Daliah was still at Tier One, and her elemental affinities were Air and Earth.

Ali looked at both Lilith and Daliah one last time, then raised his hand.

"Ready…

Go!"

The moment the word left his lips, both girls exploded from their positions.

Lilith used air magic to propel herself forward, while Daliah combined her internal energy with air to boost her speed.

Whoosh!

The distance between them vanished in an instant.

A sharp wind blade materialized in Lilith's right hand as she slashed forward with it.

But Daliah didn't panic.

Her left hand quickly formed an earthen barrier, catching the blade cleanly. At the same time, her right fist shot forward like a cannon.

"What the?!" Lilith's eyes widened. She hadn't expected such a swift counterattack.

But she didn't just stand there and take it.

Raising her left elbow, she deflected the punch with ease.

Both of them leapt back, resetting the distance.

The duel had truly begun.

Lilith narrowed her eyes. "Was princess this good to begin with or that cultivation technique is really this amazing!" Lilith wondered. One exchange was enough for her to know.

She drew a long breath.

And then, not waiting a second longer, she dashed forward again, this time weaving her fingers through the air.

Several mini wind blades formed in a crescent around her, shooting toward Daliah like a flurry of daggers.

But Daliah didn't budge. With a stomp of her foot, the ground in front of her cracked upward, forming a jagged wall of stone.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The wind blades struck, scattering dust and stone fragments everywhere.

Before the haze could settle, Lilith vanished from her spot.

"Above!" someone shouted from the sidelines.

Noah and Emily stood among the observers, eyes fixed on the clash.

Sure enough, Lilith had leapt high into the air, using a burst of wind beneath her feet. She flipped mid-air and launched a downward slash, wind energy spiraling along her blade like a crashing wave.

Boom!

Daliah crossed both arms and summoned a reinforced earth dome just in time.

The wind impact shattered the upper shell but didn't break through fully.

Lilith landed with grace but just then Daliah burst out from behind the broken dome with a low sweeping kick.

Lilith narrowly jumped, but Daliah's follow-up palm strike struck her midsection.

"Ugh!"

A puff of air exploded from Lilith's mouth as she was pushed back.

But instead of crashing, she spun backward in midair, redirecting the force with her wind affinity.

"Nice counter," Lilith muttered with a smirk as her feet slid across the ground.

Daliah didn't reply. Her expression was calm but not sure if the situation was same inside her brain as well.

"I can't believe she has improved this much in such a short time," Logan couldn't help but be mesmerized by Daliah's move.

Rowan, standing beside him, chuckled. "Well, that's the least you can expect from my sister." He felt proud. Because he knew how worthy of an opponent Lilith truly was.

And all the others?

They didn't even want to blink, worried if they would miss any move.

Lilith meanwhile clenched her right fist as lightning crackled across it. She didn't stop just there.....

Suddenly Daliah felt a heavy force pressing down on her body as if her knees would give away at any moment.

Lilith had used gravity magic.

"Let's see you block this!" Lilith then shot forward, thrusting her right fist ahead.

Daliah took a deep breath and then clenched her right fist as her internal energy surged through her whole body.

She then leaned forward a little, bending her knees. The ground beneath her foot cracked. And then, even under that crushing gravity, she shot forward hurling her right fist.

Boom!

A wave of force blasted outward as their fists and clashed head-on. Both were thrown back this time, sliding across the ground.

"Amazing!" Gideon was having trouble believing his own eyes. "She is actually going toe to toe against Lilith." As the party leader who had fought alongside Lilith for last two years, Gideon knew how formidable Lilith truly was. Though only fifteen, she was an excellent hunter.

And it wasn't just him. Everyone in Gideon's party had the same thought.

Meanwhile, Noah's lips curled up into a smile. "Looks like she finally met her match!"

John's eyes darted rapidly from side to side, follow each of Lilith and Daliah's movements.

Back in the centre, Lilith wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. She then straightened her back, and raised her left hand high into the air.

