Through The Trees [Veralia/Stella]

No movement was wasted as Veralia, with her petite frame, effortlessly retreated backward by ten feet. Her blood eyes watched Stella rise, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Don't sweat it. Arrancars, people... they'll all try to screw you over. Stay sharp for the underhanded stuff."

Licking her lips with evident relish, Veralia spoke in a tone that was riddled with mischief.

When finished giving her advice, Veralia broke the distance between them with little effort. Both of Veralia's hands were ready to deliver swift and precise palm strikes aimed at a series of Stella's body parts. Her chest, stomach, and arms were the primary targets for her first wave of attacks. And regardless of how Stella would react, Veralia smoothly crouched down, aiming for more strikes targeting her kneecaps before raising herself for a final strike directed at the woman's chin.

Fortunately for Stella, Veralia held control of how destructive her attacks could be. None of these blows would produce a force strong enough to harm her, but they would generate shockwaves of pain to cause discomfort rather than actual harm.

As she pulled back slightly, still in a combat-ready stance, Veralia's smirk widened before she teased Stella.

"You seem pretty top-heavy. In battle, that softness could be a liability. Careful."

Eyes locked on Stella like a hawk, Veralia was evaluating Stella’s responses, a part of her enjoying the spar, another part assessing the Quincy’s potential and resilience.

"Don't let your opponent play with your head~"

Veralia's voice rang out, infused with a mischievous chuckle, as she imparted this nugget of wisdom to Stella.

Soon, the butt of Stella's weapon pushed itself against Veralia's belly; making the woman let out a cooing sound as the weight of the axe nudged against her. With another playful chuckle, Veralia reacted swiftly by utilizing the momentum of the push; retreating with a swift leap backward to a nearby. Agile and wild, Veralia bolted up the tree like a rabid animal.

Perched atop the tree, Veralia released a barrage of emerald-hued balas, their rapid firing echoing through the forest. She moved fluidly from tree to tree, a blur of motion creating afterimages that danced through the leaves. This wasn’t just an attack; it was a lesson in deception and agility.

Her laughter then started to echo in the forest around them. Filled with delight in her voice, she spoke again.

"Another tip: make use of your surroundings if you can in combat. It'll save your ass."

The bala's weren't lethal, but they would certainly serve to test her reflexes, durability, and adaptivity to the changing situation. So she'd feel some slight stinging, but nothing to keep Stella down for the count.

"Let's see what this forest offers you, hm?"

Veralia's voice had a taunting lilt, encouraging Stella to think on her feet. Every leap, every shot fired, was a part of Veralia's dance of war - a dance she was masterfully choreographing to push Stella to her limits.

The corners of Veralia's lips curled upwards, her amusement evident as she noted Stella's growing tactical acumen.

"Mmmmm, that's using your head."

Veralia wriggled her nose; growing more amused in her tone of voice. Of course, the kiddy gloves were off and Veralia used her surroundings to gain the edge.

When the tree was cut in two, Veralia ripped off the branches from the tree and hurled four large branches like projectiles at Stella. Fortunately for her, they weren't massive branches as the tree was already dying, and the speed at which they traveled could still be perceived by the eye, but it still wouldn't be fun for her to get hit with them.

So, with her cards tossed out on the battlefield, she casually tucked in her shorts and remained in place in the air. Her blood-red eyes gleamed down on the earth below with a rich intrigue, watching keenly for Stella's response. At this moment, Veralia wasn't just testing Stella's physical capabilities; she was probing the depths of her strategic thinking.

Veralia's eyes were as attentive as ever; as her body was still pumping with adrenaline despite the calm contrast her outside demeanor reflected. When her gaze lingered over to the spinning weapon hurdling toward her, her eyes widened for a moment as she pressed her palms together and stopped the object from giving her a direct hit.

A trickle of blood, however, betrayed the impact. Glancing down at her palms, now oozing crimson, Veralia shook her head dismissively and allowed Stella's weapon to clatter to the ground as droplets of blood dripped to the ground. Tasting the metallic tang of blood on her lips as she licked her plans, she then lowered her hands and narrowed her gaze back to Stella before jumping right back to the ground.

With a playful yet pointed motion, she leaped back to the ground and lightly tapped Stella on the head with a gentle karate chop.

"And you are dead."

Veralia made that declaration with a mix of jest and seriousness in her voice before continuing.

"You made me bleed, but now you're defenseless, a sitting duck for any predator."

After a hard sigh, she flicked her right hand as more fluids dripped as the cut slowly started to close up.

"I think in this instance you either should have had a clear means to defend/attack or prioritize a way to live to see another day. Hell, there are many battles in my past where I overestimated myself and had to flee to survive and fight another day so I could get to the strength I am now"

Eyeing her chest again due to their height difference, Veralia wondered if she was all fat and no brain. However, she kept that sentiment to herself as a chuckle escaped her lips, laced with a blend of amusement and mild frustration. Her thoughts, a mix of envy and critique, remained unspoken as she continued to assess Stella's potential.

"In direct combat? Sure, you'd be my meal. That doesn't mean you can't think of a means of escape. Save the last stand shit for if you believe you've truly exhausted every other means for survival."

Veralia's voice was firm, reflecting her combat experience.

The small cut on her palms healed up easily enough, so she let her hands rest on her hips. As she surveyed Stella, Veralia let out a soft sigh. Raising her eyebrow, she addressed Stella's earlier comment with a touch of humor.

"Look at our height difference. Do you really think that's possible?"

Veralia made gestures with her right hand to move it up and down to further illustrate the gap in their height.

"Blame your biology for those distractions. Who knows, maybe you can use them to your benefit to bewilder your enemies"

A snort followed her words, but not long after her expression became softer. She sought to close her eyes and contemplate where things should go from here. When they opened, her gaze was focused and serious.

"But enough about that, don't you have anything you can use to flee or ensure your escape from a battle you can't win? If not, we should probably work on that."

Veralia’s tone indicated that this wasn't just teasing; it was genuine advice from a seasoned warrior to a novice.