The darkness clung to the world like a second skin. Dawn had not yet come, and the moon, now tucked behind the ridge of distant mountains, lent no mercy to the gloom. The outer sect's training ground lay swallowed in silence. No chirping crickets. No rustling wind. Only breath.
And then …. the clashing of steel.
Sophia's sword whistled through the air as she parried the incoming slash, sparks blooming where metal kissed metal.
Her heart was pounding, not with fear—but instinct. Her mind screamed warnings even as her body danced ahead of them.
(Who is this guy? Why is he attacking me?)
She thought in doubt, as when she asked him that question loudly, the masked fellow didn't even spare a second to answer. But chose to slash at her faster. Taking advantage of her confusion and conversation.
That was when Sophia knew, tonight's fight was only for survival.
If she wanted answers, she'd have to win him first.
So she stopped asking. And let the sword speak instead.
Their blades clashed again, but this time it was her pushing forward.
Her form was sharp, elegant, not fleshy or ornamental with which she performed usually in mornings.
The sword seemed like an extension of her own arm, with how easily she twisted, moved, and slashed at the slightest of openings _ that's how much ease she showed handling the weapon.
Making Sunny doubt his own stalking skills.
(Just how long has she been training that sword? And why the fuck was she hiding so damn well?)
Sunny cursed as he narrowly avoided the killing blow by a hair's width.
But no matter how hard you train, or how fast you slash – as long as I can predict where you'd swing – everything else is just useless.
Sunny thought, moving his head tilt left, while keeping one hand behind his waist.
He had seen the sect issued sword art addition - being honed by hundreds of disciples every day for the past full week, he can't say he's mastered it fully, but he sure as hell remembered everything.
After the swing at my chest, comes the chop to my right hand, and then when I protect my proficient arm, comes the slash to my neck.
A famous faint where the user ignores normal offenses, and goes for the kill directly.
Sunny kept his long knife, the one he pulled from the kitchen to the front, ready to block her blow, while his left hand hid the short dagger he had used to kill Tommy and his friends earlier.
His plan was simple - lure her in, and just when she thinks she's winning, stab her.
But fantasies are fun - reality, often not so much.
As if reading his stance, or merely getting impatient, Sophia abandoned the usual attack patterns of the sect sword style.
Her attack landing directly where she aimed.
(That's not…) Sunny thought, realizing the changes too late.
He could just grit his teeth and curse Sophia for being so sneaky.
How could she even have her own sword style? Something no other outer sect disciple ever even dreamed of.
Luckily enough, he managed to move out of harm's way at the last second.
Though the girl's sword did manage to nick him on his shoulder.
But he wasn't at all happy with this result.
Because not only did his prediction fail, he also lost his best chance to surprise Sophia. Exposing his second dagger in such a shameful wasted moment.
(I was right, he knows the sect-style too.) Sophia muttered, being sure of her guess, seeing the short dagger aimed where her head would be, had she followed the same code.
The threat this masked man posed was raised to a new degree, and Sophia couldn't help but get more serious.
Sunny looked at Sophia, who took a step back, creating distance between them, before fully adapting to her own sword style.
Her feet moved in a way he couldn't follow up, her swings leaving behind shadows he couldn't crack.
Her strength was already superior to him, but now somehow, she became even faster. Swifter. Stronger.
(I guess she already reached the requirement for becoming an elite.) Sunny thought, feeling how Sophia's breathing pattern changed, and she started absorbing Qi to replenish her strength.
Something neither Tommy, nor his minions were able to do before dying.
Sunny thought about abandoning this kill, turning around and leaving - thinking of round 2 after he awakened his Dark Lotus. But then there was this second voice, telling him that if he missed this chance, she'll only grow more cautious. And more stronger.
And who knows, maybe she'll spill the beans and expose him too.
As with how much she's been hiding, she probably already guessed his identity.
Sunny wasn't wrong in his confliction, as soon as Sophia got close and saw his eyes, she already confirmed her doubts.
