(Iris' POV)
The forest area where Iris found herself was much tamer and calmer than Rudra. The forest hummed with life, starkly contrasting the pounding in Iris' heart.
She adjusted the straps of her survival pack, feeling the now familiar weight of her meticulously prepared gear. A soft smile curved her lips, as she gripped her katana feeling herself calming already at the protection it gave her.
Ever since picking up the katana, she felt safe. She felt like as long as she had it, she could survive anything that was thrown at her. As a result of the physiological damage done to the kids, they each had their unhealthy obsessions and habits.
Rudra obsessed over strength and dedicated his entire being to it. He pushed himself so hard to be strong for fear of being a slave again.
Iris' vice was her katana, she was unable to even sleep without having it near her. It made her feel safe.
The grace and elegance with which a well-performed katana strike could be made her become a bit of a perfectionist during her repeated correcting of her erring strikes.
Despite the tension in the air, she felt calm as her hand held the hilt of her katana. This was a challenge that she had been waiting for–a chance to prove herself, not just to her family, but to herself.
Although not as bad as Rudra, she also held a fervent desire to become strong, after all.
"I'll handle this test as best as I can," she whispered to herself, her tone resolute. "No mess, no chaos. Just precision."
As she walked, the distant rustle of leaves and occasional bird calls filled her ears. She paused by a clear stream, using her collapsible flask to gather water. After taking a measured sip, she munched on a small ration bar, her movements deliberate and graceful.
"This isn't just a test of strength," she thought. "It's a test of preparation, of resolve. I've got this."
She reaffirmed to herself.
Suddenly as she crossed into a denser part of the forest, a low growl pierced the air. Her muscles tensed, her hand instinctively gripping the katana. From the shadows, a white tiger emerged, its piercing blue eyes locking onto hers.
They stared each other down, tense and ready.
'This is my prey?' Iris thought to herself with slight exasperation as cold sweat dripped down her chin.
She wasn't entirely sure who was the predator and who was the prey here!
The tiger's sleek, powerful form radiated dominance, but Iris held her ground.
"So," she said softly, her voice steady despite the squeezing sensation of fear in her chest, "you're the beast I'm destined to face"
She felt her heart pounding as she took in the deadly beauty of the feline in front of her.
The tiger prowled closer, its growl vibrating through the air.
In response, Iris drew her katana with a practiced grace, the blade gleaming in the leaves-covered rays of sunlight.
"This is it," she thought, her pulse quickening. "Time to prove that I am no longer the weak slave I was."
As if sensing her moment of hesitation, the tiger lunged with a ferocious growl!
*Growll*!
Iris sidestepped the charge with the grace of a dancer, leaving no room for the tiger to maneuver!
Iris was now to the side of the tiger as she swung her katana through the air in a precise arc towards the beast!
*Slice*!
The beast roared as the blade grazed its side, drawing a thin line of blood.
Iris allowed herself a brief moment of satisfaction before the tiger turned with startling speed, swiping at her with its massive paw.
She barely managed to block the strike, the force of it rattling her arms and sending her stumbling back.
"Stay focused," she muttered under her breath, catching herself as the tiger circled her. "You've trained for this. You can do this."
roared as the blade grazed its side, drawing a thin line of blood. Iris allowed herself a brief moment of satisfaction before the tiger turned with startling speed, swiping at her with its massive paw. She barely managed to block the strike, the force of it rattling her arms.
"Stay focused," she muttered under her breath, circling the tiger. "You've trained for this. You can do this."
They clashed again, a whirlwind of fur, claws, and steel. Iris fought with every ounce of skill she possessed, her movements a delicate balance of finesse and lethality.
But the tiger was just as relentless, its raw power edging her closer to her limits.
*Crack*!
A sudden, deafening fracture shattered her confidence—the katana snapped under the force of a blow, the broken blade clattering to the ground. Iris froze, staring at the jagged remnants of her weapon.
"No," she breathed raggedly, her heart sinking. "This wasn't supposed to happen."
Mira had told her that her katana would be able to stand up to Ki Surge realm beasts. How the hell had it broken against a mere tiger!
Her breath hitched in her throat as she suddenly felt afraid of the tiger staring her down.
Time seemed to slow in her eyes as she felt the ground disappear from her feet and her focus on the fight dwindled as she stared at her broken sword on the ground.
The tiger took advantage of her hesitation, pouncing and knocking her to the ground.
"Graghgh" Iris coughed out a bit of blood as pain exploded across her ribs as the tiger's claws raked her side.
She rolled away, gasping for breath, her mind racing.
"This is it," a voice in her head whispered. "This is how you fail.
'Shut up' Iris thought in agitation, her disheveled hair flailing in front of her face.
'Without your precious toothpick, you are nothing' The voice came again, each word laced with venom and contempt.
Iris grabbed her head and shook it violently as she muttered, "Shut up"
She seemed to be on the verge of exploding as the voice sung once again, '~Nothing but a weak, little, slave. Nothing but a disappointment to your family!'
Iris' pupils shook as she screamed, "SHUT UPPP" Her voice, stronger and more determined, shattered her doubt, replacing her fear and doubt with blinding rage.
'No,' she thought fiercely, her hands clenched into fists. 'I'm not weak.'
Iris scrambled to her feet, adrenaline surging through her veins. The careful grace she prided herself on was gone, replaced by raw, unfiltered determination.
Her eyes narrowed as she roared," I WILL KILL YOU" She threw herself at the tiger, slipping under its claws and latching onto its neck!
With the broken piece of the blade, she dug into the tiger's fur as she used every ounce of her power to hold onto the beast's neck!
The beast thrashed, its roars echoing through the forest, but she didn't let go, she refused to!
With a guttural scream that sounded more beastly than the tiger, Iris delivered a final, desperate blow as she dragged the blade through the tiger's throat violently!
The beast collapsed, its struggles fading as life left its body.
Iris fell to her knees beside the tiger, her chest heaving and her body trembling as she looked at her broken blade.
She shook her head with a peaceful smile and threw the blade away.
She was covered in bruises, scratches, and dirt, and her usual elegant facade shattered.
Tears pricked her eyes, not from pain, but from the overwhelming weight of the moment.
"I did it," she whispered hoarsely, her voice breaking. "I really did it."
She looked down at her hands, bloodied and shaking, and let out a shaky laugh.
No longer was the weak little girl who relied on some tool to give her confidence! The girl who had entered the forest, calm and composed, was gone. In her place stood someone stronger, someone who had faced the impossible and survived.
"I'm not weak," she said aloud, her voice steadying. "I'm not weak."
Iris rose to her feet, every movement was accompanied by a pain that belied the battle she had endured.
She grabbed the bag that had been thrown around throughout all the commotion and patched herself up.
Cleaning her wounds with alcohol and water, she then bandaged her side to stop the bleeding.
She looked down at the tiger, a pang of sadness mingling with her pride.
"Thank you," she said softly. "You gave me the strength I needed."
With the tiger's body as her proof, she began the long walk back to camp dragging the body back with her micro-fiber rope.
Each step was painful, her body screaming in protest, but she didn't care.
She had passed the test, not just by killing the beast, but by discovering a strength within herself that she didn't know she possessed.
Iris was glad to finally leave this forest as although it had been beneficial to her, she was in no rush to return anytime soon.
Iris allowed herself a small smile as she took in the feeling she was currently experiencing.
She wasn't the same girl who had entered the woods. She was something more—something stronger.
*****
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