Epsilon and Sylas faced each other, blades drawn, each measuring distance and timing. The air hummed with tension, each watching their every breath, and even the shift of their weights.
Upon Ki Songs signal, the two moved with haste.
Steel flashed as the first strike came, with Sylas throwing a sharp, cutting arc aimed for Epsilons shoulder. He quickly stepped aside, blocking at first, then stepping forwards as Sylas's blade scrapped down his own. A ringing clang vibrated up both their arms, while sparks leapt from their sharpened steel.
'Heavy.'
They circled, boots scuffing against dirt, eyes locked onto each other. Sylas feints low, then cuts high; Epsilon deflected, countered, and then quickly retreated. Their movements blurred, thrust, parry, slash, counter, matching each other blow for blow.
In those brief moments, they seemed perfectly equal.
Unlike before, Sylas was practicing a more aggressive, offensive style while Epsilon leaned in towards something more defensive, relying on counters and feints to get the better of his opponent.
Sylas did this as he didn't want to break Epsilons only sword by accident, but he was also doing it to hone the new technique he gained. Epsilon on the other hand, was learning how to better defend himself.
Right when their fight reached its apex, Sylas's foot suddenly hooked behind Epsilons own, confusing him. Then with a simple push, his view of the world tilted, as he fell on his back.
"AUUUGH"
Sylas just smirked, before extending out a helping hand. Grumbling, Epsilon reached out as he was hoisted back up onto his feet.
"Don't look so glum, you'll last more than two minutes against me one day."
'That doesn't make it any better..'
Ever since arriving back in the underground city, Sylas and Epsilon had been training against each other non-stop. Because of that, he's been able to grow as a swordsman increasingly quicker.
"Near death experiences can you help you grow much much faster than simple training. Every time you risk your life, you get stronger, and as proof of that, you've almost reached my level."
Epsilon certainly felt the truth in those words, as every time he bounced back from death, especially back when Sylas was possessed by the Dark Wraith, he noticed that things that felt strange to him before, were becoming more and more natural.
He figured that if he were to try and fight Galahad at his full strength, although he wouldn't win, he'd do much much better than before.
Finding a strange hint in his words, Epsilon asked,
"Are you saying that you almost die everyday?"
Then, glaring at him with a creepy smile he answered,
"I have... certain enemies..."
Of course, he was talking about the other soul in his body, which Epsilon was still ignorant of. But nowadays, it didn't fight as ferociously as it once did so he stopped developing as rapidly too.
"Everything can change in actual fight though. People panic, make ill choices, and that is what brings down their performance. If you want to outwit your opponent like I did just now, learn to keep your composure."
He raised his sword, and gazed at the reflection of himself in its steel. This blade that had been his trusted partner ever since coming to the dream realm, was not his own, but a gift from Gracia.
"Anyhow, there's not much that you can gain from practicing with a sword everyday anymore, try to learn more about your Aspect instead. Even that loud mouth Galahad is doing so too."
Hearing that, Epsilon became a little bit disappointed.
In terms of mastery over his Dormant ability, Galahad still had room for improvement. Although he had figured out how to fight alongside his clones in combat, there was still hidden potential in his ability to duplicate memories. Even more annoyingly, he also needed to figure out how to further his Aspect legacy.
Epsilon on the other hand, had no idea what to do with his own Aspect. One could say, that he was at a roadblock in his learning. Despite its Divine rank potential, he had no clue how to actually take advantage of it.
After a while, Ki Song noticed their stagnation. Approaching them, she asked,
"Aren't you two getting hungry? Let's go back."
Rubbing his stomach, Sylas did notice a faint sense of hunger growing. Epsilon on the other hand, felt nothing at all as expected, but didn't speak of it.
A lot had happened since Epsilon returned after dragging Sylas and Gracia with him. For starters, they made it back through the now destroyed Chimera Forest, and re-entered the under ground city that was filled to the brim with Night Sleepers.
Dauntingly, there was a massive hole in the middle of the square, but it was so deep and disjointed, that the light from below could not reach to the top, so there was no fear of any of them waking up. But that just irked the question,
'How did one of them get up in the first place?'
None of them knew.
The next thing that happened, was even more annoying though.
The cavern shuddered as a deep rumble rose from the earth, growing into a thunderous roar that made the stone itself seem alive. Dust poured from the ceiling, and jagged cracks split the walls as the ground heaved lightly beneath the tremor's force.
"Won't that thing ever stop??"
The Chimera Queen that Sylas was able to attract, had caught them within their sights. Naturally it continued to stalk them even after Epsilon was able to get them away from it, reaching all the way to the Chimera forest.
Fortunately for them, the actual entrance to reach the staircase, and then the passage way upwards was far too small for the Corrupted Tyrant to fit through. But that wasn't enough to stop it, especially after it became enraged from seeing a forest made of its dead children.
The hole that the Night Sleeper had dug was small, but that didn't stop they tyrant from trying to make it larger. Everyday, and every night, the Chimera Queen continued to gnaw and dig away at it, until eventually it would reach the buried city. It had only been 3 days since they escaped, but already it had made a striking amount of progress.
They could feel the tremors growing stronger, the cavern shaking harder, and the Queen drawing closer. Until eventually, it would break through and kill them all, while also awakening every single Night Sleeper in this place.
In those 3 days as well, Gracia had been completely inactive. After they fed her body a little bit, she tried to go back inside. But in the whole time since then, she had been in a comatose state. There was no telling when she would wake up.
And then, there was Cassius as well.
'Oh boy..'