Revenge pact

"So I've been wondering... Is your actual name Leaf?" Amused at the spy's ridiculous code name, Luna let out a chuckle before she slashed her gladius diagonally.

SHING

"Of course not... My name's Leif." Sharing Luna's ridicule Leaf took a swift step backwards, entirely evading the girl's blade.

"So your name IS Leaf." Slightly Puzzled, Luna followed, determined to cut him down.

"IT'S NOT LEAF ITS LEIF!" Irritated by the girl mispronouncing his name, Leaf swung his broadsword vertically, aiming to cleave Luna's skull into two distinct parts.

SHING

"It won't be that easy!" Her grin widening at the sight of her enraged adversary, Luna took a step to the side.

"Triksta Technique: White Whirlwind."

Enshrouding her blade with both Wind Magic and Earthly Aura, Luna traced a spiral-like arc in the air. Concluding her maneuver with a swift slash aimed directly at Leaf's breastplate.

SWOOSH

The combination of speed and the peculiar trajectory of the onslaught made it nigh impossible for Leaf to evade.

So he simply didn't try to...

Acting quickly, Leaf brought both his protected arms forward and coated them in Earthly Aura, improving their resilience.

SPLURT

'Idiot, why didn't you use your blade.' Seeing her blade dig itself into Leaf's arms creating a shallow wound, Luna found herself chuckling.

Furthering her assault, Luna thrust her foot forward aiming to kick Leaf backwards.

"Earth Magic: Jord's Avalanche!"

"Huh?!"

Suddenly, a brown magic circle appeared above Luna's head, a detail she had failed to notice during her physical encounter.

From within this magic circle, a massive rock, three times her size, emerged, crashing down with considerable force.

"Smart, but that still won't be enough." With her mischievous grin unwavering, Luna used her gladius, which emitted a radiant blue glow, to slash upwards.

Her swift attack sliced the descending rock cleanly in half.

SLASH

His aggression knowing no bounds, Leaf swung his broadsword horizontally, aiming for Luna's waist.

SWOOSH

'Damn, let me breathe Leaf!'

"Wind Magic: Exhale."

Drawing mana from her mana core, Luna filled her mouth and lungs to the brim and exhaled sharply.

The expelled air, propelled her backward, showcasing her sharp thinking and remarkable magic ability.

'I need a better name for that spell.' Capitalizing on the distance that she'd created between them, Luna used the opportunity to catch her breath.

She took multiple breaths.

'The longer I prolong this battle the better, I just need to keep the intensity high.' Wincing at the throbbing in his arms, Leaf darted forward.

"Let me rest dammit!"

Ignoring Luna's demand, Leaf heaved his broadsword, pulling the blade with great precision, and executing a beautiful diagonal slash that started from the bottom.

CLANK

"What happened to chivalry?" Swiftly countering the attack using her gladius to deflect the blade, Luna frowned.

"Why do you keep ignoring me Leaf?" Responding with an attack of her own, Luna flung her foot at Leaf's calf executing a precise leg kick.

"My name's Lief!" Temporarily tumbled by Luna's attack, Leaf staggered backward, his countenance reflecting his frustration.

"That's what I just said?" Opening her left hand, Luna gathered her mana in her palm.

Nodding in satisfaction at the amount of mana she'd summoned and controlled in her hand, Luna created a solid ball of flame.

Wasting no time, Luna hurled to fire ball at her adversary; the fiery sphere sizzling voraciously, hungry for impact.

WHOOSH

"Flame magic: Fire Grenade!"

Placing his hands on a simple magic circle on the ground, Leaf erected a thick earth wall designed to fully embrace Luna's magic attack and shield him.

"Earth Magic: Jord's Protection!"

SMASH

Upon collision, the ball of flame dissipated, but not without leaving its mark on the large wall.

The once-thick earth wall was reduced to a mere fraction of its original thickness, now comparable to the width of a human hand. Its surface now marred with dozens of smaller cracks, evidence of the intense force inflicted.

Dismissing the wall and feeling rather confident in his chances of winning, Leaf grinned, his green eyes scanning the forest for his opponent.

"Where is she?"

'Did she run away?' Narrowing his eyes, Leaf tilted his head, closely studying each individual blade of grass.

"Come out Lu-"

BAM

Upon being hit by a terrifying tempest, Leaf was sent flying, his face unceremoniously colliding with a towering tree.

"Huh?" With blood involuntarily exiting his broken nose, Leaf abruptly got up, the sudden motion causing him to grow dizzy and weak.

"Y'know, we were taught to never keep our eyes off of our opponents... I sleep in class and even I know that." Grinning from ear to ear, Luna hung upside down from the tree Leaf found himself staggering beneath.

She used her legs to swing closer to Leaf with each pendulum-like motion, her face drawing nearer and nearer to his, mischief gleaming in her hazel eyes.

'Was she always this fast?!' Swinging his broadsword horizontally with precision, Leaf grunted in frustration.

