89 Overture to One's Demise (II)

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"Haah...haah…" Apollo and Aaron both heaved as they lay on the ground. Although Apollo held back significantly, he was exhausted by how long he battled against Aaron. Even after reaching exhaustion, Aaron chose to continue sparring.

Still, despite his unwillingness to give up, Aaron couldn't help but

"Just how many near-death battles have you gone through to achieve that calmness? Even though I tried my hardest, I couldn't ignore the possibility of dealing fatal damage towards you. And yet, you were able to counter all my strikes easily," Aaron turned towards Apollo, looking at him with reverence.

"A thousand at the very least, and that is a generous estimation. It's not something that will change overnight. But we have time before we leave this place. We'll have to train harder to temper that shortcoming out of you. Kindness isn't a weakness in all cases, but in our society, it's best to avoid being too kind," Apollo answered in a candid tone.