Is he testing me? This might be my only chance to go outside the walls.
Sera turned and walked toward the weapons, her gaze scanning each one carefully. She didn't know who her opponent would be, and that alone forced her to think harder, to choose wisely.
Her hand settled on a sword. It was the safest choice—one she could control.
She picked it up.
As she began walking toward the combat arena, she suddenly remembered the chocolate candies in her pocket. Without hesitation, she turned and walked toward the generals, extending her hand toward General Rin.
General Rin looked surprised but instinctively opened his hands and received them. The other generals leaned in slightly, their attention shifting to the unfamiliar items now resting in his palms. They all stared curiously at the strange-looking candies.
Among the four generals, Rin loved sweets as much as she did and often ate her snacks in the government office, yet now he simply stared at them, unsure of what they were.
Sera said nothing. She turned and walked to the center of the combat arena, standing still as she waited for her opponent.
"Jidu." Azron called.
General Jidu stepped forward immediately. "Yes, Lord Azron."
Azron gave a simple signal toward the arena.
Jidu's eyes widened slightly, confusion flickering across his face before realization settled in—he was being asked to fight Sera.
Sera and the other three generals also reacted, their surprise evident as they looked between Jidu and Lord Azron.
General Wang had already told the others what Sera had done during the assassination attempt. Even so, it was still difficult for them to fully accept it. A woman defeating that many men—it seemed impossible. She must be skilled, yes… but still, fighting her directly was something else entirely.
"Lord Azron… I…" General Jidu leaned closer, lowering his voice. "But she's a woman."
"If she is to join us outside the City, she needs to prove she will not be a problem. Just test her skills," Azron replied, his arms crossing over his chest.
The command was final.
Jidu nodded and stepped into the arena, unsheathing his sword as his gaze settled on Sera.
Sera tightened her grip on her weapon, her eyes fixed on him.
I just need to show Lord Azron that I can take care of myself outside the City. I don't have to win. I cannot get into these generals' bad side by defeating them in a match. Think about their reputation.
They began to move closer to each other, step by step, their swords held ready. The space between them grew tense, filled with quiet calculation as both waited for the other to make the first move.
Jidu watched her carefully. Though he still saw her as a woman, he knew better than to completely lower his guard.
Sera noticed the hesitation in his stance, the doubt in his movements.
She moved first.
With a sudden burst of speed, she dashed forward, raising her sword and striking.
Jidu reacted instantly, attacking and defending in the same motion. His strength was controlled, restrained—still cautious, still careful not to hurt her.
Sera adjusted accordingly, controlling her own movements as well. Her attacks were deliberate, measured—just enough to create a convincing display, just enough for Azron to see her capability without revealing too much.
But Lord Azron saw through it. He could tell she was holding back.
Even so, the clash between them was remarkable. Steel met steel again and again, each movement precise, each strike calculated.
General Rin, Dan, and Wang watched closely, their surprise growing as the fight continued.
Because despite everything—
Sera was keeping up with General Jidu–one of the land's finest warriors.
"Did you actually see her kill those assassins? I thought it was just a rumor," General Dan asked, his voice edged with disbelief as his gaze remained fixed on the arena, where steel clashed and sparks of tension flickered between Sera and Jidu.
"No," General Wang replied, his eyes tracking every movement with sharp focus. "When we arrived, the assassins were already dead—and she was already standing on the temple roof, with an arrow piercing her leg."
"I thought that was just an exaggeration," General Rin added, his tone quieter now, laced with awe as the reality before him began to dismantle every doubt.
"I couldn't believe it myself," General Wang continued, his voice low, almost distant, as if replaying the memory against what he was witnessing now.
The fight intensified.
What had begun as measured restraint slowly shifted into something far more dangerous—both fighters revealing glimpses of their true skill with every strike, every step, every calculated breath. The air around them grew heavier, charged with mounting pressure.
Jidu felt it. The realization struck him with unsettling clarity—Sera was not merely capable. She was skilled.
