The match began without flourish.
Eryndor shifted his grip on the greatsword, angled the blade slightly, and gave the smallest nod a teacher might give a student before a lesson started properly. Trafalgar answered by moving first. Maledicta cut through the space between them in a clean diagonal arc, aimed more to test than to wound. Eryndor met it with the broad of his weapon, absorbed the contact, and turned the impact aside with almost insulting ease. The sound rang across the field, dark steel against massive iron, and the first exchange opened the way for the next one.
