Fucking finally.

  After an arduous fifteen minutes, Lien found the perfect spot to initiate the battle. Not too much to the right, not too much to the left. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

  "That's it, guys!" The pup bounced in place, barely able to contain her excitement. "Get ready!" She stretched her arm and lifted it high in the air. Stella and the Knight resumed their battle stance.

  "GO!!!" she howled as she karate-chopped the ground, creating a visible crack that separated both sides of the arena. Stella was almost sure she didn't need to do that.

  Well, there was no time to dwell on that since Asra was rushing towards the girl, arms outstretched behind him like he was fucking Naruto. While he was still crazy fast, without light magic, it was manageable. Stella put both hands on the ground, compelling it to shake in response to her Saniya. The so-called paragon of virtue would have his crotch struck by a surprise earth pillar...

  ...Or so she thought. The guard sidestepped from it so fast it looked like he was gliding on butter. More and more unpolished stone protrusions burst from the plateau, but Asra easily dodged every single one. How in the fu-

  Oh. Stella remembered her experience with Gryla. Her earth spikes came alongside a tremor that could sweep the child off her feet if it wasn't for Lien. The same must have been applied to the Human's weaker spells.

  Shit. The Knight was inches from her, twisting his body for a Saniya-less yet powerful punch. Magic shield, it was...

  Summoning a bubble of pure golden energy around her, Stella remained steady as her opponent struck her shield with lightning-fast punches, kicks, and knee strikes! Her spell shook with each passing second, drawing a nervous drop of sweat from her forehead as she could feel the vibrations of the armored hero's blows piercing through the barrier and reverberating through her bones.

  "You're using magic, aren't you?!" Stella asked, infuriated. "Cheater!"

  But Asra's onslaught never slowed down. "Magic?!" He laughed as a barrage of kicks opened a crack on the defensive spell. "All you're seeing is my pure physical prowess, cultivated by years of dedication and a healthy diet!"

  Maybe Popeye wasn't so far off...

  Stella was only stalling for time at this point. Her mentor would not let go until he tore her barrier apart and handily kicked her ass to the high heavens. But what the hell could she do? She was helpless inside her own spell!

  ...

  The battle against Gryla popped up in her mind again. That witch briefly went through a similar predicament but modified her spell to repel the Knight away. Could Stella do the same? Well, it was the only plan that came to mind...

  Stella took a deep breath, landing her palms on the shield's surface and focusing on its Saniya. She had to mold it further into something more... volatile...

  ...

  ......

  .........

  The shield started to shake not just from the hero's relentless assault but also from the spell's foundation, rippling and glowing into an indescribable chaos of undulating, ethereal mass. Stella's focus faltered by the surprise, but she quickly put her attention back into place.

  But, of course, Asra wouldn't keep punching the unstable barrier like a mindless moron. He backed away a couple of meters, readying himself for what would come next.

  "Don't mind me, Stella!" He did his usual dance routine, ending it by planting his boots so deep in the ground they created shallow, tiny craters. "Throw your spell at me! Don't hold back!"

  Okay, perhaps the "mindless moron" allegation held more water than she thought. The girl thought he would power through the energy burst anyway, so why go the predictable route? As the Saniya barrier faded away, she readied two earth lumps to rise from beneath her soles, a technique she had practiced this morning to close the gap between her and Lien's speed. It wasn't the most polished move in terms of accuracy, but...

  The hero took the bait, charging at his fellow Human. "A pity, Stella! It seems you have ways-"

  Stella bent her knees and activated her spell, sprouting with such force and at the right angle that she was propelled with absurd velocity! Her right fist flared with golden Saniya, reflecting her mighty desire for victory!

  Asra's helmet reflected his regret, showcasing wobbly, cartoony eyes of distress. "Oh my-"

  "ROCKET CRASH!" The energy-laced fist collided against the guard's armored chest. The intent was to target his gut, but the small practice time with this strategy meant she couldn't figure out how to refine its precision. Still, it was enough to send him reeling for a few meters!

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  The girl, however, did not let go of the offense, charging at her opponent with fists blazing and gritted teeth. Asra blocked and deflected every single strike without flinching ever so slightly. How could he be so unsettlingly calm at times...?

  The violent dance was interrupted by The Silver Knight catching her wrist. "Are you copying my moves, Stella?"

  Was she? Stella never thought too hard about how she pulled off her fighting style. She saw how the older street urchins fought amongst themselves, so she absorbed it. Lien had a wild, primal way to move around in battle, but her technique was more reliant on her sharp fangs and claws, which the Human obviously lacked. Too bad she wasn't a Wolf or a Cat. Copycat sounded like a cool superhero name.

  Regardless, the Knight's moves fit like a velvet glove. They were so graceful yet devastating at the proper times.

  Unfortunately, a punch in the gut crushed her line of thought. Stella knew this blow would cripple her a month ago. It still hurt like a motherfucker, but at least she only sucked air between her teeth and powered through the pain. Thankfully, her feet were still touching the stone floor...

