The courtyard of House Galanis was awash in twilight, the golden glow of the setting sun casting long shadows over the battlefield. The clatter of steel rang out relentlessly, punctuated by grunts of exertion and the dull thud of blows landing. The air was thick with tension, heavy as the weight of impending disaster loomed over Eskil's comrades, who stood clustered near the edges of the courtyard. They watched their leader fight with bated breath, their unease growing with each passing moment.
Eskil faced off against Alaric in a duel that had spiraled far beyond what anyone had expected. Despite Eskil activating the Blood Burning Technique—a forbidden move that heightened his physical abilities to an inhuman degree—Alaric was holding his ground. More than that, he was pushing Eskil to his limits, matching him blow for blow in a way that sent chills down the spines of the onlookers.