In an instant, lightning erupted from her fingertips, shooting skyward before crashing down toward Daliah like thunder bolts.

But that wasn't all.

Her right hand snapped forward, and in the same breath, a barrage of wind blades launched ahead with deadly precision.

Daliah, however, didn't falter.

She weaved through the incoming blades with remarkable agility, her body now wrapped in a thin layer of earth armor. It wasn't bulky. It was compact, molded perfectly to her frame, offering protection without sacrificing speed.

She kept closing the distance, step by step, dodging what she could and letting the armor take the hits she couldn't avoid.

And when she was close enough....

She hurled a punch with everything she had.

Lilith stopped her onslaught the moment she sensed the incoming threat. Channeling air magic into her arm, she met the blow head-on with a powerful punch of her own.

Boom!

The two fists collided with thunderous force, sending a shockwave rippling through the arena. Dust exploded outward, veiling everything in a thick haze.

For a moment, no one could see what had happened.

But then...

Slowly, the dust began to settle.

And as the cloud fully cleared, both Lilith and Daliah came into view, standing apart from each other…

Both panting, sweat dripping down their brows.

They stared at each other.

But neither moved, or they couldn't.

Silence fell over the training ground.

Then slowly, Ali raised his hand.

"That's enough."

Lilith dropped her arms, chest rising and falling.

Daliah relaxed her stance as well.

For a second, no one said anything.

Then applause. Loud and genuine.

Ali smiled and looked at John, "What do you think Willy. Was this exhibition enough?"

John was taken aback by the sudden question, but then a faint smile spread across his face. "Now I think even I'm a little envious of the Third Prince and Princess," he said lightly. "I wish I knew that technique as well."

"True," Noah said quickly, almost tripping over his own words. "I still can't believe my daughter lost."

Lilith shot her father a sharp glare. "Why do you look so happy that your daughter lost?"

"Happy?! No, no..." Noah waved his hands, flustered. "I'm not happy you lost. I'm just happy you finally found a worthy opponent, that's all."

Noah's long‑held wish had finally come true.

He had always wanted his daughter to experience real fights, ones that might temper her sharp attitude and fiery temper. And today, at last, that day had arrived.

But Lilith didn't buy his words.

"If you're not happy, then don't act like you are. Who are you trying to fool, Dad?" she snapped, crossing her arms.

"Well… um…" Noah smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

"How about I fight Logan too?" John suddenly chimed in, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Now that I trust it fully, I can't wait to try it out myself."

"Hold your horses, Willy," Ali cut in. "We have more pressing matters to deal with."

"Okay, okay, I get it," John sighed, raising his hands in surrender. Though he wasn't particularly competitive, the curiosity had taken root. The idea of testing himself against Logan was simply too tempting.

"Let's head back inside," Rudeous, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke in a calm tone. "We can talk about what comes next in there."

Everyone nodded.

Then they started heading back in.

But just before stepping inside, Lilith paused and looked at Daliah one more time.

"It was an honor to fight you, Princess," she said softly.

Unknowingly, Lilith had acknowledged Daliah's strength.

Daliah smiled back graciously. "I enjoyed the fight too. Thank you for giving me the chance to truly test the power I've been training so hard with."

Logan, who also hadn't stepped in yet, stood nearby watching the exchange. He was a little taken aback by Lilith's words. He had half-expected her to throw a tantrum, not show maturity.

A small smile tugged at his lips as he turned to head inside as well.

But just then....

SCREEEEECH!

A carriage came to a sudden halt in front of the estate gate, its wheels grinding sharply against the cobblestones.

A man in his sixties stepped out. The moment he descended, both guards standing at the door bowed respectfully.

A few of those who hadn't completely gone inside yet turned around at the sound.

Rudeous was one of them.

And the moment he saw who it was, his body visibly stiffened.

Because the person who had just arrived...

Was none other than Arthur Stevens, Mirena's father.

The Duke of Aerundale.

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