The underground training room at Night Abyss's Tokyo base was forever bathed in cold white light.
The metal floor was scarred all over by blades, fine iron shavings collecting in grooves of varying depths.
A faint smell of rust and sweat hung in the air, mingling with the disinfectant carried in through the ventilation ducts, cold and harsh as a blade.
Xuan's sword periodically whistled through the air-whoosh, whoosh-each stroke driving a heavy, fierce gust.
He had chosen the weapon himself: a broad-bladed katana, more than three times as heavy as the training camp's standard daggers, perfectly suited to his brutal, forceful fighting style.
Every slash carried a vicious willingness to trade injury for injury. His taut muscles bulged beneath his combat uniform, and sweat ran down his jaw, dripping onto the metal floor and bursting into tiny splashes.
Ying had chosen a straight tachi like Moon's Heavenly Imperial Leaf Moon. Its slender blade resembled a pool of clear autumn water, blossoming into intricate flourishes in her hands.
Her gift for Dynamic Vision was unleashed to the fullest. Her footwork was ghostlike: one moment she seemed to be on the left, and the next she had circled to the right. Her blade took unexpected angles, targeting vulnerable spots such as joints and throats.
Of the three, she was the best at turning an opponent's force against them. Often, the instant their strength was spent, her blade was already upon them.
Cang, meanwhile, had chosen the weapon closest to the training camp's daggers-a short blade.
He also trained in throwing techniques.
At that moment, he stood in a corner of the training room with three throwing knives in his hand. A flick of his fingertips sent cold flashes streaking out in succession. Three sharp thunks rang out as the knives buried