SWNOVELXO Chapter 261: Losing For The First Time?
The battle dragged on.
Their breathing was heavy, sweat dripped from Daniel's forehead, and Lana's silver hair stuck to her face.
With a breathless laugh, Lana said, "Did you think you could bring me down that easily?" She unleashed [Breath of Moon Destruction].
More than twenty minutes had passed, and she was starting to get annoyed. How is it possible that I can't beat a B-rank?
Their fight so far had been completely even, neither gaining the upper hand.
What made it worse was the realization that this boy hadn't used a single skill during the fight, which only made her feel like he was looking down on her, treating her with contempt.
A massive wave of silver and black light engulfed the field, like a storm of moonlight and destruction. It blinded Daniel for a moment, and his body faltered.
The light cut at his skin like invisible blades, and his mind was briefly filled with dark visions. Focusing deeply, he circulated Death Energy through his body to neutralize the wave's effects.
Daniel charged at Lana, his sword spinning with a dark aura, aiming a heavy strike at her shoulder. Lana blocked with Lunar Fang, but the force of the impact drove her to one knee.
She quickly got back up and reactivated [Moonlight Dance]. She moved like a silver phantom, striking at Daniel from the left and right with fast, precise blows.
Daniel parried with The Heavens Honor, but Lana's speed was putting him under pressure. One strike grazed his arm, drawing a small trickle of blood.
Gathering all his strength, he poured Death Energy into his blade and delivered a crushing strike aimed at Lana's waist. She reacted with [Full Moon Shield], but the blow cracked the shield and sent her flying back several meters.
Lana landed on one knee, breathing heavily, her hair disheveled.
"Damn… I never thought beating a B-rank would be this hard!" she said with a tired smile.
Both of them were exhausted now, their bodies covered in small cuts, but they were smiling.
Schneitz let out a quiet sigh of relief at those smiles. It was clear that both of them were actually enjoying this fight.
Daniel could feel his arms going numb from the weight of Lana's heavy strikes, and Lana was gasping from the constant pressure of Daniel's relentless attacks.
The training ground was filled with cracks and scratches from their blows, and black and silver sparks still flickered in the air.
Daniel gathered Death Energy for a final strike, raising his sword and lunging for Lana's chest. At the same time, Lana released another [Devastating Crescent].
The black and silver crescent collided with Daniel's strike mid-air, triggering an explosion of light and darkness that blasted both of them back.
Daniel rolled across the ground, clutching his sword tightly, his breaths ragged. Lana staggered back several steps, propping Lunar Fang against the floor as sweat dripped down her face.
At this point, Daniel didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Who would've thought fighting a human could be harder than fighting a Corruption Beast?
Still, he had to admit—Lana was strong. Especially considering this wasn't even a life-and-death fight—it was just a sparring match.
Neither he nor Lana was going all-out. If it were a real fight to the death, things would have played out very differently.
"You want to keep going?" A beautiful, feminine voice echoed in his ear.
"I don't think you'd be satisfied with a draw, would you?" Daniel laughed.
"Of course not." Lana instantly activated [Azure Moon Shadow].
A silver and blue shadow separated from her body, like a ghostly duplicate, and charged at Daniel with Lunar Fang.
Daniel, reinforcing The Heavens Honor with Death Energy, deflected the shadow's strike, but Lana appeared behind him and slashed at his arm.
Her blade left a shallow cut, a sharp sting running through Daniel's arm. Damn it.
"So you've decided to get serious, huh?" he laughed, spinning around and swinging his sword in a heavy arc toward Lana's chest.
She dodged gracefully, but the force of the strike sent her hair flying. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and black and silver sparks scattered through the air like falling stars.
Lana's eyes gleamed as she summoned [Shattered Moon Blades].
Dozens of silver blades, shaped like crescent moons, appeared in the air and shot toward Daniel at breakneck speed.
Daniel spun with The Heavens Honor like a storm, the dark aura of Death Energy deflecting the blades one by one, but one struck his shoulder, leaving a bloody gash. Sweat dripped from his brow.
He lunged at Lana with all his might, his sword glowing with a deadly black aura, and aimed a crushing blow at her waist.
Lana blocked with [Full Moon Shield], but the impact cracked the shield and forced her several steps back.
"You're the strongest B-rank I've ever seen," she admitted, then unleashed [Silver Destruction Storm].
A swirling vortex of black and silver energy consumed the field, tearing apart the stone tiles and engulfing Daniel.
The blinding light burned his eyes, and the destructive force raked across his body like a thousand blades. He circulated Death Energy through his body to endure it.
Channeling all of it into The Heavens Honor, he charged Lana. His sword struck her arm like lightning, but she twisted with agility, turning the blow into just a shallow cut. A trickle of blood ran down her arm.
But then she frowned, realizing that from that very cut, Death Energy had entered her body, sending a shockwave through her organs and making her body tremble violently.
She quickly circulated her Destruction Energy to burn away the Death Energy.
Lana was panting now, her hair clinging to her face. She activated [Blood Moon Fury].
It was time to end this fight.
A blazing aura of red and silver erupted around her, her eyes glowing like bloody stars, and her sword struck at Daniel with divine power.
The blow was so heavy that when Daniel blocked with The Heavens Honor, the force drove him to one knee. The tiles beneath him shattered, and pain surged through his arms.
He concentrated Death Energy into his blade and countered with a deadly strike aimed at Lana's shoulder. Lana responded with [Azure Moon Shadow], her shadow deflecting the strike, but the impact still sent her flying back.
The field was now covered in deep cracks and filled with black and silver sparks. Daniel, breathing heavily, drenched in sweat, was barely standing.
Lana was exhausted too, but her aura was still blazing. She realized Daniel had reached his limit and couldn't waste the chance.
With a swift motion, she summoned [Shattered Moon Blades] again, this time directing the blades with deadly precision toward Daniel.
Daniel deflected several with The Heavens Honor, but one struck his thigh, opening a deeper gash.
He dropped to one knee from the pain, but didn't give up. With his last breath, he gathered Death Energy into his sword and launched a final strike at Lana.
Lana evaded with [Moonlight Dance], then with Lunar Fang, delivered a quick slash to Daniel's chest.
The blade only left a shallow cut, but the force knocked Daniel to the ground.
Daniel lay on the floor, panting, still gripping The Heavens Honor. Lana, also breathing heavily, lowered her sword and said with a tired smile:
"I think this a win for me."