Shadow Slave: Arcadius of the Forgotten

Changing Star, Nephis of the Immortal Flame clan, was standing in the doorway, her arms crossed and a distant look on her face. She was wearing her headphones and when she noticed the two of them, she took them off and walked up to face them. 

First, she looked at Sunny and silently considered him for a moment. Eventually, she said, "I guess you're not as pathetic as you lead others to believe." 

Without waiting for a response, she turned to Cade, "And you. I knew you were hiding your real capabilities. The Spell doesn't just bestow anyone with a True Name."

She paused for several seconds, as if considering how she should say the next words. "Would you interest me in a duel as well?" 

Cade had already seen this coming the moment he saw Changing Star in the doorway. He looked at her and thought about refusing. But he didn't. Strangely enough, he also wanted to know where he stood against the last daughter of the Immortal Flame clan. 

Also, it wasn't that late yet, and he wasn't that exhausted. His fight with Sunny had barely lasted half an hour and he had some spare time on his hands.

His training with Sunny had also proved to him that he could not activate his Aspect Ability instinctively. In order to use his Aspect Ability, he'd have to focus on it completely and call on it consciously. So, one of the shackles that had held him back the first time Nephis had challenged him was also undone.

On top of that, he was curious to find out where his Attribute would put him in relation to someone who had trained her entire life to get where she was. He might never get another chance. 

So, after a while, he nodded and said, "Very well, Changing Star. I accept." 

Nephis seemed to light up visibly. She smiled and gestured back into the dojo. "Let's go." 

After a while, Cade and Nephis stood facing each other, each considering their opponent. Nephis stretched lightly and said, "So, how should we do this?" 

Sunny had decided to sit in on the duel. Perhaps he was curious to know how his teacher would fare against the monster he had witnessed in this dojo a few weeks ago. He looked at Cade, a silent question in his eyes. 

Cade already had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to compete against Nephis in. He wanted to test the limits of his Attribute and so, naturally, he would ask her to face him in something that she was the best at.

A sword duel. 

He held his hand to the side and summoned his sword Memory, the Voidfang. The double-edged black blade appeared in his outstretched hand. 

Nephis's eyes widened slightly. She looked from the black sword to him. "You're sure? This might get out of hand." 

Cade shrugged, putting the Voidfang on his shoulder. "So long as we don't use our Aspects, we should be fine." He looked around the dojo. "And so should this place. I hope." 

Nephis raised an eyebrow. "You won't use your Aspect? You'll face me in pure swordsmanship and skill?" 

Cade nodded. "My Aspect is... unusual. I don't fully understand it and things might take an ugly turn if I decide to use my powers." 

Nephis regarded him for a few moments. She seemed to be deep in thought.

Cade grew slightly tense. Surely, she won't think I'm trying to hide my powers for shady reasons... right? However, he did not let the tension show on his face.

After a long pause though, Nephis spoke. "You underestimate me, Shroudkeeper," she said, as a silver longsword appeared in her outstretched hand— the Dream Blade. "You should know. I'm pretty good with a sword." 

"I do know, Changing Star," he replied, pointing the Voidfang at her. "That's precisely why I chose this particular kind of duel to face off against you in." 

"Very well," she said, gripping the hilt of her sword with both hands. "Get ready." 

Cade nodded, dropping into a stance as his Attribute guided him. And with the barest tilt of Nephis's head, the duel began. 

Nephis moved first, a sudden blur of silver and precision. Her longsword sliced through the air in a graceful arc, aimed at Cade's neck. Cade stepped back, his onyx blade rising in a smooth parry that deflected the strike with a sharp metallic clang. 

The force of the blow reverberated through Cade's arm, a reminder of Nephis's strength and dedication. But Cade didn't linger. He pivoted, twisting his body to the side and bringing his blade around in a swift riposte aimed at Nephis's ribs. 

Nephis had anticipated the move, of course. She would never let something so simple get the better of her. Her silver sword swept down in a flawless counter. The clash of metal echoed through the dojo as the two Sleepers exchanged blows, their movements fluid and precise. 

Nephis's strikes were clean, calculated and relentless. Cade wasn't sure if she was using her father's— Broken Sword's— style or something else entirely. But he had a feeling that she wanted to beat him desperately, even if it meant revealing her true battle style to him. 

