TBATE-REDEMPTION

Chapter 21

(A/n- I wrote two different sparring scenes and to get it out of my drafts i merged them. Hope this clears as to why there are two fight scenes here in this chapter.)

The tension was palpable as Grey and Caera readied themselves. They knew Sam and Sera were strong, but they couldn't have predicted just how much.

Grey's hand tightened around the hilt of his Aether sword, the familiar hum of power vibrating through his arm. Beside him, Caera unsheathed her twin blades, her Vritra blood burning beneath her skin as she activated her natural battle instincts.

(A/n- Yes i switched Caera's weapon from a sword to dual blades. Sorry for the sudden change.)

Sam and Sera stood casually across from them, swords drawn but held loosely at their sides. Neither showed any sign of tension or readiness, as though this was just a casual spar.

"Let's see what you've got," Sam said with a smile that somehow felt both welcoming and mocking.

Before Grey could even blink, Caera shot forward, her blades a blur of silver and black as she lunged at Sera with terrifying speed. The air crackled with her precision and intensity as she slashed toward Sera's neck, aiming for a quick, decisive strike.

But Sera was gone.

Caera's blades cut through empty air. She whirled around, her eyes wide as she realized Sera had disappeared from her sight.

"You're too slow," Sera's voice came from behind her, soft but mocking.

Before Caera could react, a firm but gentle push from the flat of Sera's blade knocked her off balance. She stumbled forward, barely catching herself before spinning around again. Sera stood exactly where she had started, her sword held lazily over her shoulder, a smug grin plastered on her face.

Meanwhile, Grey had already closed the distance with Sam. His Aether sword hummed as he brought it down in a powerful arc, the sheer force behind the strike enough to cleave through a mountain.

But Sam didn't move. He simply watched, an amused glint in his eyes as Grey's sword swung toward him. At the last possible second, Sam stepped to the side, avoiding the strike by mere inches. His movement was so smooth, so precise, that it felt like he had been in motion all along, never breaking his relaxed stance.

Grey's eyes widened. He hadn't even seen Sam move.

"Too predictable," Sam said, sidestepping another of Grey's slashes as though it were nothing more than a gust of wind.

Grey gritted his teeth, slashing with more force, more speed. Each time he thought he had Sam cornered, Sam would simply vanish from his reach, reappearing a few feet away or right behind him with that same infuriating smirk.

Frustrated, Grey shifted his strategy, aiming for unpredictability. He slashed low, feinted high, then twisted his blade to strike at Sam's torso. But no matter how clever his attacks became, Sam evaded them effortlessly, not even bothering to counterattack. It was like Grey's attacks were beneath him.

"You've gotten lazy, Grey," Sam said, stepping aside from another strike, his blade still barely raised. "You rely too much on brute force. Where's the creativity? The technique?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Grey saw Caera in a similar situation with Sera. The Vritra-blooded warrior was attacking with everything she had-spinning, lunging, slicing in rapid succession. But Sera danced around her like it was a game, never once letting Caera land a hit. Every time Caera struck, Sera wasn't there. It was as if she could read Caera's movements before she even made them.

"Come on, Caera," Sera teased, her voice playful but condescending. "Is this all the Denoir bloodline has to offer?"

With a growl, Caera unleashed a flurry of attacks, her twin blades becoming a blur of steel as she unleashed everything she had. But Sera weaved through the storm of strikes like she was strolling through a breeze, her eyes never leaving Caera's desperate expression.