Noah blurred forward, the air rippling in his wake.

His boots hit the floor with soft thuds that barely echoed before he vanished entirely, the telltale shimmer of Flash Step rippling around him.

The next moment, he was behind her, hand reaching for the red patch on her shoulder.

Cecilia tilted her head slightly, as if she'd been expecting it. Her body spun, her hand snapping out and catching his wrist.

She used his momentum against him, twisting and pushing him away in one fluid movement.

Noah slid across the floor, boots kicking up sand as he caught his balance. He grinned despite himself.

"So that's how it's going to be."

Cecilia chuckled, her golden eyes glowing softly. "You're not the first student to try that, Noah. You won't be the last."

He didn't waste time replying. He began chaining Flash Steps, one, two, three, and each brought him circling her like a blur, his afterimages flickering like ghostly shades.

He reached again, fingers just grazing the air near the red patch.

Cecilia pivoted on one heel, bending low and flipping backward over his reach.

She moved like she was dancing. Her boots landed lightly on the floor behind him, her movements making her seem almost untouchable.

"Too slow," she chuckled.

Noah half scoffed, half exhaled through his nose, and disappeared.

This time, he used Null Stride, reappearing a few feet above her, gravity pulling him down fast.

He dove, hand extended... but Cecilia was already gone.

She sidestepped, twisting her body with feline agility. Her palm flashed out, slapping his shoulder just as he landed, using the momentum to pivot herself behind him.

"Better," she said lightly, "but predictable."

Noah snarled under his breath and lunged forward again.

He combined movement techniques now, chaining Flash Step into short-distance teleportations, each appearing at random angles around her.

Left, right, above, then behind. His body flickered like a strobe of darkness and light, his speed almost untrackable.

And still, she slipped through his every attempt.

Noah reappeared behind her once more, but her leg swept out in a perfect arc. He barely ducked in time, her boot grazing his hair.

He teleported again, this time a few feet higher, descending like a hawk.

His fingertips brushed the air near her shoulder, so close he could feel the faint heat of her phoenix aura.

Cecilia dropped to one knee, twisted, and extended an arm. The back of her hand smacked his chest mid-air, sending him spinning to the side.

He rolled, landed in a crouch, panting. Sweat beaded down his temple.

"You're holding back," she called across the hall, her tone amused. "If this were a real fight, I'd already be dead... or you would."

"I'm not supposed to kill you," Noah shot back, straightening.

Cecilia smiled faintly, her golden eyes glinting. "But that's the point of this training. To put you in the best possible position to kill."

He clenched his fists, inhaling.

Fine.

This time, he didn't charge blindly. He began to move in slow circles, studying her, calculating.

He blurred forward again, but instead of heading straight for her, he darted at a diagonal, using his speed to feint an approach.

Cecilia sidestepped smoothly, exactly as he'd expected. He vanished mid-step, reappearing to her left, his hand already swinging.

Her hand shot up, catching his wrist again.

She smirked. "You really like this angle, don't you?"

Her other hand moved like lightning, tapping him lightly on the forehead.

He grimaced, teleporting backward to avoid the follow-up. His lungs burned.

"Don't tell me you're getting tired already," she teased.

"I'm...," he exhaled harshly, "fine."

Cecilia chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You know, your technique is impressive. The problem is, you think too much like a mage."

He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you rely on spells to magically solve the problem for you," she replied. "Not your instinct."

He didn't have time to respond. She vanished from sight, appearing directly in front of him.

Her palm hit his chest, sending him stumbling backward. He recovered quickly and fired off a Fireball instinctively, forcing her to duck.

The blast sizzled against the far wall, leaving a black scorch mark.

Cecilia grinned. "Now that's more like it."

She paused.

"But less lethal."

Noah vanished again, chaining three Flash Steps in quick succession.

The air rippled around him as his body blurred, reappearing behind her shoulder. He reached for the red patch.

She turned faster than his eyes could follow, her forearm deflecting his hand.

"You're getting predictable again."

Her voice was calm, but her tone carried that same teasing amusement that made his blood boil.

He gritted his teeth and reappeared in front of her, trying a different tactic.

He went low this time, sweeping his leg. She leapt effortlessly over it, flipped, and landed lightly behind him.

Her hand brushed the back of his head. "Too slow."

He growled in frustration and swung around, but she was already gone, a few meters away, her arms crossed now.

"You've improved," she admitted. "But you're still thinking in lines."

"Entry isn't about distance, it's about control. Control of yourself, and of your opponent's expectations."

Noah's chest rose and fell heavily. "Easier said than done."

"That's why you're still learning," she said simply.

He glared, then vanished again. His mana pulsed violently as he reappeared above her, forcing her to look up. He dove down, twisting in the air to throw her off.

Cecilia sidestepped, but this time, he changed the direction of his fall with a short Null Stride, appearing to her left.

His hand brushed the edge of her armor, but she twisted again, grabbing his wrist and spinning him around.

She shoved him, sending him skidding backward.

He stumbled, dropped to a knee, and braced himself with one hand on the ground. His breathing was ragged, sweat dripping down his face.

"That's enough for now," Cecilia said softly, though there was humor in her tone.

Noah stayed crouched, his shoulders rising and falling with every breath.

Cecilia walked closer, her boots tapping softly against the floor. She stopped just in front of him, looking down with a half-smile.

"You did well," she said. "But not well enough."

Noah didn't respond.

"You've been relying on your spells to bridge the gap between you and your much stronger opponents," she continued, crouching slightly so their eyes met.

"It's worked for you so far because Feast not only acts defensively to protect you with its reaching hands, but it also keeps giving you boosts in your stats."

"However, what happens when you can't use Feast? When you're fighting something immune to your devouring?"

He said nothing, his breath still coming out in slow, controlled bursts.

She straightened. "You'll need to master your Entry technique, Noah. It's the only way you'll ever keep up with someone truly faster, stronger, or smarter than you."

"Someone not a random monster you meet in a monolith. Someone like Captain Roderick."

Her tone softened slightly. "Take today's lesson as a reminder. Raw power isn't everything. You can't always rely on your spells. You must learn to also rely on your brains."

Noah's head lowered slightly. "Understood."

Cecilia chuckled, taking a step back. "You'll get there. But for now, rest. You look like you're about to—"

She didn't finish her sentence.

Because Noah vanished.

Cecilia's eyes widened as the air behind her rippled faintly.

Noah appeared directly behind her, his hand reaching forward.

The faint sound of his voice carried through the air, low and calm.

"Got you."

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