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“Of course, Master, let us see if you have anything worth learning.” You say with a tight and unfriendly smile, using his title for the first time in years in mock deference.
“Maybe we should leave this for later,” Cuts in Master Jalen, trying to turn all eyes to him, but yours are locked onto Porro. “From our training, I am confident Chris is more than ready for tomorrow.”
The words go unheeded as you and Porro watch each other with intense, unblinking glares as you begin to circle the other. Night robs detail and definition from his form, but you see him well enough with your eyes and easily with the Force. Your hands hover by your Lightsabers hanging off your belt, not yet grabbing them as you peer through the darkness, studying the balding middle-aged Evocii. While your body may have been exhausted during the declaration of the challenge, the adrenalin flooding your system causes your body to forget your aches and fatigue, birthing a new source of untapped energy to draw upon.
“No, Jalen, as his Master,” A word he empathises with force. “It is important that I know he will be capable of defending himself tomorrow. If you wish to leave, you are welcome to.”
There are no further words spoken by anyone; Master Jalen watches on wordlessly, unsure how to repair the situation from loosely veiled hostility to passive-aggressive normalcy. You and Porro continue circling each other, but with every step, the circle you are drawing shrinks further. There is a hunger inside you that roars for you to charge him and unleash a rabid Juyo offensive upon him; you certainly have the emotions to fuel the form. But you swallow it down and try to keep as calm and measured as possible, which is a herculean task with all of the adrenalin roiling inside of you. You will not succumb to the temptation, instead, you will use your skill in cold, emotionless Makashi to dismantle him.
In an instant burst of action, three Lightsabers are snatched into hands and ward off the darkness of night with bars of blue plasma. With a push of your front leg, you thrust out with your full-sized Lightsaber towards his face, aided by Force-enhanced speed. Porro, who is gripping his hilt in both hands, batters away your attack with a wild swing while retreating a few steps. Moving in to continue the pressure, you find that the wide, desperate sweep of Porro’s Lightsaber was a feint to set up a powerful counter-slash. His hands are gripping his weapon by his shoulder, then he swings diagonally down in a powerful arching slice. You do not have time to dodge. All you can do is bring up your Shoto to catch the reaping blow and throw your momentum behind the parry; the equal forces cause both blades to lock up between the pair of you.
