---
**The distance between them narrowed.** Perhaps a meter—if even that—separated their feet. Their eyes locked.
Time seemed almost frozen. An invisible game played out, testing which side would make the first move.
Then, Estelle stepped forward. A small but graceful step, like water gently lapping at the shore. She raised her arms and turned her palms toward Kaelen. Kaelen mirrored her. Their movements were synchronized—identical in timing and form. Like reflections of each other, or like the same wave breaking on opposite shores of a lake.
Suddenly, Estelle twisted her wrists and delivered a gentle yet decisive push. The motion was soft but carried undeniable power. Kaelen shifted his body back almost imperceptibly, his feet firmly planted, his hands redirecting the force as if guiding an invisible wind. His movements harmonized with nature—where Estelle flowed like water, Kaelen drifted like the wind, scattering her attack.
A glint flashed in Estelle's eyes. She stomped her left foot, pivoted her body in a circular motion, and thrust her palm toward Kaelen's chest. The strike was elegant yet lethal. But instead of blocking it head-on, Kaelen diverted its energy with a subtle flick of his wrist, redirecting the force like a wave to another shore.
They attacked, defended, and attacked again. Each move was a response; each counter opened new possibilities. Their fists and footwork carried the rhythm of nature itself. This was less a brawl and more a dance—not about brute force, but harmony. The essence lay not in resisting power, but in guiding it.
Even as Estelle retreated, her body moved with fluid grace. She reset her stance instantly, like a water goddess mid-dance. As she raised and lowered her arms like waves, dewdrops scattered around her, forming tiny rings. Then, she abruptly dropped low, bending her knees to disrupt Kaelen's balance.
Kaelen, as if anticipating the move, sidestepped. He twisted his body, evading the attack at an angle, then swiftly countered with a kick—but Estelle blocked it with a nimble reflex.
Within seconds, the fight had transformed from a clash into a dance. Neither was purely attacking nor defending. Every step, every touch, every shift blurred together. Mana thickened the air around them, an unseen aura enveloping them. A single strike would grievously wound any ordinary onlooker—especially someone like Liam, watching from the sidelines.
Kaelen's expression was calm but focused. He deftly halted Estelle's spinning punch and converted its momentum into his own strike. Their fists collided mid-air, sparks crackling between them. Skin glowed with mana.
Finally, Estelle stepped back, chest heaving as she steadied her breath. Kaelen remained still, a faint smirk playing on his lips. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, silently rippling the pond's surface.
**"Who's the worthy one now, bitch?"** Kaelen taunted, his voice laced with exhaustion and triumph.
Then he raised his right hand and flipped her off. His grin widened, lighting up his face with a dirty smirk. Kaelen had been waiting for this moment for a long time—even back in his old life.
---
Estelle's voice was a cold whisper seeping through the night, her tone icy and dark. She seemed almost perplexed.
**"You... you're dangerous. What's your name?"**
A familiar, mocking curve appeared on Kaelen's lips. His eyes locked onto hers as he answered with his trademark arrogance:
**"You're not worthy of knowing it."**
Estelle's expression shifted instantly. Her stone-cold mask cracked, replaced by furrowed brows and blazing eyes. The fury on her face betrayed the fragments of her wounded pride.
**"I underestimated you,"** she hissed.
The air around her thickened. Estelle focused the mana surging within her, summoning the same enchanted blade that had annihilated the giant bear earlier. The steel gleamed ominously in the dark, a sinister light cutting through the night.
Kaelen turned away. With a glance at Olivia and Liam, he spoke in a carefree tone, as if this were all a game:
**"Guess we should run now. Unless we wanna die."**
In an instant, he spun and sprinted off, his feet pounding the muddy earth as the wind whipped through his hair. Olivia and Liam froze for a second, struggling to process what was happening—then instinct kicked in, and they bolted after him.
**"Dammit! Why are you leading her toward us?"** Liam shouted between gasps. **"So this lunatic can kill us all?"**
Kaelen glanced back, grinning.
**"Yeah, dying alone would be rude. Besides, I fought for you back there. Still ungrateful, Liam?"**
Before Liam could retort, Estelle's voice thundered behind them like a storm:
**"You! Don't you dare run!"**
Kaelen yelled without looking back, his voice dripping with mockery:
**"No thanks! I avoid women who chase men with swords."**
Olivia and Liam's faces tensed. Estelle was closing the gap with every second, her crimson hair whipping in the wind, her eyes gleaming like a predator locked onto prey. Kaelen's taunting wasn't just infuriating Estelle—it was driving his own teammates mad. At least, that's how Liam felt.
Then, lightning struck Liam's mind.
**"Hey, Kaelen! I've got an idea!"**
Kaelen shot him a sidelong glance.
**"What? Will this idea get me killed?"**
**"Probably. But it might also save us."**
Kaelen hesitated, then asked:
**"What're the odds?"**
**"Fifty-fifty."**
As Liam smirked, he veered slightly off course and shouted:
**"Wait—so it's either fifty-fifty we die or fifty-fifty we live?"**
Liam's grin faded.
**"Fifty-fifty. Meet at the spot where we first found the bear tracks!"**
Kaelen gave a curt nod before swerving sharply into the trees. Estelle faltered for a split second—then fixed her gaze on Kaelen and pursued. The night's silence shattered under the crunch of leaves and pounding footsteps.
Soon, Kaelen glanced back. She was still there—her red hair a flickering flame in the dark, her strides fueled by fury. The distance between them was shrinking. At this rate, capture was inevitable.
**"What now…?"** Kaelen thought, his heart hammering but his face eerily calm.
Then it hit him. The fourth mana technique.
In theory, it could still work. He wasn't sure he had enough mana left to pull it off—but he had no other choice.
Either take the risk…
Or get caught and let Estelle's blade write the final note of this deadly dance.
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