The training ground had already turned chaotic.
Students were scattered.
Some on the ground.
Some trying to track movement they couldn't see.
And in the middle of it—
Lisa moved like a storm.
Kaien
Kaien stood still.
Completely still.
Unlike the others, he wasn't turning his head.
Wasn't chasing movement.
Wasn't reacting blindly.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Not invisible…
Just too fast to track visually.
Impact comes before perception.
A small smirk formed.
Ah, yes.
My legendary anti-invisible-attack technique.
Haven't used this in ages.
What was it again…
Right—
Don't be stupid. Predict the angle.
The air shifted.
Kaien moved.
Just slightly.
A sharp force brushed past his shoulder instead of hitting him directly.
For a split second—
He dodged it.
Lisa appeared behind him instantly.
"Oh?"
Then—
THUD.
Her next strike landed clean.
Kaien dropped like the others.
Flat on the ground.
Lisa stood over him, amused.
"Lucky guess."
Nav
Across the field—
Nav tightened his stance.
His senses stretched outward.
Tracking pressure.
Distortion.
Movement.
Then—
She was already there.
Lisa's attack came from the side.
Nav reacted instantly.
Both arms raised.
He blocked.
The impact hit.
BOOM.
His feet slid back across the ground.
Shock traveled through his arms.
His eyes widened.
Damn—
Her attack is heavy too?!
Before he could adjust—
Lisa moved again.
A blur.
A shift in position.
Then—
A kick.
Straight into his gut.
The force lifted him off the ground.
Air left his lungs instantly.
Nav collapsed.
Vision shaking.
Lisa stood over him, tilting her head slightly.
"…Yeah, I might've used too much strength on that one."
Only one remained standing nearby.
Avelyn.
Lisa turned toward her.
Grinning.
"Your turn."
For a moment—
Avelyn didn't move.
Her eyes were focused.
Not on Lisa—
But on everything else.
Positioning.
Impact timing.
Residual distortion in the air.
Her mind was working.
Fast.
Precise.
Then—
She raised her hand slightly.
"I surrender."
Silence.
Lisa blinked.
"…Huh?"
Avelyn lowered her hand calmly.
"There's no value in engaging without sufficient data."
Lisa stared at her for a second.
Then laughed.
"Smart."
Lisa turned to the rest of the class.
Most of them were on the ground.
Groaning.
Trying to recover.
She crossed her arms.
Her expression shifted.
Still confident.
But sharper now.
"Pathetic."
No one responded.
"You're slow."
She took a step forward.
"Weak."
Another step.
"And blind."
Her gaze swept across them.
"You rely too much on what you see."
She tapped her temple.
"Your senses are dull."
Then her tone changed slightly.
Less mocking.
More direct.
"If you want to survive—"
She pointed downward.
"Strengthen your ki."
A pause.
"Not just output."
"Control."
"Awareness."
"Reaction speed."
She looked at Nav briefly.
Then Kaien.
Then the rest.
"If your ki isn't sharp enough to feel an attack before it lands—"
A faint grin returned.
"You're already done."
Footsteps echoed from the edge of the training ground.
Sael Ardyn walked back in, hands in his pockets.
He glanced at the destroyed field.
Then at the students on the ground.
"…Looks like you held back."
Lisa smirked.
"Barely."
Sael sighed.
"Unfortunate."
He looked at the class.
"Lesson learned?"
No one answered.
Sael nodded anyway.
"Good."