A Bug In Fate

Mina appeared before Alden in the blink of an eye, her sword flashing toward his right shoulder.

Her speed was impressive.

There was a reason she had been chosen as one of the representatives for the upcoming tournament.

Alden calmly watched the incoming strike, his eyes following every movement she made.

At the last moment, he adjusted his stance slightly and raised his sword.

Clang!

Steel collided with steel.

For a brief moment, neither of them moved.

Mina’s eyes widened in surprise before she quickly leaped backward, creating some distance between them.

While she was still surprised, Alden had already activated Mana Sense.

Its range had increased significantly over the past few days.

He could now sense everything within a hundred meters with ease, and by reducing the range, he could greatly decrease his mana consumption.

"You look surprised."

"Didn’t you see me fight during the mission?"

Alden asked curiously.

They had completed a mission together only recently, so he was certain she had witnessed his speed.

"Shut up."

Mina clicked her tongue before charging again.

This time, she didn’t give Alden a chance to continue talking.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Sparks flew into the air as their swords clashed again and again.

Within only a few moments, dozens of exchanges had already taken place.

Neither side was willing to give an inch.

For now, Mina hadn’t used any spells.

The duel had become a pure contest of swordsmanship.

From the sidelines, Liam, Ron, and the old dwarf watched the battle without taking their eyes off it.

"Master..."

"He’s really keeping up with her."

Ron spoke in disbelief.

Just as he finished speaking, Alden used Flash Step, disappearing from where he stood and reappearing atop a nearby boulder.

Dust rose beneath his feet as he landed lightly, his gaze never leaving Mina for even a moment.

"No, watch closely."

The old man spoke without taking his eyes off the battlefield.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, confusion written all over his face.

"He’s not just keeping up with her..." Liam answered before the old man could. His eyes remained fixed on the duel. "He’s pressuring her."

Ron immediately shifted his attention back to the fight.

At that moment, Alden suddenly leaped high into the air before descending straight toward Mina at astonishing speed.

Instead of retreating, Mina stood her ground. She raised her sword to block, but just before Alden’s blade reached her, she sidestepped slightly and thrust her sword toward his abdomen, intending to end the exchange in one move.

Alden only smiled.

Mana surged beneath his feet, increasing the force of his descent as he twisted his wrist at the last moment.

Clang!

The two swords collided, sparks scattering in every direction. Alden’s blade slid against Mina’s before forcing it off course, but the impact left a tiny crack near the tip of his sword.

"...That sword isn’t going to survive at this rate."

Ron muttered under his breath as he watched his own creation being damaged right before his eyes. Seeing the blade slowly deteriorate filled him with disappointment.

However, his expression changed in the very next moment.

The instant Alden landed, he stepped forward and threw a punch straight at Mina’s face.

Without panicking, Mina reacted immediately, bringing her sword in front of her to defend herself.

Just as the blade was about colide with her blade Alden abruptly halted his punch.

At the same time, his sword came up from below in a smooth, unexpected arc.

Slash!

The blade pierced Mina’s left thigh, drawing a streak of blood.

She gritted her teeth and endured the pain, immediately launching another attack. It looked fierce enough to force Alden back, but it was only a feint.

Alden didn’t fall for it.

He simply took a few relaxed steps backward, calmly avoiding the entire attack as if he had seen through her intentions from the very beginning.

The battle came to a halt.

Alden didn’t press his advantage after landing the hit. This wasn’t a life-and-death battle, nor was it a competition to determine a winner. It was simply a spar meant to help each other improve.

Mina lowered her gaze to the wound on her thigh before looking back at Alden.

She didn’t say anything.

There was no need to.

The exchange had made one thing painfully clear.

Alden’s combat instincts were superior to hers.

From the outside, it looked as though they were evenly matched. Their speed and strength appeared almost identical, yet only someone fighting him directly could feel the difference.

He always seemed to know what she was about to do before she even did it.

Every time she thought she had found an opening, he had already reacted.

His fighting style was even more frustrating.

It was chaotic, unpredictable, and impossible to read. She couldn’t anticipate his next move by observing his posture or reactions because he remained relaxed throughout the entire fight, as though everything was unfolding exactly as he had expected.

And that raised another question in her mind.

*...Is he even fighting seriously?*

Mina took a slow, deep breath before meeting Alden’s gaze once more.

"You should be careful."

