Kaiden staggered slightly, his body tense and his mind racing as the pain from the dagger in his back surged. The sharp, cold steel was still lodged there, the sensation biting through his muscles like a needle. He swore under his breath, eyes darting to Nira, who had already backed away, putting distance between them in the blink of an eye.
His hand shot back instinctively, grabbing the dagger from his back. With a quick motion, he snapped the blade in two, throwing the jagged pieces to the ground. "Damn," he muttered, feeling the sting in his side. The wound wasn't deep, but it was enough to make him realize how much danger he was in.
The blood loss was minimal, but the pain was enough to remind him that this fight wasn't a joke. Kaiden took a steadying breath, then glanced at his opponent. Nira stood there, poised, as if waiting for him to react. Her face was still as cold and unreadable as ever, but her eyes—those gray eyes—seemed to glimmer with something else. Something deeper. Something predatory.
"Fast, huh?" Kaiden grinned, though his teeth were gritted in frustration. "You've got your own little tricks, don't you? You like to play with your food first before finishing it?"
Nira didn't respond. She simply held out her hand, her fingers twitching, and suddenly—almost impossibly—another dagger materialized from the darkness, as if summoned from the shadows themselves. The black blade gleamed ominously in the dim light of the arena.
The Dance of Shadows
Kaiden's hand went to his sword instinctively, but he wasn't foolish enough to attack recklessly. He had learned the hard way during his fight with Luthor that rushing in without understanding the battlefield was a quick way to get caught off guard.
Nira moved again, faster than he could track, her steps light and fluid. Her new dagger twirled in her hand before she sent it streaking toward him with deadly precision. This time, Kaiden wasn't going to let it hit.
As the blade flashed toward him, Kaiden used Second Form: Gale Step, ducking and weaving with precision, narrowly avoiding the blade's path. But as he twisted to the side, his foot slipped on the uneven ground, and Nira was already there—her dagger slicing through the air with a deadly arc aimed at his side.
Kaiden barely managed to raise his sword in time to block the strike, his muscles straining against the force of her attack. The dagger scraped against his sword, sending a sharp ringing sound through the air. He gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his face as he realized the extent of her speed.
"Damn... you're relentless," Kaiden muttered under his breath. He took another quick step back, his mind racing. He couldn't keep up with her speed, not like this.
Kaiden's heart beat harder in his chest as he realized something vital: he couldn't match her attacks. He had to outthink her. He had to predict her next move. But how?
He glanced at Nira, her figure already poised for another attack, and that's when he realized—her movements weren't random. They were deliberate, controlled, and each time she struck, her steps became more predictable. He just had to find the right way to see it.
Transparent World: The Key to Victory
Kaiden activated Transparent World once again, and the world around him shifted. The air grew still, the blur of the arena becoming sharp and focused. His eyes could see everything—every subtle movement, every faint shift of energy.
What he saw made his heart skip a beat.
Nira's legs—her lower body—was covered in Flow so thick, so concentrated, that it almost seemed like armor. The Flow wasn't just over her muscles; it wrapped around the very fibers of her inner muscles, covering them like a second skin. It was no wonder she was so fast. Her legs weren't just strong; they were reinforced with Flow in a way that made her impossible to outrun.
But that wasn't the most shocking part.
Kaiden's eyes flicked upward, focusing on Nira's reserves. He was able to clearly see the amount of Flow in her body—twice the size of a boulder. He stared, unable to believe what he was seeing. Her reserves were massive, a far cry from his own, and yet, somehow, despite her overwhelming power, Nira only had 20% of her Flow left. She had already been expending a large amount in their fight.
So she's pushing herself too hard, Kaiden realized. She's got the speed, but her reserves are low. This is my chance.
Kaiden turned his focus back to Nira. He could see every movement now—her patterns, the subtle shifts in her stance as she prepared for each strike. For the first time in this fight, he wasn't reacting. He was predicting.
Turning the Tide
As Nira lunged again, Kaiden didn't dodge. Instead, he stood his ground, timing his movements carefully. First Form: Ironclad Defense came up as the dagger flashed toward him. He blocked the strike, his sword ringing loudly against Nira's weapon, but his strength was enough to redirect the blow away from his body.
She's fast, but her movements are predictable if I'm calm enough.
Kaiden's feet shuffled as he adjusted his stance, his sword held at the ready. He gritted his teeth. He couldn't afford to make mistakes.
The moment Nira tried to strike again, Kaiden went on the offensive. He unleashed a series of rapid, precise strikes with Sixth Form: Shatter Strike, each hit forcing Nira to backpedal. She tried to retaliate, but Kaiden's attacks came fast—too fast for her to counter effectively.
With each strike, Kaiden's confidence grew. He had learned to read her body's subtle movements and had figured out her rhythm. She had been fast, but now he was pushing back, using his agility to overpower her. Her stamina was slipping, and Kaiden could sense it.
The Final Moment
Kaiden saw an opening. Nira's posture faltered for a split second—a mistake.
"Gotcha," Kaiden murmured under his breath.
He channeled everything into his final move, his sword glowing brightly. Kaiden stepped forward with Tenth Form: Sovereign's Wrath, his body surging with energy as he brought his blade down in a devastating arc. The strike was a blur, faster than anything he had done before, and it cut through the air like a blade of lightning.
Nira tried to block, but she wasn't fast enough. The blow landed cleanly, striking her dagger out of her hand and forcing her to stagger backward, her balance shaken. Kaiden didn't give her a chance to recover.
With a swift follow-up from Second Form: Gale Step, Kaiden closed the distance between them and knocked her off her feet. She tumbled to the ground, breathless and disoriented.
Kaiden stood over her, his sword at the ready. His chest heaved with exertion, but there was no hesitation in his eyes.
"You fought well," Kaiden said, his voice steady. "But your flow's running out, and I'm just getting started."
End of Chapter 61
Kaiden overcomes Nira Valen's speed and shadow manipulation with his superior tactics, using his ability to predict her moves and outlast her. But the fight isn't over yet—Kaiden knows that every victory only brings him closer to the ultimate challenge ahead.
To be continued...