"Power reveals itself not in control, but in restraint. True strength is the strike that never needed to land."

After Ignis’s words to appoint Lia , a beginner as the National guild’s 8th general, the room went dead silent . Everyone was shocked at the Guild master’s decisive move.

"That’s a huge bet! We all know she has the potential but … she ain’t that skilled, how will she manage all of that”, Myra protested.

“Well then, train her to become one… till then her post would be temporary.” Ignis commanded

A slow menacing smile approaching on her face, (unnoticeable) as she objected in a suspicive tone, “I’ve got my doubts about some random nobody being made a Guild General. It would be nice if she proved herself first.”
She glances at Lia for a moment,
“Especially the one who’s gotten our Guild Master so obsessed…”

Seeing the smile on Myra ’s face everyone felt chills ran down their spine; concerned about the other party. She was too strong for a beginner like Lia, But they knew once she’s decided she won’t back off.

Ignis complained, “A mock battle with you would be too much for her. I can’t allow this.”

Myra cut him midway, “What are you thinking, I won’t be aggressive on a cute girl like her. And if you're that worried about her, then how about a survival match—ten moves. I won’t kill her of course. What do you think?"

Lia stood there trying to understand what was going on in the hall.

Ignis let out a sigh and said, “Fine…, I’ll arrange a mock battle for you two.” He then heads out; passing by Myra he warns in whispers, “Be mindful, she is a really valuable asset. She cannot be hurt” Myra teasingly says, “I’ll definitely count to your words.”

Ignis prepared an arena in the General’s battle dome, called out Lia and voluntarily came up to oversee the match. Myra again teases him, “You surely are overprotective… is it that you like her or something…”

Ignis shrugs, “I’m just here to save her from a battle maniac”.

Myra cracked her knuckles with a grin, leaning forward towards Lia, Stretching, says to Ignis “You’re such a meanie!!” she teased. Her blade hung silent at her side, wrapped in a black leather scabbard (sheath). She then looked towards Lia and said “Well then—ten moves. If you can survive them, no one gets to question your seat as the 8th General.”

Meanwhile, Lia in her mind thought, "All this is happening so fast, I don't even know why I am holding a sword right now. Well regardless, if i am on the arena i cant back out ~ And what if it does help my brother?"

Then she raised her hand, drew her sword in one swift motion, and settled into a steady front stance—calm, focused, ready to strike

“Now… shall we begin?”

The second her voice dropped, her figure vanished from view.

A sonic gust exploded from where she once stood—like a shockwave slashing the air itself. Spectators flinched while dust spiralled. Seraphina instinctively shielded her eyes.

BOOM!

She reappeared mid-air—her sword already halfway through a downward arc.

Lia twisted her body sideways. The blade swept past her ribs. To her surprise, the attack felt slower than expected. Her body felt lighter than ever. Her reaction speed—unnatural.

“Was she holding back?”
”No. Something else had changed” She thought.

A light smile carved it’s way on Lia’s face without her noticing., Her body moved smoothly—clean and reactive. She didn’t dodge—she followed. Every limb felt lighter, her vision sharper. She had noticed the shift until now. Not just perception—her reaction time had accelerated.

"Was she slower than the rumors claimed?"

Without a word, Lia slid her foot back and reached for the sword strapped at her side, the temporary one.

CRACK!

The hilt splintered slightly in her grasp as she pulled the blade out!

Myra landed and spun into a wide horizontal slash aimed for Lia’s ribs.

Lia dropped low, let the blade pass above her while guiding it through her own blade, and stepped in—shoulder brushing past ’s elbow.

CLANG!

Their swords clashed—steel on steel. Lia parried, guided the blow away, and twisted with the momentum. Her movements—precise.

Ignis watched with crossed arms, nodding in approval.
“She’s quite fast,” he muttered. “Reading every move of the opponent, Impressive!.”

Myra’s strikes accelerated with numbers.
Move five—a thrust.
Move six—a low sweep.
Move seven—a spinning slash followed by a hand strike.
Each met with deflection, barely—but intentionally.

Then came the ninth move. This time Myra dropped her smile. She lunged high, sword angled toward Lia’s face and pulled back swiftly—a bluff. Lia took the bait—leaning back, slipping just out of reach.

But Myra vanished. A flash step with No sound. She reappeared behind Lia. Sword pulled back—tip aimed to strike the back of Lia’s unguarded neck.

“Myra!!” Ignis yelled. “This is too much!”

CLANG!

Lia’s sword whipped behind her without looking. The blades collided with almost a deafening sound. The force pushed Lia forward—her boots dragging across the stone floor. She gritted her teeth but didn’t fall.

Gasps echoed.

“Did she—block that!?”

Lia stood there pressing her forearm, "That was heav- Ow!"

Even Myra’s eyes widened for a moment… and then the grin returned, wider than before.

“One more,” she said, stepping back, she dropped her stance “Now for the 10th move, you attack. Show me what you’ve got.”

Lia exhaled slowly relaxing her arms. This time, she’d strike.

She bent her knees, took the stance she hadn’t learned—Not from books.
Not from drills, something instinctive, the one she saw just now. Ignis was the first to recognize it. “The Ko Gashumi Stance!?”

Seraphina, standing beside him, glanced over. “What’s that stance?”
Ignis shrugged slightly. “It’s from the western Islands. The samurai used it way back in time. But hers... it’s raw. Unrefined.”

Then she moved. Her body blurred—mid-stride, she vanished.

Myra spun around, instinct kicking in. She swung her sword backward blindly.

Too late.

SWISH!

Lia’s blade glided clean past the top of Myra’s blade, right through her chest guard.

CRACK!

CLANG!

The front half of ’s chest guard hit the ground, the strap still locked in her shoulders. A fine red line traced her collarbone—just a graze.

Silence.

Everyone just… stared.

“She cut through it...,” someone muttered. “with that guild-issued blade...”

Myra blinked, then let out a laugh.

“Well, that was impressive.”

After seeing it all unfold, Ignis stepped forward from the seating area, arms crossed.

“Tenth move’s done,” he said flatly.

Lia sheathed the sword quietly. Ignoring the crowd

Myra laughed, rubbing the faint mark on her neck.

“She’s got real instincts,” she said with a grin. “She doesn’t even know what she herself is doing yet—but it’s there. You felt it too, right?”

Ignis gave a slow nod.

“She held her ground. Reacted when it mattered. That kind of reflex—you can’t teach it.” Myra said.

Then he looked at Lia, gaze firm.

“You’re not ready,” he said. “But you’re also not someone I can afford to leave unguarded. If I don’t keep you close, others will try to take you out for their own good.”

A beat of silence. Myra was about to say something but she stopped.

“You’re the 8th General now. Get used to the title. And the eyes that come with it.” Ignis announced.

Lia didn’t flinch. She only gave a small nod. And a voice in her head spoke,

“I didn’t come here to be a general.

But this gets me closer to the answers I want…

I’ll take it.”

Chapter End