Jace said nothing. He opened his hand and curled his fingers toward them in a taunting gesture.
Arrogant.
Kurt struck first. His blade flashed like lightning, cutting through the dark like a thunderbolt.
Swordsmen held the highest raw attack power among all classes, and the Stormveil family, masters of sword arts, possessed some of the deadliest techniques in the world.
With one exchange, Jace sensed the icy pressure clinging to Kurt's blade.
The first strike was simple. A straight downward chop.
Jace shifted his left foot and slipped aside. The sword edge sliced past his face by a hair.
You dodged that Oscar muttered, visibly surprised.
Kurt's attack was at the limit of speed and force. Even Oscar would never evade it empty handed and without parrying.
Too slow. Jace smiled faintly.
Skyseer Vision never turned off. The flow of their internal energy and the tightening of their muscles betrayed their attack timings. Unless their speed surpassed Jace's reaction time entirely, every move felt telegraphed.
The moment the sword struck air, Jace drove a powerful punch into Kurt's abdomen.
His transparent vision showed Kurt's muscles slacken in shock. The blow nearly made him drop to his knees.
Eva rushed forward upon seeing her teammate falter.
Her swordsmanship focused not on speed but on softness and entangling technique, using gentle force to drag opponents into a mire.
But the instant she joined, she felt something was wrong.
It was as if she were the one being countered.
Jace anticipated her every move and broke her rhythm with ease.
Slower than Kurt. How could she possibly harm him
Weren't you the one boasting the loudest earlier
Well. You were all right, I guess. Jace laughed lightly as he dodged her slash.
Eva had been a prodigy of the Stormveil family since childhood.
Being dismissed by an outsider ignited her fury.
You are asking for death.
And in anger came openings.
Jace slipped in effortlessly, seized her wrist, and slammed his elbow into her chest. The impact stunned her and made her drop her sword.
Talk big after you learn how to wield one.
Jace caught the falling blade and immediately thrust it back toward the unarmed girl.
Eva's eyes widened. The earlier strike left her unable to react in time.
Wait. Oscar shouted, thinking Jace intended to kill.
Jace smiled, reversed the blade, and smashed the sword hilt into Eva's collarbone, sending her flying into the wall.
Their battle with the Stormveil family's talents hadn't lasted a full minute.
Even if they had underestimated him before, it was clear now they had kicked an iron wall.
Oscar braced himself, discarding the scabbard and gripping his sword with both hands.
Jace sighed. Stormveil swordsmen. Disappointing.
Stronger than average, yes. But for children raised in the overwhelming resources of the Stormveil family, this was all
At this rate, once the current patriarch passed, the clan would decline.
Oscar replied solemnly, Thank you for the lesson.
Less than a minute of fighting was enough for him to confirm none of the three stood a chance.
Even at his best, all he could do was last a bit longer before losing.
His defeated teammates staggered up, forming a triangle around Jace.
Three on one is shameful. But for the family's honor, we have no choice.
Oscar added, If by any miracle we win, I will plead for your sentence to be reduced.
If this were a fight to the death, he would have dragged the others to retreat immediately.
But this was tied to the Stormveil family's reputation. They had vowed publicly.
If Grey Hat escaped, the clan's prestige would crumble.
Jace replied, You give yourself too much credit.
The three attacked without another word, swordlights crossing through the air.
The pincer attack created difficulty, even for Jace.
He considered using the stolen sword, but quickly dismissed the idea.
Sword habits were carved into muscle memory. Any master could spot an impostor in one exchange.
Besides, the official records listed him as a swordsman, not a thief. Too suspicious.
He blocked horizontally, then used the recoil to fling the sword toward Eva.
With no weapon, she stayed behind cautiously.
The sudden projectile caught her off guard. She dodged, but the blade sliced a lock of her hair.
Oscar and Kurt visibly flinched, instinctively checking on her. Exactly what Jace wanted.
Ghostreach Grasp.
The sword he had thrown returned to his hand.
Jace gripped it with both hands and executed a simple horizontal slash.
Clang.
Clang.
Two crisp impacts rang out.
Oscar and Kurt staggered backward.
Such force.
Their grips loosened, hands numbed.
Ghostreach Grasp.
Their swords vanished from their hands.
Jace leapt up and kicked the three of them together into a heap.
They scrambled to rise again, refusing to concede.
Stop. Jace warned coldly.
A swordsman without a sword is no different from a corpse. Step forward again and you are telling me to kill you.
Hearing that, Oscar sighed and blocked his teammates, allowing Jace to walk past them.
Eva groaned, refusing to accept it.
That is it When we got this assignment, the whole clan was jealous. They said it was an easy win. We are going to get laughed at.
Oscar picked up a sword Jace had discarded.
Stormveil swordsmen honor their losses. Losing is losing. Use the time complaining to train instead.
Kurt nodded.
If Grey Hat beats us and then calmly returns our weapons, it means he is not worried about us trying again. Let it go. We cannot beat him.
Eva collapsed onto the floor and bawled.
The two men stood helplessly.
They had opened with dramatic lines like characters on TV, only to lose in a single exchange.
Anyone with a shred of imagination could predict how the clan would tease her later.
People would greet her with, Oh look, it is Miss Face Down. So, did Grey Hat catch you
I cannot show my face again.
The two men, unmarried and socially clueless, had no idea how to comfort her.
Kurt muttered, Look on the bright side. Lyria is still here. At least the clan's honor is safe.
Eva cried harder.
Since childhood she had been second to Lyria in everything, even seniority. Now she had to rely on her again.
Just kill me now.
After fighting his way through every level of security, Jace finally reached the gemstone.
But the first thing he noticed was not the brilliant jewel.
It was the girl.
Sitting alone to the left of the display case, snow white hair falling softly over her shoulders, small feet tucked on the chair's edge, a black guide cane resting across her arms.