As soon as the words left her mouth, a crimson magic circle bloomed at her fingertips, and the mana began gathering toward it.

"Fireball."

As soon as Mina spoke, a blazing sphere of fire shot from her fingertips, tearing through the air toward Alden.

Alden calmly increased the mana flowing through his sword before swinging it in a clean arc.

Slash!

The fireball split neatly in half, and the flames quickly dissipated into the surrounding air.

However...

Mina had never intended for the spell to hit him.

The fireball was nothing more than a distraction.

Using it as cover, she had already closed the distance and appeared right in front of Alden, her sword flashing toward him. She intended to return the wound he had left on her thigh.

Unfortunately for her...

She didn’t know Alden possessed Mana Sense.

The moment she moved behind the fireball, her presence had already been captured within his perception.

Clang!

Their swords collided once again.

The impact forced Mina back by two steps before she managed to steady herself.

Without wasting a second, she stretched out her free hand. A tiny crimson magic circle bloomed at her fingertip as mana rapidly gathered within it.

"Fire Bullet."

A marble-sized projectile of condensed fire shot toward Alden.

Though far smaller than the previous spell, it was considerably faster, living up to its reputation as a speed-focused spell.

Alden sensed the attack the moment it was fired.

Since the spell was formed entirely from mana, it was impossible for it to escape his Mana Sense.

However...

Sensing an attack and avoiding it were two completely different things.

Confident from what had happened moments earlier, Alden swung his sword downward, intending to split the Fire Bullet in half just as he had done with the Fireball.

The instant his blade made contact—

Boom!

The tiny bullet exploded violently.

The blast threw Alden several meters backward, forcing him to slide across the ground before regaining his balance.

A small crack spread across his sword.

Had it not been for the mana constantly reinforcing the blade, it would have shattered from the explosion.

"What the hell?!"

Alden exclaimed, genuine surprise appearing on his face.

Before he could fully recover, his Mana Sense detected another Fire Bullet racing toward him.

While he had been caught off guard by the explosion, Mina had already changed her position and fired a second spell from his right.

This time, Alden didn’t dare block it.

Using Flash Step, he vanished from where he stood, allowing the blazing projectile to streak past him before exploding harmlessly in the distance.

The relaxed expression on his face gradually disappeared.

His eyes became calm and focused.

If he continued letting Mina dictate the pace with her spells, the fight would only become more troublesome.

So...

He decided to take the initiative.

Alden burst forward, closing the distance in an instant.

Clang!

Their swords collided once more.

But this time, the clash was only a feint.

Alden suddenly drove his knee toward Mina’s abdomen.

Caught off guard, Mina instinctively raised her leg to lessen the impact, but the force still pushed her backward, disrupting her balance.

Before she could recover—

Alden disappeared.

His figure reappeared at her blind spot, one hand shooting straight toward her neck.

Mina’s instincts screamed in warning.

She twisted her head to the side at the last possible moment, narrowly avoiding the strike.

But...

That had been exactly what Alden expected.

The hand aiming for her neck changed direction midway.

Smack!

His palm struck the side of her face with tremendous force.

Mina was sent flying like a cannonball before crashing directly into a nearby boulder.

Boom!

The impact echoed across the training ground, leaving a deep imprint in the solid stone as dust and fragments scattered into the air.

Alden didn’t continue his assault.

Instead, he gave Mina a moment to get back on her feet and regain her footing.

The instant she steadied herself, mana gathered at her fingertips once more.

"Fire Bullet."

Another marble-sized projectile shot toward Alden.

Just like before, Mina used the spell as a distraction, immediately rushing forward behind it, hoping to catch him off guard while his attention was on the incoming attack.

Unfortunately...

The trick only worked once.

Before she had even covered half the distance, Alden had already slipped past the Fire Bullet and appeared right in front of her.

Her eyes widened.

What the hell...?

The thought had barely crossed her mind when a powerful kick came crashing toward her ribs.

She instinctively tried to raise her sword to block it.

But she was too slow.

Bang!

The kick landed cleanly, sending her flying sideways.

She tumbled across the ground several times before finally coming to a stop, dust billowing into the air around her.

Before she could even push herself back up...

Alden was already standing over her.

His leg rose, ready to bring down another kick.

Just then—

"Wind Lock!"

A voice suddenly echoed across the battlefield.

At the same time, Alden’s Mana Sense picked up a surge of mana rapidly approaching from behind.

Liam...

Had finally joined the battle.

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