Leah stood poised.
Blade in her right hand, arm extended back.
Her left arm bent before her body, steady and guarded.
Left leg forward. Right leg straight.
The arena seemed to inhale.
Then she dashed.
Sand exploded beneath her feet as she surged forward, her movement sharp and decisive; no hesitation, no fear. In that instant, as her blade caught the light of the sun and her shadow stretched across the arena floor, the first strike of a new battle was born.
Daemion reacted; not by retreating, not by raising his guard.
He removed his helmet.
With a smooth, effortless motion, he hurled it straight toward Leah.
The helmet tore through the air, spinning end over end, aimed directly at her face as she charged. Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Leah didn't slow.
Her sword flashed.
One clean, decisive slash;
The helmet split in two midair, severed perfectly. The halves spiraled past her on either side as she continued forward without breaking stride, fragments of metal scattering into the sand behind her.
The arena erupted.
"WOOOAH!"
Leah closed the distance and swung her sword toward Daemion in a sharp diagonal cut.
Daemion turned his body away from the strike, letting the blade glance harmlessly past as he casually brought his sword up to stop it. In the same motion, he tried to kick her with his left foot, pivoting smoothly and completing a full circular motion back to his original stance.
Leah twisted just enough to avoid the kick, sand spraying as her foot slid back. She pressed forward, speed increasing, and slashed again.
Daemion spun clockwise, once more turning his back to her blade at the last possible moment, intercepting her strike with his sword. Steel rang out across the arena.
As he stopped her blade, Daemion lifted his free hand to his head.
Slow. Careless. Deliberate.
His fingers ran through his sweat-darkened hair, pushing it back from his face in a fluid, stylish motion; like the battle itself was nothing more than a stage, like Leah's blade was an inconvenience rather than a threat. He stepped aside as he finished the gesture, posture relaxed, sword now resting casually in his left hand.
Young women in the stands gasped and cheered.
"Woooow; Daemion!"
Leah's jaw tightened.
Annoyance flared into fury.
She yelled and swung again, putting wei
ght and anger behind the strike.
Daemion lifted his sword and intercepted it effortlessly.
CLIIIIING!
Leah struck left; Daemion blocked.
Right; blocked.
Right again; blocked.
Center; blocked.
Left; blocked.
Each clash of steel sent vibrations through the air. Black lightning-like flashes burst intermittently where their blades met, sharp cracks of energy snapping through the arena with every impact. The sound was deafening; metal screaming, power colliding.
Leah finally broke away, leaping back and landing on both feet, chest rising with sharp breaths.
Daemion didn't give her time.
He dashed forward, sword slicing through the air as he ran.
With a sweeping semi-circular arc; clockwise; he released an air slash. He followed immediately with another, this time anti-clockwise, his blade carving invisible pressure into the space around him.
Two air slashes tore forward in a crossing pattern, slicing the air itself.
As Daemion attempted a third;
Blood burst from his nose and mouth.
His body faltered.
"Shit," he muttered under his breath. "Too much stamina… I can't make slashes anymore without recharging."
He dropped to one knee, left hand slamming into the ground to steady himself, his left leg bent beneath him as he struggled to stay upright.
The twin air slashes raced toward Leah.
She dropped to one knee, her right hand touching the ground, and spun sharply to the right. The air blades screamed past her; one above, one beside; missing her by inches.
She landed smoothly, rising to her feet in a single motion.
Across the arena, Daemion tried to stand.
His movements were slower now. Weakened. Strained.
Leah saw it.
She dashed forward.
Her speed increased significantly, sand spraying behind her in a widening arc. She pushed harder, faster; but even now, she couldn't reach the impossible speed Daemion had displayed earlier in the arena.
Still, she charged.
Daemion struggled to rise, supporting himself with his left hand, his breathing heavy, his balance unsteady.
Leah closed in.
Her blade gleamed.
And then;
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
A CRIMSON RED FLASH exploded across the arena.
The shockwave tore through the sand, light and force scattering outward in a violent burst as the crowd screamed in unison.