The Monster Monarch System-Chapter 210: A Little Spar (Part 2)

Cole raised one of his blades just in time to deflect the strike aimed at his head, the sharp clang of metal ringing through the air as steel met steel.

The force behind Cecilia’s swing was no joke, yet Cole barely seemed to notice the impact.

His strength was beyond anything she had encountered before — unnatural, even.

The blow hadn’t made him flinch, and his grip on his sword remained steady, it was as if the entire exchange had been a casual greeting.

"Is that all?" Cole’s voice was smooth, laced with a hint of amusement.

His cocky smile didn’t falter.

After all, not everyone could boast of strength like his. Even with Cecilia’s enhanced abilities, Cole was something else entirely.

Cecilia stepped back, her silver hair whipping around her as she tightened her grip on her sword. Her eyes narrowed.

’I have to do better than this,’ She thought.

"Don’t get cocky," she muttered under her breath. With a swift motion, she focused and activated her power.

’Enhance... times two.’

The surge of energy exploded from her core.

Her silver hair flared out as the aura surrounding her intensified.

Her muscles began to hum with power, steam rising from her skin as the energy coursed through her body. Her eyes flashed, bright with determination.

Without wasting a second, she moved forward again. This time, her strike was faster, sharper. She was going all in.

The blade whistled through the air as she aimed for his chest, but Cole met her with a nonchalant flick of his wrist.

Steel clashed against steel once more, sending sparks flying into the air. Despite the power she was throwing behind each strike, Cole’s defense barely shifted.

In fact, this time he was pushed back a fraction — just enough for Cecilia to believe she might have an opening. But the distance she’d gained was so small, it might as well have been nothing.

Her brow furrowed as she felt her own pulse quicken. ’He shouldn’t be able to hold up against this.’

She’d been doubling her Soul energy, yet Cole hadn’t even flinched. It was as though his body wasn’t even affected by the buff she’d just activated.

’I... I don’t get it,’ she thought, her mind racing. ’What’s wrong with him?’

"Is that it?" Cole’s voice was casual, almost bored, as he took a half-step back to regain his stance. His smirk only widened. "I expected more from you if I were to be honest."

Cecilia’s heart pounded in her chest.

’Don’t let him get to you,’ she reminded herself. She couldn’t afford to lose focus. This time, she pushed even harder.

She activated ’Enhance’ again, this time pushing her soul energy to its limit. The raw power coursed through her veins, making her feel alive in a way she hadn’t before. Her muscles rippled with the effort as she drew back her sword and lunged forward.

The next flurry of strikes was a blur—rapid, fluid, and precise.

Each one was aimed at a critical weak point, each one designed to land.

But once again, Cole’s reactions were so fast, he made it look effortless.

He ducked, weaved, and parried with a grace that belied the sheer strength behind his movements. Every time her sword cut through the air, he was a step ahead, always just out of range.

Her sword met nothing but empty space. ’Why can’t I touch him?’

"Too slow," Cole muttered with a flick of his wrist. His blade darted in and out of her defenses as if he were toying with her.

It shouldn’t be possible. She was moving faster than ever before, yet Cole was still... faster.

Her frustration mounted. With a growl, she swung harder this time, slashing downward with everything she had. The air seemed to crack with the force of her strike. But once again, Cole vanished.

’What the hell?’

In a blink, he was behind her, the cold steel of his blade pressing lightly against her neck. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she froze, every muscle in her body suddenly tense.

His voice was almost chilling in its impassiveness.

"Stand down."

The words hung in the air like an order, and for a fleeting moment, Cecilia thought about complying.

The pressure of the blade against her skin was a silent reminder of just how outclassed she was.

She hadn’t even seen him move — one moment he was in front of her, and the next, he was already behind her, blade drawn and ready, pressed against her neck.

She swallowed hard, but refused to let the fear take over.

’No,’ she thought, her jaw tightening. ’I’m not done yet.’

Cecilia fought to control her breathing, but the anger and confusion swirling in her chest made it hard to concentrate.

Every time she thought she had him, he was already somewhere else.

’What is he?’ she wondered. Her eyes flicked toward his face, searching for any sign of weakness, any hint of a flaw.

But there was nothing.

No sign of exertion. No sweat. No sign of Soul energy, either. It was like he didn’t have any.

He should have been drained, but his posture was relaxed, his smirk never wavering.

Even now, after all of this, he barely seemed bothered.

The realization hit her like a slap in the face. The man in front of her had no soul energy.

None. Not even a flicker.

But then, how was he so strong? How was he moving so fast? And why did he seem completely unaffected by her best efforts?

She couldn’t understand it. All she could do was stand there, his sword still raised, as his blade rested against her neck.

Cole’s calm, detached expression was the last thing she saw before his next words cut through the air.

"Give up."

Cecilia suppressed the urge to laugh.

Giving up? The words felt foreign, impossible. Giving up didn’t exist in her dictionary. She would keep pushing forward —until her opponent was done, until he was defeated... She wouldn’t stop. She couldn’t stop.

"I will never give up," she muttered, her voice low but fierce.

With a sudden surge of strength, she pushed away from Cole, skidding backward across the ground, creating a brief distance between them.

Her eyes narrowed. She could feel the weight of her decision. The skill she was about to use came with consequences, but she didn’t care.

It was the only way to turn the tide in her favor.

Her "Enhance" ability could be stacked four times before the physical strain became unbearable, and right now, she needed every ounce of power she could get. She had no time to waste.

’Enhance... times four,’ she thought, focusing all her Soul energy into the activation. The rush was instantaneous — soul energy surged through her body, suffusing her muscles, amplifying them beyond their normal limits.

Her pupils vanished, replaced by glowing energy that radiated out from her eyes.

She could feel the strain beginning to set in, the overwhelming pressure building in her limbs. The pain was coming — the intense burn that would eventually overwhelm her — but it didn’t matter. Not right now. Not when she was this close.

"I’ll take him out quickly," she muttered, her breath ragged, her body already beginning to tremble under the strain. "If I have to go down with him, so be it."

With a roar, she surged forward, the air whipping around her as her movement tore through the ground beneath her.

A shockwave rippled through the space as she closed the distance between them, her blade raised.

She swung with everything she had — speed, power, and precision — all at once. The blade cut through the air like a lightning strike, but Cole’s relaxed stance never wavered.

Her breath came in sharp, desperate gasps. "Don’t let up," she muttered, pushing through the pain as she pulled her blade back for another strike.

A flurry of slashes followed, each one aimed to land, each one threatening to break through his defenses. She wasn’t about to give him an inch of breathing space.

Even with her Enhance pushed to its limits, despite everything she stacked, Cole remained unfazed.

He dodged her strikes with ease, his movements smooth and effortless, though it was clear he was exerting more energy than before.

Still, nothing she did seemed to connect — her attacks only slicing through the air or leaving deep cuts in the sand just outside the small arena.

"Not giving up, huh?" Cole’s voice was steady, every word cutting through the tension between them. "I respect that. It’s a good trait — especially for a warrior."

With a swift motion, he slashed his blade forward, sending her sword flying from her grip and embedding it into the sand a mere inch from the edge of the ring.

"But a true warrior knows when to fight and when to fold," Cole added, his tone softening, though his eyes remained sharp.

She collapsed to her knees, the weight of her exhaustion sinking in, her Enhance fading fast.

He stood over her, his presence like an boulder.

Remember that next time you face someone stronger than you," he said, his words carrying the weight of experience. "Sometimes knowing when to stop is the hardest battle of all."