Clang!
The Duke's blade met the Phantom Thief's rapier in a shower of sparks. The air itself seemed to shudder from the impact, the clash of aura-filled steel reverberating like a thunderclap.
"Kh…!" The Phantom Thief gritted his teeth, sliding back across the cobblestones as if the ground itself rejected him.
The Duke didn't give him time to breathe.
Boom!
With a single step, the ground cracked beneath the Duke's boots. He surged forward, his sword a streak of silver lightning.
Clang! Clang! Chaeng!
The thief barely managed to deflect the rapid strikes, his once-arrogant grin gone, replaced by clenched desperation. His footwork wove frantically, weaving around the Duke's relentless onslaught, but the rhythm faltered—his famed grace couldn't match overwhelming strength.
"Too slow."
The Duke's voice was calm, cold, and final.
Swoosh!
His blade carved through the air with a speed that blurred vision.
Crack!
