Chapter 202: Big Talk from Someone So Little

Chapter 201: Big Talk from Someone So Little

His grin widened. "I wouldn’t kill you, shorty, even if you are extremely annoying. Instead, I’ll make sure you are strong enough to kill me."

"Okay... I’m not killing you, and can we please stop with the killing talk? Let’s get back to it," she told him as she pushed herself up, dusting her clothes.

"Ready?" Orion asked her.

"Yeah." She squared her shoulders. "And this time, I’m getting that ball."

"Big talk from someone so little," Orion told her.

He had just finished speaking when she moved again. This time she was quick and far more focused. Her steps were controlled, her legs moving with quiet purpose.

The shift in her stance was subtle but unmistakable. Her feet no longer scuffed clumsily through the packed earth; instead, they glided. Her anchor steps had begun to blend seamlessly into her movement.

She was still raw, still learning, but there was something dangerous in the way she moved now—something instinctive and predatory.

Orion’s eyes narrowed slightly as he parried her advances with precise steps of his own, keeping the ball under his control with the smooth ease of long practice. It wasn’t just that she was improving; it was how quickly she was adapting. Every failed attempt from before had turned into adjustment now. Every fall, a correction.

He flicked his foot, sending the ball into the air to throw her off, but she didn’t take the bait. Instead, she shifted her weight to the right, predicting where it would land.

Her leg brushed against his as the ball came down, and for a heartbeat, they were both frozen there—too close, the heat of her determination brushing against his calm composure.

Sophia’s breath hitched. Orion’s eyes glinted.

Then he pulled the ball back with a smirk. "That was close," he told her. "But not enough."

She groaned. "I know."

She tried again, each movement smoother than the last. Orion began testing her subtly—changing direction, forcing her to shift balance, to anticipate instead of react. And each time, she met him halfway.

For the others training nearby, it didn’t look like a game anymore. It looked like a dance—one of tension, precision, and a quiet understanding that neither could quite name.

"I thought she was a novice?" Nia asked, mouth ajar. "How is it that she can already use the anchor steps seamlessly?"

They had all paused and were now watching Orion and Sophia.

"Did she use some secret technique?" a trainee asked.

Dren was the one to dispute that. "No. Watch closely—it’s not perfect, but she’s getting there. She’s able to adapt easily. With each mistake she makes, she corrects it when she tries again. Goddess! She’s good."

"And her footwork," Laia added. "Alpha Orion knew what he was doing when he told her to use the same footwork she used while playing ball. It blends so easily—it’s just so uniquely her."

"Do you think he’d train us all? One by one?" Joren asked hopefully.

"I hope so," the trainees said with a sigh.

Meanwhile, Orion and Sophia continued their game.

Orion’s movements were fluid, honed through years of battle. Sophia’s were still unrefined, but there was grace in her chaos. Every step she took seemed to learn something new, her body adapting faster than her mind could reason.

At one point, she spun too sharply, almost losing balance—but this time, she recovered. Her heel grounded, her knee bent, and her anchor step snapped into place so naturally that Orion paused.

He hadn’t expected her to learn that quickly.

Sophia noticed the hesitation, and for once, she used it. She lunged, her leg sweeping forward to tap the ball.

"Gotcha—!"

But he shifted just in time, his body a blur of motion. The ball slipped out of reach once again.

She let out a noise somewhere between a groan and a laugh. "You can’t just—"

Orion raised a brow. "What?"

"—be that fast! That’s cheating!"

"Are you going to complain about someone cheating on the battlefield just because you couldn’t outsmart them?" he asked her.

She paused as she absorbed his words.

Orion nodded. "What I did wasn’t cheating. You were close, but not enough. And did you forget? You said I shouldn’t go easy on you." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"That’s true," she said with a nod. "Okay, let’s continue."

Sophia didn’t hesitate this time. She lunged—fast and precise—aiming for his open side. But Orion evaded her.

She tried again. And again. And again. Each attempt brought her closer until their movements blurred into a back-and-forth of rhythm and breath.

Orion’s eyes followed her feet. Every step she took was grounded, deliberate. Her weight distributed perfectly between each anchor point, her rhythm consistent even as her frustration grew.

When she finally stopped, panting, her hair clinging to her forehead, Orion smiled softly. "You’re improving fast."

"Feels like I’ve been running in circles," she muttered, though her lips twitched with a small smile.

"That’s what training feels like—until one day, you realize the circle was actually a spiral upward."

Sophia blinked. "That’s... surprisingly poetic."

He shrugged. "I have my moments."

She laughed lightly, shaking her head. "And here I thought you only had your annoying ones."

Orion’s grin returned. "Those are my best."

Before she could fire back, he stepped back slightly, the ball still close under his control. His gaze lingered on her feet, tracing the subtle adjustments she had made since they began. There were no gaps, no wasted motion. Every step connected to the next with precision.

He let out a quiet exhale. "Not bad, shorty. Not bad at all."

"Does that mean I passed?"

"Passed what?" Orion asked her. "You didn’t get the ball from me. You were only close to getting it."

She rolled her eyes so hard he thought her eyeballs would disappear.

"Anyway, this just means you’re ready for the next part."

She straightened immediately, intrigued by his words. "Next part?"

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he flicked the ball once into the air with his foot, caught it, then with a sharp motion, sent her wooden weapons flying toward her.

Sophia caught them—barely—stumbling a bit but managing to regain balance before they clattered to the ground.

Orion smirked. "Now," he said, "the real training begins."