"Ah-ha, caught you!"
Medivh had a clear head and had corrected all the mistakes he'd made earlier. Hilda's occasional pressure hadn't rattled him, and he handled it perfectly.
Sometimes, battles were won by catching your opponent off guard. During their sparring match, Medivh suddenly changed tactics, using the earth-type battle technique Savage Stone Charge to block Hilda's attack. He charged in close, then abandoned his shield, ducked low, and slipped around behind her.
Hilda was in the middle of countering Savage Stone Charge and hadn't expected Medivh's move to be a feint.
She stepped back and ran straight into Medivh. He pinned her shoulder with his right hand and wrapped his left arm around her neck.
The neck was a vital weak point. In a battle between transcendent fighters, being choked meant facing the threat of death.
Medivh had caught Hilda off guard and subdued her.
"Hey, you're not thinking of..."
Hilda had dropped her sword and admitted defeat. Medivh had moved his left arm away from her neck, but his right hand hadn't let go. A scene from earlier suddenly flashed through her mind.
After Medivh had pinned Audrey's shoulder, he hadn't let go easily. Was he thinking of doing something else to her?
Medivh wasn't thinking about that at all. He was simply savoring his victory and had forgotten to let go.
"Is this okay?"
Seeing Hilda turn her flushed face toward him, Medivh came to his senses and, as if possessed, asked the question.
"It's okay."
Hilda answered quietly, then turned her head away, her gaze evasive.
Medivh didn't hold back in the slightest. Hilda watched as the light of Cleanse glowed over her.
"Some things really are inconvenient at times."
When she was in a hurry to take off her armor, Hilda finally understood what Audrey