And that truth ignited something sharper within him. He could not lose. Not here. Not to her.
His grip tightened. His stance hardened. His attacks came faster. Stronger.
Sera felt the shift instantly—the rising force behind his blade, the urgency beneath his control, the quiet desperation of a man refusing to be defeated by a woman before his peers.
And in that moment—
She decided to end it. Not with victory but with control. She allowed an opening. A single, deliberate mistake.
Jidu seized it.
His blade surged forward—swift, precise—cutting through the space between them with lethal intent before halting just in time.
The edge of his sword stopped an inch from her neck. Close enough to kill. Close enough to prove a point.
But Sera did not move. She did not flinch.
She did not even blink.
The silence that followed was sharp, almost reverent.
The three generals stood on the edge of reaction, their hands nearly rising in applause—stunned, impressed, caught between admiration and disbelief at the fight they had just witnessed.
Sera looked at Azron, noticing immediately that his face held no satisfaction from the fight.
If anything, it unsettled her.
There was a lingering sharpness in his gaze—curiosity, deep and probing. He wasn't done. Not even close. He wanted to see more… to see her true capacity.
Across the arena, General Jidu moved to join the other generals, but Sera barely spared it a glance. The atmosphere had shifted—tight, heavy, almost suffocating.
Sera started to climb down the arena.
One step.
Then—
Azron suddenly grabbed a bow and arrow. The movement was swift. Precise. He pointed it at Sera.
She immediately stopped midway.
Silence struck the arena.
The four generals were visibly shocked, their bodies tensing as if they had all felt the same invisible blade press against their throats.
Without warning—Azron released two arrows shot toward Sera.
Fast and unforgiving.
Sera reacted instantly, her sword slicing through the air—clang, clang—striking both arrows cleanly. They dropped to the ground at her feet.
She didn't even have time to settle. Azron had already taken another set.
Three arrows drawn and released.
Azron was a sharp shooter. His arrows always hit their mark—always—no matter how many he fired at once.
He's really testing me. Sera stepped back, her breathing controlled, her eyes locked onto him. She moved with precision—intercepting, deflecting, cutting through the incoming arrows with her sword. Each impact sent vibrations up her arms, but she didn't falter.
He didn't stop.He kept shooting again and again.
Until—
Twenty arrows lay scattered on the ground. All around her. A silent ring of intent.
Sera stood in the center of the arena, unmoving. Her sword pointed toward the ground.
But her gaze—
It lifted to Azron. Steady and burning.
She knew that he wasn't done testing her.
Her glare sharpened—no longer guarded, no longer cautious. It was a challenge now. Raw. Undeniable.
She couldn't hide from him anymore. And she wouldn't.
If I am going to die here and now… I might just make it entertaining.
Azron gazed at her fiercely.
Something in his expression shifted—darkened—as if he had understood every unspoken word in that single look. Without hesitation, he dropped the bow.
The sound echoed.
He took a sword and dashed forward into the arena.
Fast and relentless, Sera swung her sword just in time to block his attack.
Clang!
The force behind it was brutal. It slammed into her arms, sending a shock through her entire body. The sheer weight of his strength made it clear—he was not holding back. Not even a little.
Azron was determined to see what she really was.
The four generals stood frozen in shock at the sight before them.
Around the military grounds, warriors began to gather, drawn by the clash of steel and the rising intensity. Murmurs spread, disbelief rippling through the crowd.
Their Lord…
Fighting a woman?
And not just fighting—
She was matching him.
Sera met his strikes head-on, their swords colliding again and again. Each clash rang through the arena, sharp and relentless, their movements fast, precise, unforgiving.
Then—
Their blades locked. Their eyes met. Time seemed to pause, just for a breath.
I knew you weren't ordinary. The thought crossed Azron's mind as he held her gaze.
Something unspoken passed between them.
Then—
They moved again. Faster. Harder. Deadlier.
