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As her boots touched the sandy floor, Valeria raised her chin high, meeting the mixture of voices with the silent strength of her gaze. This was her moment, and she would not falter.

Across the expanse of the arena stood Zerah, poised and composed. She wore the flowing, pale blue robes of the Cloud Heavens Sect, their edges embroidered with intricate patterns of white clouds. Her expression was calm on the surface, but Valeria could see past the mask. Zerah\'s hostility radiated off her in waves, a cold, sharp presence that seemed to slice through the warmth of the sunlight.

Valeria took a measured breath, steadying herself. Her fingers brushed the hilt of her sword briefly—a grounding motion more than anything.

Focus. Breathe. She thrives on control. Don\'t let her have it.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied Zerah. The other woman was utterly still, like a predator lying in wait, but Valeria didn\'t miss the way her eyes gleamed with barely concealed disdain. It wasn\'t just the rivalry of the match fueling that gaze. No, there was something more personal here. Something deeper.

Valeria knew why.

Zerah had been the first to approach her when she\'d arrived in Andelheim, extending an invitation to join the Cloud Heavens Sect. At the time, it had seemed flattering, even tempting. The sect\'s reputation was as grand as its reach, and Zerah\'s confidence had been persuasive. But that confidence had quickly turned to arrogance, and her persistence had begun to grate.

Lucavion had been the turning point. When Zerah\'s disdain for him became clear—along with her sect members\' repeated attempts to undermine him—Valeria found herself firmly on his side. Lucavion\'s sharp, unflappable nature and his incisive words had not only made her think but also reminded her of her own independence.

Choosing to remain unaffiliated wasn\'t just a rejection of Zerah\'s offer; it was a statement of her own agency. And Zerah had not forgiven her for it.

\'This isn\'t just a duel for her. She wants to prove something—to me, to her sect, to herself. And she\'ll use that anger to fuel her attacks.\'

The referee stepped forward, his voice booming to command the crowd\'s attention. "For our second match of the quarter-finals, we have Valeria Olarion, a rising star, and unaffiliated swordswoman, against Zerah of the Cloud Heavens Sect, the sect\'s formidable senior disciple."

The crowd erupted into cheers, but Valeria barely heard them. Her focus was entirely on Zerah, who finally moved, taking a single step forward. Her hand rested lightly on the hilt of her weapon, a curved blade that caught the sunlight in sharp flashes.

"Miss Valeria," Zerah said, her voice carrying just enough warmth to sound civil, but the edge was unmistakable. "It seems that it is the fate that brought us here."

"It is-"

"You who hides behind a man, and us who wants to stand above anyone else."

Hearing that, Valeria raised an eyebrow but didn\'t reply immediately. She knew better than to be drawn into Zerah\'s games. Instead, she let the silence hang between them, her calm, steady gaze meeting Zerah\'s.

\'Every word is a hook. She wants a reaction. Don\'t give it to her.\'

The other woman\'s smirk faltered ever so slightly, and Valeria finally spoke, her voice even. "The arena is no place for speeches. Save your words for after the match—if you have any left."

Zerah\'s smirk returned, colder now, and she unsheathed her sword with a smooth, practiced motion. "Bold. Let\'s see if your sword speaks as confidently as your tongue."

Valeria mirrored the motion, her blade sliding free with a soft metallic hiss. She shifted into her stance, her grip firm but relaxed. The crowd hushed as the referee raised his hand, preparing to start the match.

For a brief moment, Valeria\'s thoughts flickered back to Lucavion\'s words, a faint echo in her mind.

\'Zerah thrives on intimidation and control.\'

Her lips tightened into a faint, determined line.

\'Not today.\'

******

"START!"

The moment the referee\'s hand dropped, Zerah launched forward, a blur of motion that left a trail of shimmering wind in her wake. The crowd gasped at her speed, the sheer burst of energy propelling her across the arena in an instant.

Valeria barely had time to adjust. Her instincts took over, her body reacting as her Zweihander came up in a sharp, defensive arc.

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CLANG!

Zerah\'s saber struck against her blade with a crackling force, the impact rippling through Valeria\'s arms. She gritted her teeth, sliding back a step but holding her ground. The saber hummed with a faint, high-pitched sound, wind swirling around it as Zerah pulled back for another strike.

\'Fast. Too fast,\' Valeria thought, her eyes narrowing as she tracked Zerah\'s movements. The other woman was already on the move again, her speed amplified by gusts of wind swirling at her feet.

