Staffs clashed. The sound reverberated and echoed into the distance. Birdsong ceased as the tiny creatures took to the air, fleeing for their safety. A multitude of thwacks ensued in quick succession, following the initial strike. The serenity of nature left utterly destroyed in its wake.

Two figures glared at each other, neither backing down. Their feet planted firmly on the ground, their arms a flurry of movement, each swinging their staff with speed, power, and accuracy. They disturbed the air spinning their weapons, fast and deliberate strikes, the power and control behind them awe-inducing. Their spectators held their collective breath and watched on in stunned silence from their safe distance.

Vivian took a sharp breath; she received a heavy blow to the side that caused her balance to falter. Typhan capitalized on this advantage, delivering several more strikes to her. Her blood rushed to the points of impact, bruises formed in places, while broken skin became evident from blood oozing out. The sounds of wood colliding with bone mingled with her voice retching in pain and echoed together. Her staff slipped from her grasp, falling casually to the ground with a light thud. The last heavy blow sent her flying backward against a tree. Her back popped from the sudden impact, eliciting a pained gasp.

She shook the haze out of her head and rose to her feet, grateful for the moment of rest. If this is the beginning of the shitstorm, just what is waiting afterward? If he's unrelated, just what does that mean?

The bruises disappeared while the cuts in her skin slowly healed over, leaving her fresh blood behind, the only evidence she was hurt. She straightened her back, another pop signaling the realignment of the bone. She groaned in response.

Vivian opened and closed her fist; she flexed her muscles to exercise the numbness out. She hadn't fully adjusted to the changes Sasha had made to her body, and now that was proving to be a dangerous flaw. Vivian ground her teeth anxiously, her hand clenching tight. She closed her eyes for a moment and held a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, only determination remained.

Sasha, I can't see a good ending to this.

Typhan gave her a smirk and kicked the ground, sending her staff flying toward her. He gave his weapon a twirl and grinned at her, "Let's continue. I'm only just starting to have fun."

Quite right, this fight is hopeless as you are now. You have shrugged off your self-doubt, but some of it remains. And one other thing-

Vivian raised her hand at the last possible moment, both dismissing the window and catching the staff before it hit her. She crouched down and straightened her body, adding to her momentum; she kicked off the ground with all the force she could muster. She catapulted forward, leaving a fifty-meter crater in her wake, the tree she collided with toppled. The noise from the ground collapsing was deafening, followed by the thud of the tree. She cut through the air; the wind whistled a high pitched shrill as it rushed to fill the space behind her.

"Yes struggle for me," Typhan taunted, shifting his feet, he shoved off the ground, dodging out of her path and the range of her staff. Vivian sailed harmlessly past. He ran after her, his target a point in front of her. She swung her staff out and smacked a tree; her forward momentum acted upon the fulcrum point she created and redirected her toward another tree.

After a quick twirl of her weapon to fine-tune her course, she pulled it in along with her limbs, turning herself into an arrow. She reached her hand out, grasping for the trunk as she approached and pushed off, changing her direction again. She flew through a path in the forest, taking their conflict further away from her clan.

Follow me this way. Vivian smiled weakly in relief, watching Typhan chase after her. She hit the ground running.

Typhan pushed himself after her, lost in the thrill of the hunt. He compressed his staff, stuffing it into his pocket. He pulled out a slightly different object in its place. A smirk sprawled upon his face as his favorite sword appeared in his hand. "Last time I drew this sword was the day the prophecy should have ended prematurely. That ancient man irked me then, stubbornly refusing to die. Let's see how it ends today."

Vivian darted off the path into the undergrowth; she circled back toward Typhan, her feet digging into the dirt. Pushing off powerfully, dirt flying behind her, Vivian turned into a grey blur. She jumped up and burst out of the foliage and back onto the path; she swung her staff down at her smirking opponent. Her body half somersaulted as she struck, bringing her feet above her head. He raised his sheathed sword in defense.

The dull crack of wood impacting metal broke through the forest and ushered in a wave of silence. Vivian hung in the air, balancing her body on her weapon. She glared at Typhan; he was unphased, bracing himself against her weight.

He blocked her staff with his sword; his cruel eyes gazed into her pure white. Her face clouded in frustration, she bent and straightened her arms. Pushing off against his sword, rising higher into the air, she brought her feet down under her while creating some distance between them.

Typhan dashed forward, drawing his sword from the sheath. He enjoyed toying with his prey, the goal to induce fear, despair, and hopelessness until their determination was but a memory. His sword clashed with her staff. He thrashed his sword over and over. She maintained defense, her body rising into the air from every clash.

"I'm curious, is that is fast as you can get?" He taunted, turning his sword into a blurred flurry. She lagged in the uptake, her position in the air compromising her ability to defend; she struggled to match his overwhelming speed. She spun her staff. The sword weaved effortlessly around her stick, blocking blows and striking at her. Superficial cuts appeared on her face, limbs, and body. Just deep enough for the pain to hinder her movements.

Vivian's previous determination started to falter, replaced by desperation from the realization that he was toying with her for his own sick pleasure. She tightened her grip on the staff. Her heart raced, threatening to pound right out of her chest. His sword flashed next to her head, cleaving through her hair.

