Zenith didn't stop.

He brought his sword down again, aiming right where Rhys rolled to.

Rhys yelped and rolled the other way,

"STOP PREDICTING MY MOVEMENT LIKE YOU HAVE WALLHACKS!!"

The ground broke where the strike landed.

A clean crater.

Fate shouted,

"ZENITH IS NOT LETTING RHYS BREATHE!! THIS IS A FULL CHASE MODE!!"

Dreamer added,

"Rhys needs to find a rhythm. Right now he's only surviving by panic and luck."

Rhys got to his feet again—

just in time to see Zenith already in front of him.

"HOW—WHY—STOP TELEPORTING WITH YOUR LEGS!!"

Zenith didn't reply.

He simply swung.

Rhys raised his sword and blocked—

KAAANG!!

The impact pushed him back several meters, boots squealing across the stone.

His arms burned. His shoulders felt like they were melting. His brain was filing complaints.

He screamed,

"I'M A HUMAN, NOT A SHOCK ABSORBER!!"

Zenith stepped forward again.

Rhys stepped back—

and his heel hit broken rubble.

He tripped.

He fell on his butt.

He stared up.

Zenith's shadow covered him.

Puddle screamed,

"MASTER NOOO!! RUN!! ROLL!! TELEPORT!! TURN INVISIBLE!! SOMETHING!! ANYTHING!!"

Zenith lifted his sword.

Rhys raised both hands in front of him like someone begging the universe for a time-out.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT—"

Too late.

Zenith brought the sword down.

Rhys crossed his blade just in time—

BOOOOM!!

The floor under him exploded.

Rhys was thrown backwards like a rock shot from a catapult.

He crashed into the arena wall so hard the barrier flickered.

He slid down slowly.

He stopped at the floor.

He groaned.

"…I think my life just rewound and replayed twice…"

Fate yelled,

"RHYS IS STILL MOVING!! HOW IS HE STILL MOVING?!"

Dreamer said,

"He's adapting. Even if it looks messy, he's starting to react faster."

Zenith turned to face him again.

Rhys pushed himself up—

barely.

He couldn't feel half his ribs.

His sword hand tingled.

His legs felt like noodles.

He looked at Zenith and yelled,

"CAN YOU PLEASE—FOR JUST ONE MINUTE—FIGHT AT NORMAL HUMAN SETTINGS?!"

Zenith paused.

He tilted his head.

"…This is normal."

Rhys broke.

Right there.

Emotionally.

Spiritually.

Physically.

Puddle put her tiny paws on the barrier.

"Master, you can do it! You just need to not die!"

Rhys yelled,

"YES THAT'S THE HARD PART, PUDDLE!!"

Zenith lifted his sword again, aura spiking harder.

Rhys felt the pressure crush down on him.

His own blade pulsed again—

that same red heartbeat—

louder now.

Ba-dum.

Ba-dum.

Ba-dum.

Rhys stared at it.

"…Okay. Fine. If you want to help, then HELP."

The red aura crawled along the blade again—

sharper,

angrier,

but controlled enough to hold.

Rhys stood up straight.

His legs still shook.

His lungs still burned.

But he stood.

Zenith nodded once.

"Good. Again."

Rhys groaned,

"I hate this training arc—THIS IS THE WORST TRAINING ARC—"

Zenith dashed forward.

Rhys moved too—

Their blades clashed in the center again, sparks bursting around them.

This time—

Rhys didn't get thrown instantly.

He held it.

Barely.

Zenith pushed harder.

Rhys pushed back.

Fate shouted,

"HE'S DOING IT AGAIN!! HE'S HOLDING ZENITH A SECOND TIME!!"

Dreamer added,

"He's synchronizing with the sword's resonance. The timing is cleaner."

Rhys screamed,

"NO IT'S NOT CLEAN—THIS IS A MESS—MY ARMS ARE BREAKING—"

Zenith spun, breaking the clash.

