The confrontation between Ava and Private Sullivan was intense and marked by stark contrasts.
Ava's daggers glistened with a menacing promise in the winter sunlight as she deftly navigated the snowy terrain with her slender frame.
She was dressed in a functional leather vest and trousers, and as she moved across the snow-covered ground, she didn't even leave footprints since her power allowed her to slide across any surface, and for sure, the slippery ice only made her faster.
On the other hand, the Frantian soldier, armed with daggers, stood guard while wearing light armor. He held his weapons firmly in both hands, and the wind he created by moving caused his blonde hair to move in a swaying motion.
Their fight had begun with a flurry of blows being thrown at each other, with Ava sliding across the icy surface to close the gap between them as quickly as possible. The problem was that the man was keeping up with her. He was slower than her in terms of absolute movements, but somehow he could predict or see where Ava was going to strike. All of that led the woman to think that this man had some sort of enhanced reflexes.
She charged against Private Sullivan with her daggers; the blades cut through the icy winter air as they passed through it.
Private Sullivan parried the attack, the motion of his weapons blurring together and his enhanced reflexes allowing him to deflect her attacks with relative ease despite her speed.
However, Ava was relentless. She pressed on, her daggers flashing as she attacked from different angles. Private Sullivan matched her speed, at least from the upper body; his blades met hers with resounding clangs. The man struck back despite his defensive position, his daggers aiming for Ava's exposed areas.
During their vicious duel, Private Sullivan noticed a gap in her defenses. Ava momentarily exposed her vulnerable side while catching up in her last attack's momentum.
Sullivan took advantage of this fleeting opportunity with a swift movement so subtle that it was barely noticeable to the human eye. His dagger cut cleanly through the biting cold air as it arced out in front of him in a swift arc.
Ava made a futile attempt to correct her error when she realized it, but it was already too late. The blade's sharp edge pierced through her leather vest and cut into her flesh as it made its way toward her arm.
A severe pain suddenly struck Ava's arm, and as it did so, the warmth of her blood began to seep through the holes in her clothing and dye the snow beneath her feet a vivid shade of red. She retreated backward due to the cut and the stinging pain, her face becoming a scowl as she clutched her injured arm.
But the private persisted. He charged at her, swinging his weapons at the woman. Ava dodged backward just in time to avoid getting hit by his blows. She was incredibly agile and quick but had trouble breaking through his defenses despite this advantage.
His formidable combination of lightning-fast reflexes and agility gave him a significant advantage over her. He could outmaneuver her in almost every way, aside from the one that allowed her to move through space.
"Fuck… I need help here!" The woman shouted toward Erik.
"I'm a little bit busy here!" Erik shouted. He was currently helping Garret, who was in a difficult situation.
The woman then attempted a different strategy by moving around Private Sullivan in a large arc to find a weak spot, but incredibly, the man followed her with his eyes.
The blades of her daggers gleamed menacingly as they spun threateningly in her hands.
She moved unpredictably, and her footwork was erratic in the hopes of throwing him off her scent. Private Sullivan, on the other hand, was implacable. His icy blue eyes followed her every move, allowing him to anticipate her attacks and respond with ones of his own.
Once more, his lightning-fast reflexes came in handy as he dodged and parried each attack the woman made, his counterattacks being lightning-fast and pinpoint accurate. Ava launched another assault, this time whistling with her daggers.
The man avoided her attack while he moved his daggers in preparation for a counterattack. The chance didn't come late.
Ava twisted, escaping his counterattack before at the last moment. As a result of Private Sullivan's lightning-fast reactions and wise understanding of strategy, Ava was forced to spend the entire fight gaining distance from the man. He was like a closed door. There wasn't a chance to pass through.
Ava's thoughts were racing, and her rapid breathing became more labored with each passing second. She was well aware that she needed to turn the tide of the battle in her favor, or else she would soon be at the mercy of the Frantian soldier.
She had hoped her brain crystal power would give her the required advantage, but it did not.
Ava propelled herself forward with a surge of determination in the direction of Private Sullivan once more, gliding through the landscape at an incredible speed. She used the ice that covered the ground to gain even more momentum as she slid across it.
Her daggers were a blur as she slashed at him; her speed and agility were the only weapons she had against his superior reflexes. Their blows kept coming at each other nonstop, and the clash of metal on metal could be heard reverberating through the cold air.
Ava moved with frantic energy, her daggers flashing as she attempted to find a gap in Private Sullivan's defense. On the other hand, he was the picture of controlled precision, thanks to his lightning-fast reflexes and deft maneuvers.
Ava's face contorted into a grimace as she lunged forward again while enduring the pain in her arm, this time propelled by desperation. As she swung her dagger, her hair whipped around her face, and the other arm she used to defend herself hung limply by her side.
Sullivan, however, was prepared thanks to his dexterity with both daggers. The man sidestepped her assault with lightning-fast reflexes and then aimed a fatal blow at the vulnerable area of her throat as she turned away from the attack.
The gleaming blade slashed through the icy air, and its path indicated that its destination would be fatal. Nevertheless, an unexpected force stepped in just as the dagger was about a couple of centimeters away from Ava's neck.
An unnoticed wave of mana began to work through the frozen vegetation around them, bringing it to life. Erik's power caused the slender branches and sturdy roots to emerge from the snow-covered ground and move in a particular direction.
Sullivan was trapped by the rapidly expanding foliage, consisting of vines winding around his limbs and preventing him from continuing his attack mid-strike.
The momentum of his attack was hindered, and his lethal dagger came to a halt just a few centimeters from Ava's throat.
There was a brief lull in the action, and the atmosphere was heavy during that time. Ava's response came a couple of milliseconds after she realized what had taken place and how Erik had managed to save her.
She made the most of the opportunity by acting immediately after gaining this knowledge. She let out a primal scream as she used every ounce of her strength to force her dagger into the eye socket of the startled Sullivan.
As the remaining young soldier felt the icy steel pierce his eye, his remaining eye closed in shock. A primal scream came out of his throat.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Ava was left shocked by his tenacity. After a blow like that, he was still alive. For that reason, she screamed again and pushed the blade into his skull with all the strength she could muster.
"DIE!"
Private Sullivan lost his hold on his daggers as he let out a strangled gasp.
He fell, and the snowy ground rose to meet him. It was over for him; Ava had emerged victorious from the conflict. Nevertheless, there was still a long way to go in the battle.
She knew that Garret was having a hard time fighting against his opponent, and she understood that Erik was primarily assisting Garret for this reason.
She hastily examined her wound, and as soon as she determined she could fight, she made a beeline for Garret and Erik.
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