So here you are, at the training ground, and guess who are you seeing? 

Lizz! 

Turns out, she's joined the knight squad! Which means she must've hit level 5. That’s really impressive!

Right now, they're in the thick of a mock battle—Lizz, Arlen, Aerlindel, Mirabelle, Calix, all squaring off against the one and only Cleo.

And there's Leon, watching from a distance, careful not to intrude on Cleo and the rest of the knights. 

So naturally, you join him.

“Wow! Lizz is getting better nya!”

Seeing Lizz fighting, you cannot help but be impressed. Apart from the fight with that horned demon a long time ago, this is the first time that you see Lizz in actual combat again. The way she moves, the way she reads the situation and works with the team is pretty amazing!

"Belle! Lizz!" Arlen yells, his loud voice reverberates across the field, impossible not to hear even from your vantage point.

In a heartbeat, the two girls spring into action. Mirabelle weaves her signature healing spell, releasing dewdrops that transform into medicinal bubbles, which in turn are absorbed by Arlen. However, the efficacy of the spell is diminished, as Arlen's fiery nature counteracts the water-based magic. But still, it’s quite a potent healing spell, so Arlen is always in a good condition.

At the same time, Lizz casts a physical enchantment spell on Arlen. You can see a distinct green glow enveloping his forearms, a clear indicator that his sword swings now pack extra punch.

But here's the problem—no matter how buffed Arlen becomes, he needs to land a hit on Cleo first! And without you, the group don’t have any kind of slowing spell, thus Cleo is able to move freely. And Cleo is extremely fast! Seeing her movement is already hard enough, let alone catching up to her!

“Haa!” 

Arlen slashes at Cleo, but what appears to be his overpowered captain turns out to be just afterimage instead.

“What!?”

He looks flabbergasted, his disbelief palpable even from a distance.

Damn it, Arlen! You think. If you move recklessly like that!

You already know what is going to happen next. Having fought Cleo many times before, you instantly recognize what she was trying to do! She baited Arlen out of position, and succeeded! 

With that, the battle should be over now. The only question remains is… who will she go for? Mirabelle? Or Lizz?

As expected, with a swift motion—vzzzt!—Cleo materializes behind Lizz, raising her greatsword high.

Your heart screams in panic!

Is she really going to hit Lizz with that attack!? That’s ruthless! The catgirl won’t survive! 

But then...

"Mom, gotcha! Petrify Gaze!"

Lizz's eyes suddenly glow, and Cleo freezes in her tracks! Her movements halted. and there's disbelief in her eyes.

“Ha! Just when did you learn that move!?” 

A look of disbelief crosses Leon's face.

"What!?" you exclaim, your eyes widening too.

That's Petrify Gaze?

From what you remember, Petrify Gaze is one of the most powerful third circle spells! Lizz just hit level 5, and she's already mastered it? That's extraordinary!

As the name implies, Petrify Gaze immobilizes everything within the caster's line of sight for a brief moment. But Cleo is standing behind Lizz; how could she possibly see her?

Aha!

Everything clicks, as you instantly recognize this trick. 

It's just like when you landed your first hit on Cleo! You've bragged to Lizz about your clever tactic before, and now she's replicating it! She's using the reflection in Mirabelle's healing bubbles as mirrors to see behind her, and Arlen's reckless move was merely a diversion—a trap that Cleo has fallen right into!

Excellent! Excellento!

You feel extremely proud of your catgirl. You can feel your heart racing in excitement as you watch the scene unfold.

With Lizz successfully halting Cleo through her Petrify Gaze, Aerlindel seizes the moment. Vines erupt from the ground, entwining Cleo's arms and legs. Given that Petrify Gaze has a short duration at Lizz's current level, they needed another way to keep Cleo restrained, and Aerlindel's vines fit the bill perfectly!

Now, what's the next move?

As Cleo remains ensnared by Aerlindel's vines, Lizz swiftly casts another spell. You have no idea what spell she casted, but what you see next leaves you in awe. Arlen's muscles suddenly bulge, his power amplifying exponentially! He charges toward Cleo with such force that the ground cracks beneath each of his steps!

"Haha! Is that Blood Break?" 

Leon, standing next to you, now too becomes more excited than ever!

Hearing that, you are once again in shock of what’s happening.

Blood Break, Unyielding will!? Arlen!? How the heck is that possible!? That's a bloodline skill unique to Lizz; only she should be able to use it!

Yet, what you're seeing defies all common sense. 

Next, Arlen jumps, his greatsword suddenly surges with the darkness attribute! And you realize that spell too!

Shadowstrike Lethality!

But that's Calix's specialty! What the heck is going on!?

This is another third circle spell that accumulates all the assassin's killing intent and channels it into the weapon they're wielding, making the next attack almost certainly fatal. The spell not only multiplies the physical damage but also imbues the strike with dark magic, piercing through most magical and physical defenses!

So, Shadowstrike Lethality on top of freaking Blood Break!?

How the heck Cleo’s gonna survive that?

BOOM!

Arlen's sword crashes down, and the training ground literally detonates! Dust and rock flying everywhere, you can’t see!

And then, as the dust slowly settles, your heart thumps faster than ever.

Who won? 

You can’t wait to see!