Cedric twisted at the waist just as the elongated arm shot toward his chest.
The black limb grazed past him, tearing through the air with unnatural silence. A thin streak of darkness brushed his shoulder guard, leaving behind a faint smear that hissed before fading.
He did not retreat.
Instead, he stepped in.
Mana surged along his blade. The steel vibrated with a low hum as he shifted his stance, abandoning the wide, flashy arcs from before and tightening his movement.
The creature's arm retracted like elastic snapping back into place.
Cedric's sword flashed again.
This time, the strike was horizontal.
The blade cut cleanly through the faceless neck.
For a brief instant, there was resistance, as if slicing through compressed mist.
Then the head separated.
It spun once in the air and fell to the ground with a dull thud.
The body remained standing.
Unmoving.
Headless, but no blood poured out.
Cedric stepped back, chest rising slightly from exertion.
