Looking at him, she was reminded of the other half of the rumours. The rumors said he trained relentlessly. That he never avoided difficult exercises. That he did not rely on excuses.
Still…
Training hard did not always mean someone possessed the mindset required to continue doing so when true difficulty appeared.
She had met many people who admired strength.
Many who approached her because of her position.
Future clan leader.
Intermediate tier at a young age.
They praised her talent. They spoke of admiration. But admiration often hid expectation. Expectation that she would carry responsibility for them.
Solve problems they avoided confronting themselves. Too many wished to stand beside strength without pursuing it themselves.
She had watched former friends grow comfortable relying on her to help them out whenever needed since they were friends.
They trained when convenient. Paused when difficulty appeared. Spoke of potential more than progress.
Strength required consistency. Consistency required discipline. Discipline required accepting discomfort willingly.
Few truly accepted that.
Which was why she had become curious about Luis.
Someone whose future supposedly ended early should not possess strong motivation.
Yet he trained seriously.
She observed him carefully.
His aura circulation remained stable even while standing still.
His stance was relaxed but ready. Not rigid.
His gaze met hers.
Still…
Observation from a distance revealed little.
Sparring revealed far more.
Movement exposed hesitation. Pressure exposed mindset.
Sera had arranged this meeting deliberately.
She always preferred understanding through action.
The girl stepped forward slowly.
Luis adjusted his position slightly in response.
She allowed more aura to circulate through her.
She had spent the past year stabilizing her foundations and getting used to her new blessings after advancing to intermediate tier.
Rushing control often led to instability later. Her instructors had emphasized that repeatedly.
Sera stepped slightly to the side, creating space between them.
Neither child looked at her.
Focus remained forward.
The girl studied Luis one final time.
Sera's voice broke the silence calmly.
"Begin."
Both moved at the same moment.
The ground cracked beneath their feet as Luis and Selene burst forward at the same time, aura surging through their bodies.
Fast.
Luis's eyes sharpened instantly.
She's just as fast as me.
That realization hit before they even reached each other.
His Tempest Flow blessing was active he could feel it enhancing every step, every movement.
And yet she matched his speed.
Which meant she was a Higher tier than him because it didn't look like she activated a blessing.
Intermediate… most likely.
He had never fought someone his age at a higher tier before.
By the time they reached the halfway point between them, Luis had already adjusted his expectations.
She has at least eight blessings.
Then
A veil dropped.
It formed instantly in front of Selene, a thin distortion in the air and in the next moment.
Twelve Selenes charged out from it.
Luis's eyes narrowed.
Autonomous clones but not all of them.
Without hesitation, Luis summoned his own.
Three autonomous clones split from him, each taking form beside him.
Four against twelve.
Luis lowered his stance, fists raised, his clones mirroring him perfectly.
The first three Selenes reached them.
Impact.
Fist met fist and Luis's clones were immediately pushed back.
The difference in tier was obvious.
Even the real clones were stronger.
His clones could barely hold them.
Three clones stopped.
Nine passed.
Luis clicked his tongue internally.
Too many.
The remaining nine rushed toward him, spreading out into a loose semicircle as they closed in.
A small bead of sweat formed on his temple.
Luis activated his water manipulation.
A wide arc of water burst outward from him, thin but fast, sweeping across the incoming figures.
Six distorted instantly.
Illusions.
They flickered and vanished as the water passed through them.
Three remained.
Real.
"Shit," Luis muttered inwardly.
They were already on him.
He stepped back
A punch grazed past his face.
Block
A kick slammed into his guard.
Pain shot through his arms, his bones rattling from the impact.
Too strong.
He deflected another strike, barely redirecting it away from his body.
Every movement pushed him further back.
He was completely on the defensive.
But even while retreating Luis was watching.
Tracking.
Because there was one thing Selene didn't know.
The veil.
The moment it dropped Luis had seen the ground and on that ground a single displaced leaf.
A footprint.
Not from the twelve clones.
The real one Invisible.
He had been tracking it ever since.
Now she was near the tree behind him waiting.
Luis continued retreating, deliberately allowing himself to be pushed back.
He took another hit.
A punch clipped his shoulder.
Another kick grazed his side.
Pain built, but he endured it.
Just a little more.
Distance.
He needed distance.
Once he felt it
Luis moved.
Water surged again.