Sakura had always been an exceptionally cautious person. In her mind, she never underestimated anyone.
No matter the opponent or the target, she remained ever vigilant, never daring to let her guard down.
As a professional assassin, any lapse in attention could lead to irreparable consequences.
So, the moment she arrived here, her gaze immediately fell upon the Honkai beast corpses littering the courtyard.
The gruesome state of the bodies instantly told her they were undoubtedly the work of the white-haired man before her.
Therefore, the instant her eyes met Kalpas's, Sakura keenly sensed that she had been locked onto by something extremely dangerous.
'Danger!!!'
The thought had barely flashed through her mind when her body moved to evade ahead of her conscious thought—a reflex honed through countless life-and-death trials.
In that split second, both figures vanished.
Sakura moved like lightning, swiftly dodging Kalpas's furious onslaught.
The spot where she had just stood bore the full brunt of Kalpas's devastating blow. With a thunderous BOOM, the already dilapidated ruins were smashed clear through.
A large crater appeared on the ground, sending dust and debris flying into the air.
Witnessing this, Sakura couldn't help but feel a surge of shock.
Just who was this man? she wondered. He definitely wasn't a MANTIS, so how could he possess such terrifying power? This clearly far exceeded the limits of what should be humanly possible.
But there was no time for further thought, as Kalpas charged at her again like a raging tiger.
Reacting swiftly, Sakura drew her blade. With a sharp swish, a flash of cold light met Kalpas's fist as it collided with the blade of Frozen Naraka.
Instantly, a wave of frigid energy traveled up the blade and onto Kalpas's fist.
Kalpas merely frowned slightly, then clenched his fist hard. The icy chill on his hand dissipated into nothingness in an instant.
Simultaneously, his other fist was already arcing towards Sakura.
This punch was incredibly fast, its wind-splitting force whistling through the air.
Not daring to be negligent, Sakura twisted her body to the side, using the momentum to leap backwards, narrowly avoiding the blow.
After this exchange, Sakura's eyes sharpened. Her guard fully up, she focused entirely on her opponent.
She had just experienced Kalpas's terrifying power firsthand. Even with her enhanced physical abilities, taking a direct hit would likely not end well for her.
"Again!!"
Kalpas roared, his vision now completely clouded by rage.
To him, the stench of Honkai beasts emanating from Sakura was utterly revolting, leaving him no mind to discern anything else.
As she carefully parried, Sakura took a moment to observe Kalpas.
He had white hair, giving him a superficial resemblance to Kevin at first glance.
But a closer look revealed they were completely different.
At the very least, Kevin would never radiate such ferocity, nor exhibit this kind of frenzied madness.
Thinking this, Sakura angled her blade, adopting a static stance to counter movement, her eyes fixed intently on Kalpas, searching for an opening.
Their battle was so fast it was almost a blur, just two indistinct shadows flickering back and forth amidst the ruins.
The surrounding air seemed unable to withstand the intensity of the fight, crackling continuously with sharp snaps and pops.
There were no flashy skill effects in this duel. It was a pure, desperate struggle of raw power and supreme technique.
The icy power of Frozen Naraka could hinder Kalpas somewhat, but posed no major threat.
After several exchanges, a few blade wounds appeared on Kalpas's body, though none seemed to hit vital spots and were not serious.
By now, Kalpas himself held no contempt for his opponent. The fury in his eyes had lessened slightly amid the intense combat.
He understood clearly: this pink-haired woman was no pushover.
On Sakura's side, relying on her agility and superb combat skills, she had avoided taking a direct hit from Kalpas.
But after this series of clashes, she had expended considerable energy.
She knew that if this continued, a single well-placed strike to Kalpas's vitals could instantly turn the tide and secure victory.
After another clash, both fighters leapt back several paces.
They steadied themselves, staring each other down. The air thickened with tension, like gunpowder waiting for a spark. It seemed both were ready to get serious.
Strangely enough, what seemed like a lengthy exchange had actually occurred within mere dozens of seconds from the moment Kalpas and Sakura first clashed.
It truly lived up to the saying, "In all martial arts, only speed is unbreakable."
...
Meanwhile, in the distance, Vya was watching the scene with great curiosity.
She tugged on Mobius's sleeve and asked, "Sister Mobius, what are Sister Sakura and that person doing?"
Mobius glanced at the fierce battle ahead and said offhandedly, "It's nothing. They're just playing. Don't mind them."
Following Mobius's earlier instructions, Vya naturally didn't rush forward immediately to reunite with her 'big brother and sister.'
Vya then looked at the sanatorium, now a charred and ruined mess from the fire. Her little face scrunched up in confusion. "Then how did the fire start here?"
Vya had been quite fond of this sanatorium. The garden used to be pretty, and she often played there with the other children.
Without missing a beat, Mobius fabricated an excuse. "Maybe they were doing barbecue and it got out of control. That white-haired one doesn't look too bright. I'm sure it was him."
Vya immediately protested, unwilling to accept this. "That's not true! Brother Kalpas is very capable. It couldn't have been him."
Mobius didn't argue with the child; she'd only been speaking casually.
However, from the moment she saw Kalpas, Mobius had begun to form a hypothesis.
She mused to herself that the one who killed the Herrscher of Ice was probably this Kalpas.
...
Back to the battle.
Both combatants gathered their strength. The atmosphere around them grew increasingly tense, like a bowstring drawn taut, ready to loose a fatal arrow at any moment.
Just as they were about to clash again...
Suddenly!
A clear, somewhat gentle voice rang out from not far away.
"That's enough, you two."
"[Please]... stop."
The words carried an intangible magic, like two sharp arrows piercing straight into the fighters.
Their bodies, poised for action, jolted to a halt as if frozen by a binding spell, rigidly locked in place.
…
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