His eyes locked with hers, her expression one of calm collectiveness. The spit in his throat became very noticeable and so he gulped it down, suddenly this seemed like a very bad idea. The room felt more like a cage, isolated from the outside world through sound and sight. If he disappeared only those here would know why, of course he didn't think Seishan would kill him for being bold.
"I hope my handmaiden's sacrifices were not wasted."
{They didn't sacrifice shit. I made it out on my own strength.}
The smirk disappeared.
"I'll be the judge of that."
She walked into the and stood across from him. She was not swarmed in any sparks from summoning memories, no she was already wearing them. The velvety dress that hugged her frame was in itself a sturdy memory. He didn't know what the necklace and bracelets did but he knew she always wore them and figured the same.
"So, how many rules? No weapons, no aspect, till one of us is unconscious or unable to continue?"
Those were the normal rules for when they dueled.
Gwin nodded yes and took his stance.
His technique had gone through a metamorphosis since he had arrived at the castle. His training with Seishan before had refined his technique into something uniquely suited for him and his method of killing.
His stance was low, so low as to almost be squatting. Hey extended one leg in front and raised his open hands to catch or swipe at her limbs. He was ready to dart in any direction with great speed. His muscles tensed like iron cables having been greatly enhanced by the number of soul shards he had absorbed till now.
Seishan eyed his stance before getting into one of her own. It was wide with a strong foundation. Her hands rose up much like Gwin's to catch and swipe with nonexistent claws. It was easy to imagine her in her monstrous form in that same stance.
Gwin's however felt a little awkward without a heavy tail to act as counter balance.
The handmaidens in the room were pulled from their grief by the spectacle. It wasn't every day that someone willingly fought Seishan, especially by meeting her unique style of unarmed combat. She was much like everyone else in this hellhole who valued their secrets more than anything else. She wielded a beaked warhammer when not using her aspect which was the majority of the time.
Anyone who knew either of them would be drawn to the conflict, that's what he was hoping at least.
"Start!"
Elena called out sensing their readiness.
Gwin launched from his position in a burst of speed straight into a flying kick. Seishan met his blow with a grounded stance. His armored shin connected with her guard only for him to be grabbed and thrown to the side. He skidded along the marble floor before coming to a stop. Seishan closed the distance and kicked at his side. Gwin lifted his leg to meet it.
A loud clack echoed in the room as her foot connected with his shine leaving a dent in his armor.
He sent a crushing swipe at her exposed knee with his right hand. She twisted her leg and kicked him the the chest sending him skidding back some. It was an awkward position and she shouldn't have been able to put much force in it but that was the thing, she could. Her core had long reached its maximum capacity putting her at the pinnacle of strength a sleeper could possess. Her strength was superhuman whilst Gwin had just breached that level.
Aside from the dented metal scales on his chest he was fine. He had the [Lord's Fondness] and the [Scorched Aegis] equipped which was basically the equivalent of having two awakened ranked armor memories on.
He could take a beating.
They rushed in at the same time meeting each other with a flurry of blows. They exchanged katas engrained into their own muscles. Shadows played along the ground as they were illuminated from above by the warm light of the floating memories.
She looked chillingly dangerous in the light.
Gwin gritted his teeth as her palm connected with chest once again.
'Damnit!'
Seishan had yet to receive a decent blow. Any he had landed had been glancing or had been absorbed by her memory.
He skidded from the blow and fell to the ground after awkwardly forgetting he didn't have a tail. He was fighting at a disadvantage. The muscle memory along with the ample experience fighting with his aspect was working against him now. Unable to use his aspect it was like he was fighting without arms. Seishan had much more experience fighting without hers due to one, being a sleeper much longer than him, and two, hiding her aspect and using a weapon instead.
He was playing on her terms. This wasn't going well. At this rate he wouldn't prove jack shit about being better than Changing Star!
He rose from the ground quickly. Seishan was a few meters from hims looking at him with a blank expression. Gwin shamelessly moved his hands.
{Aren't you tired of holding back?}
Gwin couldn't speak like others could but that didn't mean he couldn't communicate. And he was damn good at it when he needed to be, silver hands one might say.
{I can't prove anything to you if I can't use my aspect. Let's just let loose, one transformation aspect to another.}
Seishan studied his hands and expression before exhaling.
"I suppose you have a point. This audience is tight-lipped enough."
She gave a sidelong glance towards the spectators before turning back to Gwin. A sinister smile only he could see tugged at the end of her lips. Gwin met it in kind with his own toothy smile. A horrifying change happened to her body, well it might have seen that way to others. Gwin was much too used to seeing his body twist and transform in unnatural ways to be put off by her transformation, in fact he was captivated by the process.
Her limbs stretched and grew longer. Her nails became fearsome claws. Her skin became shark-like and her eyes rolled into the back of her head and became red. Two slitted irises rolled into place with them. Her jaw unhinged and her mouth became full of razorsharp triangular teeth. Her dress tore at the seams in some places but remained mostly intact stretching with her body's growth. In just a few seconds her once exotic beauty was replaced by a monstrous horror.
Gwin couldn't get enough of it. His eyes hungrily swallowed up her every detail. Any insight as to better use his aspect was incredibly valuable. He had already made some leaps due to her.
"I think Gwin's in loooove~"
Viira chimed in with that awful smile. One of the handmaidens left to inform the others of what was happening. A dozen more filed into the room to watch.
Gwin's breath grew hotter and excited, his breath puffing through clenched teeth.
'This is more like it!'
Gwin fell to all fours, a moment later his back bulged and his armor groaned. He dismissed his memories completely. Unimpeded by his armor his body grew rapidly and became covered in black scales that reflected light with their neochrome surface. It was like they were made from oil. His limbs grew and long claws sprouted from his fingers. His legs became digitigrade and incredibly strong. A strong tail that ended with a tapered whip-like end sprouted from his back. Two ridges formed along the top of it running parallel with each other all the way up his back to the two gnarly horns sprouting from his triangular head.
Three sets of eyes lined his face giving him a much wider and sharper field of view. His teeth were like daggers and his tongue became forked. A cobra-like frill formed on his neck, its underside had a vivid eye pattern made of orange scales.
Gwin set his six eyes on the foe before him.
Suddenly the room felt much smaller.