Reincarnated Into A World Of Elves As The Only Man

Outside the crumbling stone arena, Naia watched as the barrier began to collapse. But her attention was suddenly drawn to Rose. Rose had been standing motionless throughout the entire fight, but something had changed. Her right hand hung loose at her side, her left pressed against her thigh. Her entire posture spoke of coiled energy waiting to be released.

Naia frowned, her water barrier still shimmering around her as debris rained down from the damaged ceiling. "Shouldn’t you be concerned about your companion?"

Rose didn’t respond. She stood like a statue, her skull mask tilted slightly downward as if she was studying the floor at her feet.

From within the crumbling stone arena came Emma’s voice, strained but carrying clearly through the cracks: "Rose! Wake up! There’s an enemy in front of you!"

The effect was immediate. Rose’s head snapped up, her skull mask turning toward Naia with mechanical precision. Her right hand flexed, fingers spreading as electricity began to dance between them.

"Sorry," Rose said, her voice so soft it was barely audible. "I was thinking about Master."

The words were gentle, but something in the way she said them made Naia’s blood run cold. Rose’s left foot slid forward, her weight shifting as she settled into a fighting stance.

Then Rose moved.

Lightning cracked across her body as she channeled electricity. Her right leg coiled, muscles bunching as she launched herself forward. Lightning enhanced her speed beyond anything natural, her form blurring as she crossed the twenty-foot distance in a heartbeat.

Her blade materialized from crackling energy, her right arm extending as she struck at Naia’s face. The weapon hummed with contained lightning, the air around it ionizing with power.

Naia’s hands swept upward, her water barrier condensing into a solid shield just as Rose’s blade struck. The impact sent shock waves through the water, steam rising where electricity met liquid. But Rose was already moving again.

Her right foot touched the ground, her body spinning as she brought her blade around in a horizontal slash. Naia’s barrier reformed, water flowing like liquid metal to intercept the strike. Rose’s right shoulder rolled, her blade cutting upward in a diagonal arc that forced Naia to step backward.

She pushed outward with her water, her fingers splaying as tendrils of liquid snaked toward Rose’s lightning-charged form. The water moved like living things, seeking gaps in Rose’s defense.

But Rose did something unexpected. Her left hand shot out, fingers wrapping around one of the water tendrils. Lightning surged through the liquid, but instead of being conducted back to Rose, the electricity flowed toward Naia.

Naia’s body convulsed as electricity coursed through her. Her back arched, her muscles spasming as her nervous system was overwhelmed. Her control over water faltered, the barrier wavering around her.

Rose pressed her advantage. Her right foot planted, her left driving forward as she closed the distance. Her blade crackled with contained lightning, each strike sending more electricity through Naia’s failing defenses.

"Master taught me that lightning doesn’t just destroy," Rose said in that same soft voice. Her right hand gestured, and lightning arced from her fingertips to the metal weapons of the nearby guards. "It can create new pathways."

The electricity jumped from blade to blade, creating a web of crackling energy that surrounded both combatants. Each arc of lightning illuminated Rose’s movements in stroboscopic flashes. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Naia tried to retreat, but found herself trapped. Her right foot slid backward, her left following as she sought escape. But everywhere she turned, lightning waited to strike her down.

"Impressive," Naia admitted, sweat mixing with steam on her face. Her hands rose above her head, fingers dancing as she drew moisture from the air itself. "But you’re not the only one who can be creative."

The humidity level dropped dramatically as she concentrated every available drop of water into a massive sphere above her head. Her arms trembled with the effort of controlling so much liquid at once.

Rose looked up at the gathering water, her skull mask tilting slightly. Her right hand rose toward the ceiling, fingers splayed as electricity began to arc between them and the metal fixtures embedded in the white stone above.

"Clever," she said softly. "But water falls down, and lightning rises up."

Both her hands reached skyward now, lightning building between her fingers and the ceiling. The electricity crackled and snapped, preparing to meet Naia’s descending attack.

When the two elements collided, the result was catastrophic. Steam exploded outward in a superheated cloud that filled the entire corridor. The guards stumbled backward, their hands raised to shield their faces from the billowing vapor.

Rose’s movements were illuminated in brief flashes as lightning crackled around her body. Her right foot would plant, her left following as she struck with inhuman speed. Each attack was perfectly timed, her blade finding gaps in Naia’s defenses.

Naia’s water swirled around her like a living thing, her hands constantly moving to direct the flow. Her left shoulder dipped, her body twisting as she avoided one of Rose’s strikes. Her right arm swept up, sending a pressurized stream toward where she thought Rose was standing.

The attack passed through empty air. Rose had already moved, her lightning-enhanced speed carrying her to a new position. Her blade found its mark, carving a shallow line across Naia’s shoulder. Blood mixed with the condensation on her skin.

Naia spun with the strike, her right foot pivoting as she used the momentum to launch another attack. This time she connected, the water stream catching Rose in the chest and sending her sliding across the wet floor.

But Rose’s right hand touched the ground, lightning crackling between her fingers and the stone. The electricity created friction, stopping her slide as she launched herself back into the attack. Her left foot found purchase, her right driving forward as she closed the distance once more.

Rose’s blade work became even more precise. Her right wrist snapped forward, the weapon cutting through Naia’s guard to nick her forearm.

She proved her point by suddenly raising both hands above her head. All her built-up electrical energy discharged at once, lightning filling the corridor like a spider’s web. The steam cloud became a conductor, carrying electricity to every corner of the space.

Naia’s scream was lost in the thunder of Rose’s attack. Her body convulsed, her knees hitting the wet floor as her muscles locked up. Smoke rose from her singed clothing, the acrid smell of burned fabric filling the air.

Rose emerged from the dissipating steam, her movements calm and measured. Her right foot stepped forward, her left following as she approached Naia’s kneeling form. The lightning-blade hummed in her grip, ready for the killing blow.

"You fought with honor," Rose said softly, her right hand reversing the blade’s grip. "I will make this quick."

But instead of bringing the blade down in a killing stroke, she struck with the pommel. The heavy metal guard connected with the base of Naia’s skull with surgical precision. Naia’s body went limp, her face hitting the wet stone as consciousness fled.

Rose stood over her fallen opponent, electricity still crackling faintly around her fingers. She knelt beside Naia’s unconscious form, her arms sliding under the water-wielder’s shoulders and knees. With fluid grace, she lifted Naia’s body, cradling her like a sleeping child.

"Master Kaida seeks your attention," Rose whispered to the unconscious woman.

Then Rose’s left foot stepped backward, her body melting into the shadows at the edge of the corridor. The darkness seemed to welcome her, wrapping around both figures like a living thing. Within moments, they had vanished completely, leaving only the crumbling stone arena and the scattered, unconscious guards as evidence of the battle that had taken place.