This time, the fight was quick and intense. Neither fighter wanted to back off, and both kept pushing forward. The demon moved with a huge set of skills, every attack looking a little different. It didn't fight in one way but seemed to mix all sorts of moves learned over a long time, like someone who'd spent years gathering tricks from every fight they ever saw.
One second, the demon dropped low and swept a leg in a move that looked old, maybe something from another era. The next, it struck with its palm from a strange angle, as if it had trained somewhere far away. At one point, it shifted from blocking to grabbing so smoothly that Alaric could tell—whoever created that move must have practiced it for years, thinking through every detail.
Alaric watched each move and stored it away.
He knew that real copying meant more than just repeating a move. It meant understanding what made it work. So for now, he waited, learning the reasons behind each attack, not just the shape.
