Chapter 85: Ritta and Uriel Sparring (1)

Chapter 85: Ritta and Uriel Sparring (1) "Yes, a spar." Xu Tao nodded, confirming they’d heard correctly. "And don’t hold back, worrying that you might injure each other badly," he added. "As long as I’m here, even if you die by accident, I can fix you up immediately." His eyes were serious, making Henrietta and Uriel realize that his words weren’t a joke. Still, fighting each other didn’t feel right, and both hesitated. Sensing their reluctance, Xu Tao quickly understood their mindset. "Just sparring won’t motivate you, right? Then, whoever wins this fight can ask one thing from me. Weapon, armor, an artifact—ask for anything, and I’ll provide it." "..." Well, his "understanding" was a bit off the mark, but it did give the girls a little motivation to proceed. "If I win, I’ll have Master... s-sleep with...!" Henrietta muttered deliriously, her face redder than a fire-element spirit stone in mating season. ’Even if Ritta loses to me, I can use my wish to grant hers instead!’ Uriel had her own ideas too. "Ah!" But as if reading her mind, Xu Tao quickly added another rule. "No giving away the win, or fixing the match, okay? If I determine you two are doing that, then the prize is off the table. Also, no wishing for the other person’s wish either. Think of something you want for yourself. Be greedy." "Ehh?!" Uriel cried out in protest, feeling like the rule was aimed directly at her. After all, aside from granting Henrietta’s wish, she couldn’t think of anything else she wanted for herself... Or maybe— One idea crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. It was too much to even consider asking for... "Alright, start whenever you’re ready." Xu Tao didn’t bother with the little things. After saying his piece, he stepped aside, keeping a "safe" distance from the two. Henrietta was the first to take a stance—a southpaw boxing guard that kept most of her body turned away, minimizing openings. "Sorry, Uriel... But I’m winning this!" she exclaimed confidently. Her gaze was firm, genuinely aiming for the prize. Although she was now at Gold 1, while Uriel was only at Silver 1—placing her at a disadvantage—the two had different levels of combat experience. Because of that, despite the power gap, their odds were roughly equal. And Uriel had her own reasons to fight. "...Sorry, Ritta. But as your bodyguard, I definitely won’t—and can’t—lose!" As the "bodyguard" for Henrietta, she couldn’t afford to be weaker than the person she was supposed to protect. Losing would complicate things in a lot of ways—something she couldn’t allow. As if mirroring Henrietta, Uriel took her stance. But unlike Henrietta’s disciplined boxing form, Uriel’s was more martial—palms facing forward, circling slightly, with her leg nearly flat against the ground as she lowered her center of gravity. "..." Silence spread between the two—before suddenly, the spar began. "Raaagh!" The first to move was the one with less experience—Henrietta. She dashed in, capitalizing on her larger Qi reserves. With just three heavy steps, the distance between them vanished. Henrietta threw a swift right jab—fast as a bullet. But Uriel remained calm, meeting the incoming fist with poise. She placed her palm in the fist’s path, catching it and following its motion, gradually dampening its force. "Ugh...!" Without even dealing damage, Henrietta’s punch was completely neutralized! "There’s more where that came from...!" But of course, her attack didn’t end there. Henrietta followed up with a left straight aimed directly at Uriel’s face. It was faster than the jab and carried even more power. Still, Uriel didn’t flinch. Her hands moved fluidly, like a blooming flower, catching the punch mid-motion. Using the strength of the attack, Uriel twisted her body and redirected the force into a casual backhand slap. BAM! Henrietta, who was supposed to be the attacker, ended up the first to be injured! A red mark appeared on her right cheek as she was sent flying, rolling across the sand. A solid hit! "Is that it, young lady?" Uriel smiled, taunting... But inside, she was panicking. Even after using both hands, she could barely absorb the impact—it had left her arms numb. If she hadn’t redirected the power back into Henrietta, she would’ve been the one sent flying. Worse still, if another blow of that strength came at her soon, she’d have to dodge it. Otherwise, she might lose both hands—and the spar along with them. "Phtew!" Henrietta spat to the side, wiping blood from her lips. "I... was just warming up!" she growled, eyes burning with seriousness. Her Qi surged, and for a moment, it looked like an illusion—like flames dancing around her. But no—Henrietta had truly ignited her Qi into raging, orange flames! "Spirit Descent: Blazing Fist!" "Ah! That’s cheating!" Uriel cried, sweat forming on her brow. Henrietta, however, grinned at the accusation. "I’m not! Master said no holding back, remember?!" Spirit Descent was unique to those with mixed souls like them. For Henrietta, it amplified her explosive strength and speed—and wrapped her in a thin flame barrier. Although she couldn’t raise the temperature too high—otherwise her clothes would burn too. So instead, she maintained it at exactly 100°C, the boiling point of water. "Fuck!" Even that much was a threat to Uriel. Especially the raw strength boost. She’d barely managed to block Henrietta’s previous punch. Now, with Spirit Descent? She didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if she took another hit. "You brought this on yourself, Ritta!" With no other option, Uriel activated her own Spirit Descent. Her silver-blonde hair shifted, darkening from the roots to the tips into a deep black. Her pale skin took on a warm bronze hue, and her white sclera turned a haunting shade of gray. Unlike Henrietta’s Spirit Descent, which didn’t change her appearance much, Uriel’s transformation made her look like a completely different person. "Spirit Descent: Inversed Wail!" Uriel shouted the technique’s name as she lunged forward. That’s right—rather than playing defensively and reacting to Henrietta’s strength, she went on the offensive. The perfect counter to someone with overwhelming force: don’t let her launch an attack! "You...!" Henrietta grunted as Uriel slipped past her defense and closed the distance. Uriel gently touched Henrietta’s stomach with one hand, and her waist with the other, before— BAM! Another impact—and Henrietta was sent flying once more, rolling across the sand.