Kai exhaled, keeping his grip firm as the Hollow King lunged. Its twin swords flashed—he met the first strike with a solid parry, angling his blade to deflect the force instead of absorbing it. The second sword came low—he dropped his weight, guiding it past his side with a quick redirection.
A rapid series of slashes followed, but his defense held firm. Soft parries for speed, hard parries for force. When the boss lunged, trying to impale him, he pivoted sideways, rolling his wrist to drag the enemy's momentum past him—deflecting, not blocking. The force behind each blow threatened to shake his grip, but he kept his movements precise—no wasted strength.
Still, the difference in strength left behind -2, -1, -4 on Kai's head each time their blades met with a bit more force than they should.
Then, his counterattack came.
