Two months later—
In an open clearing, two figures stood facing each other.
The man stood tall and imposing, arms crossed across his chest, his gaze sharp.
"Unleash the artistry within you, attack with all your might, hold nothing back."
Kevin said in a deep voice.
This wasn't arrogance, but a calm confidence based on the gap between their strengths.
"Yes, Teacher!"
After a month of training, the girl had shed her initial naivety, her movements as nimble as a spirit in the snow.
Yelena's right hand gripped emptily, a crystal-clear ice sword instantly forming from the ground up. With a light tap of her toe, a freezing wind enveloped her body, erupting with terrifying speed.
But strangely, her body suddenly vanished.
Countless ice crystals and snowflakes drifted down, reflecting the dazzling sunlight, a magnificent sight as if in a fairyland on earth.
Yet within this beautiful scene lurked a terrifying killing intent!
The ice sword stabbed in from her waist, piercing through the icy fog like a venomous snake's strike.
Kevin shifted his body, just dodging the premeditated strike.
As if by chance, he reached out.
Crack—
The ice sword was easily broken. Yelena didn't panic; in nearly a month of sparring with Kevin, she had experienced this countless times.
Another ice sword, already formed in her left hand, was decisively wielded!
The translucent ice sword erupted into countless streaks of sword light mixed with cold air.
Chaotic Hundred Flowers [Plum]!
It was hard to imagine that in just one month, the once clueless girl had progressed so far in her sword technique.
Kevin's calm gaze didn't waver. The great sword he casually formed either chopped or slashed, and without seeing much movement from his body, it moved as if with a soul, precisely and easily sweeping away all the sword lights and cold air.
It was as if it wasn't a weapon, but an impregnable wall!
Since he had taken her as a student, he would naturally give it his all.
Perhaps he didn't have much experience in teaching others, but he knew that practical combat was the best teacher.
Kevin's memories were vast and deep; finding a sword technique suitable for Yelena wasn't difficult. For example, Sakura's sword techniques were suitable in many ways.
Clang!
Chaotic Hundred Flowers [Chrysanthemum]!
Chaotic Hundred Flowers [Iris]!
Sword lights flashed as Yelena, though perhaps not at the original master's level of perfection, had already mastered it quite proficiently.
Thrusts! Sweeps!
In the month of recovery, her developing body was utilized to the fullest.
Each move was decisive and ruthless—a sword technique born solely for killing!
But...
"No openings."
Even though he was mostly on defense, only occasionally counterattacking, the pressure Kevin exerted on her was as heavy as an abyss. An assassination-type sword technique couldn't find a single flaw in her opponent—what could be more terrifying than that?
Yelena raised her ice sword to shoulder height, taking a deep breath.
"Then, I'll create one!"
After another clash of sword tips, she extended her hand, endless icy fog gathering around her. With a push, a terrifying cold tide surged toward Kevin.
The scale of this Origin Stone technique was almost stronger than that of some who were well-versed in it, yet she was only in her teens.
"You should know these things are useless against me, unless..."
Kevin ignored the cold tide, turning his great sword and striking down at an empty space behind him with simple, unadorned force.
Clang! Crack!
The ice mirror shattered, but Yelena wasn't there—both were fakes?
Only at this moment did the cold, deadly sword light finally reveal its killing intent!
From above, the biting wind blew the hair before her forehead to the back of her head.
Yelena finally unleashed the move she had intentionally hidden throughout this battle, one that could decide the victor!
Instant Blade [Sakura's Curtain]!
The crystal-clear ice sword seemed to steal all color from the world. What met the eye was only that streak of cold, tragic sword light!
In Yelena's hands, this long-dormant sword technique finally regained a trace of Sakura's divine essence!
Checkmate, Teacher!
?...No, not quite.
Kevin hadn't truly struck the ice mirror. His great sword, which had been holding back, shattered Yelena's hopeful move with greater speed, in a more cunning position, and with a domineering stance.
The great sword effortlessly tore through the weak point of the sword-like canopy, sending Yelena and her ice sword flying backward with overwhelming force.
Up, adjust posture, maintain composure.
Thud!
With a sound of hitting the snow, Yelena's body traced a perfect arc in the air, landing neatly in a snowdrift.
The entire sequence was fluid, executed with heartbreaking proficiency.
"A very good idea."
Kevin lowered his great sword, rarely offering praise.
The effect of using an ice mirror to refract light combined with a snow screen for a double illusion, plus that hidden sword technique—Yelena's performance had completely exceeded his expectations.
"Sigh, no matter how good the idea, I still can't beat you, Teacher."
Yelena emerged from the snowdrift, shaking the snow from her gray-white hair, her rabbit ears drooping as she spoke rather dejectedly.
Kevin walked over slowly, grabbing her by the collar with his right hand to pull the exhausted Yelena out of the snowdrift, shaking his head in noncommittal agreement.
He didn't really want to dampen his student's enthusiasm, but some of her thoughts were a bit unrealistic.
Even mastering this sword technique to its ultimate level, enough to freeze an instant of time like Sakura, she still wouldn't be his match in a direct confrontation.
"I have nothing more to teach you. The sword forms are essentially as you've seen; what you lack is experience. As for the higher levels of swordsmanship, I don't know much about them either."
Kevin said calmly as he dragged the little cat toward the camp.
"The so-called 'Instant' is a miracle that can only be revealed in the life-or-death moment. I rarely face such situations, so I can only say so much. The higher realms should be comprehended by yourself."
Listening to her teacher's words, Yelena nodded her little head, understanding yet not understanding.
——
"Back?"
"Mm."
Pozëmka tucked the hair before her forehead behind her ear, asking gently with an intellectual glow on her exquisite face.
Kevin answered softly, everything as natural as water flowing to its course, of course, if you ignored the little rabbit being dragged along...
In the past, her father had criticized some of her thoughts as too idealistic and childish, and Pozëmka had never been willing to admit it.
Until experiencing turmoil, and now settling under Kevin's protection, she could finally think about more things.
Since fleeing, she had witnessed the darkness among nobles, the scheming of citizens, the ill will of villagers toward outsiders, the suffering of the Infected...
The noble lady who had lived in a luxurious gilded cage for her first decade of life gradually transformed through this process, shedding aristocratic arrogance and becoming mature.
Pozëmka was very satisfied with her current life, although following the guerrilla team meant moving every so often, with no permanent home.
But where Kevin was, there was home—a sense of security that no person or thing could provide.
....
At night, Kevin sat by the campfire, rotating an ice crystal in his palm. Yelena sat obediently beside him, watching her teacher with some confusion.
This ice crystal represented Kevin's research results on Origin Stone techniques through Yelena.
As early as half a month ago, he hadroughly understood the principle of these so-called "techniques."
For example, this ice crystal in his hand was formed without using any Collapse Energy, relying purely on the energy released by Origin Stone powder in the air.