The One King

Silence fell over the arena.

Gaia stood at one end of the arena, while Alister stood at the other, his sword covered in golden energy.

The referee raised his hand.

"Begin!"

Alister immediately charged.

He disappeared from his position and appeared before Gaia with his sword.

She narrowly dodged the attack, but Alister did not stop.

He changed direction and attacked from the side.

Gaia blocked the blade with her arm and took a step back.

Alister began pressuring her with increasing speed.

He was no longer fighting recklessly as he had at the beginning of the battle. He watched her movements and adjusted his attacks according to her reactions.

Gaia understood that.

She was not overwhelmingly faster than him, nor was she overwhelmingly stronger.

But her combat experience, gained through more than four years of training under Azrael's guidance, made her better at reading the battle.

She began noticing his movement pattern.

Whenever he changed direction, there was a slight movement in his shoulder beforehand.

Whenever he prepared for a rapid charge, he reduced the pressure on his back foot.

Those details were not obvious, but they were enough.

Alister charged again.

Gaia waited until the last moment, then moved.

His sword passed beside her.

She seized his wrist, but she could not hold him. Alister freed himself quickly and retreated.

He realized that she had begun to understand his fighting style.

So he increased his power.

A golden aura erupted around his body, and he charged forward even faster.

Multiple afterimages appeared around Gaia.

A strike from the right.

Then from behind.

Then from above.

Gaia dodged and blocked, but one of the attacks managed to graze her side.

Blood appeared.

She did not stop.

The two continued fighting.

As time passed, Alister adapted to her style, while Gaia began exploiting his small mistakes.

The battle was close.

But Alister was exhausting his energy more quickly.

Suddenly, Alister took a step back and gathered all the energy he had left into his sword.

Gaia knew he was preparing his final attack.

He charged.

He was incredibly fast.

Gaia moved at the right moment, but Alister changed the direction of his sword in mid-motion.

Slash!

The blade pierced the side of her body.

Gaia froze for a moment.

Blood flowed from a clear wound along her side.

The injury was not serious, but it was painful enough to affect her movements.

Alister noticed immediately.

He gave her no chance to recover.

He charged toward her, targeting her injured side.

Gaia retreated, and her movements were slower than before.

Another strike.

She blocked it.

But the pain made her arm tremble.

It had become clear to everyone that Alister's injury had begun to affect her combat ability.

Above the arena, Azrael's eyes narrowed.

But he did not interfere.

He wanted to see how Gaia would deal with a situation like this.

Alister charged one final time.

He targeted her injured side directly.

Gaia waited.

When he came close enough, she moved instead of retreating.

She entered his close range and seized his wrist before he could change the direction of his sword.

Then she turned her body, using his own momentum against him.

Boom!

Alister lost his balance.

He tried to stop himself.

But Gaia pushed his shoulder with all the strength she had left.

Alister staggered backward.

One step.

Then another.

Until he crossed the boundary of the arena.

Silence fell.

The referee raised his hand.

"Alister has left the arena."

Then he announced:

"Winner: Gaia Netherval!"

The stands erupted in cheers.

But Gaia did not celebrate.

She placed a hand over her wound, her breathing heavier than before.

She had won.

But she had paid a real price for it.

Alister stood outside the arena, looking at her in silence.

He had lost.

But he had managed to injure her and force her to fight while weakened.

Gaia had won because of her slightly superior combat experience and her ability to seize the right moment.

From above the throne, Azrael said calmly:

"Well done."

Gaia raised her eyes toward him.

Then he added:

"But don't let that happen again."

Gaia nodded.

As for Alister, he tightened his grip around his sword.

He was not angry about the defeat.

He was thinking of only one thing:

Next time, the difference in experience will not be enough to save her.

Azrael was watching him.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

The real lesson had already begun.

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