Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 972

Chapter 972 225.2 - Swordsgirl

The platform quieted.

Not a breath from the crowd. Just two figures facing each other, ten meters apart.

Julia exhaled slowly.

5 across the board.

She could feel the restraint pulsing through her limbs like weighted cuffs-speed, strength, reaction, all pressed down to the academy's baseline.

It was an intentional handicap.

The average first-year ranker-Rank 1000-had attributes around 5. For someone like her, who played on a different scale entirely, it felt like tying weights to her soul.

But that was the point.

Since this was a practice, naturally the students who somehow ended up matching with higher ranked ones needed to be adjusted.

Else, this wouldn't become a practice.

Across from her, Astron stood still-daggers sheathed at his side, bow gripped loosely in hand. His purple eyes didn't waver. No movement. No emotion.

But she saw it.

The way his left foot was angled, barely a centimeter off center. The way his breathing slowed-not from calm, but calculation. He was already planning the first three steps of the engagement.

Smart.

Good.

Instructor Verren's voice cracked across the platform like a whip. "-Begin!"

Julia's blade snapped up.

Her foot struck stone.

BOOM!

A golden blur exploded forward.

The moment the starting signal rang out, her suppression lifted-every restraint. peeled away in an instant. And all that hidden force surged.

Speed. Force. Precision.

Julia's body snapped into motion, boots slamming off the platform as she rocketed toward Astron.

Ten meters?

She closed half the distance in less than a second.

SWOOSH-!

Astron moved instantly, no hesitation. His bow came up fluidly, a silver arrow notched and drawn in one motion-his fingers barely visible as he loosed.

TWANG!-WHOOSH!

The arrow screamed through the air.

Julia's eyes locked onto it.

She didn't dodge sideways.

Instead-

Her body dropped, knees bending mid-stride into a sliding lean-her torso angled low, shoulder brushing the platform as the arrow skimmed over her hair.

SHHHK!

Her momentum never broke.

Two more arrows flew-fast, precise.

But she was already past his range.

Her blade gleamed as she surged upward from the slide, twisting into a rising cleave- vertical, savage, meant to split his bow in two.

CLANG!

Astron spun back, his bow already discarded, twin daggers flashing into his grip as he caught the blow just before it connected with his body. Sparks erupted as steel kissed steel.

Julia's grin returned instantly.

"You really are fast."

Astron didn't answer.

He pivoted off her blade's edge, sliding to the side with minimal effort. His daggers danced around her sword's length, eyes tracking every micro-adjustment of her shoulders, hips, stance.

She pressed harder.

Her blade snapped forward again-this time a feint-then twisted into a reverse arc, slashing low across his knees.

CLANG!-CLINK!-SWOOSH!

Astron jumped-not back, but up, flipping just enough to avoid the sweep, his foot landing on the flat of her sword for a split-second of balance.

Julia blinked. Then laughed.

"You cocky bastard."

She twisted her blade sideways.

CLANG!-TCHUNK!

Astron launched off before she could dislodge him, flipping over her shoulder and

landing behind.

Julia didn't wait.

Her body whipped around, the tip of her blade tracing a deadly half-moon arc as she followed through with zero delay.

He ducked.

Barely.

The wind of her strike cut across his cheek like a slap.

FWOOSH!

But that wasn't the end of it.

Her next strike was already coiled in her hips-she pivoted on her heel and unleashed

a vertical slash aimed straight at his chest.

CLANG!

He crossed both daggers to block-arms bracing against the sheer weight behind the

blow.

The force slammed through his guard, pushing him backward.

Not enough to stagger him fully.

But enough to shift the tempo.

Julia advanced.

Her strikes were coming in waves now-every slash tighter, every feint sharper.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!-SWISH!-TINK!

She wasn't overwhelming him with speed alone.

She was testing him-his footwork, his rhythm, his decision-making. Watching the angle of his blocks. Tracking when he dodged, when he parried, when he pivoted.

And for every adjustment he made-

She responded with something just a little faster.

Just a little more aggressive.

But even then-he didn't crumble.

Astron's movements remained efficient. Not flamboyant, not reactive. Exact. He redirected blows without wasting energy, slipping between her strikes like a thread

through cloth.

His daggers flicked out again-short, precise jabs meant not to wound, but to check

her flow.

Julia leaned left, twisted her torso-ducked under the second blade and responded