"You\'re too slow!" Zerah taunted, her voice sharp and cutting as she spun to Valeria\'s side, her saber slashing in a wide arc.

Valeria turned her body with a snap, her Zweihander meeting the attack just in time. Sparks flew as the weapons clashed again, the sound echoing in the hushed arena.

\'She\'s pushing her speed, burning through her mana,\' Valeria noted, feeling the sharp fluctuations in Zerah\'s aura. \'She can\'t maintain this pace forever.\'

Zerah darted back, a smirk tugging at her lips. With a flick of her wrist, she slashed her saber horizontally, sending a sharp blade of wind hurtling toward Valeria.

SWOOSH!

The wind blade howled as it streaked through the air. Valeria sidestepped, the attack slicing past her shoulder and dissipating against the arena wall in a sharp burst.

\'She\'s not just fast—she\'s relentless,\' Valeria thought, shifting her stance.

Zerah lunged again, her saber a whirlwind of strikes, each one accompanied by bursts of wind that enhanced her reach and speed. Valeria parried and dodged, her Zweihander carving smooth arcs through the air as she countered each attack.

But Zerah wasn\'t just fast—she was precise. Her strikes targeted Valeria\'s weak points: her sides, her legs, her blind spots. Each attack came faster than the last, leaving Valeria with little room to retaliate.

"Is that all, Pink Knight?" Zerah sneered, her saber flashing in another sharp strike.

Valeria blocked, her blade catching the saber in a jarring clash of steel.

Their blades locked for a moment sparks flying as their auras clashed. Zerah\'s eyes gleamed with superiority, wind swirling around her in a chaotic dance.

But Valeria didn\'t falter. She held her ground, her grip on her Zweihander steady. \'She\'s overconfident,\' she realized. \'She thinks her speed is enough to overwhelm me.\'

As Zerah broke away, she twisted her saber in a flourish, sending another wind blade hurtling toward Valeria. This time, Valeria didn\'t dodge. Instead, she channeled her mana into her sword, the blade glowing faintly as she swung it in a powerful arc.

BOOM!

The wind blade shattered against her mana-infused strike, dissipating into harmless gusts.

Zerah\'s smirk wavered for a fraction of a second. "Hmph. You can block a few tricks, but can you keep up with this?"

Her aura flared, the wind around her intensifying. She dashed forward again, her saber moving so quickly it seemed to blur into multiple strikes.

Valeria gritted her teeth, her body moving on instinct as she parried the onslaught. Her arms burned from the effort, each impact sending shockwaves through her muscles.

But she wasn\'t just defending. She was watching. Studying.

Zerah\'s movements, while fast, had a rhythm—a pattern. Her strikes came in bursts, each one slightly slower after a surge of speed.

\'She\'s burning through her mana too quickly,\' Valeria thought. \'If I can hold out long enough, I can turn this around.\'

She adjusted her stance, letting Zerah push her back toward the edge of the arena. The crowd gasped as it seemed Valeria was losing ground, her defenses barely holding against the relentless assault.

But Valeria\'s mind was calm. Focused. She wasn\'t retreating—she was baiting.

As Zerah rushed in again, her saber flashing toward Valeria\'s side, Valeria suddenly stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Her Zweihander swung in a wide, deliberate arc, her mana surging through the blade.

"Sword of Olarion: Knight\'s Arc!"

The glowing arc of energy streaked through the air, colliding with Zerah\'s saber. The impact sent a shockwave rippling across the arena, forcing Zerah back several paces.

She staggered, her breathing heavy, her aura flickering with the strain of her overexertion.

Valeria took a steadying breath, her gaze locked on Zerah.

Zerah\'s eyes narrowed, her grip tightening on her saber. "You\'re not fast enough to catch me."

But Valeria didn\'t need to be fast. She needed to be precise.

\'Remember how he did it…\'

It visualized in her mind.

\'Use that…..this is your change….\'

Lucavion might be a genius when it came to the sword, but was everything about the sword?

It was indeed true that she was not as good as Lucavion when it came to swinging weapons, but does that mean she was supposed to be weaker than him?

\'If I can\'t be as good, then I will try another way.\'

As Zerah lunged again, Valeria held her ground, her Zweihander raised and ready. She waited, her focus narrowing until everything else faded away.

–[Sword of Olarion.

Knight\'s Resolve.

]

If she was not as good now, she would be as good in the future.

That was the resolve that a knight was supposed to have.