In the center of the arena, the air seemed to solidify, with only a few wisps of dust swirling silently in the sunlight, carried by the breeze.
The Elf Armored Soldier stood firm as a meticulously carved statue of war, holding the Elven Scimitar inscribed with complex Runes, which shimmered with a faint green spiritual light, standing as steady as Bedrock.
He maintained the standard starting stance of Elven combat techniques, the tip of his Scimitar pointing almost imperceptibly forward, his entire center of gravity settled steadily between his feet.
Beneath the armor, his eyes, calm as an ice lake, were locked firmly onto A Mi, waiting for his opponent to initiate the Attack first, ready to counter with the Elf race's specialty: striking second to control the situation.
However, A Mi made a move that surprised, and even confused, the onlookers, especially the Elf Butler standing on the sidelines.
He did not immediately conjure a weapon and prepare for battle as expected; instead, with empty hands, he began walking in slow, deliberate steps, tracing an irregular circle around the fully prepared Elf Armored Soldier.
His gaze was sharp as a hawk's, scanning his opponent like the most precise instrument, missing no subtle shift in the Armored Soldier's center of gravity, no tensing of muscle, not even the almost invisible seam where the armor plates connected.
There was a transcendent composure, a steadiness and... almost eerie veteran skill that was completely inconsistent with his D-Rank evaluation and Level 22 status.
Standing on the edge of the field, arms still crossed, the Elf Butler watched A Mi's dawdling, which he considered nearly "playing tricks," and the thin layer of impatience on his face spread and deepened like ink dropped into clear water.
He finally couldn't hold back, letting out a clear, sharp snort of deep displeasure from his nostrils, breaking the pre-storm silence in a tone that scolded a subordinate:
"What are you waiting for? Stop wasting time! Are you still foolishly hoping that my esteemed family's Armored Soldier will strike first against trash like you?
Put away your useless tricks and bring out everything you have! Attack proactively! Let me see if your shabby combination possesses even a shred of the sharpness worth investing in!"
The instant his final syllable left his mouth—
A Mi moved!
As still as a virgin, as swift as a startled rabbit!
His figure, which had been moving in slow motion, accelerated to its extreme in one-hundredth of a second, blurring into an elusive dark Afterimage, sweeping toward the Elf Armored Soldier's relatively weak right flank at a breathtaking Speed!
Simultaneously, a burst of earthy yellow Spiritual Light flashed between his loosely held hands—the Yellow Creation Artifact activated in an instant!
No longer the slightly cumbersome Stone Sword from before, but two Stone Twin Blades, sleeker in design with narrower bodies and edges gleaming with cold light, materialized out of thin air and were held firmly in his grasp!
Dual-wielding focuses on extreme speed Attacks and suppression!
The flash of the blades was like two lightning bolts tearing through the dark curtain of night!
The Twin Blades whistled sharply as they tore through the air, one from the left and one from the right, like two perfectly coordinated venomous snakes baring their fatal Fangs—one aimed directly at the side of the Armored Soldier's neck, which was not fully covered by the helmet, and the other slyly sweeping toward the weak connection point of the armor at his ribs!
This earth-shattering burst of Speed and these cunning, vicious Attack angles far exceeded the Elf Butler's expectations from the sidelines!
He could clearly see the muscles on the Butler's face, which had maintained an arrogant expression, suddenly stiffen, his pupils instantly contracting, a flicker of unbelievable shock flashing across his face like a crack on a mirror!
"Hmm?!"
The Elf Armored Soldier, at the center of the battle, felt it even more directly and intensely! He had not anticipated that an opponent with such unremarkable energy fluctuations would possess such terrifying activation Speed and such unpredictable Attack patterns!
Isn't he D-Rank? How can he have this kind of Speed?
The Elf Contracted Spirit's footwork was disrupted for the first time, letting out a low cry mixed with surprise. The Scimitar, which he had been preparing for a counter-Attack, was forced to abandon its refined combat technique, rapidly rotating to block in a manner that was almost instinctual and slightly rushed!
"Clang! Clang!"
Two rapid, crisp collisions, like metal wind chimes being struck by a gale, exploded almost simultaneously!
