Blades clashed in the backyard, sending sparks flying.
Renato retreated half a step and tilted his blade slightly, using a sliding parry to divert the impact of Selina's greatsword to one side.
An ear-splitting metallic screech rang out as the blades scraped together. With a slight turn of his wrist, he shed the remaining force in one clean, precise motion, without a single wasted movement.
Selina's powerful, full-strength strike failed to land squarely, but committing all her strength did not throw her footwork into disarray.
The Sea Elf followed her weapon's momentum through a full turn. Her blade traced a complete circle in the air before she drew it back, settling the Flamberge Greatsword firmly on her shoulder and returning to her original opening stance.
Her long, blue-green hair fanned out as she spun, then fell back into place, revealing a face slightly flushed with excitement.
Renato glanced down at the Training Sword in his hand. The blade had visibly bent. Though the damage was not too severe, it was enough to show that this Training Sword, made of common steel, could not withstand many more blows like that.
He had more than enough strength to parry every one of Selina's attacks with ease, but the weapon's material could not endure repeated impacts of that magnitude.
Renato casually bent it back, and the blade snapped straight with a crack.
That minor interruption did nothing to dampen his mood. Their brief exchange had already given Renato a rough grasp of the swordsmanship's core philosophy, and its subtleties secretly astonished him.
Every slash carried her full strength, as though the Sea Elf were not swinging a weapon but guiding the greatsword in her hands through a dance...
What a unique, ingenious idea! As an expert swordsman, Renato found that this approach almost