It seemed that the two had re-entered the game, but in reality, they were in a completely different situation than before.
Malcolm was currently unarmed and could only attack with his fists and feet. The fact that he had a knife strapped to his waist significantly affected his speed and strength.
Although Thea had also been hit—her face half-swollen and blood running down her chin, forming a small puddle on the ground—her condition was not as serious as it seemed. The bleeding was coming from her mouth, which had little impact on her combat effectiveness. Furthermore, she was now holding a long blade, while Malcolm was fighting barehanded.
Thea gripped the blade with both hands and raised it above her head, slowly approaching Malcolm. This was the starting stance of Italian fencing. Although traditionally performed with a two-handed sword, it could also be adapted for a katana!
Seeing his daughter approach, Malcolm fixed his gaze on her shoulder with determination. If he had been in peak condition, he might have been able to handle the situation even without a weapon. But now, his ribs ached. Despite tensing his muscles to slow the bleeding, the blood continued to flow, soon staining his pants red.
It was time to attack! However, he couldn't charge in recklessly. Using a feint, he pretended to lunge forward. Thea fell for the trap and swung her blade at high speed. However, she didn't expect Malcolm to actually advance at the last moment. With a swift movement, he twisted his waist, sidestepped to Thea's right, and struck her wrist forcefully.
The blade was lost! Thea realized that Malcolm had just used the same tricks he had once taught her—against her. With no other choice, she abandoned her weapon and turned to defend herself from the next attack. But to prevent Malcolm from using it against her, she made one last effort and flung the blade out of the combat circle.
Now, the fight was purely hand-to-hand. Kung fu had always been the foundation of their training. They had maintained an undefeated record in their daily sparring matches—and today would be no different. Exploiting her opponent's weaknesses with her own strengths was Thea's original plan, and she had executed it perfectly.
But if this was just training, why not fight fairly, like knights? Thea smiled wryly. "I'm a woman; I can't be a knight. There's only one Altria, and I'm definitely not her."
With her fierce attacks, Malcolm could barely defend himself. The wound under his ribs, now subjected to even more strain, tore open further. Blood gushed out, unstoppable. He knew he was about to lose. If this had been a life-or-death duel, he might have risked everything—but that wasn't necessary now.
Jumping back, Malcolm withdrew from the fight and, panting, raised his hand in a gesture of pause.
"Very well, I've taught you all I can. I hope you won't waste your talent. Now go, and don't come looking for me again."
Thea glanced at her father's wound and knew it was superficial. With all the ancient medicinal knowledge he had stolen from the Ninja Master, a few remedies would be enough for him to recover. She sighed. "Our one-year training… can we consider it a graduation?"
She bowed slightly.
"Thank you for everything. I will remember these past hundred days."
With that, she picked up her gun and left the dense forest.
And the three guys lying on the ground? Well, not taking their lives was mercy enough. Did they expect her to call a doctor? Batman always left his enemies beaten and tied up at the police station—when had he ever called a doctor? In this world, life and death were a matter of fate.
As he watched his daughter disappear into the distance, Malcolm's posture sagged slightly. This rebellious daughter… she hurts me! He took off his coat and tied it loosely around his waist before preparing to tend to his wounds.
At the same time, he muttered into the darkness of the forest:
"Ma'am, what do you think of the disciple I trained? Does she meet your expectations? Are you interested in my proposal?"
Silence. For half a minute, there was no response.
An unknown bird, perched on a nearby tree, watched him from afar. Malcolm realized he had been ignored.
"Damn it! She left without telling me! I hate people who surpass me in perception!"
Meanwhile, as Thea walked through the forest, she massaged her face and grumbled about her father.
"That punch was hard… Will it leave a mark? How can he hit so hard? Everyone says not to hit the face! And that pretty face of his! Bitter old man—he deserves to stay single forever!"
Despite her complaints, she still felt the thrill of the fight. Although Malcolm's words had been harsh, he was truly a natural-born warrior. Even after the battle, her body was still in a heightened state.
She didn't even need a device to measure it—she could feel that her blood flow was 20% faster than normal.
As she tried to slow her heartbeat, something felt off. Instinctively, she pulled out a knife and scanned her surroundings.
"Who's there? Come out!"
"Very sharp." The voice that answered was peculiar, with a foreign accent. Here, "foreign" meant someone from outside the United States.
"Huh?"
When the figure emerged from the shadows, Thea realized it was a woman.
She had long black hair cascading to her waist, piercing, bright eyes. She wore a long black coat and dark leather pants. Her presence was as sharp as a blade.
Thea, who believed she understood the plot, was taken aback. Who was this woman? From her posture and aura, she was definitely not a nobody. And considering Thea's current state, she wasn't in the best condition to fight again.
Suspiciously, she asked, "Who are you? What do you want with me?"
"You can call me Shiva… or Lady Shiva. Initially, I was sent to teach you more about combat, but after watching your fight, I changed my mind. Even though you were at a disadvantage in strength, experience, and skill, you managed to turn the situation around and defeat your opponent. I admire you. Would you like to be my disciple?" The mysterious woman spoke calmly in a foreign language.
Lady Shiva?? Where had this woman come from? Thea was certain she wasn't from the Arrow or The Flash universe. But her presence was razor-sharp—she definitely knew how to fight! She wasn't a superhero… so could she be from Gotham?
She said she had been sent by someone. That was easy to guess. Who else besides old Malcolm could have arranged this? It couldn't have been Felicity…
Should she accept?
This woman radiated coldness. In her vocabulary, the word "help" didn't seem to exist. She was clearly not a conventional heroine.
But… did it really matter? Malcolm was a villain too, yet he had taught her well.
Still, there was something she needed to clarify.
"What exactly do you intend to teach me?"
"You already have a strong foundation. I want to teach you the true essence of combat and sharpen your perception."
If Malcolm heard that, his blood pressure would probably spike. So, everything he had taught her was just the basics?
Thea was intrigued by this woman.