Chapter 30: Shattered Illusion
At the sound, Kale lunged forward without hesitation, his dagger slicing through the air in a swift arc aimed directly at Asher’s abdomen.
Asher hadn’t intended to initiate the fight. It was his first real spar, and his strategy was to observe, study his opponent’s rhythm before fully engaging.
With that in mind, he brought his rapier up to parry. A sharp clang rang out as steel met steel, and a brief cascade of sparks lit up the space between them, marking the beginning of their clash.
Kale didn’t hesitate. His second dagger shot forward, fast, sharp, and unforgiving. He honored Asher’s request, holding nothing back.
Lowering his stance, Kale drove the blade toward Asher’s knees in a fluid, deadly motion. But Asher remained composed. With effortless grace, he flipped forward, soaring above the strike and over Kale, his movement as smooth as flowing water.
As Asher flipped overhead, Kale responded in a heartbeat. His waist twisted, shoulders rolling in one seamless motion as both daggers snapped upward, ready to intercept a strike from above. But the attack never came, Asher had only dodged, offering no retaliation.
Kale didn’t dwell on the reason. His mind stayed sharp, focused. Without pause, he advanced with even greater efficiency. His daggers flashed like twin streaks of silver, one driving toward Asher’s shoulder, the other targeting his ribs with ruthless intent.
Asher took a single step back, effortlessly slipping past both strikes.
But Kale was undetered, his movements fluid and serpentine, like a viper poised to strike again. Without missing a beat, he flowed into the next assault, his dagger darting toward Asher’s wrist, aiming to disarm him of Virelass.
A flash of silver answered the threat. Virelass intercepted the blow mid-arc, ringing with a sharp clang. Steel sang against steel.
Their eyes locked.