The tension in the Guild training hall was
palpable
as the three figures faced each other. Theia stood with her arms crossed, an amused smirk on her lips, golden eyes
gleaming with anticipation.
Across from her, Elowen and Sylvaine stood side by side, their twin blades already drawn,
silent but ready.
A crowd had gathered around the training ring—assassins of all ranks, drawn in by the
whispers of an unprecedented match.
It wasn’t every day that the Guild’s
legendary assassin
agreed to a spar, let alone against two younger fighters.
Seraphis stood at the edge of the ring, watching with a neutral expression. But inwardly, she was
curious.
How would her daughters fare against an opponent of Theia’s caliber?
Theia cracked her neck, rolling her shoulders. “Alright, little ones,” she said lazily. “I’ll be generous and let you come at me first.”
Sylvaine grinned.
“You’ll regret that.”
And then—
they moved.
First Clash – The Test of Speed
Elowen and Sylvaine exploded into action, moving
faster than most could track.
Elowen struck first, her dark green blade slicing toward Theia’s midsection in a deadly arc.
A feint.
Theia shifted to parry, but Sylvaine was already behind her,
her lighter blade flashing toward her exposed side.
Theia twisted at the last second, her movements impossibly fluid. Her own blade flicked up,
deflecting Sylvaine’s attack with a sharp clang.
The twins didn’t pause. They moved in perfect sync,
a relentless storm of slashes and thrusts,
pressing Theia from both sides.
Left. Right. A downward strike. A spinning counter.
But Theia was
faster.
She ducked under a swing from Elowen, twisted midair, and
landed a sharp kick against Sylvaine’s wrist.
Sylvaine’s blade
flew from her grip, spinning through the air.
The younger twin cursed, flipping backward as Theia’s follow-up strike nearly
took her head off.
Elowen lunged forward to cover her sister, her blade slicing toward Theia’s throat—
but Theia vanished.
A blur. A rush of wind.
Then—
a sudden impact.
Elowen
gasped as Theia’s fist slammed into her stomach,
sending her
skidding back across the floor.
Second Phase – Adapting to the Predator
The twins didn’t falter. They
adjusted.
Sylvaine
retrieved her fallen blade with a sharp flick of her foot,
launching herself back into the fight without hesitation.
This time, they changed tactics. Instead of attacking together, they
divided
—Sylvaine moving unpredictably, feinting and darting in and out of Theia’s reach, while Elowen remained methodical, her movements sharper, more precise.
Seraphis smirked.
They’re learning.
Theia
laughed
under her breath, eyes alight with amusement.
“That’s more like it.”
She moved again—faster than before.
She met Elowen’s strike head-on, her blade flashing as
she parried, twisted, and countered all in one motion.
Sylvaine appeared at her flank, stabbing forward, but Theia
bent backwards at an impossible angle,
Sylvaine’s blade barely grazing her nose.
Then—
Theia retaliated.
She
vanished
in a blur of motion, appearing behind Sylvaine in an instant. Before Sylvaine could react, Theia’s fingers grazed her neck—
a ghost of a killing blow.
“Dead,”
Theia murmured.
Sylvaine
gritted her teeth.
She spun, her blade flashing—but Theia was already gone.
Final Round – The Twins’ Trump Card
Theia was toying with them.
It was obvious now—she hadn’t even drawn her full strength yet.
But Elowen and Sylvaine weren’t done.
They exchanged a
silent glance.
Then, something changed.
Their movements
shifted.
No longer two separate fighters, but one.
The crowd
felt it instantly.
The air
crackled
as the twins moved in absolute sync, their footwork interwoven, their blades a blur of silver and green.
Theia’s smirk
faltered.
"Interesting," she murmured.
The next exchange was
different.
Theia dodged a strike from Elowen—only to find Sylvaine already waiting, her blade slicing toward her ribs. Theia blocked, only for Elowen to strike from the opposite side.
No wasted movement. No hesitation.
A perfect rhythm.
For the first time, Theia was forced to step back.
A flicker of
acknowledgment
passed through her golden eyes.
"Alright," she murmured, "let’s see how far you’ve come."
She
dropped her stance.
The twins lunged—
And the real fight began.
Theia’s True Strength – Ending the Match
It happened
in a heartbeat.
One moment, the twins were attacking.
The next—
they were on the ground.
A single move.
Theia had
disarmed Elowen and Sylvaine simultaneously,
knocking their weapons aside with a precision too perfect to be coincidence.
The twins
gasped for breath, their backs pressed to the ground, Theia’s blade at their throats.
The silence in the training hall was
deafening.
Theia let out a slow breath, then
grinned.
"You
almost
had me at the end," she admitted, stepping back and offering them her hand. "That was impressive."
Elowen and Sylvaine
stared up at her, wide-eyed.
Then, despite their exhaustion, they
grinned.
They took her hand, letting Theia pull them to their feet.
"That was insane," Sylvaine panted. "You’re
way
too fast."
Elowen
nodded in agreement,
rubbing her wrist. "It was like trying to fight a ghost."
Theia chuckled. "That’s why they call me a legend, kids."
She turned to Seraphis, who was still watching with that unreadable expression.
"You’ve raised some monsters," Theia said, smirking.
Seraphis crossed her arms. "Of course."
A pause.
Then—
The training hall erupted into cheers.
The assassins who had been watching, silent with anticipation,
now roared with approval,
clapping and cheering for the match they had just witnessed.
Theia stretched lazily. "Alright, I need a drink."
Sylvaine groaned, flopping onto the ground. "Same."
Elowen sighed, shaking her head but smiling. "That was a good fight."
Seraphis only smirked.
Her daughters had improved.
But they still had
a long way to go.