Shadow Slave: Divergence of Hereos

Chapter 5: Better luck next time 

One step at a time.

With a shout, I swung again, throwing everything I had into the strike. My arms screamed in protest as the staff cut through the air, aiming for his side. 

But, like before, Mori moved effortlessly, sidestepping my attack as if I was moving in slow motion.

Before I could react, his staff slammed into my ribs, sending me flying backward once more. I crashed into the cave wall with a grunt, my vision swimming as pain exploded through my body.

It felt like my bones had shattered on impact, but somehow, I still wasn't dead.

Mori let out a disappointed sigh, walking over with his staff resting casually against his shoulder. "I think that's enough. You've lasted longer than I expected, but there's no point dragging this out if you can't even land a hit."

My heart sank at his words, the crushing weight of defeat looming over me. I wanted to fight back, to scream, to prove him wrong—but all I could do was gasp for breath, my body utterly spent.

But then, something snapped inside me.

The pain, the exhaustion, the humiliation—it all blended together, fueling the last embers of defiance in my heart. 

I wasn't about to let this end like every other failure in my life. Not this time.

Through gritted teeth, I forced myself to stand. Every muscle screamed in protest, my legs barely supporting my weight. But I stood anyway.

Mori's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unreadable. He tilted his head, watching me with mild curiosity.

I staggered forward, my grip on the staff tightening as I prepared for another swing. This time, I wasn't thinking. 

I wasn't analysing his movements or looking for an opening.

I just moved.

The moment I charged, Mori's staff came crashing down, aiming to knock me off my feet again. But this time—somehow—I saw it coming. 

Maybe it was the fatigue, or maybe I was finally getting used to his rhythm, but at the last second, I threw myself to the side.

Mori's staff whizzed past me, striking nothing but air.

For the first time in hours, I felt like I had a chance. I swung my staff at his midsection, hoping—praying—that I could catch him off guard.

But Mori was already gone.

Before I could blink, he had sidestepped again, his staff swinging around in a blur of motion. 

The force of his next strike sent me crashing to the floor one last time, my body refusing to move any further.

I lay there, gasping for breath, staring up at the ceiling of the cave as my vision blurred. I'd failed again. Of course, I had.

I blinked through the haze of pain, forcing myself to focus. Mori stood above me, his staff planted firmly in the ground. 

His expression wasn't as mocking as before.

"You lasted… longer than I expected. Forty-eight hours, give or take," Mori said, scratching the back of his head. 

"Not bad for someone who can't even swing a staff properly."

Forty-eight hours?

My mind reeled at the thought. Has it really been two days? It felt like an eternity, but also like no time had passed at all. 

I couldn't even remember when we started. All I knew was that I hadn't landed a single hit. Not even close.

And yet… I was still here.

Mori looked down at me, his golden eyes gleaming in the dim light. He tilted his head, studying me for a moment. 

I didn't move. I couldn't.

My body refused to respond, my vision darkening at the edges. I was barely conscious, my mind clouded with exhaustion and pain.

Through the haze, I heard Mori's footsteps approaching. His staff clinked softly against the floor as he walked, coming to a stop beside my collapsed form. 

I braced myself for another insult, another dismissive remark, but none came.

Instead, there was silence.

For a moment, I could've sworn I felt him hesitate. 

Like he was considering something. But when I tried to look up, my vision went completely dark. My body finally gave out, and the world around me faded into nothingness.

---

When I woke, the first thing I felt was warmth spreading through my veins. 

A strange sensation, almost soothing, as if the pain and exhaustion were being washed away. My eyes fluttered open, and I realised I wasn't lying on the cold stone floor anymore. 

I was still in the cave, but something had changed.

Mori was sitting a few feet away, his back turned to me, casually twirling his staff between his fingers. 

He didn't look over, didn't acknowledge that I had woken up, but there was something different about his posture. 

His usual carefree expression had softened ever so slightly…or maybe I was just hallucinating.

I glanced down at my body, noticing a faint glow surrounding me—a residual warmth from whatever was healing me. 

My muscles, once burning with pain, now felt… alive. Strong, even. 

It was then I noticed the faint taste of something bitter lingering in my mouth.

A pill?

I sat up slowly, my mind racing as I tried to piece together what had happened. 

The Monkey Kings Gourd had all sorts of supplements that could make one immortal…which he usually eats as snacks.

Why would Mori Jin—no, this Mori Jin—give me something like that?

I struggled to my feet, the lingering effects of whatever he gave making it easier to move, though I still felt the fatigue in my bones. 

I glanced over at Mori, trying to make sense of it. 

Was this his way of saying something? Of showing some kind of… respect?

But when he finally spoke, his voice was as casual as ever.

"Don't think this means anything," Mori said without turning around. "I just didn't feel like dragging a corpse out of this cave."

His tone was sharp, dismissive, but I caught it—the tiniest hint of something else beneath the surface. Something he was trying to hide.

Respect.

He stood up, brushing the dirt off his martial arts gi, before finally turning to face me. 

His golden eyes met mine, and for the first time, there was something other than amusement in his gaze. It was brief—just a flicker—but it was there.

"Next time," he said, shouldering his staff, "try not to faint before the fight's over."

(Next chapter is back to Klein)

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