Adeline did not yield to the provocations as she continued to assess her enemy. He had bulky muscles and was taller than her. His weapon was also very rge, capable of covering a wide area.

  "If I am not careful, I will die here," she thought.

  She had deliberately set up a circle of fire, ensuring no one could interfere or escape. Satisfied with her assessment, she faced her foe with nothing but her fists.

  "I prepared this just for you: no distractions, no help, just you, me, and death."

  "Do you really believe you can defeat me?"

  "That's what I want to find out. I just hope our fight won't be disappointing."

  "This time, I will kill you, no matter how much you beg."

  "You will be the one begging, if you can even talk."

  "My master named me Orc Chieftain Kuso, and you will fall to my bde."

  With a small grunt, he advanced with incredible speed, swinging the great sword. Adeline quickly dodged as the sword struck the ground with great force. She delivered a kick to his abdomen, leaving a small bruise. It felt as if she had kicked a brick wall. Kuso turned his sword for another attack. Adeline barely dodged this attack, stepping forward to deliver a series of powerful punches to his chin, chest, and hand. Kuso attacked once more, but this time Adeline stepped away, flexing her hand.

  "You can barely bruise me, yet you still think you can beat me?"

  "You can't even hit me with those sloppy movements of yours."

  "Enough talk. I will end this."

  Kuso unleashed a series of attacks, moving faster with each swing, making it more difficult for Adeline to dodge and counterattack. The battle raged on, and small cuts began to appear on her body, but she continued to attack him in the same positions: his chin, chest, and hand, yet she had not caused any significant damage.

  As the battle continued, Kuso became more frustrated, his attacks becoming more reckless, leaving himself open. Adeline, surprisingly flexible and fast, moved like a professional boxer. Sweat mixed with blood poured down her face, but she showed no sign of fatigue.

  "Will you continue with these simple tricks? When will you start fighting?"

  "Fortune comes to those who wait."

  Adeline mocked him, fueling his anger. Green light enveloped his great sword as he released a more powerful attack. Debris scattered everywhere, leaving behind a small crater. Kuso watched intently, hoping to see a corpse, but he was greeted with a strong punch to the chin, then his chest, and finally his hand. He summoned the green light once again and released another deafening attack. Adeline, unable to dodge, was thrown dangerously close to the fire, remaining still for a prolonged moment.

  Kuso approached her body with a rge smile. That was when Adeline slowly got up, swaying side to side as she struggled to maintain her posture. She weakly raised her hand, ready to continue the fight. Kuso approached her and looked down at her pitifully.

  "Time to end your pitiful life."

  "Come closer. I have something I need to tell you."

  Kuso leaned closer to hear her final words before killing her.

  "Always protect your chin."

  Adeline unleashed a strong punch, partially concussing Kuso. He staggered backward, trying to regain his senses. She followed with an equally strong punch to his chest and a powerful kick to his hand. Kuso coughed green blood, feeling intense pain throughout his body. Suddenly, it became difficult to hold his sword, and his breaths became shallow. He stumbled around like a drunk man, holding his head, feeling as if the world was spinning.

  "You call yourself a fighter, yet you ck discipline, will, and your ego blinds you."

  "I will not be lectured by a lesser demon like you, who cks honor and resorts to sneak attacks."

  "In a battle, there is only life or death. Honor gives you nothing."

  Adeline slowly approached Kuso, who recollected himself. The green light covered his sword, and he released a barrage of attacks. Adeline dodged his attacks but was not left unscathed; more blood began to pour. Her entire body screamed in pain, but as long as there were no severe wounds, she was content. Kuso raised his weapon once more, but the green light began to flicker. A small smile appeared on Adeline’s face.

  "You talked big about killing me, yet I am still alive."

  "Shut up."

  Kuso attacked once more, destroying everything in his path. Adeline countered with the same set of punches. Deep bruises began to appear on his body, and Kuso's sight began to blur as he fell to his knees, clutching his chest. The air around him felt thin, and he wondered when things went wrong.

  "Now the real fight starts."

  Adeline stepped forward and began to unleash a flurry of punches. Kuso tried to defend himself but was unable to keep up as fatigue set in. The one-sided fight suddenly tilted in Adeline’s favor. Kuso swung his sword in desperation, but Adeline grabbed his arm and proceeded to break it in two pces. The sound of bones snapping and skin tearing was chilling. Kuso let out a scream as he dropped his sword and backed away, holding his mangled arm. Adeline began to stretch and wiped some of the blood from her face.

  "I have some questions for you."

  "I will never talk."

  "Who is this master you talk about?"

  Kuso remained silent as Adeline began to fix her hair. The sight was unnerving for Kuso. This was not the same brash and weak demon she had fought years ago. She was more calcuted, ruthless, and better at fighting. He needed to buy time until his arm naturally healed. He poured the remaining magical energy into his arm to hasten the healing process. Adeline picked up the giant sword and stared at it for a moment.

  "What a crude-looking weapon. Well, you won't need it anymore."

  Adeline tossed the weapon over the fire as Kuso stared in disbelief. His confusion deepened, but he took this opportunity to recover and prepare for the next fight. This time, he would be ready to deal with the sly demon in front of him.