After a few more seconds, Damien finally drew the wooden pole back.
The pressure on Bliss' blade vanished in an instant, the sudden absence of resistance causing her sword to dip slightly before she corrected it.
Her eyes narrowed immediately, and her body reacted fast.
She pushed off the ground and leapt back in a sharp motion, boots scraping against the surface as she created distance between them.
A ripple of shock ran through the audience, the elites stiffening as they took in the sight.
For the first time in their lives, they were actually seeing Bliss back away from a fight with a student!
It was so absurd that their minds struggled to even comprehend it…
The same instructor who had stood her ground against overwhelming attacks, who had calmly dodged and countered without ever giving up her position, had just created distance from a first year student.
"Did she just… retreat?"
"Why did she move back?"
"She never does that."
"What is going on?"