  A little pressure and a short pulse of Saniya coming from the tip of her toes were all it took to conjure an earth pillar between the Knight's legs. Unfortunately, the girl couldn't see a classic ball-crushing since the hero jumped out of the way in the nick of time. At least he let go of her wrist...

  He dramatically pointed at her with a hand on his hip. "That was foul, young lady!" he reprimanded. "You have any idea how hard it is to heal your private parts by yourself?!"

  Stella's eyes widened by the implication. "Uh... Did you...?"

  He crossed his arms and averted his gaze like an old-fashioned high school tsundere. "I decline to answer!" He readied himself to dash at her, assuming a firm stance. "Now! Pay attention and try to counterattack!"

  The Human girl tried to stop his advance by lifting a sizeable rock and flinging at her opponent. However, he skillfully slid below it, barely losing momentum before engaging her in close combat again. His strikes were not at all as destructive as the punch in the gut, but holy fuck, they were fast! Each karate chop was followed by a roundhouse kick or a punch on her ribs. That was when the attack wasn't a feint for Stella to open her guard.

  "Adaptation is essential, and taking a page out of your mentors is not a sin..." he spoke as the strike barrage kept coming. "However! You must stick to a solid fighting style of your own! Imperfect mimicry will only take you so far!" he finished his lecture as he jumped a few inches and spun his entire body, connecting his heel to Stella's cheek! She groaned and shriveled in pain as she revolved about ten times before landing with her back on the edge of the plateau.

  The tween slowly stood up, still impressed at the lengths her durability now took her. "Dude..." Disappointment dripped from her words as she stroked her reddened cheek. "You're just playing with me, aren't you?"

  The Silver Knight did not answer, preferring to make short hops while staying in place to keep the blood pumping. "Come on! Where's the youthful vigor worthy of a fledgling superhero?!" he taunted. "Your body might have reached its limits for now, but there's more than brute strength a warrior has to polish!" He kicked the air, swinging his legs in a majestic arch. "And I'm not just talking about Saniya!"

  Stella knew what he was on about. Overwhelming bigger opponents with her quick thinking was all she did for her entire life as a brawler, as she did with the Lads. However, how would she land another blow on a fighter with the skill and experience to back up his strength? The plateau wasn't the environment with the most tools to improvise a mind-blowing plan to catch him off guard. Not even throwing sand would work, thanks to his stupid helmet...

  Wait... The helmet might be an issue, but another piece of his Silver Suit? might hold the key...

  Yes... She still had a shot... But to succeed, she would have to act unpredictably.

  Stella ran towards The Silver Knight, roaring at the top of her lungs! The hero remained unshaken, but as long as he was focused on his prediction about her next move, he was playing into her hands...

  She was sure her wrathful body language indicated she would blindly swing her fists in a raging fit. Then, her posture went 180° as she slid between the guard's legs and clutched her fingers around his golden cape with an iron grip.

  "What?" Asra's heroic facade broke in his tone.

  The Human tween grinned as she pulled him by the cape, prompting him to lose balance and fall on his butt. "Strength AND smarts!" She started to spin around herself, gaining more and more velocity as the Knight rotated alongside her.

  A few rotations gave Stella enough acceleration to throw her mentor out of the plateau! Without magic, there was no feasible manner for him to escape defeat! Physics wins in the end, baby! That is if you ignore the supernatural strength this twelve-year-old girl acquired...

  Her grin widened as she watched the hero fall on a tree top, so far down it could be only seen as a grey and gold dot rustling a few leaves. Her smile wouldn't escape her lips, even if she tried.

  "Stella..." Lien slowly stepped towards her. "By Tizohi's antlers..." Her shock quickly transformed into glee. "You did it! You actually beat The Silver Knight in a sparring session!"

  Sparring session. Words to remember and humble the sidekick in training. Besides, if it wasn't the out-of-bounds condition, Stella's chances would-

  "Indeed!" The Silver Knight popped back into the arena with his Lightspeed spell. "I feel honored to have lost to my pupil by such an unexpected maneuver!" He deeply bowed.

  Stella's cheeks acquired a subtle tone of red. "I-I've never seen someone so proud of getting their ass kicked..." Her joy of being praised by her mentor and girlfriend tore any snarkiness she dared to conjure. "But you do you..."

  Asra heartily laughed. "Oh, Stella! Isn't a mentor supposed to be delighted by their students' progress?!" He gently touched his chest plate, dented by Stella's mimicry of his move. "These were two good moves you landed on me. Though my criticism of your overreliance in imitations still stands..."

  Stella silently nodded. "I guess. But if I take a little something from you and Lien, it ain't that bad, right?" She rubbed the back of her head. "I'll come up with my own stuff eventually. I'm just keeping the moves that work for me as a starting point."

  The Knight stroked his dented armor. "I suppose you have a valid point of view." His helmet produced faux eyes dripping with tears. "But I must admit hearing you utter the name of one of my special moves with such resolve makes my heart flutter with pride!"

  Her blush grew further. "I-I..." She turned around. "It was the heat of the moment! This won't be a thing!"

  "Uh..." Lien interjected. "Didn't you spend a whole hour practicing the perfect cry-"

  "Not the time, Lien..." She mumbled through her teeth.