Nikita slept well that night and woke up feeling energized and ready to start the day's lessons. As always she quickly ate and went back out to the training grounds where she met Herobrine.
They reviewed all of the skills that she had learned up to that point, from creating portals to summoning lightning bolts.
When they were done Nikita took a short rest to regain her strength and then Herobrine told her what they would be doing.
"This will be your final lesson," he said, looking Nikita straight in the eyes.
"This will be a test of strength and of your skill that will tell me wether or not you are ready to travel to the End face the Dragon." He said.
"You will fight me and use all of the powers that you have learned." He said.
"You May even find that you unlock some hidden abilities." He said, taking out his sword.
Nikita did the same, her heart in her throat.
This isn't going to go well. She thought, getting into a fighting stance and facing Herobrine.
"Three... two... one."
Herobrine launched himself at Nikita and they locked swords, each one of them trying to get the upper hand.
Finally Nikita managed to slide her blade out from under Herobrine's and slash at his legs.
He easily dodged her attack and directed a lightning bolt at her. Nikita quickly opened a portal to the top of the Fortress and escaped the attack, summoning her own lightning bolt and hitting Herobrine with it. It sent him flying, but he quickly dodged it and began to float in the air, his eyes glowing brighter then she had ever seen them.
Suddenly swords were flying at her. Nikita felt her power surge through her and through her arms, her eyes glowing like Herobrine's own. Suddenly a thin sheet of bluish magic appeared in front of Nikita and the swords hit it... but they immediately disappeared in bright flashes of light.
She had just conjured a magical shield.
I learn something new every day. She thought.
She then opened a portal to the space behind Herobrine and stepped out of it sword at the ready. Herobrine spin to meet her, his sword glancing of hers, sparks of blue and white magic flying off of the glowing blades.
The two warriors exchanged blow after blow, blocking and parrying stabs and thrusts. Nikita took advantage of Herobrine's focus on blocking her blows to attack his mind.
He quickly built walls around it however, and what was a sword fight became a mental battle of pure strength.
They battled back and forth, one taking the upper hand and then the other. They did this for what seemed like hours before they broke contact and again began their deadly dance of swords and lightning.
Nikita rolled to the side to avoid a lightning bolt and shot one at Herobrine. Suddenly out of nowhere a lightning bolt struck the ground in front of her, sending her flying.
She hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of her. Nikita lay on the ground motionless for a few moments to regain her strength.
"I thought that you were stronger then this," said Herobrine, coming and standing over her.
"I thought that you were ready."
Nikita mustered all of her remaining strength and with a furious yell swing her sword around and plunged it into the ground, releasing all of the energy in the blade.
It sent Herobrine flying into the Fortress wall and tore apart any nearby trees or fences. Servants went flying to, and some were killed.
Nikita stayed in her kneeling position with her sword still stuck in the ground for a full minute, catching her breath and trying to regain her strength.
When she finally got enough of her strength back she stood and faced where Herobrine was picking himself up off of the ground.
"I was wrong," he said, looking at her.
"You are strong enough."
He looked at her longer then Nikita felt comfortable with before he said "That was the most powerful blast that I have seen from any of the people I've trained. I was right in picking you."
Nikita took a deep breath and began to channel her power through her again, letting it wash through her and replenish most of her strength.
"We leave in the morning, pack anything you think that you may need. Meet me out in front of the Fortress in the morning."
Then Herobrine was gone, leaving Nikita alone.
She walked towards the Fortress and up to her room where she began to pack anything that she may need in a small satchel.
She put her health potions in the bag along with some food. Nikita then hung it on the end of her bed with her sword.
She then polished her armor and put that next to her bed, ready to be put on. When she was certain that everything she needed was packed she went to bed, sleeping relatively well.
When she awoke she quickly got dressed and donned her armor, slinging her satchel is Ved her shoulder and grabbing her sword.
She quickly ate and made sure that she had everything before she went out to meet Herobrine at the front of the Fortress.
"Follow me." Said Herobrine, beginning to walk towards the outskirts of the Training Grounds.
As they got closer to the hills behind the Fortress Nikita saw the vague outline of a polished obsidian door set into the hillside. Herobrine has blocked it with a wave of his hand and they entered a dark room where 20 other armored and armed Servants waited.
"And now is the time that we venture again into the world of the End." Said Herobrine, walking into the next room.
In the middle of the room was a portal made of regular End Portal blocks, and in the middle was a portal that looked like the night sky.
It made the same sounds as the Shadowstone portal had, and had normal Ender Eyes in each of the portal blocks.
"Nikita, you go in behind me." Said Herobrine.
"The rest of you follow her."
Then Herobrine jumped into the portal and disappeared. Nikita stepped up to the portal and hesitated for a brief second before jumping into the portal herself.
Jumping into the portal felt like being in an incredibly small space and having an iron band around your chest.
It was incredibly uncomfortable but Nikita only had to endure it for a couple of seconds before she was in the End.