The shadow stood several meters away from me, its blade extended from the completed strike, its posture calm and perfectly balanced. There was no tension in its form, no preparation for movement, and yet I knew with absolute certainty that it did not need to prepare. It did not move in any conventional sense. It did not cross distance. It simply existed at the next point in sequence, bypassing every intermediate state.
Which meant reacting to its motion was meaningless.
I needed to stop its ability to exist elsewhere.
The shadow vanished.
My danger sense erupted immediately, screaming from behind and slightly above. Its blade was already descending toward the base of my neck, the strike positioned perfectly to sever my head before my nervous system could relay the signal.
I did not turn.
Violet Essence surged outward from my body as I partially activated my Domain.