She pressed forward with a series of thrusts and slashes, each one designed to exploit the range and balance of her longsword. Cade's shorter weapon forced him to stay closer, his defense tight and compact. He parried and deflected, his feet gliding over the wooden floor in a constant dance to avoid being cornered. 

This is bad, Cade thought, as he struggled against Nephis's ruthless barrage. I have to turn this around. If I continue on the defensive, I'll never be able to beat her.

A sudden downward slash from Nephis forced Cade to block with both hands on the hilt of his sword. Cade's blade was not meant to be held with both hands, but that didn't mean it couldn't be.

Also, Cade was genuinely surprised by how sturdy Nephis's Dream Blade was. He knew that the Dream Blade was an inferior weapon to his own, considering the fact that it was merely a Dormant Memory of the First Tier.

So, for a few moments, he'd been worried that the Voidfang would cut straight through it. But the silver blade held its own against the superior black weapon. Must be one of its enchantments, he thought. 

The impact from the blow sent a shock through his arms, but Nephis didn't let up. She followed with a spinning slash that came dangerously close to Cade's side.

Cade understood that Changing Star had thrown away all pretense of being careful. Since her Aspect Ability allowed her to heal even life-threatening wounds, she probably didn't care whether she seriously injured him or got injured herself.

And so, Cade decided that he wouldn't either. 

Cade ducked as the Dream Blade whistled past his head. He lunged forward, aiming a thrust at Nephis's exposed flank. But Nephis twisted her body with a grace born of countless hours of practice, her longsword flicking out to intercept Cade's blade mid-thrust. For a moment, the two were caught in a dead-lock.

However, the two Sleepers quickly broke apart, circling each other like predators. The light flickered slightly, casting their shadows in chaotic shapes on the walls. 

Cade was the first one to break the silence. He smiled, trying his best not to make his strain apparent. "That sort of speed shouldn't be possible for a Sleeper," he said. "Not to mention one who isn't even using her Aspect." 

Nephis didn't reply. Her only response was a subtle shift in her stance, her blade lowering slightly as she prepared for the next exchange. 

Cade didn't linger this time. He was already trying to change the flow of the duel and this momentary break had given him a perfect opportunity. 

He took the initiative, closing the distance between them with a burst of speed. He feinted high, trying to draw Nephis's blade upward. She was momentarily caught off-guard by his sudden lunge. Taking advantage of her subtle shock, Cade dropped low at the last second and slashed at her legs. 

But Nephis was not an inexperienced fighter; she was a master swordsman. So, she shook her shock off in an instant, countering effortlessly by stepping back and sweeping her longsword in a wide upward arc. Cade leapt back to avoid the follow-through, the tip of Nephis's blade slicing through the air a hair's breadth away from his chin. 

Cade hadn't expected his little stunt to work but he'd still expected to turn the fight around a little bit. He wasn't exactly losing the duel. His all-encompassing knowledge of combat made up for what he lacked in swordsmanship. But the thing was... he wasn't winning either.

The silver and black swords met again, the ringing clashes of steel filling the dojo. Nephis's technique was mesmerizing, every strike precise and economical, with no wasted motion. She moved with an almost inhuman calm, her clear grey eyes never wavering. 

Cade, by contrast, was more fluid and unpredictable. He mixed swordplay with quick feints, sudden shifts in rhythm and subtle adjustments to his stance. Though he knew that his technique wasn't as polished as Nephis's, his cumulative understanding of combat kept him in the fight. 

As the duel wore on, Nephis began to push harder. She pushed forward with a relentless assault, her longsword carving intricate patterns through the air. Cade parried and sidestepped, but he could no longer keep the strain from showing. Nephis's blade grazed his sleeve, then his thigh, leaving shallow cuts that stung but didn't slow him. 

Cade gritted his teeth, his mind racing. Nephis was the better swordsman; there was no denying that.

But combat was about more than just your skill with the sword. 

He shifted his grip on the Voidfang, holding it with both hands now, and changed his approach. He would not meet Changing Star head-on. In a direct confrontation of blades, she was simply better.

Instead, he would try to redirect Nephis's strikes, using the shorter length of his blade to manipulate the angles. He would wait for an opening. 

Nephis thrust forward, aiming for Cade's shoulder. Cade twisted, catching the blade on the flat of his own and pushing it to the side. In the same motion, he stepped into Nephis's guard and slammed his shoulder into her chest, hoping to make her lose her footing. 

