“Mhm…”

I stretched my legs, letting out a satisfied sound as my muscles loosened up.

“So this is what you meant by spending 24 hours together?” I asked, this time stretching my arms instead.

In front of me, Eleonora stood with a wry smile, her form-fitting latex suit hugging her curves. The glossy material reflected the dim light, emphasizing the way it clung to her body.

She adjusted the collar, deliberately leaving her cleavage exposed.

“Well… training is a way to pass the time, isn’t it?” she said smoothly, tilting her head.

Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, she licked her lips.

“Or were you hoping for… a sweatier kind of training?” Her voice came out seductively as she looked at me suggestively.

I met her eyes.

“Either one is fine.”

A small smirk tugged at her lips, but I wasn’t just saying that.

I did want to get stronger.

Sparring against the strongest mage alive was an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up.

Fwip!

Without hesitation, I summoned Lumi—

But before I could even take my stance—

“Uh-uh.”

Eleonora wagged her finger, moving it slowly from left to right.

“No weapons. I’m here to refine your mana control and battle instincts, not your swordplay. That’s not my area of expertise.”

I clicked my tongue but didn’t argue.

With a flick of my wrist, Lumi vanished.

Eleonora, now satisfied, removed her signature hat and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. As she did, her sharp light blue eyes never left mine.

Then, she took her stance—

A fluid, grounded posture.

Balanced, but with an undeniable sharpness to it.

“…A Mana Art?”

I muttered under my breath.

I had my own, derived from my sword art, but I never expected her to use one.

I had always thought of Eleonora as a mage who fought from a distance with her overwhelming power.

Yet here she was, standing right in front of me—her body language screaming close-combat expertise.

She noticed my hesitation and grinned.

“Come on~”

With a teasing lilt, she curled her fingers toward herself, beckoning me forward.

She wanted me to attack first.

Sure.

“Fuuuu…”

I exhaled sharply, my body tensing.

A silver mana enveloped my body as a purple one engulfed hers.

Fwsh!

I lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant. My right fist shot toward her stomach—fast and direct.

But—

Whoosh!

Eleonora twisted her body slightly, making my punch skim past her side. Before I could react, she grabbed my wrist and—

BAM!

A sharp knee drove into my ribs.

“Tsk—!”

I gritted my teeth, barely managing to twist away before she could land a follow-up strike. The impact stung, but I ignored it.

I planted my foot and spun, bringing my left elbow toward her head.

But Eleonora only smirked.

Swoosh!

She ducked under my attack effortlessly, her body moving like liquid.

Then—

CRACK!

Her palm struck my exposed ribs again—this time with a more concentrated burst of mana.

A heavy force slammed into my side, sending me stumbling backward.

“You’re too stiff~” she teased, standing upright again, hands on her hips.

I steadied myself, exhaling sharply.

She was fast.

Not just her movement, but her timing. Every motion flowed into the next like she was reading my mind.

So, I need to act smarter if I can’t win against her in pure technique.

Boom!

I pushed off the ground, shooting toward her again.

This time, I feinted a punch to the left—then shifted my weight and sent a powerful roundhouse kick toward her ribs.

Her eyes flickered with recognition.

She raised her arm to block—

BAM!

The force made her slide back slightly, but she held her stance.

“Hmm~ Better.” She tilted her head, flexing her arm slightly.

“But still not enough.”

Her hand moved in a blur.

Before I could recover—

THWACK!

Her open palm struck my jaw, snapping my head to the side.

CRACK!

I barely saw the next hit coming.

Her leg shot out in a low, precise sweep, knocking my feet from under me.

For a split second, I was weightless.

Then—

THUD!

I hit the ground hard, the impact shaking through my body.

“Tsk tsk~” Eleonora clicked her tongue, stepping closer.

“You rely too much on brute force, Aestrea. You need to be smarter.”

I groaned, lifting my head.

I know that already!

I pushed myself up, shaking off the dull ache spreading through my body.

Eleonora stood a few steps away, arms folded, completely relaxed.

Not a single bruise on her.

This wasn’t going to work if I kept fighting her head-on.

I exhaled sharply, then—

Crackle!

『 Ice Generation (✦ 1st-Level Spell ✦) 』

A cold mist rose from my hands as icy blue mana surged through my veins. The air around me dropped in temperature instantly.

Eleonora raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm? Ice magic already?”

I didn’t answer.

Instead—

FWOOOSH!

A jagged spear of ice burst from my palm, shooting toward her chest like a bullet.

She didn’t move.

BOOM!

The spear shattered inches before touching her, crushed by an invisible force.

I clicked my tongue.

Mana pressure.

Even before my attack reached her, she’d used sheer mana control to dissolve it.

I wasn’t stopping there.

I twisted my fingers, forming multiple sharp ice shards in the air around me.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The shards floated, humming with power, then—

SWOOSH!

I launched them all at once.

Each one curved through the air, coming at her from different angles—above, below, the sides—forcing her to react.

But—

FWOOM!

A wave of invisible pressure exploded from Eleonora’s body.

CRACK! CRACK!

Every single ice shard shattered mid-air, reduced to nothing.

I barely had time to register it before she flicked her wrist.

BOOM!

An invisible force slammed into my chest.

“Ugh—!”