Nearby, together with the other Generals, General Rin watched with wide excitement. Without thinking, he grabbed Sera's chocolate and took a bite. He paused.The taste was surprisingly new and different. He glanced at it briefly in his hand, then continued eating, eyes never leaving the fight, drawn back into the intensity unfolding before him.
While disbelief painted General Jidu's face. He had underestimated her completely. He watched Azron closely—his attacks were relentless, powerful, unrestrained. Yet Sera blocked them. Returned and endured them. How can this woman withstand Lord Azron's attacks? The question echoed in his mind.
The arena was now surrounded by warriors. The fight had become immense.
Azron, known for his overwhelming strength, feared across battlefields—
And yet—
Sera moved through his attacks with fluid precision, almost like a dance. Each step calculated, each motion controlled, her presence impossible to ignore.
Time stretched. The fight lasted more than thirty minutes.
Neither yielding. Neither stopping.
Then—
Azron shifted. He gripped his sword with both hands. The air seemed to tighten. And he attacked Sera with full force.
Sera raised her sword—
Blocked.
But this time, his strength overwhelmed her.
Her body gave in and her left leg collapsed. She dropped to one knee in front of him. His sword pressed forward, inching dangerously close to her left shoulder.
Closer.
Closer.
Sera could feel it. The cold edge of her sword touching her shoulder. Pain flared and sharp.
Immediate. But she didn't move. Didn't retreat. Didn't surrender.
Her eyes lifted to his—filled with anger.
And Azron saw it.
And in that moment, something in him shifted. He realized he was being too much. She had already shown him her true self. Her skills. Her strength. Her honesty.
And yet—
He had pushed further.
Sera felt the change in his force. His strength began to decrease. The crushing pressure eased.
She looked at him and saw his eyes… softening.
Slowly, Azron released his left hand from his sword. Only his right hand remained.
Then—
He opened his palm toward her.
A clear signal to stop.
The fight didn't end with a strike but with a choice.
Sera relaxed, the tension leaving her body in a slow release. Azron carefully took the sword from her hands and stepped back, creating space between them.
She stood up.
Both of them were breathing slightly fast from the fight.
The arena fell into silence.
General Dan finally moved, signaling for the warriors to disperse. Reluctantly, they obeyed.
And the fight ended—
Without a win.
Without a loss.
Only something far more complicated was left behind.
Azron's gaze shifted, and he noticed the fabric of Sera's clothes—cut at the left shoulder.
She was hurt.
And for a brief moment, that realization lingered longer than anything else.
"Go home and rest," Azron said. His command was simple and final. Then he climbed down the arena without looking back.
"Jidu, Wang. Come with me," he continued after returning the swords.
Jidu and Wang immediately approached him, falling into step as they walked toward the horses. Azron's voice lowered, issuing instructions—quiet, controlled, as if the storm that had just torn through the arena had never touched him at all.
But Sera watched. She stood where she was…still in the arena. Still unmoving.
The anger in her eyes hadn't faded—not even slightly. It lingered there, sharp and alive, following Azron's every step as if daring him to look back.
He didn't.
General Rin and General Dan approached her cautiously, as men stepping into the aftermath of something they weren't entirely sure had ended.
"Welcome… to the army," General Dan said, a half-joke, his tone light—an attempt to break the tension still clinging to the air.
It barely made a dent.
Sera didn't respond. Her gaze never shifted. Still locked on Azron.
General Rin, fidgeting slightly under the weight of the silence, stepped forward and handed her candies back.
That finally broke her focus. She lowered her gaze, opening her hand to receive them. Her fingers closed around the familiar weight.
Then paused.
Her brows drew together.
"Where's my chocolate bar?" she asked.
General Rin blinked.
"Choc… what?" he replied, mid-chew.
Slowly—
Sera's eyes lifted to his face. To his very full, very round cheeks.
Then—
To the unmistakable wrapper in his hand. Crinkled and empty.
He continued chewing, completely unaware.
Sera inhaled deeply. The kind of breath one takes before finding peace. Her shoulders rose, then fell.
There goes my last chocolate.