Daemion brought both swords together,
SCRRRAAANG!
Steel sang as sparks burst outward, flashing beneath the sun. The sound sliced through the arena like a war cry.
He dropped into stance.
One knee slid back into the sand.
One blade came forward, held perpendicular, steady and precise.
The second sword angled sharply toward Arthur's heart, its edge glinting with promise.
Across from him, Arthur Dungen casually twirled his spear once; smooth, effortless; before leveling its tip directly at the prince.
Daemion drove his back foot hard into the sand.
And sprinted forward.
At first, he charged straight, sand exploding beneath his boots. His speed increased little by little, each step faster than the last. Then; without warning; he veered left, carving a sharp angle across the arena floor.
Arthur smiled lightly.
He did not move.
Daemion surged forward again from the left, then suddenly snapped back toward Arthur, redirecting his charge in a heartbeat. His speed spiked; drastically; three times faster than any normal human should move.
As he closed the distance, Daemion spun.
He dropped onto one knee mid-motion, both arms spreading wide, swords extended. His body rotated swiftly, blades fanning outward in a deadly circle. The motion carved the air itself, creating a whirling, fan-like sweep of steel aimed low.
His attack cut toward Arthur's legs.
The sword tips came within inches.
Arthur leapt.
He sprang upward into a clean backflip, boots clearing the strike by the narrowest margin. The blades scraped the underside of his boots, sparks flashing as steel kissed steel.
Daemion reacted instantly.
He planted the tip of one sword into the sand, sliding forward on one knee while the other leg remained braced and perpendicular, stabilizing his momentum.
Arthur was already airborne.
Mid-flip, he gripped his spear with both hands. As he landed, he stretched the spear outward, holding it near the handle's end with his right hand, twisting his torso slightly to add torque.
The spear lunged forward.
Daemion saw it coming.
With his free hand, he snapped his remaining sword up, placing the blade directly in front of the spear's tip. Steel met steel with a sharp crack as the spear struck the sword.
Arthur yanked the weapon back, seized it with both hands, then drove the spear's tip forcefully into the arena floor.
Using it as a pivot, he lifted himself into the air.
Arthur spun forward, body rotating around the anchored spear. As he rose, he wrenched the weapon free in a sweeping motion, dragging it upward and then down in a wide semicircular arc; aimed straight at Daemion.
Daemion braced.
He lifted the knee that was on the ground, straightened his back leg, and crossed both swords tightly in front of him, locking them into a solid X. He held firm as the spear slammed into the crossed blades.
Arthur landed and pressed harder, driving his weight into the strike.
Daemion shifted.
He twisted his body slightly to the right and undid the cross at the perfect moment.
The spear slammed into the ground instead; hard.
Sand erupted from the impact point, scattering outward in a violent spray.
Arthur jumped back, landing cleanly a few steps away.
In the same breath;
Daemion hurled the sword from his right hand.
The blade spun through the air like a silver comet.
Arthur twisted his body aside, narrowly avoiding the projectile as it sliced past.
Daemion didn't stop.
He spun anticlockwise, gripping the remaining sword in his left hand. The blade carved a wide circle through the air.
The arena gasped.
The air around the sword began to vibrate.
The space itself trembled as a powerful circular column of compressed air formed around the blade. With a sharp, roaring release, the arc of air tore forward at incredible speed, racing toward Arthur.
Arthur tried to turn away;
Too late.
The slashing air arc struck his upper left shoulder.
BOOOOOOM!
A burst of red light exploded on impact as the invisible armor reacted. The force sent Arthur flying backward through the air. He slammed his left leg into the sand to stop himself, skidding hard as grains sprayed outward. He planted his right leg next and drove the spear's handle into the ground to finally halt his momentum.
The arena erupted.
"DAAAAMIAAAN!"
At the edge of the arena, the Arena Master threw his arm forward, voice booming.
"DAAAMION HAS LANDED THE FIRST HIT WITH HIS MARVELOUS POWER OF AIR MANIPULATION!
WHAT A SPECTACULAR DISPLAY!
ONE FOR DAEMION!"
The crowd roared louder, the sound shaking stone and sky alike.
Without hesitation, Daemion dashed forward, snatched his thrown sword from the sand using one hand while dashing
And charged straight toward Arthur once more.
The battle had truly begun.