Amon, The lowest tier disciple in the Insanity Sect

The gong's echo hadn't even faded before Ying Yue moved.

She was a blur, her black mist trailing like ribbons as she closed the distance between us in an instant. My instincts screamed at me to dodge, and I barely managed to activate Flash Step, appearing a few feet to her left.

Her blade sliced through where I'd been standing, the air itself hissing in protest.

"Fast," I muttered, gripping my katana tighter. But she didn't stop. Ying Yue twisted mid-strike, her movements fluid as water, and her blade arced toward me again.

I parried, but the force of her attack sent vibrations up my arms. My stance faltered.

"Too slow," she whispered, her voice calm and unnervingly soft.

She lashed out again, her strikes like a relentless tide. I couldn't keep up. Every time I tried to create space, she was there, her blade a flickering shadow dancing inches from my skin.

Fighting defensively wasn't going to work. I needed to shift the momentum.

As her blade came at me again, I poured mana into my gravitational magic, increasing the weight around her feet. For a split second, she slowed, her movements hitching ever so slightly.

That was my opening.

I swung my katana in a wide arc, aiming to force her back. The edge of my blade nicked her shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood.

Ying Yue's eyes narrowed, the black mist around her thickening. "Impressive," she said, her tone colder now. "But it won't be enough."

Before I could respond, the mist surged toward me, coiling like snakes. I leaped back, but the tendrils were faster, wrapping around my legs and pulling me off balance.

"Got you," she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

I hit the ground hard, my katana clattering out of my grip. The mist tightened, pinning me in place as Ying Yue approached, her blade glinting ominously.

Panic surged through me. I struggled against the mist, but it was like fighting against steel cables.

"Any last words?" she asked, raising her blade.

"Yeah," I said through gritted teeth, focusing all my mana. "Gravity's a pain."

I reversed the spell, lightening my body and the mist around me. The sudden shift caused the tendrils to loosen just enough for me to roll away.

Grabbing my katana, I sprang to my feet, channeling everything I had into a single, desperate move. My blade glowed faintly, the air around it shimmering with concentrated mana.

Ying Yue's eyes widened slightly as I closed the distance, my strike aimed directly at her center.

But just as my blade was about to connect, she sidestepped with impossible grace, her own blade flashing in retaliation.

Pain exploded in my side as her blade bit into my flesh. I stumbled, blood staining my uniform as I tried to keep my footing.

"You're persistent," she said, her voice almost admiring.

"Yeah, well," I panted, gripping my side, "I'm allergic to dying."

Ying Yue tilted her head, her black mist swirling around her again. "Let's see how long you can keep that up."

The fight was far from over.