Katalina was breathing hard. The sweat on her forehead was dripping down her cheeks.
But she was enjoying her battle with Tuan. She felt that she was getting back to basics after what seemed like a very long time.
In the library hall, two rankers fought like they were rankless. Tuan too was taking long breaths while his body sweated all over. They had been dueling for about half an hour by this point.
"You... haah... you swing too late and your counterattacking style is clumsy, Kat. Don't try to pull away from your opponent while launching a counterattack even when your instinct tells you otherwise. At least not always. Because that takes away half the power you could place on that attack.
That's what happened when you fought against Ketsu, right? You would have dealt even more damage to him had you pressed on with the advantage you gained.
Remember, there are no do-overs in a real fight. Decide when to take on the offensive at the right time. Draw them in. And then bam…"
Tuan threw a punch in the air while highlighting the errors he had found in Katalina's fighting style. The latter took that with an open mind and had something to say to her sparring partner too.
"Tuan… you are… *long breaths* an exceptional close combat fighter. But you think too much about creating a loophole in your defense to set up a counter. Don't you think the loopholes in your defense should appear naturally?"
Tuan wanted to say that allowing the loopholes to occur naturally would not give him an advantage. That's because its very definition meant that he wouldn't be ready for counterattacks. But then he decided to be a considerate listener and allowed Kat to finish what she was saying.
"I… I know what you are thinking. But hear me out, Tuan.
After fighting with you for a while, the opponents would come to know what you were up to. Even if they could fall for the same trick twice or thrice. There would always be a limit. And you would lose an advantage you could count on soon."
This was another no-brainer for Eren. But he also realized that Katalina was trying to tell him something that she couldn't correctly frame. So he kept his mouth shut and let her elaborate on her idea.
"You told me about the switch of sanity and how to take control of it. But why should it have to be a one-way switch? We can act aggressively for a certain period and then switch back to being cautious the next moment."
Aggression for a close combat expert was letting the enemy come into their striking zone or forcing their way into the enemy's defense. Then, you can attack the opponent while not prioritizing the defense. As a result, close combat specialists become fearsome enemies of most rankers, if and when they both are in each other's striking range.
But as a consequence, close combat experts also ran the risk of getting heavily injured if and when their strike is blocked or diverted. Or if the ranker they are targeting is supported by other rankers with support-type spells.
The close combat expert being cautious was the opposite of what being aggressive was all about. This style would be used when they were low on mana storage or when they waited for someone in their team to provide them with a cover. In this battle style, the close combat experts would strike their opponent only when they noticed a weakness in defense that would eventually be revealed if they waited.
Katalina's advice was so simple that Tuan had overlooked it. He had indeed switched between these styles when the situation demanded him to do so. But they were not conscious efforts. He would usually operate on autopilot when battling with his opponents. And that usually gave him the advantage he sought.
But what happens when his opponent has better technique than yours? Or if his opponent's perception can keep up with or even surpass his own? At that time, something unexpected like breaking the flow of his battle style might give him the chance to have one up on his opponents.
This advice had the potential to make the butcher's close combat attacks even more unpredictable than they normally were. He just needed to make deliberate efforts, sometimes battling against his instincts to follow up upon an attack.
Tuan smirked at Katalina before gesturing to her to come at him. The latter took a few deep breaths before launching herself at Tuan.
Another round of mock close combat battle occurred that didn't seem like it was mock spar at all. Both of the rankers gave their all while incorporating the suggestions given to them. As a result, both of their attacks became more refined than they were.
Even subtle improvements in close combat techniques would be augmented by mana and spells to a whole new level. This could be a decisive factor between a win and loss when battling against an opponent who was equally capable as you, or maybe more.
They both realized that Tuan had the upper hand in mana-less close combat. Just when Kat thought there would be another round in such a fruitful spar, she was again shocked by Tuan's abrupt actions. As if the guy was a firm believer in never letting anybody know about his next move.
Tuan suddenly used his mana and mana circuits to execute his movement spell. The next thing Kat knew, she was pinned down against a wall with her hands raised above her head in an X formation. Tuan had used one hand to pin her this way. While with the other, he was caressing her waist.
Tuan brought his face closer to Katalina and said to her in a low voice that she felt only she could hear.
"The advice you gave was really helpful, Katalina. Let me… thank you for that."
Tuan planted his lips over Kat's when he said that in his hushed voice. The latter responded to the kiss by opening her mouth and allowing his tongue to roam inside it.
"Hmmmmm."
Katalina moaned and released her hands from Tuan's grip. She then used them to hug him more tightly, pulling him closer to her. All her pent-up desires that Tuan was invoking in her in these few days found a vent. And out they poured.
Tuan was wearing a loose-fitting sleeveless jacket to cover his torso. Katalina found it easy to get rid of it. She ran her fingers all over his abs and chest. Then she used her own moves to flip their positions.
Now Tuan was leaning against the wall while Kat was savoring him to her fullest. She raised her toes and kissed him some more before moving her march down south. Tuan felt his neck region being smothered with kisses and hickeys at once.
'Oooh! She bites. She's like a cute kitten hungry for some milk.'
Tuan chuckled and caressed Kat's hair while allowing her to do what she wanted. The butcher inhaled her jasmine-like aroma coming from her body and hair, which soothed his mind and aroused him at the same time.
Katalina got engrossed in the act and started licking and kissing Tuan all over his torso. His musky scent made her more ecstatic by the moment.
Tuan was gearing up to activate the Mist of Lust. He was going to reveal the real him to her once she gets branded. So that he can let her in on the plan he had hatched.