I flew backward, skidding across the ground before catching myself.

Damn it.

She wasn’t even attacking me directly.

Just pure mana pressure, and I couldn’t even get close.

Eleonora sighed, placing a hand on her hip.

“This is why I said you rely too much on brute force. You’re throwing everything at me without thinking.”

I gritted my teeth, flexing my fingers.

If direct attacks wouldn’t work…

I had to change my approach.

『 Mixed Ice Series: Frost Mist! (✦ 4th-Level Spell ✦)』

I let out a slow breath, my mana shifting—

The temperature plummeted.

Fwoooosh…

A thick mist spread across the ground, covering the area in a cold, white fog. My breath came out in visible puffs of air.

Eleonora’s expression remained amused, but I saw her glance around briefly.

Good.

I disappeared into the mist.

Then—

SWOOSH!

I lunged from the side, throwing a sharp punch toward her ribs.

But—

THWACK!

She caught my wrist in mid-air.

I twisted immediately, spinning into a low kick—

But she was faster.

CRACK!

A precise knee to my stomach sent me staggering back.

“Distracting me with mist? Not bad~ But you’ll need more than that.” She smirked.

I wiped my mouth.

Then I’d really turn up the pressure.

I clenched my fist—

CRACKLE!

Ice burst from the ground, jagged spikes racing toward Eleonora’s feet.

At the same time, I dashed forward, using the ice as cover—

She raised a hand—

BOOM!

Another wave of mana shattered the ice instantly.

But that was what I wanted.

As the shards exploded outward, I twisted my body—

And vanished.

For a brief moment, her eyes flickered.

I reappeared right in front of her—

BAM!

My knee slammed into her stomach.

WHAM!

She was forced back a step.

My eyes widened.

That was the first time I’d landed a solid hit.

Eleonora exhaled slowly, brushing off her stomach.

“Mmm… Now that was better.”

But the smirk never left her face.

Instead, her smirk only deepened.

“That was a good hit, Aestrea. But…”

Her fingers twitched.

BOOM!

A sudden force slammed into my chest, sending me flying backward before I could even react.

I gritted my teeth, twisting mid-air to land on my feet.

Skid!

The ground cracked beneath me as I dug my heels in to stop myself.

Damn it.

Even when I managed to land a hit, she barely felt it.

Eleonora flicked her wrist again—

FWOOOM!

A powerful wave of mana surged toward me, an invisible force strong enough to crush my ribs if it hit directly.

I reacted fast.

FWOOSH!

Ice formed under my feet, and I skated to the side, barely dodging as the force blasted past me. The ground where I’d been standing exploded, sending debris flying everywhere.

I used the momentum, twisting my body—

Then—

SWOOSH!

I launched forward, aiming a sharp punch at her side.

But Eleonora simply stepped back, her movements graceful, effortless.

Before my punch even finished swinging, she struck.

WHAM!

A sharp palm strike slammed into my stomach.

I gasped.

Her speed—!

I tried to move, but her follow-up was instant.

BAM!

An elbow to my ribs.

THWACK!

A precise kick to my thigh.

CRACK!

A final, brutal open-palm strike sent me crashing into the ground.

“Ugh—!”

I rolled, gasping for air.

She wasn’t even using spells. Just pure technique and mana pressure.

I forced myself up, one hand gripping my side.

Eleonora tilted her head.

“Come on, Aestrea. You said you wanted to get stronger, didn’t you?”

Her tone was teasing, but I could feel the weight behind it.

She wasn’t going easy on me.

And I wasn’t going to lose like this.

I exhaled sharply.

I needed to push past my limits.

The cold around me thickened—

CRACKLE!

Frost spread up my arms, coating my fists in jagged ice.

Then—

SWOOSH!

I moved.

This time, faster than before.

I appeared beside her in a blink—

BAM!

My ice-coated fist swung for her ribs.

She stepped back, but I was already a step ahead.

I twisted, launching a spinning back kick—

THUD!

She blocked it with her forearm, but I followed up immediately.

A sweeping low kick.

She jumped.

I grinned.

Right into my trap.

FWOOOSH!

A spike of ice shot up from the ground, aiming straight for her mid-air position.

Eleonora’s eyes flickered.

For the first time in this fight, she actually had to react.

She twisted, barely dodging, and landing gracefully a few feet away.

I didn’t let her breathe.

SWOOSH!

I was on her again, throwing a flurry of punches—

BAM! WHAM! THWACK!

She blocked, dodged, and countered, but I wasn’t stopping.

I poured everything into my speed, forcing her to stay on the defensive.

For the first time—

She wasn’t playing with me.

Eleonora’s expression shifted.

“…Heh.”

Then, her mana flared.

And suddenly—

I couldn’t move.

FWOOOM!

A crushing force slammed down on my shoulders.

My knees buckled.

I gasped, struggling to stay upright.

It felt like the weight of an entire mountain was pressing down on me.

Eleonora sighed.

“Not bad, Aestrea. You actually made me take you seriously for a second.”

I clenched my fists.

Damn it—

I had to move—

But my body wouldn’t listen.

She took a step forward, reaching toward me.

“You still have a long way to go.”

Her fingers touched my forehead—

And then—

BOOM!

Everything went black.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep