Chapter 302: 302:Training III
The training ground gradually fell silent as Lilith and Atheline took their positions opposite one another. Neither drew attention to themselves.
There were no spectators gathering in excitement, nor were there loud declarations announcing the beginning of a duel. Only a handful of palace guards remained stationed near the edges of the grounds, and even they quietly moved farther back out of habit.
Experience had taught them that what began as a "light spar" between Their Majesties often became something that no ordinary knight wished to stand too close to.
A gentle winter breeze drifted across the open field, carrying loose flakes of snow between them.
Atheline rested his hand upon the hilt of his sword while keeping his bow slung across his back. Although archery was undoubtedly his greatest strength, he had come to understand one important lesson from every battle he had fought.
A king who could only fight from a distance would eventually be cornered. He intended to become proficient enough that no battlefield could force him into a disadvantage.
Lilith stood several dozen paces away, one hand loosely holding a training dagger. It was a simple weapon with a blunted edge, yet in her grasp it felt no less dangerous than a divine artifact.
She studied him for a long moment before speaking.
"You’ve changed your stance."
He lowered his center of gravity slightly.
"I suppose have."
"You used to lean too heavily on your dominant foot,now you don’t anymore."
He smiled.
"I’ve been practicing."
"I can see that."
Her expression remained calm, though there was a faint satisfaction hidden behind her golden eyes. She had corrected that flaw months ago. It had taken him countless repetitions before his body finally accepted the adjustment without conscious effort.
She raised the dagger.
"Come."
Atheline pushed off the snow-covered ground. Wind gathered beneath his feet almost instinctively, propelling him forward with surprising speed.
His sword flashed toward her shoulder in a clean diagonal strike meant not to wound, but to test. Lilith moved less than half a step. Her dagger intercepted the blade with remarkable precision. The metallic clang echoed across the quiet training grounds.
Neither weapon lingered, they separated almost immediately. Another strike followed which was also blocked, then another. The cycle continued.
Steel met steel repeatedly, each exchange lasting no more than a heartbeat before both adjusted their positions once more.
To an outside observer, it almost looked like a dance. There was no wasted movement; Every step had purpose and every swing carried intent.
Lilith noticed the difference almost immediately. His attacks no longer relied solely upon strength, they flowed into one another naturally. When one strike failed, the next had already begun.
She didn’t voice the thought; instead, she responded by increasing the pace. Her dagger disappeared from his sight for an instant.
His instincts warned him at that moment. He bent backward. The dull edge passed barely an inch from his chest. Without hesitation he twisted his body, using the momentum to deliver a sweeping kick toward her legs.
She jumped and the attack passed harmlessly beneath her. The instant she landed, he was already moving again, a pillar of earth erupted from beneath the snow directly beneath her feet, just enough to disrupt her balance.
She shifted her weight onto the rising stone as though she had expected it all along. Rather than becoming trapped, she used it as a foothold.
She launched herself higher. Atheline reacted immediately, fire gathered around his blade. With a single horizontal swing, a crescent of flame tore through the air toward her.
Instead of dodging, darkness swallowed the attack. The flames vanished into a pool of shadows before reappearing several meters away, harmlessly dispersing against the reinforced barrier surrounding the training grounds.
He let out a small breath.
"I still hate that ability."
Lilith landed lightly upon the snow.
"I know."
"It isn’t fair."
"There is no fairness in battle."
"I was hoping marriage changed that."
"It didn’t."
Despite her words, the corners of her lips curved upward ever so slightly. Atheline laughed before attacking once more.
This time he abandoned direct confrontation; instead, water gathered around him, flowing across the frozen ground in thin streams barely visible beneath the snow.
Lilith instantly noticed.
"So, you’ve begun preparing the battlefield."
"I’ve been learning."
She nodded approvingly.
"Good."
She disappeared, simply through speed without the need for her teleportation. Atheline’s eyes widened for the briefest moment before instinct took over.
Lightning surged through his body. His reaction speed increased dramatically. He turned just in time to intercept her dagger.
The impact forced him backward several steps. His boots carved deep trenches into the snow before he finally regained his balance.
He smiled despite himself.
"You hit harder every time."
"I haven’t changed."
"No." He adjusted his grip. "I’ve simply gotten used to surviving it."
This time, he reached for the bow. The motion itself surprised her, most swordsmen instinctively created distance before switching weapons.
He did the opposite. While still within striking range, he released his sword with one hand, drawing the bow from his back in one smooth motion.
An arrow appeared between his fingers almost instantly. He didn’t even pull the string completely. At such close range, he didn’t need to.
The arrow flew.
Lilith tilted her head. The projectile passed harmlessly beside her cheek.
She raised an eyebrow.
"You missed."
"I know."
The arrow suddenly exploded into a burst of freezing mist. Ice spread rapidly across the ground between them.
She glanced downward.
’So that’s the real attack’
The frozen surface drastically reduced footing. Ordinary opponents would immediately lose balance. She merely shifted shadows beneath her feet, allowing herself to glide across the ice as though it weren’t there at all. Still... she had to admit it, the combination had been clever.
Atheline had already nocked a second arrow. This one carried wind Aether. He released it high into the air. Rather than descending immediately, the currents carried it in a wide arc above the battlefield.
A distraction.
Her attention remained on the arrow overhead for only an instant, exactly as he intended. Earth erupted beneath her once more, at the same time, he closed the distance with surprising speed, sword back in hand.
His blade descended from above while the delayed arrow suddenly curved downward from behind.
A coordinated attack.
Lilith finally smiled openly.
"Very good."
Darkness gracefully erupted around her. Her shadow stretched outward across the snow like flowing ink. The earth pillar dissolved into darkness and the descending arrow disappeared.
Even Atheline’s sword found itself slowed as his own shadow unexpectedly wrapped around the blade.
His eyes widened. Before he could react, the tip of her dagger rested gently against his chest.
Silence settled across the training grounds. Neither moved, then, she lowered the weapon.
