Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby novel Chapter 270

Chapter 270: Aria Nightwind

Among Eleanor’s group, aside from herself, Ophelia Blanc, Maíra Arara Neblina, Marsha Kirana Tidebringer, Phoebe Juno Solstice, and Izumi Tsuki Kuroda had all made it to the final round.

They spent a long evening analysing the fights from the first two rounds after the videos were posted on the Academy forum. Many cadets had left comments on the threads... some insightful, some speculative... but they all helped the group to understand each finalist’s strengths and weaknesses better.

Jaciara Moara joined their discussions as well, despite having lost her match in the primary round to the top ranker of the initiation ceremony, Ignatius Aurelius Emberfall. Coincidentally, Phoebe had once been on Ignatius’s team when they had formed a temporary alliance to defeat the Troll King. At first, Jaciara had been disheartened by her defeat, but after hearing Phoebe describe Ignatius’s formidable combat prowess, she accepted her loss with a shrug and blamed it on bad luck.

Kiara also joined them later on. She was not so disheartened by her loss to a fire user, rather she spent some time on her own to identify her shortcomings of her fighting style.

From sunset until dinner, they gathered in Maíra’s room, the air filled with animated chatter and the faint hum of magical projectors displaying fight replays. Together, they dissected every move, counter, and ability of the remaining finalists.

After dinner, Eleanor returned to her room to prepare for her next match. Her first opponent was a werecat named Aria Nightwind. From the recordings of Aria’s previous battles, Eleanor concluded that she had an earth elemental bloodline and was also a sword user.

Eleanor had observed that most cadets relied heavily on their bloodline abilities... raw, innate powers rather than refined combat techniques. These were effective, but often predictable. Aria, for instance, could form stone armour over her body, raise the ground beneath her feet to gain elevation, unleash localized shockwaves, hurl stone shards, summon a massive earth fist, and erect defensive walls from the ground.

Having catalogued all of Aria’s known abilities, Eleanor crafted a strategy tailored to exploit her weaknesses... and even prepared contingency plans in case Aria revealed any hidden techniques.

She would have four more matches the following day, each demanding its own careful planning. By the time she finalised her battle strategies, the night had grown late and silent.

The next morning, Eleanor met Aria in the arena for their first match. Across the ring, Aria Nightwind stood poised in a battle stance, her sword gleaming under the lights. Her slitted eyes, sharp and golden, reflected a predator’s focus... and a flicker of curiosity towards the calm, unreadable girl facing her.

As soon as Eleanor stepped into the ring, Aria bowed slightly and said, "Miss Raynor, I’ve heard much about your clan... and about you. My elders say you are the wealthiest among the younger generation. I hope we might cooperate when we return."

"Thank you," Eleanor replied with a small bow of her own. "Please contact me when we’re back in the secular world. If fate permits, we may find a way to work together."

Aria smiled faintly. "I watched your fight on the forum. You surprised us all. We always thought the Raynor clan was non-elemental. You proved otherwise... and you fought beautifully."

Before Eleanor could respond, the countdown began.

10... 9... 8...

3... 2... 1... Go!

Aria moved first. She didn’t charge head-on but began to circle Eleanor with a refined grace, her movements silent and precise. Her Feline Agility rendered her footsteps ghostlike, each stride smooth as a whisper of air.

Eleanor stood her ground, perfectly still... a statue awaiting the storm. Her Mind Acceleration was already active, the world slowing into a deliberate, measured rhythm.

Aria flicked her wrist. A small pebble shot towards Eleanor’s knee with uncanny accuracy. Eleanor shifted her weight just enough to let it pass, the stone grazing her trouser leg with a faint hiss.

Then came the real attack. With a powerful stomp, Aria sent a shockwave rippling through the ground. The arena floor buckled like disturbed water, trembling violently beneath Eleanor’s feet... a disorienting pulse designed to break her balance.

Eleanor didn’t falter. Her muscles absorbed the tremor, her stance flowing with the motion, her feet adjusting in near imperceptible micro-movements. To an onlooker, it appeared as though she hadn’t moved at all.

A flicker of surprise crossed Aria’s eyes. Her heightened senses told her Eleanor should have stumbled... but she stood utterly composed. Without hesitation, Aria raised her sword and brought it down in a sharp, precise arc.

The blade never reached Eleanor. Instead, it struck the floor, shattering a slab of stone. From the fracture, shards erupted in a chaotic burst, flying toward Eleanor at unpredictable angles.

Eleanor was forced into motion. She weaved between the shards, twisting her body with dancer-like precision, deflecting the larger ones with her forearms. The impacts thudded heavily against her guard... solid, punishing blows that rattled her bones. Her enhanced physique endured them, but she could feel the sheer force behind each fragment.

Aria closed the distance in an instant, her claws extending with deadly precision. She slashed for Eleanor’s torso, a strike that could have shredded any armour. Eleanor ducked and pivoted, the claws slicing through the air just inches from her skin. She knew taking such a hit head-on could cause serious injury.

For several minutes, the arena rang with the rhythm of combat... the crash of stone, the whip of wind, the metallic rasp of blades meeting bare fists. Aria’s onslaught was relentless, a storm of earth and precision. Eleanor countered with pure agility and disciplined technique, every movement calculated, efficient. Yet even she found herself slowly driven back towards the edge of the ring beneath the unending pressure of Aria’s furious assault.

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