But Nephis wasn't your ordinary Sleeper. She merely staggered, balance slightly broken but only for a brief moment. But one moment was enough.

Gotcha! Cade thought.

He seized the opportunity, bringing his sword down in a sharp diagonal slash. But Nephis, being Nephis, recovered almost instantly. Her blade rose to meet Cade's and the impact rang out like a bell. The two Sleepers locked swords once more, their faces inches apart. 

For a moment, they were frozen in a stalemate, each pushing against the other with all their strength. Nephis's expression remained eerily calm, while Cade's lips curled as he forced himself to smile despite the toll the duel was taking on his body. 

Cade broke the deadlock with a sudden twist of his blade, disengaging and spinning away. Nephis didn't waste a single breath. She followed immediately, her silver sword flashing in a horizontal slash that Cade ducked under. 

Cade dropped low, sweeping his leg out in a move more suited to the kind of hand-to-hand combat that he had refined during the past month while training with Sunny.

Nephis jumped, avoiding his sweep, but her balance was broken for an instant. That motion gave Cade the split second he needed. He surged upward, his blade arcing toward Nephis's torso. 

Nephis deflected the strike, but the force pushed her back. Cade didn't let up. He pressed forward, his attacks coming faster and more unpredictably, mixing sword strikes with quick jabs and footwork that kept Nephis off balance.

He was no longer facing her in a sword duel; he acknowledged that he was inferior in that. But that didn't mean that he would give her the satisfaction of winning this bout. Cade was a stubborn guy, after all, and he'd be damned before he let Nephis beat him in a fight. 

So, even if they were still holding swords, their duel had suddenly transformed into a kind of weaponless maneuver. 

And finally, Cade saw his opening. As Nephis stepped back to evade a thrust, Cade shifted his stance and lunged. His shoulder slammed into Nephis's chest once again, this time with enough force to send her sprawling to the ground. 

Cade's blade was at Nephis's throat before she could rise. "I... I win," he said in-between breaths. 

For the first time since the duel had started, Nephis's expression shifted— just slightly. At first, it was one of disbelief— disbelief that she'd lost. Then, a flicker of something like surety crossed her face; almost as if something had just made sense to her. She nodded. 

Cade dismissed his sword and stepped back, breathing heavily. "You're a monster with that sword. I couldn't keep up at all," he said, his voice tinged with exhaustion. 

Nephis rose to her feet, brushing herself off. She said nothing, but her faint nod spoke volumes. 

Cade smiled. "But a fight's never just about the sword, is it?" 

Nephis remained silent while dismissing the Dream Blade. She looked up at him, inspecting him, her silent acknowledgement lingering in the air. "Your place at the top of the rankings was well deserved, Shroudkeeper. I am sorry for acting childishly back then." 

Cade chuckled lightly. "Don't worry about it," he said, making a waving gesture with his hand. 

"However, you are not a Legacy. You are from the outskirts," Nephis continued, curious but her tone laced with a slight tinge of suspicion. "Would you mind me asking who taught you to fight like that? In the outskirts, no less." 

"No one taught me," Cade said shrugging. "It's one of my Attributes. It makes me proficient in all forms of combat, be it weapon-mastery or hand-to-hand." 

Nephis seemed very surprised by this information, even a little taken aback. "Such Attributes exist? I have never heard of them," she said. 

"I haven't either," Cade lied. "I guess I'm somewhat of an anomaly, huh?" 

Nephis nodded. But Cade had a feeling that she didn't really believe him. This is gonna be a problem, he thought. Doesn't matter though. I'll have plenty of time to win her trust.

"Anyway, I think we've been here long enough. Sunset must be approaching," Cade said, looking away. His duel with Nephis had lasted quite long. If he had to guess, he'd say it took more than an hour and a half. "It was a nice experience, Changing Star. I look forward to you asking me for a rematch." 

Nephis smiled faintly, then nodded and retired from the dojo. 

Cade turned to look at Sunny, who had been silently sitting back and watching them like a shadow. "Why do you look so surprised? You didn't actually think I was gonna lose to her, did you?" 

Sunny got up and started to walk away, muttering under his breath, "Monsters... I'm surrounded by monsters..." 

Cade flashed an amused smile at his back. Shaking his head, he left the dojo as well. It was almost time... time to enter his third world in this life so far. The Dream Realm.