Drakhar raised his enormous sword.
"This next strike..."
"...will decide everything."
Luna nodded.
"I was thinking the same."
Silence fell over the arena.
Even the announcer stopped speaking.
Thousands watched.
Waiting.
Both fighters lowered their centers of gravity.
Then—
They charged.
The distance vanished instantly.
Steel met steel in a brilliant shower of sparks.
Their blades locked.
Power against precision.
Strength against technique.
For a heartbeat...
Neither moved.
Then Luna shifted her footing by a single step.
A movement so subtle most spectators missed it entirely.
Drakhar's balance faltered.
Only slightly.
Enough.
She redirected the force of his sword instead of resisting it.
His blade slid harmlessly past her shoulder.
Before he could recover—
The flat of Luna's sword stopped against his neck.
Perfectly placed.
Perfectly controlled.
Silence.
Drakhar looked at the blade.
Then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
He raised both hands.