Blinding sparks flew violently between the ornate edge of the Elven Scimitar and the plain, unadorned edges of the Stone Blades, like miniature fireworks!
The Elf Armored Soldier was, after all, a higher-ranked, well-trained C-Rank Contracted Spirit. Relying on superior absolute Strength and the powerful Defense provided by his Rune Armor, he narrowly managed to parry the dual-blade assault that struck like a sudden storm.
However, the immense impact force still caused his robust body to involuntarily sway slightly, forcing him to take half a step back with a 'thud' before he could barely regain his balance.
The look beneath his helmet completely shed its previous calmness, now tainted with unprecedented gravity and suspicion.
He clearly realized that in the realm of pure Speed, he was indeed at a disadvantage!
A Mi, however, understood the principle of retreating a thousand miles after a single missed strike.
The moment his Twin Blades were blocked, he did not greedily press the attack. Utilizing the slight recoil generated by the collision, his figure floated backward as if weightless, once again creating a safe distance from the Armored Soldier.
He was as calm as a frozen lake, having clearly assessed the strengths and weaknesses of both sides—
In terms of absolute Strength, sustained Endurance, and frontal Defense, he was definitely no match for this deeply rooted C-Rank Armored Soldier.
The opponent's Endurance and Strength attributes clearly surpassed his own, and that Rune Armor shimmering with magical Spiritual Light provided a troublesome level of protection.
...But compared to the terrifying pressure he felt facing Lina's Fire Phoenix earlier—where even blocking seemed futile, and every collision felt like his entire Spirit Body was about to shatter, like a mountain pressing down—
This Elf Armored Soldier before him was as gentle as a spring breeze brushing past willow branches; he was hardly worth fearing!
Thus, the subsequent pace of the battle fell almost entirely under A Mi's control.
He no longer gave the Elf Armored Soldier any chance to catch his breath or re-establish his footing. He transformed into a black whirlwind circling the giant stone, moving at a dizzying Speed around the Elf Armored Soldier!
Sometimes he would dart forward like a phantom, his Twin Blades turning into a continuous stream of petrified blade shadows, launching Attacks from all sorts of unbelievable angles; other times, he would suddenly retreat like a nimble swallow, evading the Armored Soldier's enraged counter-Attacks.
Every one of his Attacks was highly targeted—
Either aiming for the small flaws exposed when the Armored Soldier's heavy armor shifted, or precisely striking weak points like joints or the underarm area where protection was relatively thin...
He often used extremely fast feints to force the steady Armored Soldier into making continuous, ineffective blocks and dodges, needlessly exhausting his stamina and energy.
The Elf Armored Soldier possessed superior Strength, more solid Defense, and more refined combat techniques, yet he was utterly frustrated by this relentless, fast-paced offensive that completely disregarded conventional tactics!
Every powerful swing of his ornate Scimitar often ended up slicing through empty air, or engaging in a hurried, brief clash with the elusive Stone Blades, unable to fully exert the crushing advantage of the Armored Soldier's Strength.
"Damn it... this guy!"
The Armored Soldier's stifled roar almost escaped, but his strong discipline forced him to endure it, though the hostility in his Attacks inevitably increased slightly.
It is a general rule across many Worlds that heavy armor units move relatively slowly, and it seemed to hold true even in the world of Contracted Spirits.
A Mi firmly grasped this point, maximizing his Speed advantage.
However, even though the battle seemed intense, A Mi never activated Unyielding Blood.
He relied solely on the innate understanding and adaptability advantage regarding various weapon forms granted by his status as a Contracted Spirit, constantly switching the grip and rhythm of his Twin Blades.
He was as calm as the most brilliant chess player, precisely controlling his own condition, maintaining his Health at a relatively safe level—one that was unlikely to trigger passives but sufficient to sustain high-intensity combat—
Although the damage from his individual Attacks was like "scratching" against the thick hide of the Armored Soldier, he "scratched" persistently enough, and thanks to his ghostly Speed, it was difficult for the opponent to effectively counter and land a hit!
After skillfully spinning away by a hair's breadth from the Armored Soldier's enraged, powerful vertical chop—which nearly split the ground—A Mi's eyes flashed, capturing a fleeting opportunity.
