Dave's lips curled slightly, his eyes glinting with a confident calm. "You're not bad yourself. But if you think I'll just defend, you're mistaken."
"Then stop talking," Mereoleona snapped, flames bursting around her like a living storm. "And prove it!"
She charged again, her fists blurring through the air, each punch detonating with heat and impact that cracked the earth beneath their feet. The ground blackened under her steps as her mana flared to a roaring blaze.
Dave's mana surged in response—golden-blue energy weaving around him like an intricate armor of flowing light. Every time her fist met his guard, ripples of pressure spread outward. He countered with measured precision, creating mana shields that shimmered like crystal walls before collapsing into thin strikes of energy aimed at her openings.
Their clash became a blur of motion—flame against radiance, brute will against calculated mastery.
"Faster!" Mereoleona shouted, grinning wildly. "If you can't keep up with me at full speed, then you're not worth the title they give you!"
Dave's eyes gleamed. "You'll regret saying that."
In a heartbeat, his mana flared, doubling—his constructs reforming into sharp, flowing spears of light. He struck, not in retaliation but in rhythm with her—anticipating, redirecting, creating bursts of energy that collided perfectly with her attacks. The resulting shockwaves shook the outpost walls, scattering embers and light like a meteor storm.
Mereoleona's grin widened, flames burning hotter. "That's it! That's what I wanted to see!"
She unleashed Mana Zone: Calidus Brachium Catastrophe—her flames condensed, swirling into a blazing sphere of destruction that she hurled straight at him. The explosion that followed could have leveled a fortress.
Dave didn't flinch. His mana flared, golden arcs wrapping around his arm as he extended his hand forward. "Mana Conversion—Compression."
The explosion halted midair, imploding inward as his energy forced it into a condensed orb before dispersing it harmlessly.
Mereoleona's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed with satisfaction. "Good reflex. But that won't save you twice."
"Then I won't need it twice." Dave vanished in a flash—Step Reverb. He reappeared beside her, his energy blade forming and colliding with her flaming gauntlet. Sparks and fire erupted between them as their blows connected in a perfect stalemate.
For the next few minutes, the battle intensified. Mereoleona's ferocity burned brighter, her strikes fueled by sheer instinct and will. Dave mirrored her every move, his mana resonating with hers, adapting and refining his flow each time she tried to corner him.
"Your control's ridiculous," she growled between blows, her grin fierce. "You're matching me without even flinching."
Dave parried her next strike with effortless grace, his tone steady. "Because you're teaching me your rhythm as we fight. You move with instinct, but instinct has a pattern."
"Hah!" she barked a laugh, spinning and kicking a burst of fire that cracked the ground. "Then learn faster!"
Their collision sent a shockwave across the training ground, pillars of smoke and light rising as their mana collided again and again. Each impact thundered like a distant explosion, and yet both still stood firm—neither gaining, neither yielding.
Finally, after one last exchange that split the ground between them, they stopped simultaneously, the air shimmering from the heat and mana density.
Mereoleona straightened, fire still flickering faintly around her. "Enough for today. Any more, and we'll burn down the base."
Dave relaxed his stance, his breathing calm but his energy still vibrant. "You're right. Another few minutes and this place wouldn't exist."
Her smirk returned, fierce and proud. "Good. You're stronger than I expected, Dave. Not just power—discipline. You learn in the middle of battle, and that's rare."
Dave gave a slight bow, his tone respectful but confident. "I had a good teacher."
She scoffed but there was a trace of approval in her voice. "Don't get sentimental. You still have a long way to go before you can take on that devil."
"I'll be ready," Dave said simply, eyes steady.
"See that you are." Mereoleona turned away, flames flickering around her as she started toward the exit. "Because next time, I won't stop until one of us drops."
Dave smiled faintly as he watched her leave, his mana fading into stillness. "Then I'd better make sure it isn't me."
The dawn light caught the smoke drifting across the training field, glowing gold and crimson—like the promise of another battle waiting just beyond the horizon.
Day after day, the mountains around the Crimson Lion outpost echoed with their clashes—raw, unfiltered collisions of fire and light.
Every morning before sunrise, Mereoleona was already waiting for him, standing at the edge of the training field with her arms crossed and that fierce, wild grin fixed in place. "You're late, brat," she'd say—even when Dave arrived early.
And every time, Dave would answer calmly, his mana already stirring like a quiet storm. "Then I'll make up for it by winning today."
What followed was chaos—glorious, destructive, exhilarating chaos.
Each battle pushed them past their limits. Mereoleona's fire would roar across the field, melting stone and searing air, while Dave's golden-blue mana would flare in elegant arcs, weaving defenses and counterattacks that adapted with every strike.
He learned to read her—every shift of her stance, every subtle pulse of her flames. She, in turn, learned to push him—to force his precision to evolve into instinct, his control into raw reaction.
By the fifth day, she no longer went easy on him.
"Don't think, move!" she shouted, diving through her own wall of flame, landing a punch that sent Dave skidding across the scorched ground.
He caught himself mid-slide, mana bursting outward in a sharp pulse that stabilized his footing. "You're faster than yesterday," he said, smirking faintly.
"And you're still talking instead of fighting!" she barked back, hurling another barrage of flame like meteor strikes.
Dave countered with Mana Reverb – Reflective Pulse. Each flaming blast curved back toward her, refracted through shimmering shields of energy. The resulting chain of detonations tore through the air, shaking the cliffs and scattering molten shards in all directions.
When the smoke cleared, Mereoleona emerged laughing—wild, fearless. "That's it! You're finally getting it!"
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