Drill Five was Reaction Gunmetal
They resumed with an object thrown.
A practice steel can, small, shot forward like a projectile.
Lucen had to slash it out of flight with one clean arc.
Three attempts.
First, he missed. Can spins past his elbow.
Second, slash too late. clang.
Third, sweat stung his eyes. He swung with focus. Saw a moment of spark, metal grazed. The can wobbled and dropped.
Varik nodded.
"You're picking up timing."
Lucen flexed the cut across his forearm where the can scraped him. Crimson bloom faint.
"I finally caught something."
—
Final Round was Sparring Integration
No rules. Just spar. All drills integrated. Rhythm broken. Framing zones. Feint. Displacement. Blind starts. Projectile reaction.
They circled one another.
Varik attacked first, fast sequence.
Lucen parried two. Backed, pivoted.
He stepped in, displacement sweep, grazed Varik's side.
Varik reeled, pushed back.
Lucen didn't press.
Blade tapped ground.
Silence.
