I took a deep breath while keeping the sword steady in front of my body.
That fight had made one thing clear.
Isolated cuts weren't enough.
It didn't matter how many limbs I tore off or how many wounds I opened. His body rebuilt itself too fast. It was like fighting something that simply refused to die.
But no ability exists without a limit.
Everything consumes energy.
And I needed to find exactly where that limit was.
He watched me with the same neutral expression as always.
No haste.
No anger.
Just analyzing.
"You realized," he said calmly.
I answered without lowering my sword.
"I realized that cutting you into pieces doesn't solve anything."
He tilted his head slightly.
"So what do you intend to do?"
I didn't answer.
Not because I hadn't thought of something.
But because I still didn't know if it would work.
He took a step forward.
The cracked ground creaked under the weight of the movement. The wind blowing through the ruins of the slope lifted small clouds of dust that slowly spread across the devastated field.
My body ached.
The deep cut on my thigh still burned.
My shoulder felt heavy, as if every movement required more effort than it should.
But I could still fight.
And that was enough.
He advanced without warning.
The blade came down in a straight line.
I blocked at the last instant.
The impact reverberated through my arms like a hammer strike. His strength was absurd. If I took that unprepared, my bones would probably break.
I moved aside and counterattacked.
My sword pierced his abdomen.
The cut was deep.
Dark blood spread across the ground.
But he didn't even step back.
His body began to rebuild immediately.
I already expected that.
Before the regeneration finished, I turned and cut again.
This time at the neck.
The blade opened a wide gash.
He blocked the third strike with his arm.
The fourth hit the leg.
The fifth tore through his back.
I wasn't trying to kill.
I was testing.
Each attack came fast, but calculated.
He reacted well.
Blocked some.
Dodged others.
But not all.
Even so, the regeneration continued.
Flesh rebuilding.
Bones aligning.
Wounds closing.
As if his body refused any permanent damage.
He stepped back two paces for the first time since the start of that sequence.
I watched closely.
Something had changed.
Not in the body.
But in the breathing.
Almost imperceptible.
But different.
He raised his sword again.
"You're trying to wear me down."
"Yes."
He stayed silent for a second.
Then replied.
"Good strategy."
He advanced again.
The strike came fast.
I barely dodged.
The second attack hit my shoulder and opened a new cut.
Pain shot through my entire arm.
I forced my body to keep going.
I blocked the third attack and slid my blade along his, deflecting the trajectory.
I entered his guard.
My sword rose in a short arc and pierced the side of his torso.
The impact made his body turn half a step.
Before the regeneration began, I attacked again.
Another cut.
Then another.
And another.
I was pressing.
Without pause.
Without giving time for full recovery.
He blocked part of the sequence, but some strikes got through.
His arm was partially opened.
The thigh hit again.
The chest torn.
The regeneration began.
But this time it took a little longer.
He noticed.
I noticed.
He stepped back with a short leap.
For the first time since the fight began, he remained truly still for a few seconds.
His gaze was fixed on me.
"So that's it."
I said nothing.
He continued.
"You want to force my body to regenerate faster than it can sustain."
"Exactly."
He breathed slowly.
"Interesting."
There was no irritation in his voice.
Only acknowledgment.
He advanced again.
Now more aggressive.
His blade came down in a brutal sequence.
I blocked the first strike.
The second almost hit my face.
The third struck my side.
The fourth I managed to dodge.
But the fifth sent me flying several meters back.
I rolled across the ground and managed to stop on my feet before falling completely.
My body was nearing its limit.
But so was his.
He advanced again.
I met him halfway.
The blades clashed with force.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The sound of metal echoed through the ruins of the slope.
I cut his leg again.
He blocked the next attack.
But not the one after.
My sword pierced his arm.
The regeneration began.
But slower.
He noticed.
I saw it in his eyes.
The certainty was starting to appear.
He could regenerate.
But not infinitely.
Each reconstruction consumed energy.
And I was forcing his body to spend all of it.
He stepped back again.
His breathing was now heavier.
Still controlled.
But different.
I raised my sword once more.
The wind passed between us.
Carrying with it the dust of the devastated field.
He watched me for a few seconds.
Then spoke.
"You found the path."
I held my stance.
"Now we just need to find out who falls first."
He smiled slightly.
A small smile.
Almost imperceptible.
Then he raised his sword.
"Let's find out."
And this time, when he advanced again, I already knew.
That fight had finally entered its decisive phase.
His limit was starting to show.
And I had no intention of stopping until I broke it.