(Heartfelt thanks to 'Novel Complete,' 'dydahsz,' 'book friend 160817232130228,' and 'Q Yongjiang Yiku Q' for the tips!)
"Clang—!"
The chilling flashes of two swords collided fiercely in midair like bolts of lightning, producing a crisp clash and scattering sparks.
In the courtyard, not long after dawn had broken, a man and a woman freely shed sweat as their longswords constantly struck each other. Bathed in the morning sunlight, they continued their exchange of attack and defense.
The unceasing sounds of clashing steel echoed continuously.
No one knew how many rounds the swords had exchanged.
Noah and Ais sparred just as they had on their first day, and the battle grew increasingly intense. There had even been several extremely dangerous moments, enough to frighten any onlooker.
The sparring continued until the base gradually began to stir with activity.
"Ha... ha... ha..."
Ais finally lowered the sword she had been holding and began breathing heavily. Sweat streamed down her cheeks, and even her crystal-clear eyes had begun to show traces of fatigue.
Across from her, Noah likewise lowered his sword. Although some sweat had appeared on his body as well, his breathing had not quickened in the slightest. Clearly, he was not sweating from exhaustion and still had plenty of strength to spare.
This truly began to put pressure on Ais.
Three days had passed since the executives of the Loki Familia held their meeting and decided on the expedition.
Before long, the Loki Familia's expedition would begin.
Over these three days, Finn, Riveria, and Gareth, the Familia's leaders, had been constantly busy preparing all kinds of supplies. Tiona, Tione, and Bert had been reduced to errand-runners, practically disappearing for the entire day.
As an executive of the Loki Familia, Ais had naturally been assigned some tasks as well.
However, the blonde,