Spar

Zenith took out his katana and began training, practicing the fundamental movements and various basic katana patterns. After about two hours of rigorous exercise, exhaustion set in, and he decided to call it a day.

"Are you done?" Alexia asked as Zenith sheathed his katana.

"Yes," Zenith replied.

"That must have been exhausting. Do you want anything to eat?" Alexia offered.

"Sure," Zenith accepted.

"Ok, I will go and," Alexia started to say before being interrupted by a mysterious person wearing a cloak who asked, "Do you want to have a spar?"

"A spar, sure," Zenith replied. The mysterious man moved to the middle of the training ground and stood there. Zenith took out his katana again and said, "This might take a bit, so can you wait?"

"Sure, no problem, I can wait," Alexia replied.

Zenith walked over and stood in front of the mysterious person, waiting for the spar to commence. However, nothing happened. 'Am I supposed to do something or what?' Zenith thought to himself, feeling a bit perplexed.

'You're supposed to explain the rules of the duel, dumbass,' Abyss remarked.

Zenith retorted, 'How was I supposed to know?' He then addressed the mysterious man, saying, "The only rule of this duel is that the first one to draw blood wins."

"Okay," the mysterious man acknowledged and bowed down. Zenith reciprocated the gesture, showing a sign of respect, and the duel commenced.

The mysterious man began by taking a step back and swiftly retrieving two black daggers from his cloak. In that moment, Zenith rushed towards him, aiming to land a strike. However, the man deftly dodged the attack, showcasing his agility, and quickly repositioned himself.

'This guy is not an amateur to dodge that well,' Zenith thought to himself as he took a few steps back, also repositioning himself for the ongoing duel.

This time, the mysterious man initiated the attack with his two daggers, throwing one towards Zenith's face while closing the distance with the other in his hand. Zenith skillfully dodged the airborne dagger and successfully blocked the second one, preventing it from stabbing him.

In that moment, Zenith believed he had gained the upper hand. However, just as he thought he was in control, Abyss's warning echoed in his mind. 'Duck," and Zenith instinctively bent down, narrowly avoiding a dagger that floated in the air, seemingly controlled by an unseen force.

"Do you have some danger sense or something?" the man inquired, surprised by Zenith's evasive maneuvers.

"Something like that," Zenith replied cryptically. Seizing the opportunity, he dashed towards the man, aiming to slash him. Once again, the mysterious man exhibited remarkable agility, effortlessly dodging Zenith's attack and swiftly repositioning himself to maintain the advantage in their duel. The spar intensified, with both combatants showcasing their skills and adaptability in the heat of battle.

"You should use your feet more," the man advised, launching another dagger at Zenith.

Dodging the projectile, Zenith inquired, "What do you mean by using my feet more?" He swiftly followed up with a slash towards the man.

"You may have gotten skilled with the katana, but your movement is lacking, which is affecting your overall skill," the man explained, effortlessly evading Zenith's slash and attempting to counter with a stab.

As Zenith dodged the incoming attack and stepped back, he asked, "How do I improve it?"

"Win this duel, and I will tell you," the man replied, also taking a step back.

Zenith took a deep breath and activated his Abyss Flame. The katana now bore a black flame over its blade, and Zenith's eyes seemed to have darkened.

Observing the transformation, the man thought, 'He seems to have changed, and what is that flame on his sword? This won't be as boring as I thought it would be.'

With the Abyss Flame active, Zenith dashed forward with enhanced speed, aiming for a slash with improved precision. The man found it more challenging to dodge, though he still managed to evade the attack, albeit not as swiftly as before.

Zenith didn't allow the man a moment of respite and immediately followed up with a second slash. The man dodged again, but this time, it was partly Zenith's intention. Knowing that the man would dodge, Zenith lowered the force of his swing, allowing him to move the katana faster than before to the position where the man had repositioned himself. The strategic adjustment added a layer of complexity to Zenith's attacks, keeping the mysterious man on his toes.

The man repositioned himself, and Zenith's third attack was aimed straight at him. However, a dagger suddenly struck the katana, knocking it off course.

"Guess I've got to get more serious," the man remarked. One of his eyes illuminated in a green color, while the other remained concealed by his blonde hair. An aura enveloped him.

A dagger, much faster than before, approached Zenith, who barely managed to block it with his katana. Simultaneously, the man dashed towards him, attempting to stab him. In a swift and agile maneuver, Zenith sidestepped, simultaneously releasing the dagger he had blocked. The projectile struck the man at lightning speed, creating a cut on the side of his head that made him bleed. The successful strike marked the first blood in the duel, signaling Zenith's victory in the spar.

The aura surrounding the man vanished, and he admitted, "Congrats, that was quite dumb of me."

"If we had a real fight, I'm sure, no doubt, you would kill me," Zenith admitted, impressed by the man's strength and acknowledging the level of skill demonstrated in their spar.

The man replied, "No need to flatter me, and about the movement thing I was explaining, if you reposition yourself in a good position after you block a person's attack, you'll automatically be in a bad position, which gives you less time to regain your stamina, fix your posture, and so on."

"How do I fix it?" Zenith asked.

The man reached into his belongings and pulled out a book. "This book contains movement techniques, which should help you."

"Thank you for the book. When do I have to return it to you?" Zenith inquired.

The man reassured, "Don't worry; you can keep it."

"Are you sure?" Zenith asked, surprised by the generosity.

The man nodded, affirming his decision.

"Thank you" Zenith expressed his gratitude for the valuable resource, then turned to Sara, whose face bore a stunned expression.

Zenith inquired, "Anything happened? Why do you look so stunned?"

"That fight was amazing; how could I not be stunned?" Sara replied.

Zenith clarified, "It was a spar, not a fight."

"That is even more impressive in my opinion," Sara said.

Zenith, shifting the topic, asked, "What's there to eat here?"

"I've got something in mind," Sara said.

Zenith pressed, "What is it?"

"It's a secret," Sara teased, and with that, both of them headed back into the inn.