I vanished from his field of vision for a split second.
— Left— — he realized, too late.
My blade tore through the air, slipping beneath his guard. He reacted, but not fast enough—the sharp clang of steel rang out as Graving carved across his pauldron, tearing part of the armor clean off. I followed with a strike to his torso—Hephas blocked, but staggered.
I spun in place, bringing my blade down in a vertical arc—he rolled aside, and I chased with a diagonal follow-through. Metal ripped through stone where he'd just stood. Our blades clashed again, and I stepped in close, forcing our weapons together and pushing against his guard.
Hephas roared and blasted me back with a pulse of aura. I slid away—and vanished, reappearing right behind him, blurred like a shadow smeared across space.
— You're too straightforward, — I whispered.
