His words rang in Dylan's skull, mixing with the buzz of pain and the metallic taste in his mouth. "Force your opponent to show himself." It wasn't a lesson in fighting — it was a revelation. Julius wasn't teaching him how to fight; he was teaching him to see.
And suddenly Dylan saw.
He saw the slight tilt of Julius's torso, ready to absorb or to counter. He saw the position of his feet, planted but subtly shifted, ready to pivot. He saw the staff, held with an arrogance that bordered on mastery — an extension of the man, both weapon and shield.
But most of all, he saw the trap. Julius expected another feint, a smarter, more considered attack. He expected Dylan to play strategist. He expected a pupil who followed the lesson.
Dylan decided to teach him instead.
