The attack did not come with speed.
It came with certainty.
Rahim felt it before he saw it. The movement was not fast in the traditional sense. It simply existed at the point where it needed to be. By the time his eyes tracked it, the strike was already in front of him.
He raised his arm instinctively.
The impact landed.
His body slid back across the ground, the surface beneath his feet cracking in a straight line as he was pushed several meters away. The force did not explode outward. It stayed contained, focused entirely on him.
Rahim stopped himself and looked up again.
His arm was intact. No visible damage.
But the feeling remained.
That strike had not been about strength.
It had been about control.
He straightened slowly.
Better.
The word left his mouth without effort.
The figure watched him.
Then it moved again.
This time Rahim stepped forward to meet it.
Their movements collided in the space between them. No wasted motion. No unnecessary force. Each strike was precise, calculated, and immediately followed by another adjustment.
Rahim felt it clearly.
This opponent was not reacting to him.
It was reading him.
Every movement he made was understood the moment it began.
He blocked another strike, redirecting it slightly, then countered. The figure shifted just enough to avoid it, its response clean and efficient.
Rahim narrowed his eyes.
So this is your level.
No response came.
But the attacks continued.
Faster now.
Not in speed, but in sequence.
The space around them began to distort slightly as their movements overlapped, each action forcing the other to adapt instantly.
Rahim stepped back once, then forward again, breaking the rhythm.
For a fraction of a moment, the figure adjusted.
That was enough.
Rahim struck.
The hit landed.
Light cracked across the figure's surface.
Not damage.
But disruption.
The figure stopped.
Just for a second.
Rahim saw it.
And smiled.
[ Thank you for reading!
Add this to your library if you like it! 💖 ]