Chapter 58: The Training Session

The lingering silence inside the heavily armored combat chamber stretched for several seconds after the holographic resonance counter stabilized at thirty-seven percent.

Rhaevia slowly, deliberately withdrew her hand, severing the physical connection between them. The sudden warmth humming across their skin faded, though a subtle vibration continued to pulse deep within her Guide core.

She looked up at Raevor, her eyes narrowing as she tried to gauge his expression. The Major General was staring back at her with an intensity that made the surrounding air feel remarkably dense.

"What is it?" she asked, breaking the silence with a sharp edge in her voice.

Raevor did not answer immediately, his dark eyes tracking the subtle way she held her shoulders.

"Your combat technique," he said finally, his deep voice echoing against the metallic walls.

Rhaevia raised a single eyebrow in mild challenge. "What about it?"

"It isn’t Imperial," Raevor stated, his posture unyielding as he assessed her.

She paused, keeping her breathing steady while her internal energy settled.

Raevor took a deliberate step backward, taking in her grounded, adaptable stance. "You do not follow modern military doctrine or standard academy formations."

"I never claimed I did," she replied smoothly, shifting her weight slightly.

"Your footwork is irregular and unpredictable," he observed, his expression remaining stoic.

A faint, knowing smile touched the corner of Rhaevia’s lips. "Is that supposed to be a compliment, General?"

"It is an observation," he countered, stepping back into a defensive stance.

He held his position, his dark eyes locked onto her movements with intense focus. "Most academy-trained combatants rely on standardized forms designed for squad efficiency and predictable battlefield formations."

Raevor’s gaze sharpened as he stepped closer. "You do not fight like them."

The slight smile faded from Rhaevia’s face, replaced by a dangerous clarity.

"No," she admitted softly.

She raised her hands into an open, loose guard, her posture instinctively shifting into a stance forged long before she entered this interstellar era.

"Where?" Raevor asked, the single word falling heavily between them.

Rhaevia’s eyes darkened for a brief second, shadows of past battles flitting across her memory.

"War," she answered plainly.

It was only one word, but Raevor understood immediately. She was not referring to simulated academy trials or controlled military exercises.

He had commanded thousands of fresh academy recruits and stood alongside hardened veterans. Yet the woman standing opposite him was entirely different. ℴℴ𝘮

She did not fight like someone who had been taught how to survive a battlefield. She fought like someone who had already survived one.

"Again," Raevor commanded, his energy surging back to life.

Rhaevia gave a single nod.

This time, Raevor moved first, his physical speed as a 3S Sentinel blurring his form instantly across the platform. To an ordinary Guide, an attack at that velocity would be entirely invisible, but Rhaevia’s battle-honed instincts reacted before her mind could overthink.

She twisted her torso smoothly away from his opening strike, feeling the rush of displaced air graze her cheek.

His second attack swept in from the opposite direction with terrifying precision. She ducked beneath his arm, her movement fluid and low to the alloy floor.

When a third strike swept toward her shoulder, Rhaevia’s hand shot out, her fingers catching his wrist with practiced timing.

Instead of attempting to resist the overwhelming physical force of a 3S Sentinel, she redirected his momentum past her, using his own weight to throw him off balance.

Raevor’s eyes flashed with a sudden spark of surprise, but his body rotated instantly mid-air to absorb the movement and recover his footing.

Rhaevia did not give him room to breathe. She lunged forward, her fist driving straight toward his ribs.

Raevor raised his forearm, blocking the strike with a metallic impact.

Halfway through the contact, Rhaevia instantly altered her trajectory, shifting her momentum into an elbow strike aimed directly at his shoulder.

He intercepted the blow with his palm, the sheer force of their collision sending a sharp vibration rattling through the reinforced training platform.

Neither of them retreated. They accelerated, their exchange devolving into a violent, breathtaking rhythm of offense and defense.

Rhaevia attacked with the relentless efficiency of someone who had spent a lifetime facing enemies vastly stronger than herself. She wasted no energy on unnecessary flair. Every strike had a lethal purpose, every step back created a trap, and every opening was immediately exploited.

As their movements blurred, Raevor recognized something deeper in her fighting style. She was not fighting to prove her superiority, nor was she sparring for points.

