"Maybe I did let my guard down," Aduke replied, her voice hoarse but steady. "But you and your team are relentless. It's… impressive."
Okon gave her a nod, a glimmer of respect in her eyes. "It's been a while since anyone's made us push ourselves this hard," she admitted.
"But you don't just need strength and tactics; you need to read each other's intentions and fill in the gaps without needing to think about it." Okon said as the apelings students had a lot of call out before they could respond.
Aduke felt a pang of frustration but nodded in acknowledgment. The cursed Apelings had adapted to every tactic they threw at them, reacting faster and staying one step ahead in a way that felt almost instinctive.
Garrock, his expression softer now that the battle was over, joined Okon. He looked at Aduke with a small, rare smile. "You've got grit, kid. But grit alone won't cut it. Learn to look past your opponent's next move. When you can do that, we'll welcome a rematch."
