"You must have cheated!" Talia surmised. Her eyes flashed with a cold glint. She refused to associate this seemingly fragile woman with the woman who might have accumulated such a huge amount of crystals in just six days.
Ivy chuckled, "Proof? With your intelligence, I suspect you must have some proof, then show it."
Talia fell silent. Just now she acted impulsively and blurted out words without thinking. She thought for a while and realized she indeed didn’t have any proof.
Worried Silas would help Ivy, she had kept an eye on him and intercepted all his communication to make sure he didn’t contact one of his friends or help Ivy in any form.
Other than Silas, Ivy almost had no one who loved her to the point that he or she would accompany Ivy in this laborious task.
"Let’s have a duel." The most direct method to know the truth was to test Ivy’s skill on her own.
"Alright." Ivy agreed; she tied her cascading pink hair into a bun and took a defensive stance.
With a yell, Talia lunged first, throwing a strong punch toward Ivy’s face. Ivy ducked just in time, letting the punch whoosh past her head.
She spun around and used Talia’s own momentum to push her forward. Talia stumbled a step but quickly regained her balance.
"You’re faster than you look," Talia gritted out, swinging her leg in a sharp kick.
Ivy blocked it with both arms, skidding back from the force. Her arms ached, but she stood tall again, not giving Talia the satisfaction of seeing her hurt.
She dashed forward with light, quick steps. Her movements were smooth and smart, wasting no energy.
She didn’t try to match Talia’s strength; she knew better. Instead, she dodged, twisted, and struck at the right places.
A jab to the ribs, a kick to the knee, a swipe that nearly knocked Talia off her feet.
Talia growled in frustration. She was stronger; she could feel it. But Ivy was like water: slippery, quick, and impossible to catch.
Their fists clashed. Their feet danced over the ground.
Sweat trickled down Talia’s face as her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. Ivy, though clearly tired too, still had a steady focus in her eyes. It made Talia uneasy.
Then Ivy saw her chance.
As Talia threw another punch, Ivy sidestepped, grabbed Talia’s arm, and twisted it behind her back. With a final sweep of her foot, she knocked Talia to the ground, pinning her in one swift move.
Talia struggled for a moment, but Ivy didn’t let go. Her grip was firm. Finally, Talia sighed and tapped the ground, admitting defeat.
Ivy stood up and stepped back, breathing hard but keeping her head high.
Talia sat up, brushing the dirt off her clothes. Her face was blank, but something flickered in her eyes, a flicker of respect she quickly buried behind a cold glare.
"You’re better than I thought," she said sharply, but her voice didn’t carry as much bite as before.
Ivy gave a tight smile. The reality was... fighting against Talia was easy for now, but if she had used her ability, Ivy wouldn’t have stood a chance against her.
"Okay, I will listen to you for now." Talia, accepting the outcome announced, before pausing and continuing, "Ivy, can I make a request? Will you fulfill it?"
"If it is within my reach, I will fulfill it," Ivy answered, her calm expression not betraying the storm in her heart.
"I won’t stop Silas from chasing you. But if one day... You are on the verge of death, and only my brother’s death could save you... Please don’t reach out to him... ever." Talia softly said.
The atmosphere stilled, and Ivy’s eyes widened a bit. She stared at Talia, her heart pounding.
Was... Talia, perhaps reborn? The mere thought was enough to make her feel cold. However, the complex emotions swirling in Talia’s eyes made Ivy halt.
There wasn’t resentment in her eyes... only fear and helplessness. It took Ivy some time to understand... Talia understood something even Silas didn’t.
She knew that the only way her brother could ever be in danger... it would be because of Ivy.
"Don’t worry," Ivy nodded, her heart was filled with determination," I also assure you that... in this life, he will only benefit from me going forward."
"No need..." Talia shook her head; her stance had softened quite a lot after Ivy’s promise. "Anyways, if you don’t mind, can you tell me what you saw?"
After 6 days, Talia had calmed down a lot and understood many truths she hadn’t before. One of them, being Ivy, may truly possess the power to look into the future.
"I saw your fiancé calling you out for a meeting. On the way, you triggered a second awakening. Pain overwhelmed you, and since you were weak, others took advantage of you."
Talia’s face turned pale. She stared at Ivy hard before asking in a small voice, "What type of advantage?"
Ivy didn’t answer, preferring to stay silent; however, Talia heard the words hidden beneath the silence. She staggered before clenching her fist.
Suddenly, she stared at Ivy and asked, "Then... what about my fiancé? What did he do?"
"He took revenge on your behalf," Ivy muttered in a small voice, making Talia’s tightened heart relax a bit.
She remembered how Ivy had asked her to break off her relationship with her fiancé, and almost surmised that her fiancé had left her during her hard time.
"But..." Ivy gritted her teeth, "He cheated on you. He fell in love with the maid’s daughter after the arrival of the apocalypse. He had only taken revenge on your behalf as compensation."
Talia could feel her hand turning cold. After a long silence, she only muttered in a soft voice, "I see. Thank you for informing me."
Ivy pursed her lips and continued, "If you want, you can confirm everything on your own."
"Hm." Talia nodded. Though she knew that there was a 99% chance that Ivy was telling the truth yet she wanted to confirm it on her own.