In the central training field of the Ricca Guild, the air buzzed with anticipation. A crowd of guild members, spiritfolk observers, and estate attendants gathered, forming a wide circle around the two combatants.
At the center stood Jon Caesar, stripped down to a black tunic and shinobi pants, with his sword sheathed at his back and a calm, calculating expression behind the cloth bandage over his right eye.
Facing him was Aria Governess, dressed in her combat attire: a sleeveless blue tunic over black trousers, her golden braid swaying as she unsheathed her thin, elegant longsword.
Off to the side, Samwell Tarly and Liselotte Cretia sat beneath a shaded pavilion. Ren lounged nearby, arms crossed but clearly invested.
Liselotte (smiling slightly):
"Aria doesn't look tense. That's always a sign she's ready to dominate."
Sam (watching Jon):
"Jon won't hold back. He sees this as a real duel of wills. Not just skill."
At the sound of the signal horn, the match began.
Aria moved first—swift, precise, and without hesitation. Her swordsmanship was a blend of speed and control. She stepped into Jon's space with a feint, then twisted her blade in a complex crescent arc aimed at his blind spot.
Jon ducked, vanishing in a puff of smoke.
"Shadow clone?" Aria muttered, already twisting to intercept the real Jon coming in from the right.
What followed was a ballet of blade and fury. Jon moved like a flickering flame—combining taijutsu strikes with sweeping kicks and close-quarter punches, while Aria countered each movement with flawless footwork and precise parries.
The clang of metal rang out like a song. Sparks flew.
Jon summoned a katon flame from his palm, but Aria leapt into a spin, slicing through it with wind-imbued sword energy, dissipating the fire in a burst of blue sparks.
Sam (impressed):
"She reads his movements like a scholar reads a book."
Liselotte (calmly):
"She used to spar daily with knights twice her size. This is where she thrives."
Then Jon's chakra flared.
He clapped his hands together—fingers weaving into the sign of the rat, then dragon, then boar.
"Genjutsu: Phantom Reflection."
Aria stumbled for a fraction of a second—seeing three Jon's at once. She closed her eyes and struck, using instinct over vision. Her sword narrowly grazed the real Jon's cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
Jon (grinning):
"Well done. But…"
He stepped back—and the temperature dropped.