry, you won't be able to forget it, even if you try it!"

She cut her hand once more. Her wound released even more vapor, and her saber vibrated more violently.

Alice had already understood the situation. Yulia did this to increase her physical attributes, but there was a problem. She almost reached her level next time, and she could have surpassed her with this one.

Alice prepared her sword, all of her aura flowing on it. "I guess we have to finish it my way."

Yulia leaped forward, leaving a small crater where she'd pushed off.

Meanwhile, Alice stood her ground, waiting for her opponent to close the distance while loading aura on her weapon.

When they entered each other's range, both swung their weapons.

Their swords clashed for the third time.

This time, both swordswomen had put their everything behind their attacks.

Alice had gathered so much aura that the excess was leaking from her body, zapping around, causing small eruptions, while a wall of vapor covered Yulia's body.

"Is this all you got? Give me everything!" Both unknowingly said in unison before pushing forward with what remaining strength they had.

All the aura Alice gathered violently exploded, lifting sand from the floor and creating a veil.

When the wall of sand thinned, only one of them still stood.

*****

Leonhard entered a room, a compartment above the training grounds, designed to watch the sparring matches from a safe distance.

He sat on the furthest chair, watching the sparring between Yulia and Alice with perfect concentration.

Next to him was a bipedal square robot connected to his brain implant. The machine carried energy-sensitive sensors and connected to the surveillance system in the arenas, gathering information from the battle.

"Impressive," Leonhard said when Alice's aura created a barrier.

"Her power flows and changes so smoothly. No wonder Wisesword chose her as his heir."

And when both swordswomen clashed, he got up from excitement, and when the dust settled, he began clapping.

"I must go down there sometime and test myself." He smiled as he left the room with all the data he'd gathered from the fight.