At dawn in the hidden valley above Loch Traenala, Vis spars with Conor after spending a week training there following the long voyage to the island. Vis is already behind the other students despite his elite Academy background, and Conor repeatedly exploits Vis's weak left side with disciplined, fast staff work. Under Pádraig's supervision, Vis is knocked down and told that he is still trying to fight like a man with two arms.

Pádraig presses harder, arguing that Vis's real problem is not only the loss of his arm but the loss of his nerve. Vis resents the accusation, especially because he is also trying to hide his full capabilities among the older students while still appearing to strive. When Vis attacks more aggressively, he still cannot overcome Conor, and the defeat lands harder than expected because it forces Vis to admit that, with his current injury and weapon, Conor is simply better.

After Vis concedes, Pádraig refuses to let the matter stand as proof that a disadvantaged fighter is doomed. He calls Tara forward and has her fight Conor with her left hand held behind her back. Tara calmly blocks, braces her spear with her body and the ground, controls the pace of the exchange, and then defeats Conor decisively, showing Vis exactly how a one-armed fighter can compensate through technique and composure.

Pádraig then escalates the demonstration by sending Seanna and Miach to join Conor against Tara. Tara still dominates, reading attacks from multiple directions, using the ground, her weapon, and her own movement with extraordinary precision until all three opponents are down. As Tara pauses in front of Vis, he realizes the display was not merely skill: during the fight her eyes turned completely black, revealing that something uncanny lies behind her impossible performance.