Micah panted heavily, blood dripping from wounds all over his body. Gunnel had intentionally held back, but that didn't mean much when the difference between the two was like the gap between a flickering candle flame and a bonfire.
Micah was at the end of his rope. While Gunnel didn't appear any different from when the duel began, and all Micah had accomplished was narrowly dodge or turn Gunnel's strikes, capable of flattening him, into mere grazes and hits that glanced past his body and only did superficial damage.
It also felt like Gunnel had intentionally let a few hits slip past Micah when Micah wasn't in a position to dodge them. But it wasn't out of pity. Gunnel simply wanted to see Micah struggle for a little while more.