"Your attacks are so repetitive, it's boring..." Sighing, Luna lifted her head out of harm's way as if the attack didn't bother her.

"Repeti-"

"Up!" Luna lifted her finger in a commanding gesture, directing the air beneath Leaf's feet to transform into a propelling breeze.

Obeying her orders, the mana-infused air particles surged upwards, dragging Leaf along with them.

WHOOSH

Cutting Leaf's flight short, Luna jumped out of the tree and kicked him in the back sending him flying in the opposite direction.

BAM

CRASH

His mouth now filled to the brim with both blood and dirt, Leaf slowly rose after a few moments of groaning over his wounds.

"What did I say about keeping your eye on your opponent?" Now standing firmly on the earth wall Leaf had erected, Luna shook her head in disappointment.

'What the hell is even happening?!' Leaf gripped his blade tightly in his shaky hands, struggling to comprehend how he got into this predicament.

Grinning childishly, Luna extended her open palm toward Leaf.

Dancing in the air in front of her hand were three distinct mana affinities: Earth, Fire, and Wind; despite being very different, they all gyrated in harmony, merging seamlessness into one stunning radiant ball.

While he watched Luna prepare the spell that would likely mark his death, Leaf couldn't help but be mesmerized by her use of magic.

But upon completion of her magic spell, the gears in his head clicked as he realized the chilling reality.

Throughout their entire battle, Luna Triksta had not struggled one bit, all of this was a game to her.

The outing.

The chase.

And even the concepts of life and death.

In her dazzling hazel eyes, nothing other than strength and battle mattered.

This chilling conclusion forced a single thought to enter his heated mind.

'She's crazy...'

INSANITY

"Star Magic: First Dwarf."

BUUURRRR

Paralyzed by a potent mix of fear and fatigue, Leaf could only watch in horror as the magic spell charged toward him.

In moments of death, his eyes were blinded by the brilliant light created by the overwhelming force of the impending attack.

CRASH

"You were boring, Leaf..."

***

Now unarmed, as the gladius Maxwell had created dissipated into nothingness, Amber stood opposite her blonde adversary.

Both combatants were visibly exhausted from their prolonged battle, their breaths ragged as they analyzed each other's physical state.

'She should be out of mana by now, plus she's unarmed... I've won.' Jessie grinned, her deep blue eyes piercing through Amber's being.

'I used too much Holy Aura to rid my body of the toxins, I'm going to faint soon.' With her hands fixed on her knees, Amber panted.

Dashing forward with a determined stride and a shortsword gripped firmly in her hand, Jessie grinned with confidence.

Confident in her victory, Jessie saw delivering the final blow as nothing more than a formality.

She swung her blade at Amber's breastplate, aiming to wound her but keep her alive, attempting to accomplish their main objective.

'If I catch a PTC, I wonder what the Kjarr would award me with.'

(Kjarr- Equivalent to an Emperor such as Jupiter.)

SHING

Stepping back to completely evade the incoming strike, Amber's eyebrow twitched.

Rushing her opponent once more, Jessie coated her blade in a flickering coat of Earthly Aura.

With her heart pounding due to fatigue, Jessie swung her blade once more. This time, the girl swung it diagonally toward Amber's legs.

SHING

Formulating a plan to swiftly bring the fight to an end, Amber struck the handle of Jessie's shortsword with precision, successfully deflecting the attack.

Recognizing this as an opportunity to attack, Amber pounced.

Clenching her fist and flinging it at Jessie's temple, Amber scowled.

Moving her head to the side, Jessie grinned.

'Cockiness will be your downfall.' Using her other arm, Amber launched a frightening uppercut that threatened to knock Jessie out cold.

Stepping to the side once more, Jessie continued to analyze every single one of Amber's movements.

Leaning forward and extending her arm, Amber executed a swift and violent swipe, aiming directly at Jessie's throat with the intent to kill.

Evaluating the attack's speed as insignificant once more, Jessie instinctively leaned backward, confident the strike would never reach her.

"Light Magic: Ray Saber."

Just as Amber's hand was about to pass harmlessly by Jessie's throat, a sudden burst of radiant light enveloped Amber's hand.

In the blink of an eye, the light solidified into a frightening blade hummed with a menacing, mellow tone.

MMMMMMM

"Huh?"

Betraying its holy and pure appearance, the light blade sliced through the air, severing Jessie's throat which stood in its path.

The error that led Jessie to her death was her flawed estimation of Amber's mana reserves.

While Jessie was aware of Amber's deep mana capacity granted by her mana depth, she vastly estimated its extent.

In truth, Amber was far from running out of mana; she hadn't even begun to feel the effects of the spells she'd repeatedly cast throughout their battle.

Essentially, Jessie's demise was caused by a single miscalculation: she not only underestimated Amber's abilities, but she also failed to understand Amber's very Essence. The girl who stood, watching the life seep out of her dying body, was no ordinary prodigy of genius. She was the personification of...

GOD-GIVEN TALENT