His left Stone Blade flicked upward precisely, deflecting the Scimitar blade that swept down as a result of the opponent overextending with a "clang." His right Stone Blade, like a snake striking from its hole, swiftly slashed across the Armored Soldier's metal vambrace before he could recover his guard—
This time, a faint but unusually active orange-red glow adhered to the surface of the Stone Blade!
Mars Shard, activated!
"Sssshhh—!"
The Stone Blade scraped violently against the hard vambrace, throwing up a stream of brighter, more persistent sparks!
These sparks, imbued with the power of the Art Tool, clung stubbornly to the Armored Soldier's smooth vambrace like a persistent ulcer, spreading rapidly across its surface, forming a layer of pulsating, faintly warm Burning Status effect!
Although the initial damage from this Burning Status was extremely slight, almost negligible for the well-defended Elf Armored Soldier with high Health.
The accompanying effect, which suppressed recovery, began to take hold.
The Armored Soldier could clearly feel that his Spirit Body's natural recovery, which had been a slow, steady trickle, was now covered by a layer of viscous grease, becoming sluggish and slow.
However, it was only the lowest level of fire; he could dispel it by releasing a little Mana...
Clang!
"This Burning Status I just applied won't let you extinguish it so easily!"
A Mi reappeared, striking the side flank and the upper arm again, bringing forth another shower of sparks...
The Armored Soldier finally couldn't hold back his roar, temporarily ignoring the Burning Status, and spun around to slash—but he was dodged again.
Watching the battle deviate completely from his initial expectations, the Elf Butler's impatience and disdain had long since vanished...
Replaced instead by an increasing sense of doubt and unconcealed gloom.
His brow was tightly furrowed, his gaze fixed on A Mi's elusive, phantom-like figure.
"A bit... unexpected."
But not long after... just as A Mi executed a feint and retreated to temporarily create distance, a decisive look flashed in the eyes of Xiao Ye, who had been watching intently from the sidelines with tightly clasped hands.
Having seemingly made up her mind, she quickly pulled out a metal cube from her small, patched pocket—it looked ordinary, even somewhat rusty.
"Mr. A Mi! Catch!" She threw the inconspicuous iron block with all her might in A Mi's direction!
A Mi heard the call, and without even turning his head, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, he reached back and accurately snatched the flying iron block!
The moment it touched his hand, the Yellow Creation Artifact's Skill activated!
The rusty iron block seemed to come alive in his hands, instantly softening, deforming, and reshaping!
Earthy yellow light mixed with metallic sheen flashed past. The pair of slightly worn Stone Twin Blades in his hands instantly disintegrated, and new weapons materialized in less than a breath—
They were a pair of metal Short Blades with gleaming edges, a more ferocious design, and blood grooves!
Naturally, they were far more dangerous than the previous ones!
"Thanks, Xiao Ye!"
A Mi burst forward again, wielding the new metal Short Blades, like a leopard pouncing on its prey, launching a new round of attacks that were more perilous and aggressive!
The blade light became colder, the sound of cutting air sharper, and every swing aimed directly at the Armored Soldier's joint gaps and the weak points poorly protected by the armor, instantly multiplying the threat!
"Hiss—"
Seeing this, the Elf Butler on the sidelines finally couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
The fingers held across his chest tightened involuntarily, his knuckles turning slightly white.
He desperately wanted to order the Armored Soldier to use his true Strength, or even unleash his Magic Tool, to quickly end this fight that was causing him to lose face!
But reason held him back firmly—this was just an assessment, and the opponent was only a Level 22 D-Rank Contracted Spirit!
If he was forced to use a Magic Tool under these circumstances, the story would become a laughingstock for the family!
Besides... the opponent hadn't used a Magic Tool yet!
...He didn't know that it wasn't that A Mi didn't want to use one, but that he simply didn't possess one to use.
As the examiner, representing the Moon Shadow Family, he had to remain composed and maintain decorum; at the very least... he couldn't lose his composure regarding the use of Magic Tools first!
This feeling of frustration and being caught between a rock and a hard place made the usually arrogant Butler's face look as if he had swallowed flies.
And finally, this battle reached its conclusion.