Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair)
Chapter 102

Carissa pointed with her Rose Spear toward where she had fought Michael.

"If your eyes are still working, see why Michael surrendered for yourself."

The location wasn't far, just about seven or eight paces away. Aurora followed the direction Carissa indicated, and took a deep breath. She saw five cracks on the ground, each twisting and winding, as if a centipede had crawled through. They converged at one spot.

That spot was roughly where Michael had been standing. The cracks seemed to have passed through beneath his feet. One crack was about the size of a footprint, indicating a lighter impact. It appeared that Carissa's inner force had struck Michael's feet, causing this lighter crack.

If Carissa hadn't carefully controlled her inner force, it could have crippled Michael's legs. That was why he had surrendered.

Aurora took a deep breath, realizing that in Carissa's presence, she had been thoroughly defeated.

However, she straightened herself quickly, clinging to Barrett's arm and leaning against him. She displayed the kind of smile she had previously scorned-a delicate and charming smile.

"Yes, I lost to you in the challenge, and my skills may not be as good as yours. But I'm the one who secured Victory Pass, and I'm married to General Warren by royal edict. His love for me is undeniable. "Even if you achieve great feats on the battlefield and hold a higher rank in the future, I will still have beaten you first. I will always be the first female general of Starhaven and Barrett's wife. You'll never be able to claim these positions."

Carissa's smile remained cool and indifferent.

"I'm not interested in being General Warren's wife, and I don't covet the title of Starhaven's first female general. Why would I want to replace you? After you said those words that trampled on women's dignity, I've lost all respect for you. No matter what great achievements you make, your character is lacking."

Aurora's smile faltered, and she struggled to maintain it. "Hah! Now you're attacking my character. It seems you do care, after all. Why else would you be so sharp-tongued?"

She raised her chin defiantly.

"And another thing! Do you dare to claim that you didn't come to the battlefield to overshadow me? Your intentions are unworthy! You entered the battlefield with personal motives and no true loyalty to defend the nation. In that regard, you will never compare to me!"

Carissa held her Rose Spear with casual elegance. She threw Aurora a fleeting smile, and left with a parting shot.

"Being overly narcissistic is a sickness. You should see a physician to check for anything wrong with your head."

"What?!" Aurora was enraged and embarrassed. She screamed at Carissa's retreating figure, "Are you saying otherwise?"

Carissa didn't turn around or offer a reply. Her silhouette stretched in the firelight as she leaped gracefully into the air, soaring towards the city tower. Her form was swift as an eagle. As she neared the city tower, she ascended easily and landed atop it.

She glanced back towards the open field, where the cracks were still clearly visible.

Indeed; with poor character, one might as well be blind.

Carissa retrieved an arrow from the city wall soldiers, and shot it with a flick of her wrist. It sliced through the air, and landed precisely in the middle of the cracks. Then, she sent a message with her inner force. [From here, the cracks are still quite clear. Are your eyes failing you?]

Her effortless Lightfoot Skill and the accurate shot left both Barrett and Aurora stunned. When Michael challenged her, the couple had been standing where she had, and they hadn't noticed the cracks on the ground.

They weren't blind-they were simply inferior to Carissa in every aspect.

Aurora trembled all over, clutching Barrett tightly, tears welling in her eyes. "Barrett, you won't despise me, will you?"

Barrett gazed at the spot where Carissa's figure had disappeared from the city tower, but he didn't turn away. He forced a bitter smile on his lips, and tightened his embrace. "No."

Aurora buried her face in his chest, crying softly. "She... She just comes from a better background than I do."

Barrett's arms fell to his sides. He no longer held her, his heart growing cold.

Aurora had lost, but was unwilling to admit it. Her openness, her straightforwardness, her boldness-they had all been illusions.