Remnant of Void & Flame (Honkai Impact 3rd/RWBY)

Volume I - Chapter VIII

A bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face as Pyrrha lunge forward, once again attempting to land the first and only blow she required to achieve victory. As was expected by now, her attack was met nothing but empty air as her opponent smoothly slid away from its path. She huffed in annoyance, her frustration growing with every passing second.

One hit. She just need to land a single solid hit to be declared victorious.

She had thought her opponent was simply being over-confident, but as the fight had dragged on, she reluctantly acknowledge that perhaps that confidece is well earned. Even now, her adversary has yet to draw her weapon, relying solely on evasive maneuvers and body movements in order to fend off every one of her strikes.

Pyrrha whirled forward, sending a hail of strikes towards her foe. Once again, her opponent slipped away from her blade, this time with a poetic grace that left her almost mesmerized, each move reflecting a mastery of combat beyond her comprehension.

She stumbled for an instant, her breathing now more labored than before as the fight had progressed into its sixteenth minute. The shock of witnessing a new technique and the fatigue that comes with extended physical activity has sap far too much of her energy. Both her footwork and swordplay slowly deteriorated as time went on, forcing her to adopt a more desperate approach; one which she realizes will most likely resulted in another failure.

Still, despite her best effort, she has yet to even come close to scoring a single hit. The frustration she had kept bottled up slowly but surely bubbled over, as sweat dripped from her brow and spilled down to the ground. Each of her attempt only served highlight the disparity between their skill, as her opponent evaded every attack with nary an effort exerted.

She leap back to take a breather and plot her next move. In stark contrast to the frenzy that had just ensued, her opponent simply stood unperturbed. Their stance relaxed as they waited for her to recover. She expected them to launch rapid assault the second she faltered or paused, to take advantage of her moment of weakness, however not once did that happen.

It was... humbling to say the least. To know that someone only a few years older than her can fight with such skill. Yet, at the same time, it only serve to strengthen her resolve. To prove that she was deserving of the titles which had been bestowed upon her...

She took a step back before giving voice to this internal resolution with a stirring battle cry as she launched forth into another barrage of attacks; each one thrown with newfound focus and determination.

-----

Kiana swiveled gracefully as she evaded each kick and slash, her feat so swift that even the most observant person would be hard pressed to track her movements. She watched as the champion took a step forward, her blade cutting through the air with cold precision. Kiana's eyes followed its every move like a hawk, taking in every subtle shift in angle or speed without fail...

Though still far from perfect, it was undeniable that the redhead had improved greatly since their fight began. Even this attack was executed with remarkable grace, arcs smoothly transitioning into straight lines while stepping around imaginary boundaries before connecting onto solid ground again; an elegant dance that spoke much of the champion's innate talent and tireless practice. She would've definitely qualify as a B-rank Valkyrie had she been enrolled in St. Freya.

Yet, despite her best efforts and tireless dedication, the reality still remains. The small movements she made during combat and the slight waver in power behind each of her attacks betray the champion's lack of experience compared to her own. The disparity between their skill was simply far too great.