As the sparring match began, Diluc took a deep breath, calming his nerves as he squared off against Luna Bloodrose. He knew right away that this would be a challenging match—Luna was quick on her feet and possessed an almost ethereal grace in her movements. Her slender figure, clad in the academy's sparring gear, barely made a sound as she shifted her stance, holding her sword with a relaxed yet dangerous grip.
Diluc decided to keep his distance initially, thinking that his spear could give him an advantage over her shorter-range sword. He swiftly adjusted his footing, moving in a semi-circle to keep her at bay while testing her defenses with quick jabs of his spear. Luna, however, responded with incredible speed. Her movements were fluid, her sword glinting in the light as she deflected each jab effortlessly. Her eyes, crimson and focused, watched him with sharp attention.
As he attempted to widen the gap and prepare a more solid attack, Luna lunged forward, her sword dancing in the air. But there was something strange about the way she moved—it wasn't a direct assault. Instead, she weaved a series of feints and misdirects, keeping Diluc on edge. He saw her sword flash to the right, but instinct told him it was a bluff. His guess was correct—she pulled her sword back before completing the strike and then twisted her body, aiming for his left side.
Barely managing to block her strike, Diluc was forced to take a step back. She's fast, he thought. Faster than anyone he had sparred with so far. Her strikes weren't overly powerful, but they carried a precision and unpredictability that kept him constantly on the defensive. Every time he thought he saw an opening, Luna would twist her sword mid-strike, shifting her angle just enough to leave him guessing.
Diluc knew that with her superior reflexes, fighting her up close would be dangerous, so he tried to rely on his spear's advantage. He stepped back quickly, thrusting his spear forward with practiced precision, aiming for her torso. Luna sidestepped effortlessly, her body barely moving, as if anticipating his every move. She followed up with a quick thrust of her own, and Diluc had to twist his spear to parry the strike.
"Not bad," she said, her voice calm, yet with a hint of amusement. "But predictable."
Diluc gritted his teeth, determined not to let her get into his head. He tried again, stepping back further to maintain a safe distance. His plan was to catch her off guard, creating space and timing his attacks for when she least expected it. But Luna didn't give him that luxury. She advanced quickly, her sword striking at angles that kept him constantly guessing. His spear felt sluggish in comparison to her nimble swordsmanship.
It became clear to Diluc that Luna was holding back her full strength, but it didn't humiliate him. Instead, it ignited a fire within him. He could sense her potential—her ability to overwhelm him if she chose to unleash her full power. But that was the point. She wasn't underestimating him; she was giving him room to grow, testing him, allowing him to push his limits.
Luna's sword flickered again, moving in a rapid, unpredictable arc. Diluc barely had time to react as her blade skimmed past his shoulder, missing by a hair's breadth. The air between them crackled with tension as Luna danced around him, her footwork light and swift. Her unpredictability made her swordplay all the more dangerous, and Diluc realized that she was weaving countless feints into her strikes—some barely perceptible, but all of them effective at keeping him off balance.
I need to focus, he thought. There has to be a pattern.
He adjusted his grip on the spear and steadied his breathing, watching her closely. He knew he couldn't rely on brute force or his weapon's reach alone. He needed to find a rhythm, to anticipate her next move. Luna pressed the attack again, her sword flashing in quick, elegant strikes. Diluc parried and dodged, struggling to find an opening, but every time he thought he saw one, she was already one step ahead.
Finally, he saw it—just a brief moment, a hesitation in her movement. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was enough. He thrust his spear forward with everything he had, aiming not for her, but for the space where he anticipated she would move next. Luna's eyes widened slightly, surprised by his sudden shift in tactics.
But she still managed to react. Her sword flicked upward in a quick motion, deflecting the spear's tip. The force of the impact sent a vibration through Diluc's arms, and before he could recover, Luna had stepped inside his guard, the tip of her sword resting lightly against his throat.
"Yield," she said softly, her voice calm and composed.
Diluc let out a breath, lowering his spear as he stepped back. "You're incredible," he admitted, his chest heaving slightly from the intensity of the fight.
Luna smiled faintly, lowering her sword. "You're not bad yourself. Just remember—sometimes, the greatest strength lies not in power, but in unpredictability."
Diluc nodded, taking her words to heart. This sparring match wasn't just about winning or losing; it was about learning, about understanding how to adapt and grow stronger.