Truthfully, Merin had insisted on this battle for her own reasons.
There was something utterly profound with Akiol's technique. It had evolved way beyond what she witnessed during their first duel. After that Akiol's technique shone in various moments, but Merin really got a proper glance at its capabilities just recently.
Akiol's technique really encompassed who he was when they first fought. Merin was heavily disappointed that someone as talented as him branched into too many techniques. It was only recently that Merin really understood why. Akiol was the kind to prioritize the others over himself. Studying a technique to cover for a weakness was easy enough for him.
Even now Akiol's created technique was still something that prioritized others. But Merin could sense there was something deeper within it. Something just a little beyond that all-encompassing technique.
