The night was cold.
The shadows of the forest spread around Kael and Shen, as if the world itself were holding its breath before the storm.
Shen held his blade casually, the faint glow of his silver eyes cutting through the darkness. He didn't seem tense.
This wasn't a duel.
This was a lesson.
Kael understood that clearly.
If he lost, Shen would crush him without hesitation.
Flexing his fingers, Kael felt the cold energy of the Dark Spiritual Lotus thrumming inside him. His mind was sharper than ever, analyzing every detail of the moment.
Shen wasn't like the Shadow Wolf.
He was an assassin. A warrior forged by time and bloodshed.
Kael couldn't overpower him.
But power had never been Kael's strength.
Intelligence was.
Shen noticed the shift in Kael's eyes and smirked.
"Good," he said, sliding one foot back into a ready stance. "Let's begin."
And then, Shen attacked.
The First Strike
Shen was a blur of motion.
Fast. Precise. Lethal.
The blade sliced through the air, aimed straight for Kael's neck.
Kael didn't try to block.
Blocking Shen would be suicide.
Instead, he moved before the strike landed.
Activated Technique: Shadow Steps.
Kael slipped to the side, his movements silent as he disappeared into the darkness.
But Shen had anticipated it.
The errant twisted his wrist mid-swing, redirecting the blade in an arc too fast for Kael to fully avoid.
The edge caught Kael's side.
Blood dripped down his ribs.
The first blood had been drawn.
Kael ignored the pain.
He didn't have time for pain.
He had to find an opening.
The Art of the Counterattack
Shen was stronger. Faster. More experienced.
But he had a pattern.
Kael backed away, staggering slightly as if the wound had slowed him more than it truly had.
Hunters always attacked when their prey appeared vulnerable.
Shen's grin widened as he advanced, his blade moving with the fluid precision of a striking serpent.
Kael waited, biding his time.
Then, at the last possible moment, he shifted his stance.
Shen expected him to dodge.
Kael didn't dodge.
He attacked.
Activated Technique: Abyssal Claws.
Black energy enveloped Kael's fingers, turning them into razor-sharp spiritual blades.
For the first time, Shen had to retreat.
Kael's strike missed by mere centimeters, slicing the air where Shen's face had been an instant earlier.
And in that fleeting moment, Shen's smirk faltered.
He realized something.
Kael wasn't just keeping up with him.
Kael was learning.
And that made him dangerous.
The Decisive Moment
Both of them were injured now.
Kael knew he couldn't afford to let the fight drag on.
The longer it lasted, the more Shen would adapt.
He had to finish it.
The Final Plan:
Force Shen into a predictable attack.Create an opening.Deliver a decisive blow.
Kael let out a shaky breath and deliberately stumbled, feigning fatigue.
Shen took the bait.
The errant lunged forward, his blade aiming directly for Kael's chest.
It was the opening Kael had been waiting for.
Kael moved at the last possible second.
Activated Technique: Shadow Mantle.
For an instant, his presence vanished into the darkness.
Shen's focus wavered, unable to pinpoint Kael's location.
And then Kael struck from below, his claws aiming for Shen's throat.
It was perfect.
It was the killing blow.
But Shen smiled.
He had anticipated it.
At the last moment, Shen twisted his body and countered with brutal efficiency.
Kael didn't even see the attack coming.
Shen's elbow slammed into his chest like a sledgehammer.
CRACK!
The force sent Kael flying, his body slamming into the trunk of a tree.
The fight was over.
The End of the Inferno
Kael gasped for air, his body trembling with exhaustion and pain.
Shen approached him, his blade already sheathed.
The errant stood over Kael, his expression calm but satisfied.
"You lost," Shen said, crouching beside him.
Kael coughed, tasting blood in his mouth.
"So… that's it?" he managed to ask.
Shen chuckled, giving him a light slap on the cheek.
"Not quite." He grinned. "You lost, sure. But not in the way that matters."
Kael blinked, his mind slowly catching up.
Shen stood and extended a hand.
"You're strong enough now to move forward," he said simply.
Kael stared at the offered hand for a long moment.
Then, he took it.
The brutal training was finally over.
Kael Zhan wasn't just a survivor anymore.
He wasn't just an apprentice.
He was a warrior.