The wind swirled, lifting spirals of dust in the clearing scarred by years of battles. Two figures stood facing each other.
Elric gripped his sword firmly. Aelric, on the other hand, held only a wooden staff... and wore an enigmatic smile.
The ground still bore the marks of their previous duels.
"Ready for your first defeat?" Elric called out confidently.
"First defeat? You mean my hundredth victory," Aelric retorted mockingly.
"Whoever laughs last, laughs best, old man," Elric replied with a shrug.
Aelric raised an eyebrow.
"Old man?... You'll see, you cheeky brat, I'm doubling the dose today."
"EN GARDE!" they shouted in unison.
After a few seconds of tense observation, Elric made his move.
"You'll taste the latest style I've created!"
"You mean those failed copies of techniques you found in the old library manuals?" Aelric chuckled.
Elric employed a speed technique he had developed himself. His body became a blur, trailing afterimages like illusions.
"You want to play that game, kid?" Aelric said.
He spun around, sweeping away all the clones in a single motion... but it was a feint.
Elric appeared behind him, sword raised, ready to strike.
"This time, he's mine!" he thought.
But his sword was blocked without his father even turning around.
"You'll have to do better than that, kid," Aelric said, pushing him back.
Elric staggered back a few meters, legs trembling from the impact. He gritted his teeth, readied his stance again, silent and focused.
Then Aelric attacked.
His speed was superhuman. Each strike of the staff was like lightning, each blow a shockwave.
"Is that all you've got, Mr. Twig?"
Elric activated a technique he had learned by observing a supersonic leopard. He slowed his perceptions, analyzed the movements... and finally, he saw.
"I can see him... but how do I withstand his blows?"
Suddenly, inspiration struck.
"Eureka!"
He recalled the minotaurs he had observed. Their technique of absorbing shocks, blending flexibility and grounding.
Elric adapted this method.
Now, he absorbed. He bent without breaking. And he remained standing.
Aelric noticed. He smiled.
"Not bad..."
He stepped back, raised his staff, then enveloped it in a shimmering aura.
"It's time to get serious. Show me your aura blade, Elric."
A silence.
Then a shiver.
Elric smiled. He felt his heart pounding wildly. At last, he would fight on equal terms.
His sword began to glow softly. The aura that had lain dormant within him since childhood awakened.
This time... there would be no holding back.