Chapter 444: Blade Lock
Celine’s blade shifted, the movement fluid and deliberate, a predator testing its prey. Her sword carved a serpentine path through the air, each strike flowing into the next with the grace of a dancer who had long since forgotten the meaning of hesitation.
Seraphina’s eyes tracked every motion, her blade snapping up to meet each strike.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The rhythm was relentless, a deadly symphony of steel and will.
Celine’s laugh was light, almost musical, carrying a note of genuine delight. "Haha! Good, good! Keep dancing, shiny knight! Show me what that one arm can do!"
Seraphina’s blade swept low, aiming for Celine’s exposed thigh. Celine twisted, the strike grazing her armor, and Seraphina used the momentum to pivot—driving her shoulder into Celine’s chest.
The impact sent Celine stumbling back, her boots scraping against the cracked earth. For just a moment, her guard dropped. A flicker of surprise passed through her eyes.
Seraphina’s body coiled like a spring, her muscles tensing with the promise of release. Her sword arm drew back, the golden light along its edge flaring as if the blade itself was eager for the strike.
She pushed forward, her feet driving against the cracked earth as she closed the distance in a blur of motion. The air around her seemed to part, the sound of her movement a sharp, tearing whistle that cut through the chaos of the battlefield.
Her blade carved a blazing arc toward Celine’s throat, the golden light along its edge flaring like a dying star.
Celine’s form shifted. Her body twisted, and her blade swept upward in a brutal, rising arc that caught Seraphina’s sword mid-swing. The clash sent sparks showering across the battlefield, and for a moment, they were locked together.
Celine’s smile returned. "Almost had me there, knight."
She shoved Seraphina back and spun, her blade already carving a devastating horizontal arc aimed at Seraphina’s ribs.
Seraphina’s sword came up to block, but she was still recovering from the shove. The impact sent her stumbling sideways, her boots scraping against the earth as she fought to keep her footing.
Celine didn’t let up. Her blade swept toward Seraphina’s side, then reversed direction in a fluid, brutal arc aimed at her shoulder. Seraphina twisted, the strike grazing her arm, drawing a thin line of blood.
Celine’s grin widened. "Still dancing, knight? You’re starting to slow down."
Seraphina’s breath came in sharp, controlled bursts as she steadied herself. The thin line of blood on her arm was already beginning to dry, the wound shallow but a reminder that Celine was not toying with her.
She shifted her stance, lowering her center of gravity. Her sword arm, still blazing with golden light, moved into a low guard—a defensive posture that left no obvious openings.
"You talk too much." Seraphina’s voice was cold. "Is that how you compensate for your lack of skill?"
Celine’s smile didn’t waver. Her blade traced a lazy arc through the air, the crimson light along its edge pulsing in time with her heartbeat.
"Lack of skill?" She tilted her head, her violet eyes gleaming with mock hurt. "I’ve been fighting for longer than you’ve been alive. You’re the one who’s still learning how to dance."
Celine’s blade shot forward in a straight, brutal thrust aimed at Seraphina’s chest. The tip of her sword seemed to distort the air around it, trailing a thin wake of crimson light that pulsed like a living heartbeat.
Seraphina didn’t try to block.
She pivoted, her body flowing to the side as the blade passed inches from her ribs. Her sword swept up, the golden edge carving a shallow line across Celine’s extended forearm.
Celine hissed, pulling back. A thin line of crimson welled from the wound, and her violet eyes narrowed.
"A counter-attack. You’re not as predictable as I thought."
Seraphina pressed forward, her blade becoming a blur of golden light as she launched a series of rapid strikes—each one aimed at a different opening, each one forcing Celine to retreat step by step.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The rhythm shifted. Seraphina was no longer just defending—she was pushing, forcing Celine onto the back foot. The golden light around her sword blazed brighter with each strike, her movements growing sharper, more precise.
Celine’s smile flickered. Her eyes widened slightly as she felt the weight of Seraphina’s assault pressing against her guard. She deflected another strike, then another, her feet sliding back as she struggled to maintain her footing.
Seraphina’s voice cut through the clash of steel, cold and steady.
"Your movements are getting sloppy. Maybe I’m not the only one who’s slowing down."
Celine’s laugh was sharp, breathless, but carried the unmistakable edge of irritation. "Oh? Think you’ve got me figured out, do you?"
She planted her feet, her blade sweeping up in a vicious arc that forced Seraphina to leap back. The golden light flickered as Seraphina landed in a crouch, her chest heaving.
Celine raised her blade, the crimson light along its edge blazing brighter than before.
"Let’s see how long you can keep that pace."
She shot forward again, her blade met Celine’s in a shower of golden and crimson sparks. Their swords clashed, locked, then broke apart, each strike faster than the last.
Seraphina’s movements were fluid, precise—each strike flowing into the next with the relentless rhythm of a woman who had long since learned to fight without hesitation.
Celine’s style was sharper, more aggressive, each strike carrying the weight of centuries of experience.
They were evenly matched.
Celine’s breath came in sharp, controlled bursts, her violet eyes fixed on Seraphina with cold, calculating focus. Her voice carried a note of genuine respect, though her smile remained sharp.
"You’re stronger than I expected, knight. Most would have fallen by now."
Seraphina’s voice was steady, carrying the weight of a woman who had long since stopped being impressed by praise.
"Most haven’t faced a Lich."
Celine’s smile widened, a flicker of genuine appreciation passing through her eyes.
"Ah. So you’ve faced something worse than me." She tilted her head, her blade shifting into a low guard. "Then I won’t hold back."
Her aura erupted.
The crimson light that had been flickering along her blade exploded outward, washing over the battlefield in a wave of cold, suffocating pressure. The air around her grew thick, heavy, pressing against Seraphina’s senses like a physical weight.
Celine’s voice dropped, the lightness gone, replaced by something cold and absolute.
"Let’s see if you can survive this."
Seraphina’s grip tightened on her sword, the golden light along its edge blazing brighter in defiance.
The ground beneath her cracked, dust rising as she dug in her heels.
"I wasn’t planning on dying today."