After all, in her eyes, he was the only one she might've 'offended'.
(For someone who was a cripple a week ago, and had trouble walking, he sure is moving quite fast.) Sophia thought, watching as the man jumped high, using a pole as his footrest to dodge her attack. Before turning around mid-air while throwing his knife directly at her heart.
(There's that weird footwork again.) Sunny thought, clicking his tongue as Sophia's steps turned illusory, making his throw miss once more.
"Not a single wasted breath."
"Not a single wasted movement."
Sunny and Sophia thought respectively, each praising the other's effort.
Sophia's sword carved up like lightning the moment his feet touched the ground.
But Sunny ducked beneath it. His shoulder slammed into her midsection, breaking her balance. She stumbled a step, but then twisted and spun her blade in a narrow arc behind her back.
She didn't hesitate. And next a powerful thrust came forward, Sunny deflected it with his long knife, then kicked upward with his knee, aiming for her ribs.
But as expected, Sophia blocked it with her elbow. Feeling the pain and slight tremble to her bone, she took a step back, her eyes flicking over his stance.
(He's not even a cultivator yet?) She thought, clearly sensing no qi energy in his body.
The shock came as a surprise to her, but then, a rising wave of anger blinded her brain.
How could she be pushed around like this by someone who didn't even start the path of dao?
The fact that Sunny even in this state could threaten her life, made her mad.
Sunny clearly noticed the change in her expression, but before he could guess what she was thinking, her attacks became erratic. Irregular.
She seemed to have entered some kind of berserk mode, making every attack of her deadly.
(Just what I need, rage.) Sunny cursed, but couldn't suppress the smile at the corner of his lips.
Sophia kept attacking while Sunny fully adapted the art of dodging and running away. Hiding behind the training dummies, between the trees.
As many attacks did he dodge, the more angry Sophia became. Losing her previous composure.
She used her sword as a faint, and raised her feet to kick him in the ribs, knowing he was previously injured there.
Predicting that when he tried to dodge, she'll truly have the advantage, _ but who knew the ruthlessness of Sunny.
He saw her attack, but still didn't get away, letting her hit his vitals.
As the kick connected, he couldn't help but spat out a mouth of blood, as his half-healed rotten skin also started cracking again. But ignoring the outrageous pain, Sunny still gritted his teeth, and just stabbed down with his short dagger.
By the time, Sophia reacted, she already had a large gash following beneath her calf to her ankle. Bleeding profusely.
She cursed and cried out in pain, but Sunny's attacks were far from over.
Next his short dagger was raised again, clashing against her sword, sending sparks flying, before it slid along the edges, heading straight towards the handle, where her fingers gripped it.
Sophia twisted her sword, trying to move her wrist away safely, without giving up.
But to her surprise, Sunny dropped the knife at the last moment. Instead he clenched his fist, and punched upward.
Smashing her chin.
A brutal uppercut that rattled her skull and knocked her back.
Before Sophia could come back to her senses, a roundhouse kick came for her head.
She raised her hand to block, but even then the impact caused her to stagger. Her hand hit a nearby tree, causing her sword to fall down in an anti-climatic fashion.
(Game over.) Sunny thought slashing towards her neck with the long knife.
Ready to chop her head clean off in one strike.
But just then an ear piercing sound echoed in the entire outer sect.
Tringgggg — Ringgggggg
Rio glanced at the sky, only to see the hazy glow of dawn dying the clouds red.
They had been fighting back and forth for so long, that in the rush of adrenaline, he entirely forgot how little time he had to finish the job.
This momentary distraction from him, gave Sophia enough time to save her life.
Sunny looked at her with clear annoyance in his eyes, hesitating whether to continue attacking or turn back and leave.
He was sure he could kill her in under one or two minutes, now that he had her shook and feeling scared.
But the risks….
Sunny finally glanced one last time at the girl, before running into the trees, and disappearing in the fog.