There are things worse than death. She watched as her cut hair daintily floated down to the ground, and a new feeling spread through her body. Activating her [Rising Flower] skill, she spun her staff faster and struck back with more speed and strength than she ever had before. The grey of her skin enveloped in a blue glow.

Typhan tried not to give her space, moving forward and attempting to match her speed. Her assault overwhelmed him through sheer power and speed, forcing him to regard her slightly more seriously. The furious sequential impacts pushed him back. Vivian planted her feet firmly on the ground; a raw, unbridled fury burned like a flame in her eyes as she pressed forward.

"Typhan," Vivian stated, her voice grating like flint dragged across cold steel. The blue glow emitting from her grew in intensity; she appeared right in front of him. She struck with her staff. He raised his empty hand, catching her strike bare-handed.

"Is that it?" he asked, mockingly and brandished his sword. "That's all you got?"

"Sorry, I'm still adjusting." In a smooth motion, she leaned back, avoiding the swipe from his sword, pulling on her staff, bringing him closer before letting go. She placed her hands on the ground and kicked her feet up. An elegant backflip, she kicked his chest, knocking the wind out of him, and returned upright, locking her glare on him.

"Raw strength isn't everything. It was you taught me that," Typhan choked, recovering his breath. "And you're proving it again now. Let me have a look at your status."

Name: Vivian Titles: Matriarch of the Race; Caretaker Level: 11(10) Health Pool: 1000/1000 Mana Pool: 150/155 Strength: 10 Constitution: 10 Dexterity: 10 Agility: 10 Wisdom: 9 Intelligence: 4 Willpower: 10

"Now, I understand why your race was deemed dangerous. How are you able to compete on equal terms with me, a Champion? It appears you just reached Epic." Typhan regarded her. "There's such a gap between us, and yet you're fighting me as an equal."

"I don't have an answer. Maybe this is just the difference in the quality of my god's creations?" Vivian swelled with pride that was not her own. Sasha?

I'm sorry, it's just that hit me right here.

Sasha leveraged their connection, giving a feeling of warmth throughout Vivian's body. We'll have to talk about that later.

Okay! I'll be looking forward to it.

Sasha's emotions flooded through the connection. Anticipation, eagerness, and love topped the list. The ferocity in Vivian's eyes contrasted with the tears running down her cheeks.

Sasha, please. Hold your feelings back. I can't afford the distraction right now. Vivian blinked her eyes dry.

Typhan charged at her. Sword raised, he swung horizontally at his unarmed opponent. His swing ended abruptly, fresh blood coated his sword, dripping liberally to the ground below.

Vivian screamed, venting her pain. Blocking the sword with her forearm wasn't her first choice, but the only option she was able to act upon in time. Stepping forward, she buried her fist straight into Typhan's belly; at the end, she angled her fist upward, the impact echoed sickly around them.

He doubled over, pain and shock clouding his features. She scrambled back quickly; he fell to his knees and heaved. Vivian bit her lip and separated the sword from her arm. She grasped the cut in her arm, holding it closed until it healed. She picked up the sword, taking up a firm stance.

This fight can't go on. Vivian gritted her teeth. She pulled on everything her body could muster.

I'm losing, again? Typhan stared at the blood he vomited. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and rose to his feet. He cast a wary glance over Vivian. She'd only become more determined as they fought, and now her stance exuded confidence.

The blue glow emanating from her body flickered like a flame in the wind and then flared in raw intensity. Her eyes hardened, she sprinted forward. A quick twist of her arm, then she swung. A split second, she was next to her opponent, looking beyond him. The flat of the sword in her grasp impacted his head; the clang from metal hitting bone vibrated through the weapon into her hand. She turned to look at him, her white eyes emitting mixed emotions, she followed through with her swing. Vivian sent her opponent tumbling back, without resistance.

Vivian sighed while observing her blood on his sword. "I don't have bloodstained hands, and I'd prefer to keep them that way." She threw his sword and watched it glide through the air.

Typhan placed his palm on the ground, pushing himself up. The sword landed between his fingers. It sank in the dirt up to the crossbar, pinning his hand down.

"But that's not possible now, is it?" Vivian's voice sounded like venom in his ears. She paused, bending over to pick up her staff, in her approach. "You could have been a valuable ally; now, to my people, you're better off a corpse."

"I-" Typhan was cut short.

"Don't bother. My people have heard enough lies." Vivian stated gravely. "You said we're feared, for what I'm becoming. We don't desire this power, never have. Even now. What I am is merely a response to our endless persecution. One thing you are mistaken about. We're not fighting on equal terms. I'm just not accustomed to this change in my body yet."

"It saddens me that death is the only solution. That was your purpose here, wasn't it, to end my life? You failed thrice." Vivian grasped the staff so tightly in both hands that her fingers paled. She drew her arms back, ready to put an end to this threat.

"Take this knowledge with you to your next life. It takes a monster to create a monster." Her voice flat and emotionless. Her staff cut through the air. She struck for her grandfather, for her people, and herself.