The training hall was empty except for the two of them. The air was thick with tension—unspoken words, unresolved emotions, and something much heavier lingering between them.
Kyle stood at one end of the hall, his expression unreadable. His usual easygoing demeanor was absent. In its place was something colder, something distant. He wasn't angry. Anger would have meant he still cared enough to react.
No, this was worse.
This was indifference.
Vivian clenched her fists. She had spent days trying to get through to him, but he refused to speak to her. Avoided her. Shut her out. She knew why. She understood the weight of her actions, the betrayal he must have felt, but Kyle wouldn't listen to words.
So, she chose the only way left.
A fight.
Kyle tilted his head slightly. "You sure about this?"
Vivian didn't answer. Instead, she raised her fists.
Kyle exhaled. No further words were exchanged. There was no need.
And then—he moved.
---
Phase One: Testing the Waters
Kyle launched forward in an instant, closing the gap with terrifying speed. His first attack was sharp, efficient—a step-in feint, a flicker of movement to the left, then a sudden pivot into a sweeping kick.
Vivian barely dodged.
The wind from his leg brushed against her face as she twisted out of the way, her instincts screaming at her to move faster. She had fought Kyle before, but not like this. Not when he was like this.
He wasn't hesitating.
He wasn't holding back.
She retaliated immediately, launching forward with a precise palm strike aimed at his center mass. Kyle sidestepped with ease, his reflexes razor-sharp. Before she could recover, he countered with an elbow strike toward her ribs.
Vivian raised her arm to block, but the sheer force behind the blow sent her skidding back.
Her mind raced. She had known Kyle was strong, but this… this was different. He wasn't just stronger. He was sharper, more methodical. His movements were precise, controlled—like a soldier on the battlefield rather than a student in a spar.
This wasn't just a fight.
Kyle was proving a point.
And she refused to be overwhelmed.
She shifted her stance. If brute force wouldn't work, she had to be smarter.
---
Phase Two: Adapt and Overcome
Kyle lunged again, this time aiming low—a feint into a rising uppercut.
Vivian saw it coming.
Rather than dodging outright, she twisted mid-motion, redirecting the force of his attack with a controlled parry, using his own momentum against him.
For a fraction of a second, Kyle's stance faltered.
That was her opening.
Vivian surged forward, driving her knee into his side.
Solid contact.
Kyle grunted, thrown off balance, but he recovered almost immediately. He barely showed any reaction before his arm snapped out, catching her wrist.
And before she could react—
He flipped her.
The world spun.
The impact stole the breath from her lungs as she hit the ground hard. She barely had time to process it before Kyle was standing over her, his grip firm but not crushing. He could have ended the fight right there.
But he didn't.
Instead, he let go.
Vivian coughed, rolling onto her side, trying to push herself up.
Kyle stepped back, waiting. Not mocking her. Not offering mercy.
He was giving her a choice.
Stay down. Or get back up.
Vivian gritted her teeth. She wasn't staying down.
---
Phase Three: The Final Exchange
She forced herself to stand, ignoring the ache in her body. She took a deep breath, adjusting her stance.
Kyle watched her carefully, but this time, something had changed. The cold edge in his gaze had cracked—just slightly.
Then, without warning, they both moved.
Kyle attacked first—a sharp, controlled strike aimed for her shoulder.
Vivian sidestepped, barely dodging.
She twisted, sweeping her leg out in a low kick.
Kyle blocked—but she was already moving.
Using the momentum, she spun into a backfist.
For the first time, Kyle didn't dodge fast enough.
The hit connected.
Kyle's head snapped slightly to the side. He blinked, clearly not expecting that.
It wasn't a decisive blow. It wasn't enough to bring him down.
But it was enough.
Vivian exhaled. She had landed a hit.
Kyle straightened, rolling his jaw slightly. He locked eyes with her. The silence stretched between them.
Vivian stared back, unwavering.
She wasn't asking for forgiveness. She was proving herself.
For a long moment, Kyle said nothing. Then—finally—he nodded.
Not forgiveness.
Not yet.
But an acknowledgment.
And for now, that was enough.
---
Aftermath
The fight ended, but the impact lingered.
Vivian didn't move immediately, still catching her breath. Kyle didn't offer a hand to help her up, but he also didn't walk away. He simply stood there, watching.
Then, something shifted.
A ripple of energy pulsed through the air.
Kyle's gaze sharpened, his eyes flickering to her.
Vivian felt it before she understood what was happening. A surge within her, a subtle but undeniable shift in her mana.
Level 3.
She had advanced.
Kyle saw it. His expression didn't change, but she knew he had noticed.
Yet, he said nothing. No words of praise, no acknowledgment of her progress.
He simply turned and walked away.
Vivian watched him go, her chest tightening.
She had won a battle.
But the war wasn't over.
Not yet.
---