It had been over two years since they last fought.

In that time, Ava had endured countless battles and faced situations where a single misstep could have cost her life. She was no longer the reckless girl who charged headfirst into danger without thought. The impulsive brat who once threw herself into chaos had been tempered by blood and survival.

She had grown—both in body and in mind.

And now, she was ready to make the one person who had ever humiliated her understand just how long she had waited for this moment.

"You made a mistake, Veronica. Today, you will lose everything," Ava said, wiping her nose before letting her knives fall away. In their place, she drew out a pair of batons from behind her and jerked her arms outward.

The batons crackled with thunder, their length extending slightly as arcs of energy danced along their surface.

Her eyes burned red with fury, her intent unmistakable. She was going to kill this woman today.

Before making a move, Veronica turned to look at Kyle.

"Kyle..." she called softly, though her heart pounded violently in her chest. "Talk to me, please."

She cupped his cheek, her voice trembling despite her effort to remain composed.

Blood stained his chest, and his face had gone pale, almost lifeless to the eye.

Yet the lantern hovering above him continued its steady work, knitting his wound back together and restoring the Genesis he had lost.

Kyle had not truly lost consciousness, but the sheer physical shock had robbed him of breath, leaving him unable to respond in that moment.

’This bitch!’ Ava growled inwardly as she lunged forward. Her speed surged, her body phasing through the space in a blink as she appeared right behind Veronica, her strike aimed cleanly at the back of her head.

But in the next instant, everything stopped.

Ava’s eyes widened in shock.

A hand had clamped over her mouth, halting her just an arm’s length away from Veronica.

The grip was crushing, suffocating, forcing the air out of her lungs. What stunned her even more was that the person restraining her wasn’t even looking at her.

Veronica merely glanced over her shoulder, her eyes empty of warmth as she spoke in a quiet, chilling tone, "I understand that you are eager to die, but let me talk to him first."

With a slight push, she sent Ava staggering backward before turning her attention back to Kyle as if nothing had happened.

Ava stood frozen, her eyes wide with disbelief.

H-How... how was she still stronger than her?

How could she still react like that... still stop her so effortlessly?

No... this had to be a fluke.

It had to be.

"Fuck you!!" Ava roared as she charged again, this time pouring Genesis into her body, doubling her speed in a burst of raw power.

Veronica spun on her heel, raising her arms to guard in front of her face.

DHAK

DOOOOM

The ground beneath her feet shattered under the force of the blow she absorbed head-on. The impact rippled outward, cracking the earth—yet Veronica did not take a single step back.

Kyle was safe.

Ava gritted her teeth and pressed forward, rage distorting her expression. "I’ll crush the one you’ve been so desperate to protect first."

Veronica met her gaze directly, her lifeless eyes locking onto Ava’s with cold finality.

"I dare you to touch him again."

Ava snickered, "That-" she vanished from her spot and appeared on the other, standing behind Kyle, baton raised, "-I will—huh?!"

She slashed the batons, but they struck nothing.

Both Veronica and Kyle faded into smog, further elevating her frustration.

Ava turned to look around, "This petty skill of yours is still pathetic as ever." Ava was very familiar with Veronica’s skill—Illusion. She could create a mirage and feints using her skill. But that was just a defensive spell used for escaping.

"I can still sense you, my dearest. Why don’t you spare the mouse hunting and come out now?" Ava said, already moving toward the uncontrollable flow of Genesis from behind the cargo.

She walked in that direction and found Kyle sitting there...alone.

A grin spread across her face and Ava charged straight at him—only to get a vice grip wrapping around her waist from behind

Ava panicked, but it was already too late.

Her vision and body arched behind and her head struck the ground with a loud THUMP.

Veronica didn’t give her time to recover. Got up, took hold of her leg and threw her like a rag doll against the cargo container—*THUNK*.

The metal dented at the impact, knocking the air out of her.

She fell to the ground but kicked Veronica’s ankle; causing not even a flinch as the silver head held her ground.

Though what followed did nearly shorten Ava’s life by a few years.

*DHAK*

Just in time, she blocked the kick advancing towards her face which surely would have caused a fracture.

"Fucking gorilla." Ava cursed and pushed her back.

On one leg, Veronica couldn’t balance herself and staggered back; giving Ava just enough time to get back on her feet.

The two women stared at each other.

Ava moved first.

She came in low and fast, batons crackling, the thunder in them audible even over the ambient noise of the terminal.

She opened with a wide horizontal sweep at knee height, forcing Veronica to either jump or take it.

Veronica jumped.

Ava was already rising to meet her, driving both batons upward in a crossing pattern that would have caught anyone who didn’t see it coming.

Veronica twisted in the air and took only the graze of one across her forearm before landing and immediately pressing forward rather than back.

Into Ava’s space. Where the batons were hardest to swing freely.

Ava adapted instantly. She collapsed her elbows in and started working short, tight strikes at Veronica’s ribs and collar.

The thunder crackled with each hit, and three of them connected, each one carrying enough charge to make any normal person seize up.

Veronica absorbed them and headbutted her.

Ava’s vision whitened for a blink. She threw herself backward before the follow-up could land, created distance, and shook her head once.

Her arms were already tingling from the close exchange. Veronica’s blocks hit like returning the strike to the sender.

Ava clicked her tongue...she was sharp as ever. And that monstrous strength...

She feinted right, went left, and unleashed a four-hit combination that flowed from high to low with no gap between them.

The batons sang through the air, each swing trailing a brief arc of electricity. She was faster than she had ever been. Faster than two years ago by a margin that should have mattered.

Veronica blocked the first two with her forearms crossed, slipped the third by a margin that looked almost casual, and caught the fourth by the wrist.

She squeezed.

Ava felt the bones in her wrist compress and ripped her arm free before the grip could fully close, spinning out and away, putting a full body length between them.

Her hand was numb to the elbow.

She flexed her fingers once, confirmed they still worked, before glaring at the woman.

She wasn’t giving her the space to breathe. And every strike directed by her meant to harm her. She was not holding back.

"Why would you go so far for that guy? Never expected something so pathetic from you. The bare respect I had for you faded today."

Veronica looked into her eyes. Not a single strand of exhaustion marring her face as she said, "Do you think I care about your respect? I warned you to restrain yourself...but you didn’t listen to me."

Ava snickered, "For fuck sake, you are not my superior. So shut the crap and-" a crimson chain fell from her hands and wrapped around her batons.

Thunder faded and the whole structure of the weapons shifted, burning with a ferocious glow.

Staring at the woman, she stated, "Surrender, Veronica...or this would turn ugly."

Veronica didn’t. She clenched her fist and took a battle stance.

Ava grinned, "Not like I wanted you to."

The women locked their gaze and just when the brief tense moment was about to break—

*THUNK*

A wave struck them, taking both of them guard.

They both turned at the same time towards the source and Ava was flabbergasted to see the man standing there.

"You are as unruly as ever, Ava."

"Headmaster?!"

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.