Simona's pupils constricted. The instant Aina moved, it was as though the weight of an expert bore down from all sides. Her powerful thighs grew a size, her toned torso flexed, her slender arms pulsed with a power their slight frame had no business having Every movement was efficient to an extreme and refined to the final detail.

She was a work of art.

Simona's expression calmed, her arms leaving their relaxed position and her hands raising. The long, painted nails that graced them curled like claws, shimmering with delicately designed gems.

Her arm swept at the air even as Aina's ax swung downward.

BANG!

Claw and blade met. On one side, a dark violet gown danced wildly in the wind and on the other, a long cascading river of jet black hair flowed as though a single cohesive whole.

Sparks flew between them, neither woman taking even a single step backward.

Simona's arm trembled, her gaze narrowing further. In that instant, what looked like a stalemate collapsed.

BANG!

The ground beneath her feet shattered, her dress threatening to fly from her body out from below as though a strong air current had assaulted her ankles.

Aina's strength with had been equal to Simona's suddenly erupted past her, forcing Simona to quickly retreat lest she be forced into the ground.

As Simona fell backward, her delicate and seemingly dainty feet left deep craters in the ground, the little puppy that had been dancing around her ankles quickly dodging out of the way to avoid being crushed into minced meat.

Simona's gaze flickered as Leonel's lip twitched. Well, he had given Simona a warning. It wasn't his fault that she hadn't listened. But, then again, by the time he had given said warning, it was probably already too late for his advice to be heeded.

There was no doubt in Leonel's mind that Aina had done it on purpose. Her control over her body was so finely tuned that she had put out only just enough strength to negate Simona's own counter in that instant. Then, when Simona was feeling confident that their strengths were about equal after a single probe, Aina erupted with more strength in a position that wasn't conducive to gathering momentum in the first place.

The difference was clear. Simona had come into the exchange with intent to probe. Aina had entered the exchange with intent to humiliate. And, the only way you could get away with such a thing is if you had the confidence and the arrogance to do so.

Simona's gaze turned a shade colder, her final stomp stopping what was left her momentum just before reaching the edge of the platform.

Simona wasn't very put off by this result. Physical strength was clearly Aina's strong suit but it wasn't even something Simona would list in her top three best qualities. However, it was clear that Aina was aware of this as well, or else she wouldn't have taken such an approach.

Aina could have forced her back immediately, but she hadn't chosen to do this. Instead, she had thrown down an obvious gauntlet. She didn't just plan to win this battle, she planned to cruise to its ends. She didn't just plan on winning, she planned on doing so handily.

The cold light in Simona's gaze grew, a fog of dark violet Force beginning to spread around her.

The expressions of her subordinates changed, their hearts skipping a beat. They could tell that their young miss was enraged. Despite the fact her expression didn't seem to have changed in the slightest, the blood thirst in her air now was heavier than the air itself.

"I would put the poison away, if I were you." Aina said lightly. "Unless you're seeking to be humiliated again, that is."

Simona didn't say a single word. Her right palm flipped over to reveal a snaking black with dense scale-like patterns that made it seem as though it had been carved out of the hide of a dragon. Her left palm flipped over to reveal a slender silver blade that seem a bit too long to be considered a knife or dagger, but still a hint too short to be considered a sword or short sword.

This odd dual wielding style was a specialty of the Pyius family. A tail-like whip and a stinger-like sword. Together they formed a lethal combination of long and short range.

The moment they appeared, two strong Level Two Blade-like Forces manifested. With a single step, Simona's gown tore a gash from its hem to her hip, revealing a gorgeous sight of supple calf and thigh. A garter pressed against her pale flesh, lined with slender silver needles that emitted an air of lethality.

As Simona raised her leg to take a second step, both women vanished.

A whip lashed out through the air, only to be deflected by a punch.

A short sword split the wind in two, only to have its Blade Force shattered by an ax.

A flurry of exchanges erupted, the glow in Aina's golden irises becoming more prominent and the coldness in Simona's own becoming deeper.

The more blows they exchanged, the denser the dark violet fog seemed to become. The rolling waves plucked on the strings of the wind, gliding along with them and resonating as one.

The moment this dark violet fog entered Leonel's range, he could feel his Destruction characteristic eating at it alive. But, he could also sense the dark violet fog trying to fight back to no avail.

BANG! BANG! BANG

"I've told you. It's useless."

Aina's figure flickered. Her ample chest grew a size and her cherry lips parted.

Under the astonished gazes of all those watching their battle, she took in a strong breath, suddenly causing all the Force in the surroundings to be pulled into her body.

Leonel's brows shot up but his shock was nothing compared to Simona's. The latter quickly blocked her chest but found herself stumbling backward hard, her small feet once against leaving dense trenches in the ground.

Simona's gaze flickered, her palm flipping over to put her sword away just in time for her to reach for her thighs and throw out three needles at once.