The quiet arena, the simple wooden hut, the mottled noonday sunlight, and the two contestants wholly absorbed in their duel all conveyed the supreme Martial Spirit without a word.
After the match began.
Cerveny did not immediately charge recklessly at Lanchi for a surprise attack. Instead, she kept her distance and cautiously cast Magic Cards that strengthened her and granted her immunity.
Her body was light, her steps cautious as she prepared to dodge at any moment, and her eyes were filled with vigilance.
Even now, she was already guarding against the possibility of Lanchi casting spells at range.
Sensing an enemy's hostility and reaching the state of anticipating an opponent's move was one of the great realms of a Martial Artist.
Cerveny could detect Lanchi's intent to attack even before her eyes had time to react.
Cerveny knew that the Lanchi before her was a mage with many talents. She had to stay alert for any trap spells he might set.
However.
Lanchi's gaze was as calm as still water, as though he harbored not the slightest hostility.
Cerveny became even more vigilant. She had never seen anyone who could remain so friendly toward an opponent they had to defeat.
If Lanchi had truly reached the state of completely concealing his hostility, then he was probably already above her. At the very least, she could not bypass her opponent's hostility perception and leave them utterly unable to detect or predict her attack!
As Cerveny kept reinforcing her thoughts, Lanchi finally pulled a stack of Magic Cards from his pocket. With crisp, decisive movements and not the slightest hesitation, he scattered the cards toward the roof beams behind him. At the same time, he released some sort of activation spellwork resembling that of a Magic Artisan, adding a simple stroke