The clash of swords was a familiar sensation to Maxime, but this time, the impact felt unusually foreign. He steeled his upper body and pushed back against Adeline’s blade as their swords scraped against each other, scattering sparks into the cold air.

"Can’t you put down your sword?" Maxime's voice was filled with desperation. He felt a pang for everyone in this situation—Christine, who was trapped underground, Adeline, who was forced to fight him, and even himself, standing here in a hopeless battle.

“…I cannot,” Adeline replied, shaking her head. Maxime's face twisted in frustration. She couldn’t see it, but her trembling lips betrayed her emotions, even as her tone remained calm.

"Aren't you in pain?" Maxime asked, noticing the slight tremor in her shoulders. She quickly regained her composure and replied coldly, “That’s none of your concern.”

Maxime wanted to keep talking, hoping for another way out. But Adeline held her sword firmly, her stance resolute. She seemed to gather herself, as if warning him, “Raise your sword again, Arsen.”

If you don’t, you’ll die for real.

With that, she advanced on him even faster, her sword’s trajectory homing in on his every breath, striking at every opening. Maxime blocked her second strike with a downward swing, but the blank cloth over her eyes reminded him of the unnerving challenge ahead.

Fighting a blind swordsman… this is going to be tricky.

Adeline pressed on, keeping him on the defensive as her attacks intensified. Maxime circulated his mana through his body, quickening his movements as their swords collided repeatedly, each clash resounding in the alleyway.

“Impressive defense,” Adeline commented in her flat tone. Maxime could hear the calm, calculated edge in her voice even amidst the flurry of strikes. Then, without warning, her blade angled toward his heart, a move he had no chance to dodge. He quickly raised his sword, the impact propelling him backward.

“Damn it…” Maxime growled, not out of anger toward Adeline but at the man pulling the strings—Count Leon Benning. He pictured the Count’s mocking smile, the one that seemed to say, What can you possibly do?

Oh, I’ll show you.

With a grimace, he planted his sword into the ground, stopping his momentum. This was different from the helpless situations he’d faced before. He wasn’t going to sit back and lose this time. Catching his breath, he tightened his grip and steadied himself.

Adeline’s voice echoed with a distant taunt, “Still not fighting with all you’ve got?”

He laughed bitterly, shaking his head at the remark. Here she was, launching deadly attacks that could easily end his life, yet speaking as if sparing him. “Believe me, I’ve been fighting with everything I have.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” she replied, shifting her stance. Maxime realized that he couldn’t afford to hold back. If he wanted to save everyone—Christine, Adeline, and himself—he had to confront her with all his strength.

Adeline lunged again, but Maxime remembered his master’s teachings about swordsmanship, flowing like a river. He relaxed into the rhythm, his thoughts drifting back to the lessons learned in a lush forest, where his master had demonstrated that true swordsmanship was like a tree, extending its branches naturally and without force.

“Now, let’s see what you’ve got, Maxime,” he whispered to himself, summoning his mana and focusing on his movements. He felt himself align with the flow, almost losing track of his own presence. As he darted forward, Adeline’s senses faltered momentarily, her body instinctively reacting as her sword moved to intercept his advance.

Their swords clashed again, but this time, it was different. Adeline noticed immediately that the weight and flow of Maxime’s strikes had changed. She recoiled, her own sword unable to dominate as it had before. Maxime, calm and collected, redirected her blows with a smoothness that seemed effortless.

“Damn it…” Adeline’s breath quickened as she recognized that she was now on the defensive. Despite her honed instincts, Maxime’s attacks slipped through her guard with ease. Her resolve wavered as she realized that even with her aura flaring fiercely, her blade couldn’t overpower his.

"Why won’t you just end this?" she whispered, but Maxime’s silence was unyielding. His strikes were deliberate, yet devoid of any intent to kill. She could see herself in his eyes, not as an enemy but as someone he didn’t want to harm.

With a final desperate strike, Adeline unleashed all the mana she had left, channeling it into a single, powerful blow. The air around her distorted, and the ground beneath them cracked. Her sword sliced downward, cleaving the air and sending a shockwave that split the earth itself. But when the dust settled, Maxime stood unharmed, his blade pressing against hers in perfect counterbalance.

“Why…” she gasped, her sword clattering to the ground. She’d poured everything into that attack, but here he was, catching her blow as if it had no weight at all.

“You’re stronger than this,” Maxime said softly, tossing his sword aside. He walked closer, his gaze steady. “I’m not going to kill you. And I’m not going to let you kill yourself, either.”

Adeline’s shoulders slumped, the adrenaline draining from her body. She couldn’t understand why he spared her or how he could continue to resist the Count’s orders.

“Why are you doing this?” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. “If you let me go, I’ll pick up my sword and attack again. Or I’ll end my own life here and now.”

“Enough with the threats,” he replied, his tone exasperated yet gentle. “Christine, you… everyone around me seems so eager to throw their lives away. Well, I won’t allow it. I’m not losing anyone else.”

His words surprised her. The Maxime she knew would never say such things. His resolve, his determination—it made her want to believe in him, even if only for a moment.

“Trust me,” he said, as if reading her mind. “I’m going to save you, and I’m going to save Christine. I won’t let the Count’s schemes continue unchecked. Just once, trust me.”

Adeline hesitated, feeling the weight of his words settle on her heart. She couldn’t find the will to argue or to resist. Instead, she let out a long, shaky sigh.

“…Do as you wish, then.” Her voice was barely a murmur, but the flicker of hope in Maxime’s eyes was unmistakable.

He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, a warmth spreading through her that she hadn’t felt in ages. “Just rest for a while. You’ll understand soon enough.”

Before she could respond, he struck a precise point on her neck, sending her into a gentle sleep. As she drifted into darkness, she heard his words, calm and resolute, as if echoing from a distant memory.

“Just hold on a little longer.”

And then, there was silence. Adeline surrendered to the calm, allowing herself, for once, to trust in someone else.