Shadow Slave

It went well.

Sunny was not doing much better against the murderous hurricane of steel wearing the beautiful human face of Morgan of Valor... but he did manage to slow her down a little.

Morgan slowed down not because she felt pressured by his sudden change of techniques, but because she was fascinated by it.

Her raven-black hair swept back and her simple tunic rippling from the wind risen by their clash, she pierced him with a burning vermilion gaze. Her red lips moved:

"Interesting. Very interesting..."

Morgan was not addressing Sunny, but more so speaking to herself.

After that, she changed her strategy, as well. Before, Morgan was all offense, all sharp edges, and a relentless barrage of calculated, but devastating strikes. Now, she was moving more deliberately - not really holding back, but also not pursuing an overwhelming defeat of the enemy at all costs.

It was as if Morgan was afraid to break him too soon.

...Sunny did not really know how to feel about that.

'Huh... well, that's a new feeling...'

They clashed, their swords weaving a cacophonous, but strangely beautiful melody of hissing and clangor. At the side of the dojo, Cassie turned her head slightly, listening.

Sunny had long beaten his record of holding out against Morgan for thirty-six seconds. A minute passed, then another. He was still solidly standing on his two feet, and even though his breathing was growing a little labored from the terrible strain of the intense fight, his stamina was far from running out.

In the middle of a particularly furious exchange, when they were close to each other, Morgan suddenly asked:

"That style... who taught you?"

Sunny struck at the hilt of her sword, aiming to sever her fingers, and answered hoarsely:

"No one taught me. I just learned it... from a Nightmare Creature..."

punished it by aiming a thrust at his heart. A smile appeared

"...In the Nightmare?"

no one else had gotten a proper measure of their battle skill, and he had faced countless Nightmare Gates later in Antarctica,

front of

Morgan's smile widened.

a fast

her attacks becoming more purposeful. She was probing and testing, forcing

have her growing bored yet. He needed to impress her some more before losing, so that the impression he made

shadow flowed, turning into a great jian. It was still a two-handed sword, but this

surprise. She moved with the grace of a dancer, pulling her head out of the way. A strand of wavy black hair was cut

"Ah! Devious!"

outraged tone, her vibrant

they had agreed to leave their Ascended Abilities unused, after

was fine. Cheating was exactly what an exalted Legacy would

also what a person from the outskirts would

from, which was why Sunny thought

he attacked, turning his

on the fly... the only one he had reasons to avoid was

Her smile grew wider.

of the dojo under more and more strain. At some point, one of them even started to crack.

tip of her spear aside, Morgan

whipped into the air, delivering a lightning-fast, picture-perfect

back and raising its butt to solidly

shin connected with the matte black surface of the

as strong as an Ascended weapon would be. Sunny's eyes widened

'Crap...'

start using

do but accept the blow and hope that