The moment Kaiden picked up the training sword, his mind shifted from questioning to pure instinct. He was no longer the lost Kaiden, but Kaiden the warrior, who had spent decades training in the art of dueling. He had one advantage his opponents lacked: human tactical thinking and the mechanical precision that comes from continuous training rooted in acknowledging one's own weakness.
Rina was smiling mockingly, flicking her sword with showy lightness, anticipating an easy victory based on superior physical speed.
Fyor's deep voice boomed, echoing in the hall: "Begin!"
Rina lunged first; her attack was fast and direct, but it lacked complexity. She raised her sword in a wide, straightforward arc towards Kaiden's head. Kaiden parried the blow with a sharp, calculated high block, slightly withdrawing his body to deflect the force instead of absorbing it entirely.
The sound of metal scraping was shrill and sudden.
Rina was surprised and took an involuntary step back. She had expected confusion or a feeble defense. But Kaiden gave her no time to regain her footing; he launched a swift counter-attack aimed at her wrist. Kaiden's strike aimed to disarm, rather than injure—a defensive tactic relying on precision more than brute strength.
Rina was forced to use her vampire speed to block the blow, but she failed to fully evade it. Kaiden's sword struck the edge of hers, sending a painful jolt up her arm.
"Damn it!" Rina muttered angrily, trying to hide her astonishment from the onlookers.
Kaiden shrewdly realized that Rina was relying on superior speed and agility to compensate for the lack of focus in her movements. Rina stopped her direct rush and began maneuvering around Kaiden, launching successive attacks at his limbs.
Kaiden responded with a tight defensive style that Rina could not penetrate. He utilized his skill in 'counter-standing,' maintaining a consistent distance between himself and his opponent, exploiting Rina's rapid movements to tire her out. Every time Rina attacked, Kaiden precisely blocked and redirected her strike with minimal force, forcing Rina to withdraw her sword and re-engage.
Rina was attacking at three strikes per second, but Kaiden parried them all with maximum economy of effort. He was utilizing his ordinary muscular strength with peak efficiency. The sound of the clashing swords was like the quick, unsettling ticking of a clock.
After a minute of this fast, exhausting exchange, Rina's breathing began to quicken slightly. Kaiden seized the momentary lag caused by her nascent fatigue. He launched a feint towards her chest. Rina rushed to defend, exposing her left flank. In a flash, Kaiden delivered a quick thrust with his foot, knocking her to the ground.
Rina fell to her knees, pain flashing across her face. He had outmaneuvered her tactically and chosen the perfect moment to land the hit, proving the superiority of his polished human skill. The trainees in the hall gasped in amazement. A 'weak' newcomer had defeated a vampire purely through intelligence and precision.
Rina stood up, her smirk completely gone, replaced by an uncontrollable rage. She could not bear the humiliation.
Rina realized the game was over. She could not defeat him with skill. In an instant, she abandoned everything she knew about dueling and unleashed the raw power coursing through her veins.
Her muscles visibly tensed, and the red glow in her eyes suddenly increased to a terrifying intensity. Her movement became super-speed, no longer just velocity, but a charge the human mind could not process.
Rina launched herself at Kaiden with her entire body, raising her sword in a brutal vertical strike. Kaiden tried to block in his usual precise, controlled manner, but the force this time was utterly different.
When their swords collided, the sound was deafening, shaking the entire hall: CLAAANGGG!
Kaiden could not hold his ground. His body shuddered completely, the sword flew out of his hand from the horrific vibration, and he felt as if the bones in his arm were about to shatter. Before he could comprehend it, Rina had spun around and delivered a swift, finishing strike to his exposed chest.
A dull thud, and then Kaiden fell to the floor, gasping. Rina had won, not through skill, but through the insurmountable gap in raw power.
Rina looked down at Kaiden, breathing heavily, her glowing red eyes fixed on him. She had won, yet she felt humiliated by the need to use all her power to take him down.
Fyor, who hadn't moved an inch, spoke in a cold tone: "The fight is over. Skill is a tactic, but power is the law." He then looked at Kaiden coldly and said, "Now learn the lesson: Human skill gives you a chance, but the blood alone guarantees victory."
Kaiden struggled to his feet, his hand trembling from pain. He now understood, clearly and unequivocally, the vast distance between his power and their true strength.