The courtyard fell quiet as the two disciples faced each other on the stone platform.
Zhang Liang rolled his shoulders, muscles bulging against his robes. His wooden blade looked like a twig in his massive hands. "Trash," he sneered. "Try not to break too fast."
Joshua raised his sword into a steady guard. His stance was plain, nothing flashy, but his grip was sure, his posture balanced.
The instructor's voice cut through the silence. "Begin!"
Zhang Liang lunged, heavy and fast, blade sweeping down in a crushing arc.
Wood cracked against stone as Joshua slid aside, the strike missing him by an inch. His movement was precise, not panicked — a single step back, measured and calm.
Gasps rippled.
Lucian cupped his hands and shouted, "Elegant dodge! Our Ghost has style!"
Zhang Liang's face darkened. "Shut up!"
Zhang Liang swung again, this time horizontally, aiming to smash Joshua off the platform.
Joshua's blade lifted, catching the strike with both hands. The impact rattled his frail body, driving his feet back across the stone. The wood groaned in his grip, but he didn't break.
He exhaled slowly, redirecting the force instead of meeting it head-on. The blade slid past, momentum carrying Zhang Liang forward half a step.
Joshua stepped aside, sharp as a shadow.
Lucian whistled. "Redirected like water! Careful, Zhang Liang, you might slip on your own weight."
The crowd murmured. "He didn't just block it… he turned it."
Zhang Liang growled and pressed harder, each strike heavier than the last. His blade roared through the air, cracking stone when it missed. Joshua yielded ground, step by step, but his breathing never faltered.
Parry. Slide. Pivot. Every deflection was small, efficient. He didn't try to overpower. He simply refused to be caught.
The courtyard's laughter from earlier shifted into uneasy silence.
"Is this really Mo Xuanyu?"
"He's… reading the attacks."
Lucian leaned against the railing, golden eyes sharp. His grin was bright, but his voice dropped low, almost to himself. "That's it. Show them."
Zhang Liang, frustrated, raised his blade overhead with both hands, qi flaring faintly around him. "End this already!"
He brought it down in a crushing blow aimed at Joshua's shoulder.
Joshua's eyes narrowed.
He didn't block.
At the last moment, he shifted his weight, twisting his blade in a soft circle. The heavy strike slid off, wood screeching as it veered an inch wide.
In the same motion, Joshua stepped in, his own blade snapping up.
The wooden tip halted at Zhang Liang's throat.
The bigger boy froze, breath catching. His sword was still raised, but useless — overextended, off-balance.
The courtyard erupted.
"He—he stopped him!"
"One strike… right at the throat!"
Lucian threw both hands in the air, voice carrying above the noise. "Victory pose! Look at that! Our Ghost has teeth!"
For a heartbeat, neither moved. Joshua's blade didn't tremble. His eyes were flat, cold, unshaken.
The instructor's voice rang out, firm. "Match—Mo Xuanyu."
The crowd gasped louder.
Joshua stepped back immediately, lowering his blade. Zhang Liang staggered, face burning with humiliation. He opened his mouth, but no excuse came.
Joshua bowed once, correct and precise, then turned to leave the platform.
Lucian met him at the steps, grinning so wide it almost split his face. "Beautiful. Cold. Ruthless. You didn't even blink. I could kiss you."
Joshua shot him a look sharp enough to cut steel. "…Noisy."
Lucian laughed, delighted. "See? Even victory can't thaw you. Perfect."
As the noise of the courtyard swelled, a soft chime flickered in Joshua's mind.
[Ding!]
[Task complete: Changed vessel's fate.]
[Reward: +1 Basic Skill Card – "Steady Blade."]
[Reward: Soul Fragment (minor) acquired.]
A faint warmth stirred in his chest, subtle but undeniable. Like an ember glowing against the hollow ache.
Joshua lowered his lashes, concealing the flicker of something dangerously close to… longing.
Lucian nudged his shoulder lightly. "Come on, Ghost. Don't look so grim after winning. The best part of fighting is gloating afterwards."
Joshua's voice was cold, dismissive. "…Ridiculous."
But he didn't step away.
Lucian's grin softened into something quieter, though he'd never admit it aloud.