An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

Aurora's strikes were swift, but Crystal's reflexes matched them. As Aurora's crescent blades sliced through the air, Crystal's sword was already in motion.

"Windbreaker Slash!" Crystal called out as her longsword trembled violently. A flurry of sword shadows appeared and clashed fiercely against Aurora's dual blades like a raging wind.

The metallic clangs echoed as Aurora's attack was instantly deflected.

Crystal lunged forward from behind the dissipating shadows and aimed her sword at Aurora's chest and abdomen.

With the remaining shadows masking her move, the thrust was silent and undetectable. It was deceptively harmless but filled with hidden danger.

"Aurora, watch out!" Alicia's expression changed.

She recognized Crystal's skill in swordsmanship and extensive combat experience. With a single deceptive move, Crystal shifted from defense to offense and took control of the match.

"Huh?" Aurora's eyes widened in shock. She didn't need Alicia's warning, as her instincts had already kicked in. She leaned back sharply and crossed her blades in front of her chest just in tto dodge the incoming strike. A harsh screech of metal rang out as Crystal's sword scraped against Aurora's blades, sending a shower of sparks flying.

Aurora locked Crystal's sword between her dual blades like scissors. With a quick twist of her body, she delivered a powerful kick aimed at Crystal's lower abdomen.

As Alloy's daughter, Aurora had undergone extensive training. Her mastery of blade techniques was exceptional, and her hand-to-hand combat skills were equally impressive.

She had mastered multiple martial arts styles with no discernible weaknesses. She was confident she could defeat her opponent even without her weapons.

When Aurora's kick landed, Crystal countered with her foot. The impact echoed with a dull thud before they both stepped back.

The brief exchange had left neither with an advantage.

"Impressive skills for a disciple of the Sword Union," Aurora remarked. "But now, get ready to witness the ultimate technique of the Celestial Alliance!" With a swift motion, Aurora brought the hilts of her dual blades together. A twist followed a sharp click, and the two crescent blades fused into a singular, strange, S-shaped weapon.

"Watch closely!" Aurora gripped the hilt with her right hand and flung it toward Crystal.

The S-shaped weapon spun wildly, leaving a blur of afterimages as it hurtled toward Crystal with astonishing speed.

As Aurora hurled her weapon, she sprang forward like a leopard. At spoint, she had slipped on a pair of silver gloves.

The gloves, though appearing soft as silk, were made from the extremely rare mithril, making it impervious to weapons and immune to fire and water. They were perfect for both defense and attack.

As the strange, spinning weapon whirled toward her like a fan, Crystal wasn't sure how to deflect it. Instead of confronting it head-on, she swiftly dodged to the side.

Aurora saw her chance and closed the distance. She swiftly delivered a powerful punch aimed at Crystal's chest.

Undeterred, Crystal countered with a thrust of her longsword straight at Aurora's throat. After all, she had the upper hand with her longsword.

She knew Aurora would be vulnerable without her weapon. Aurora would likely be impaled before her punch could land.

But Aurora anticipated the move. Instead of dodging or retreating, her other hand grabbed Crystal's sword. Since the mithril gloves protected her, the sword failed to inflict injury.

"How naive." Crystal arched an eyebrow as her longsword quivered in her grip. Suddenly, a surge of energy erupted and shook Aurora's hand. The sword writhed like a serpent before striking again.

Just as the sword seemed poised to strike, a sharp whistle pierced the air. Crystal sensed imminent danger and swiftly ducked.

The strange weapon Aurora had thrown earlier spun through the air and veered back toward Crystal. It nearly grazed Crystal's head and cut off a strand of her hair. "Fuck! That was close!" The spectators gasped in surprise.

Crystal's lightning-fast reflexes narrowly saved her from the fused blades' deadly return. It was a blow that could have seriously injured her.

"Damn! Aurora is cunning. Crystal almost fell into her trap." Miles was startled, and his heart was racing.

"First, Aurora used her weapon to attract attention. Then, she launched ther a close-range attack to divert opponent's attention before aiming for a decisive blow with the weapon returning to her. "She's so unpredictable. It looks like Crystal has finally met her match today! "Ruby's expression turned serious. Unlike her usual restless energy, she becunusually focused. She realized that Aurora, Alloy's daughter, was not someone to underestimate.

"Aurora was so close." Alicia sighed.

She acknowledged Crystal's remarkable skill. Aurora's surprise lethal attack had consistently prevailed against opponents of similar caliber.

Aurora had hoped to capitalize on this advantage to defeat Crystal, but her quick reaction thwarted the plan. It was clear this would be a challenging battle.