He went for a slash.

Rhys ducked it.

Then he swung back—wild, desperate, but fast.

Zenith blocked it easily.

But Rhys didn't fly this time.

He stayed on his feet.

Zenith's eyes sharpened.

"…Better."

Rhys shouted,

"THAT ONE WORD BETTER IS NOT ENOUGH REWARD FOR THIS TRAUMA!!"

Zenith raised his sword again.

Rhys raised his.

The air tightened again.

Fate gulped loudly into the mic.

"OKAY—UH—EVERYONE STAY CALM. THE AIR PRESSURE IS GOING UP. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A GOOD SIGN OR A SIGN WE SHOULD EVACUATE."

Dreamer leaned closer to his own mic, voice steady.

"Both fighters are preparing another clash. Rhys is improving, but he's still at a huge disadvantage. If he mistimes even one block, it's over."

Fate nodded rapidly.

"YES, THANK YOU, DREAMER, FOR THAT VERY ENCOURAGING UPDATE!! TOTALLY NOT SCARY AT ALL!!"

Dreamer sighed.

"Just stating facts."

Down in the arena—

Rhys swallowed hard.

He knew this next hit would be worse.

He knew his body was on the edge.

He knew Zenith wasn't even sweating.

Rhys whispered to his sword,

"Please… don't explode in my hands. That would be very uncool."

The sword hummed back like an annoyed beast.

Zenith shifted his footing.

The sound alone made Rhys flinch.

He stepped forward.

Rhys braced.

Zenith stepped again.

The temperature dropped again.

Fate pointed wildly at the field,

"LOOK AT THAT!! ZENITH IS CHARGING A HEAVY STRIKE—THE KIND THAT BREAKS ARENAS AND DREAMS!!"

Dreamer added,

"Rhys needs to meet it head-on or dodge at the last second. If he freezes, he's finished."

Rhys yelled,

"I CAN HEAR YOU!! STOP SAYING FINISHED!! IT SOUNDS LIKE A THREAT!!"

Zenith didn't speak.

He simply vanished.

Fate shrieked,

"HE'S GONE—HE'S JUST GONE—RHYS GOOD LUCK—"

And then Zenith appeared right in front of Rhys.

Rhys didn't think—

he swung.

Their swords collided—

KAAAAAANG!!

But this time—

something new happened.

The red aura around Rhys's blade shot out like a small shockwave.

It pushed Zenith back half a step.

Just half.

But Zenith actually moved.

The whole crowd gasped.

Fate screamed,

"HE DID IT!! HE ACTUALLY PUSHED ZENITH BACK!! IT'S A FRACTION OF A STEP BUT IT COUNTS!!"

Even Dreamer blinked.

"…That wasn't luck. That was a controlled burst. Rhys is adjusting faster than expected."

Puddle jumped up and down behind the barrier,

"MASTER!! YOU MADE THE SCARY MAN MOVE!! DO IT AGAIN!! DO IT TEN TIMES!!"

Rhys yelled,

"I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I DID IT—STOP CHEERING LIKE I HAVE A PLAN!!"

Zenith looked at Rhys with a focused expression.

No anger.

No frustration.

Just interest.

"Do it again," he said.

Rhys panicked instantly.

"No no NO—let's NOT do it again—I need a water break—maybe a hospital—maybe a whole new spine—"

Zenith stepped forward.

Rhys screamed,

"FATE HELP ME—HE'S COMING!!"

Fate shouted into the mic,

"RHYS I BELIEVE IN YOU BUT ALSO RUN—RUN A LITTLE—JUST A LITTLE—"

Dreamer corrected him,

"He cannot run. Zenith will catch up instantly. His only choice is to meet the next strike."

Rhys yelled at Dreamer,

"STOP BEING ACCURATE!! LIE TO ME FOR ONCE!!"

Zenith lifted his sword again.

Rhys tightened his grip again.

The arena shook again.

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