Clang! Clank!
The sharp ring of steel on steel echoed across the training grounds.
"Not bad," Alice said, grinning as she pressed forward. "Looks like my sword doesn't just slice through yours anymore."
She always smiled like that when sparring—broad, almost childlike, the kind of smile that made you forget how terrifyingly skilled she was.
Most of the time, Alice wore a calm, unreadable face. Quiet. Almost distant. But when she got like this—when she fought—she lit up like a different person.
"Yeah, well, I hate direct confrontations!" I muttered through gritted teeth. "So how about you stop smiling and let me retreat in peace?!"
-Shiver.
My hand trembled slightly as I held up the dagger, the same one that had just clashed against her rapier.
It felt heavier than it should. Not from fatigue, but from raw power—my body still adjusting to the enhancement granted by the artifact.
