Chapter 267: Chapter 267- Assassin

Emma, spotting Veronica and Celestia seemingly asleep on the bench, let her guard drop for just a second. "Hey, look at those two! They just conked out...!"

It was all the opening Julian needed.

"During a fight, never let your focus waver," he stated, his voice a flat warning an instant before he moved.

He didn’t use a fancy technique, just a simple, incredibly fast sweep aimed at her supporting leg. Emma, caught completely off-balance, let out a startled yelp as her feet were taken out from under her. She hit the training ground dust with a soft thud.

"Oof! Hey, that was a cheap shot!" she grumbled, scrambling back to her feet and brushing herself off, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and renewed determination.

She got into her stance again, her fists clenched and her eyes blazing. "Fine! No more distractions! But I’m warning you, Julian, I will land a solid hit on you today! I swear it!"

A rare, full-fledged smile—brief, sharp, and utterly genuine—touched Julian’s lips. It was the expression of a warrior who truly enjoyed a good challenge. He settled back into his own ready stance, his body relaxed yet humming with potential energy.

"Alright then," he said, his tone laced with a hint of amusement. "Show me what you’ve got."

The challenge was officially accepted. The air crackled again, not just with Emma’s latent fire, but with her sheer, unbreakable will as she launched herself at him once more, more focused than ever.

Emma launched her assault again, but this time, her movements were different. They were more calculated, her feints more convincing, and her combinations flowed with a new sense of structure. She wasn’t just throwing power; she was applying strategy.

"Good," Julian commented, a note of genuine praise in his voice as he deftly blocked a high kick and weaved under a follow-up cross.

Emboldened, Emma pressed the attack. She used a low sweep to force him to shift his weight, then instantly pivoted to deliver a sharp side kick to his flank. Julian caught her ankle, stopping the blow, but the intent and sequencing were flawless.

Not giving him a moment to breathe, Emma disengaged and lunged again. Julian sidestepped, expecting a straightforward charge. But Emma, who had been waiting for this exact reaction, suddenly dropped into a slide, aiming a sweeping kick at his now-unbalanced legs, a triumphant smile on her face. This would finally hit him!

Yet, in a move that seemed to defy physics, Julian twisted in mid-air, his hand slapping down to deflect her sweeping leg mere inches from its target. He landed gracefully a few feet away, completely unscathed.

Emma landed on her backside with a grunt, the wind momentarily knocked out of her—more from disappointment than impact. "Aww, man! I was so sure that would work!" she whined, slumping her shoulders in defeat.

Julian walked over and looked down at her. "That was excellent," he said, his tone sincere. "The setup was perfect. You almost had me. You’ve worked hard, Emma." He then reached down and gently ruffled her hair, a rare gesture of open affection.

Emma pouted, though a blush crept onto her cheeks. "That’s not enough..."

Julian paused, his hand stilling. "Not enough?"

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with a mix of hope and playful demand. "If you’re really that happy with my progress, then you should hug me and kiss me! A head pat is for a good pet!"

A slow, soft smile spread across Julian’s face. He didn’t argue. Instead, he knelt down, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into a firm, warm embrace. Then, he leaned in and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to her lips.

When he pulled back, Emma was beaming, all her frustration forgotten, replaced by pure, unadulterated joy.

Julian looked into her sparkling eyes, his own gaze fond. "Was that enough?"

Emma’s grin turned mischievous and utterly shameless. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer again.

"Nope," she whispered, her voice full of love and wanting. "I want more."

Julian, caught in Emma’s demand and his own affection, didn’t hesitate. He leaned in and captured her lips in a second, deeper kiss. This one was not a simple reward; it was a shared moment of passion, lasting until they both finally broke apart, breathless and foreheads touching.

For a moment, the world around them faded, leaving only the two of them in their own private bubble.

A bubble that was promptly popped.

"It’s like the world belongs only to you two," Veronica’s voice cut in, dripping with a mix of amusement and feigned annoyance. She and Celestia were now standing a few feet away, having silently approached.

Emma’s blissful mood shattered. Her head snapped towards them, a pronounced "Tch!" of irritation escaping her lips. The romantic spell was thoroughly broken.

"You’re awake?" Emma grumbled, her cheeks still flushed but now with a hint of embarrassment. "I thought you’d be sleeping soundly for hours."

"We were," Celestia stated calmly, her analytical eyes taking in the scene. "But the auditory paradox of intense silence followed by... heavy breathing... is rather effective at disrupting sleep."

As Emma triumphantly declared, "That was my reward for working so hard!", Veronica’s eyebrow twitched. She placed a hand on her hip, her voice a mix of jest and genuine complaint.

"Oh, really? I worked hard too, you know. Don’t I deserve a kiss for my efforts?"

Emma stuck her tongue out. "You were sleeping! That’s the opposite of hard work! No rewards for nappers!"

Julian, utterly accustomed to their bickering, simply tuned them out. His focus shifted to Celestia, who was observing the exchange with her usual detached calm.

"Celestia," he began, his tone shifting back to its analytical default. "During the fight in the nest, I noticed you didn’t use your Phantom Step. Why?"

Celestia met his gaze evenly. "I was focusing on reinforcing my Silverthreads. I wanted to test their durability and control under pressure against a high-tier opponent without relying on evasion. The next stage of my training is to successfully integrate them with my Phantom Step."

Julian nodded, processing her explanation. "A solid foundation. But here’s a suggestion, consider switching your primary weapon to a dagger. Or a set of them."

Celestia’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought. "Daggers? Like an assassin?"

"Precisely," Julian confirmed. "Your Silverthreads are for control, binding, and precise cuts from a distance. But they have a weakness in close-quarters, rapid strikes. Imagine this: you use Phantom Step to close the distance instantly. Your daggers, linked to your threads, become an extension of your will. You can lash out with the blades while simultaneously entangling the enemy with the threads attached to them. It creates a lethal, inescapable web. You become a hybrid—a controller who can also deliver fatal, surprise attacks."

He painted a clear picture: one moment, an enemy is struggling against ethereal threads, the next, Celestia would materialize from a phantom step, her dagger already at their throat, guided and amplified by the very threads that bound them.

A spark of intense interest ignited in Celestia’s cool eyes. The idea was unorthodox for her, but the strategic synergy was undeniable. It played to all her strengths: precision, control, and sudden, overwhelming force.

"That... is a compelling proposal," she admitted, her mind already running through the possibilities. "The close-range lethality would perfectly complement the mid-range control of my threads. I will acquire suitable daggers and begin experimentation immediately."

A faint, almost imperceptible blush touched Celestia’s cheeks. In a rare, impulsive gesture, she stepped forward and pressed a soft, quick kiss to Julian’s cheek.

"Thank you, Julian," she said, her voice retaining its usual calm, but carrying a genuine warmth.

A small, gentle smile graced Julian’s lips—the kind reserved for these quiet, honest moments. "You’re welcome."