The sound of metal against metal resonated in the training area as Elio and Diana exchanged blows.
She, now level 8 like most builders, demonstrated impeccable technique in every movement. However, the gap in speed and perception meant that even her most precise attacks were anticipated by Elio.
The massive sword in his hands, born from the fusion of the Artromus weapons, should have been unwieldy, unsuitable for traditional techniques. But Elio's superhuman strength turned it into a natural extension of his body, maintaining the agility of a normal sword with devastatingly superior reach.
"Effective range," Diana explained while retreating from an attack, "is fundamental in any martial art. You must know both yours and your opponent's."
The techniques she taught, inherited in her family from decades of development under Fathoran, were solid. Over eighty years of refinement had turned them into a practical and effective system, though far from perfection.