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"GOOOOOOO!!"
"AARGGHH!?"
Tiffany's body was flung backward, propelled by the force of Leone's black sword. Though the blade hadnât pierced her golden armor, it had pushed her back significantly. And that was enough. Their goal wasnât necessarily to defeat Tiffany outright but to hold their ground and keep her at bay.
"Youâve got thisâ¦! You really can! Letâs keep pushing her back!"
Leone surged forward, determined to maintain the pressure. Her Gift couldnât extend the sword infinitely, so she relied on her own momentum to drive Tiffany as far back as possible.
"Don't get cockyâ¦!"
Suddenly, Leoneâs advance came to a jarring halt. She felt a sharp resistance, as though her blade had struck an immovable object.
Tiffany had planted her feet firmly on the ground, bracing herself. She gripped the extended tip of the blade with her armored body, anchoring it in place. The pressure transmitted through the blade was immense, forcing Leone to grit her teeth.
"Gahâ¦! What strengthâ¦!?"
Despite her elegant and refined appearance, Tiffanyâs strength was monstrous.
"Donât get cocky with me!"
With a swift movement, Leone found herself lifted off the ground, her body dangling mid-air.
"Kyahhh!!"
Tiffany swung Leone sideways, attempting to slam her against the wall of the evacuation corridor. Leone could release her grip to free herself, but doing so would leave her black sword at Tiffanyâs mercy. If the weapon fell into Tiffanyâs hands, there would be no stopping her. Leone hesitated, uncertain of her next move.
"Not on my watch!"
While Leone deliberated, Rafinha had already taken action. She had drawn her bowstring back for an extended period, concentrating all her power into a single massive arrow of light within her Flowing Radiance.
Typically, Rafinha unleashed countless smaller arrows in rapid succession, but this time she focused all her strength into a single, powerful beam. The enormous arrow of light shot toward Tiffany, striking her directly and throwing her backward.
Though the attack didnât pierce Tiffanyâs armor, the sheer force of it destabilized her, forcing her to release her grip on Leoneâs blade.
"Urghâ¦! How dare you!" Tiffany recovered quickly, springing back to her feet, but she no longer held Leoneâs weapon. Leone, freed from her predicament, landed safely and regained her footing.
"Rafinha! Thank you!"
"No, itâs thanks to you for drawing her in! You were amazing!"
"R-rightâ¦! I think we can handle this! Letâs keep pushing her back!"
"Yeah!"
This time, they moved together, closing the distance on Tiffany.
"So, the Special Grade Rune isnât just for show, is it? Underestimating you has cost me more time and effort than I expected."
"Didnât I warn you?! Youâll regret underestimating us!"
"Yes, yes, I heard you!"
With that, Tiffany leaped high into the air, an extraordinary jump that propelled her nearly to the ceiling of the evacuation corridor.
"â¦!"
In mid-air, Tiffany twisted her body, kicked off the ceiling, and launched herself in a new directionâto the right. Using the momentum from her ceiling kick, she accelerated and rebounded off the right wall, propelling herself to the left. She continued this patternâright to left, up and down, back and forthâbuilding incredible speed as she darted around the corridor.
"â¦!"
"Sheâs⦠so fast!"
Leone and Rafinha struggled to keep up with Tiffanyâs rapid movements. She expertly utilized the narrow corridorâs walls, floor, and ceiling to maintain an unpredictable trajectory, keeping her opponents on edge and unable to pinpoint her next move.
In the narrow evacuation corridor, the walls and ceiling served as perfect platforms for Tiffany, allowing her to move with remarkable speed and execute complex, three-dimensional maneuvers effortlessly.
"I-I canât keep up with her movementsâ¦!" Rafinha cried out, her eyes frantically darting to follow Tiffany.
"I-I can, but barelyâ¦!" Leone replied, though her tone betrayed her struggle.
To Leone, Tiffany's high-speed movements appeared as distorted blurs. She could only catch a glimpse of her the instant she landed. If Tiffany accelerated any further, Leone knew she wouldnât be able to keep up at all. She had to act while she still had the chance.
"Hyaaahhh!"
Leone swung her black greatsword, aiming for Tiffanyâs shoulder just as she landed. But Tiffanyâs form wavered and vanished. The blade sliced through nothing but air, striking the ground with a resounding crash.
"She disappearedâ¦!?"
Tiffanyâs speed left Leone unable to track her properly. Missing her strike meant an imminent counterattack. Reacting instinctively, Leone drove her sword into the ground, propelling herself backward to create distance.
"Is that the only trick you know? How simple-minded," Tiffany whispered, her voice chillingly close to Leoneâs ear.
âSheâs reading my every move!
â!?â
Before Leone could react further, her vision spun violently. Tiffany had grabbed her arm, lifted her effortlessly, and slammed her into the floor.
A powerful shock coursed through Leoneâs back. Her chest tightened, and she couldnât breathe.
âGah⦠ahâ¦!â
As Leone struggled to catch her breath, she looked up to see Tiffany standing over her, a seductive yet sinister smile on her face.
"Heheâ¦" Tiffany chuckled softly, lifting one leg and revealing the underside of her gleaming golden boot.
The boot came crashing down onto Leoneâs right arm with crushing force.
The sound of bones grindingâand breakingâechoed painfully in Leoneâs ears. A sharp, searing pain shot through her body.
âAhhhhh!?â she screamed, the agony overwhelming.
"What a lovely sound. Such a cute voice," Tiffany said, her tone mocking and satisfied. "Youâre still far too inexperienced to wield a Special Grade Rune, arenât you?"
âUrghâ¦â
Leone bit her lip in frustration. As much as she hated to admit it, Tiffany was right.
She had thought she stood a chance, but the moment Tiffany got serious, Leone was completely outclassed. If it had been Leon or Raphael in her place, they wouldnât have ended up in such a pitiful state.
"Leone!"
Rafinha called out, rushing to help. But Tiffany darted around at high speed, intercepting her.
"!? Againâ!"
Before Rafinha could react, Tiffanyâs flying kick slammed into her side.
"Ahhh!"
The impact sent Rafinha crashing into the wall. She groaned and tried to stand, but her legs wobbled unsteadily.
"Damn it⦠Iâm not done yet!" she muttered, forcing herself upright.
Tiffany smirked, her mocking tone cutting through the tension. "Should I let one of you go? Itâs always amusing to watch close friends fall apart."
"Donât joke around! Who would everâ!" Rafinha shouted, her determination unwavering as she readied her light arrows.
"In that case, maybe I should crush the one I dislike first," Tiffany said coldly, turning her gaze toward Rafinha. She clenched her fist tightly, her malicious intent clear.
"Fufufu⦠I wonder what kind of face that girl would make if you died. That sounds like fun, doesnât it?" Tiffany added, her voice dripping with malice.
"I'm too scared to find out," Rafinha retorted sharply. "Besides, who knows what Glis would do if that happened."
"Rafinha!"
Before Tiffany could attack, Rafinha suddenly disappeared from her line of sight.
Leone had intervened, grabbing Rafinha and pulling her away. Using the extended blade of her black greatsword, Leone had rushed to Rafinhaâs side and carried her further from Tiffany. Even with her broken right hand, Leone managed to maneuver the sword with impressive skill.
"Leoneâ¦!" Rafinha gasped.
"Letâs put some distance between us!" Leone said, her voice strained but determined.
"Yes! Iâll heal you now!"
Rafinha placed her hand on Leoneâs broken right arm, activating the healing miracle. A warm glow enveloped the injury, slowly mending the shattered bones.
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