She was fighting to survive. Even in this controlled environment, every cell in her body remained conditioned for the brutal reality that a single mistake could prove fatal.

She is still carrying her battlefield with her, he realized, a faint sense of respect and understanding softening his expression. Rhaevia caught the subtle shift in his demeanor mid-strike and narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you smiling?" she demanded, throwing a rapid punch toward his chest.

Raevor parried the blow smoothly, his posture unyielding.

"I was not smiling," he claimed stoically.

"You definitely were," she insisted, pivoting on her heel to sweep her leg toward his ankles.

"I was not," he repeated, stepping over her sweep without losing his balance.

Her eyes narrowed as she pressed the attack. "You are enjoying this, General."

There was a fleeting pause in his defense. Then, Raevor met her gaze directly and answered with absolute honesty, "Yes."

Rhaevia’s eyebrows lifted in genuine surprise, her momentum momentarily wavering. She had expected a cold, military response, not a frank confession.

He stepped forward, closing the space between them with measured confidence. "You are strong, Rhaevia."

A sudden, unexpected warmth flared in her chest at his genuine praise. Disconcerted by the feeling, she immediately launched a heavy strike to mask her reaction.

"Then stop holding back on me!" she called out, her voice echoing through the chamber.

Raevor’s dark eyes sharpened with a fierce light. "Are you certain?"

"Absolutely," she replied without hesitation.

Raevor instantly increased his speed and power, his energy flaring wildly.

The next exchange became a near-invisible blur of movement. Fists collided, shoulders brushed in tight passes, and their boots struck the metallic platform in rapid, thundering synchronization.

As they fought, Raevor deliberately left tiny, subtle openings in his guard. They were split-second flaws that only a seasoned master of combat could ever hope to catch.

Rhaevia saw every single one. She exploited each gap with terrifying instinct, driving a palm strike toward his abdomen, sweeping low against his lead foot, and driving an elbow toward his guard.

Raevor could have easily blocked or countered every single attack using his sheer physical advantage, and she knew it. He knew that she knew, yet he intentionally allowed her to push him to his absolute limits.

He was not underestimating her. He was giving her room to unleash everything she had, wanting to see just how bright her strength could burn.

With a final, explosive surge of energy, Rhaevia managed to break through his guard and force the legendary 3S Sentinel three full steps backward. She halted her stance, breathing heavily as her chest rose and fell.

Raevor stood his ground, looking down at her. A subtle, genuinely pleased warmth shone in his dark eyes, softening his rigid features.

Rhaevia felt her heartbeat skip a sudden, frantic beat as she read his expression.

He actually enjoys watching me fight, she realized, the thought carrying an unexpected, profound intimacy. It was not merely because he respected her power, but because he was genuinely thrilled whenever she refused to yield to the universe around her.

Before she could process the sudden rush of emotion, an intense, familiar vibration thrummed through the air between them.

Their internal Guide and Sentinel cores suddenly resonated, humming in deep, violent harmony. A visible pulse of translucent energy surged outward, causing the ambient light in the room to flicker wildly.

Rhaevia froze in place, her breath catching. Raevor’s stoic expression shifted instantly, his gaze dropping to the space between their bodies.

The air around them vibrated with high-frequency energy as a familiar, bright cyan holographic system window materialized out of thin air.

[SENTINEL-GUIDE RESONANCE DETECTED.]

Rhaevia stared at the glowing numbers in absolute shock as the percentage counter began to climb effortlessly.

[38%...]

[41%...]

[44%...]

"Raevor..." she breathed out, her voice barely a whisper.

He did not answer, his eyes fixed on the rapidly changing display as his Sentinel core roared in response to hers.

[47%...]

[49%...]

Rhaevia’s Sovereign Guide core trembled violently inside her chest, sending a wave of absolute mental clarity crashing through her mind. Raevor’s core answered with equal intensity, stabilizing her fluctuating power without a single touch.

[51%...]

The system window flashed brightly, locking the final reading onto the screen.

[CURRENT RESONANCE: 51%.]

Rhaevia stared at the floating holographic text in utter disbelief. Their resonance had spiked far beyond their previous record, crossing the half-way threshold in a matter of seconds. And this time, they had achieved it without even touching.