Kaiden's weapon slipped past his guard, grazing dangerously close and forcing Shuu to react at the last possible moment. He managed to recover, but the gap had already been exposed, and the strain on his body became harder to ignore.
His breathing grew uneven, his muscles tightening as fatigue began to set in.
For the first time, doubt surfaced.
If this continued, he might not be able to keep up.
The realization settled heavily in his mind, cutting deeper than any physical blow.
And then, just as the fight seemed ready to tip beyond his control, Kaiden stopped.
The shift was so sudden that Shuu nearly stumbled forward. The pressure that had been bearing down on him vanished completely, leaving behind an unsettling silence in its wake.
Shuu remained where he was, his weapon still raised as he stared at Kaiden, unable to understand what had just happened.
"…Why did you stop?"
