Tave poured every ounce of his focus into his concentration. At this moment, it felt as if he had completely merged with the body he had taken over less than a day ago.
There was no resistance, no disconnect. The fusion was seamless.
He wasn't just inhabiting this body.
It was as if he had fully claimed it as his own. And together, they were enhancing each other.
Lily rushed in from the other side. Her movements were elegant.
Damn.
She was fast, her stride fluid, every step flowing like water.
As they closed the distance, Lily's blade cut through the air in a flawless arc, graceful, controlled, and dangerously precise.
She was about to land the first hit!
Tave could see it! He wasn't fast enough to block!
But then… her movement faltered.
Just for a split second.
She held back.
She hesitated!
That hesitation allowed Tave to meet her blade head-on. A clash of steel erupted between them, sending sharp vibrations through the air.
Tave struck again! And again.
Each swing was met with a ringing impact as their swords collided in rapid succession.
But this wasn't enough.
He needed more.
He needed her to fight seriously.
Only by pushing himself to the absolute limit could he further sync with this body, strengthening their fusion.
He tightened his grip on his sword, his arms steady and firm. His blade felt like an extension of himself.
His strikes grew stronger. More solid. More precise.
Then. With a powerful swing, he overpowered Lily's stance.
The weight behind his attack forced her backward, making her retreat several steps.
Tave could see it. That softness in her eyes. She was holding back. She was too kind to go all out against her older brother.
But this time, he saw it clearly. Her gaze shifted completely.
Not anymore.
Now, Lily. Take this seriously.
Lily slid her sword back into its sheath, and Tave knew instantly that she was about to cast another skill.
She dashed backward, creating distance, and then… her hands moved.
Fast. Precise. Flawless.
Her fingers formed Hand Seals with incredible speed. For a support role, this level of casting speed was insane.
Tave lunged after her. He wasn't going to let her finish the skill.
Everyone watching held their breath as Lily performed at an unbelievable level.
He swung his sword, aiming to interrupt her casting. But it was too late.
She had already finished. In one smooth motion, Lily unsheathed her sword again.
Good, Lily. Now you're getting serious.
Suddenly, a warning blared through Tave's instincts.
Danger. Immediate. Lethal!
Lily moved. Too fast. Her motion was fluid, like a trained assassin closing in on a target. Her blade flashed, and from it, water surged.
Not just water. A slicing arc of water. A freaking water blade.
The attack shot toward Tave, cutting through the air with deadly precision, carrying the same sharpness and power as a physical sword strike.
Tave had no time to dodge. No time to think. He had to block!
His jaw clenched, muscles tensed, and he gripped his sword tightly, forcing his body to react. Every muscle, every fiber, every heartbeat pushed beyond its limits.
The first water blade came. He swung.
One.
Another followed immediately. Two. Then three. Four.
He blocked them all.
But Lily didn't stop. More water blades surged toward him. Tave pushed his body to its absolute limit, dodging, flipping, rolling, diving across the battlefield. The ground cracked beneath the force of the attacks, each impact echoing like a hammer striking stone.
Gasps filled the training hall. The spectators were speechless. Even Tave himself was in awe. He was doing it. His body, his instincts, they already knew how to move.
The training of the original Tave was still deeply ingrained within him. And in this moment, he understood. This body wasn't holding him back. It was carrying him forward.
While Gaia Novices only received the benefit of Gaia Force enhancing their physical bodies, Gaia Apprentices could already use elemental magic to further strengthen themselves. However, their abilities were limited to the Force within their own bodies.
Gaia Guardians, on the other hand, could manipulate external Gaia Force.
That was why Lily could unleash a water blade attack like this. A skill still beyond Tave's reach.
The fight had only just begun, and yet Tave could already feel it. The intensity, the tension, the danger, the thrill.
Like hell, he hadn't expected this to be so damn exhilarating.
Was this the excitement of the original Tave? Or was it something he had always enjoyed, and that was why he wrote stories like this in the first place?
Lily charged forward, her aura of water trailing behind her like a shimmering afterimage in the air.
She was fast. Too fast.
Tave grinned.
I'm so damn proud of you, my little sister.
She closed the distance in an instant.
This was it.
The finishing blow.
The spectators were already expecting the outcome.
They had come to see him humiliated, crushed, and defeated by his own younger sister.
And now, it was about to happen.
Lily swung her sword in a wide arc, water energy trailing behind it like a blade of its own.
Fast. Precise. Brutal.
Tave could hear the roar of water cutting through the air as her blade moved, so fast it was almost like teleportation.
He raised his sword to block.
And impact.
A force like a tidal wave crashed against him.
It felt like he had been hit by a massive, unstoppable weight.
The sheer power of the attack made his wrist scream in pain, the pressure threatening to snap his bones.
But he held on.
He gritted his teeth, tightened his grip, and refused to let go.
Yet, his body couldn't withstand it.
The overwhelming force sent him flying backward.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
"Whoa!"
The shift was clear.
Had their mockery turned to amazement?
Had they expected him to be instantly crushed instead of holding his ground, even for a moment?
Tave barely regained his footing before he saw her. Lily was already coming at him again.
Tave lifted his sword again, but his wrist felt weak, barely able to hold the weapon's weight. His legs were stiff, almost ready to give out. His heart pounded, struggling to support his own body.
This was his limit.
But! He was standing in the shadow of the training arena.
And he could feel it.
In that brief moment, sweat dripped down his face, veins bulging with the effort to stay upright. A pulse surged through his upper right arm. His Sigil reacted.
Tave clenched his teeth and tightened his grip.
Lily rushed forward, her movements graceful and fluid, like a water goddess delivering divine judgment.
Even the spectators, despite their skepticism, knew the fight was over.
"It's done. Tave lost. Lily is too strong."
"This match was never fair from the start."
"Even a fellow Gaia Guardian wouldn't stand a chance against her."
"This is the end of the sparring match."
Lily closed the distance, her sword cutting a wide arc, leaving a water-traced trail in the air, twisting and curling like a serpent ready to strike.
Her sword sliced downward. Fast, precise, and absolute.
The final hit. The final blow.
Tave couldn't block this a second time.
Her sword swung straight toward his defense.
He would lose.
The match would be over.
And then, Lily's blade sliced through empty air.
Tave was gone.
Gasps erupted from the crowd. Lily's eyes widened in shock.
Where did he go?!
No! No! No! He didn't vanish. He moved.
In a split second, Tave was already behind Lily, his sword swinging toward her back.
Wait! Wait! Wait!
He couldn't do this!
Lily would be seriously injured!
He needed to stop. But it was too late!
His blade was already in motion.
But then, Lily reacted.
In an instant, she moved so fast that she left an afterimage, spinning just in time to block his attack.
But, her stance was off.
Tave's blade clashed against hers, striking dangerously close to the hilt.
CLASH!
A sharp impact.
A flash of red.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Lily's sword flew from her grip, spinning before it embedded itself into the arena floor.