Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith

"Lethal strikes?" Lord Stygian repeated almost looking like he was hoping he had heard wrong.

"Well, yes," Zayda said, "It would be quite silly to have them play with weapons and not expect lethal action.

Now, begin."

As the order left her lips, Zayda\'s figure faded as she put as much distance between herself and the siblings to ensure she didn\'t interfere but remained close enough to intervene on the off chance things got too far.

Myrine kept her eyes on her brother as she gripped the handles of her daggers and the sound of metal against leather announced the unsheathing of both. The blades of the two weapons, identical to each other, were etched with the symbols of enchantments that just pulsed with Spiritual energy that gave them their edge.

Myrine took on an attacking stance and with a head nod,

"Come at me," she said, "Just like old times."

"I won\'t hold back," Myron said.

"You would be foolish to," Myrine said and with a *whoosh, her brother dashed toward her. His sword raised to come down in a cleave.

Myrine sidestepped and as the sword blade clashed with the floor of the stage, she kicked at Myron\'s elbow, aiming to incapacitate him.

Myron anticipated her attack and with quick action, he took one hand off the handle of his sword and deflected the kick before following up with a one-handed swing of his sword.

Slightly heavy as it was, the balance was off but the strike commanded a mighty force regardless.

*Clang!*

Despite being knocked off equilibrium by Myron\'s deflection, Myrine still managed to move her daggers and make a two-weapon contention against the blade of her brother\'s weapon.

It was at this point that Myrine should have put her foot down and tried her hardest to regain balance but the thought was lost on her and she was left vulnerable to the impactful release of Myron\'s pressure. Her stance wobbled and she staggered. At that moment, her brother raised a leg and connected a heavy booted kick into her midsection.

*Bam!*

"Ngh!"

Myrine was sent sliding many feet away and while she hurried to ground herself, Myron was on her to follow up with yet another kick. He connected with Myrine\'s forearm which she had raised to defend herself.

*Bam!*

*Sksh*

As the sound of kicking impact sounded, so also did the sound of blade cutting through flesh because as she was sent flying away yet again, Myrine managed to jab one of her daggers and nick Myron\'s ankle.

"Ahh!" Myron let out as the pain of the stab set in. He was hobbled and while he quickly circulated Spiritual energy all over the wound to stave off the sting, Myrine got back to her feet. .

"You\'ve gotten stronger," she said with a smile.

The last time she felt Myron\'s Pressure (long before his last visit), he was at the second step of the Fifth Order which, compared to her Sixth step at the time, was low. Now he was at the Seventh step and boasting an even more impressive battle prowess.

Myrine was happy for him. He might have been an insufferable brat but he was still her brother.

"And you\'ve gotten sloppy," Myron said with a grin, "The Old you would have stabbed completely through. This... This is but a scratch."

For a response, Myrine threw her head back and let out a peel of laughter that struck everyone on the scene with a strange ominous feel.

Evian found his smile getting wider as the laugh hit his ears. Something about it just made him feel giddy.

*Whoosh!*

Myrine\'s body shivered and faded into a blur and then suddenly, she was only a foot away from her brother, jabbing her daggers at him like quick-fire blows. As she did so, she let loose her pressure in the entirety. Letting her true capability show itself in an impressive outburst.

Myron\'s eyes widened.

His eyes failed him in following Myrine\'s movements but as he had long practiced handling opponents faster than himself, -a decision he had made in part because of how much his sister used to whoop his ass-, he managed to raise his weapon to defend himself.

*CLANG!*

The sound was loud. Like Myron\'s large sword was clashing with a sword just as large.

The force behind the dagger blades currently hard against Myron\'s weapon was so great, it moved him.

Myron ground his feet against the ground forcing a stop. What he felt from his sister\'s released pressure was the impactful force he remembered her gaining from her time on the battlefield and ordinarily, he had been ready to deal with it because since then, he had been in battle himself and developed a sense and an increased aptitude but yet, right now, he found himself lacking.

\'She... Got stronger.\' he thought almost in disbelief.

Myrine cultivating, even in this \'rundown\' City, did not surprise Myron. What surprised him was the fact that the intensity of her pressure had not quite dulled. She still appeared battle-hardened. Like she had never left the battlefield ever since she first stepped on it as a Squire many years ago.

Taking a break from battle always had an effect. Not on cultivation prowess but on battle prowess born of a change in mindset. Alas, it appeared Myrine\'s mindset had never changed.

"Nghh,"

With a groan of exertion, Myron warded off Myrine\'s daggers and sidestepped hoping the sudden loss of a pushback would disrupt her balance.

It worked.

Myrine stumbled forward and Myron struck the hilt of his sword handle at her only to strike nothing when Myrine allowed herself to fall forward completely just so she could press her hands against the ground, regain a sense of equilibrium, and then turn around to strike a kick at Myron\'s midsection.

"Ack!"

The force of the blow had Myron\'s eyes bugging and as it sent him upright and staggering, he was left at the mercy of his Sister\'s blow that came at his face- The handle of her dagger still clenched in her fist.

He raised a hand to defend his face.

*BAM!*

The hit still landed and robbed him of any bit of balance he still had so he fell on the floor face first.

Myrine followed up with a kick. Myron\'s reflexes sent him rolling away to safety where he quickly got back to his feet and found himself immediately at the receiving end of a barrage of dagger strikes that he had to fend off with quick movement of his large sword.

*Sksh*

*Sksh*

*Sksh*

Despite trying his hardest, Myron was unable to stop all dagger strikes. Multiple parts of his body got stabbed and bled distastefully and they gave him the visage of a loser even though the duel continued.

To those watching, especially Evian, Myrine\'s movement was a thing of beauty. Her body was mostly blurry to the sights of those at the Third Order and all they could see was the flashing of her weapons.

Most of the Stygians already knew Myrine was capable. It was why she commanded such respect in the Family despite being a married-in outsider. As a former practicing Member of the Martial Temple, she was already to be respected but when she showcased her skills, many shuddered.

For Evian, this was a new sight and he absolutely loved it.

The grace was so impeccable, that he was jealous.

Despite the difference in Weapon types, this display was the sort he hoped to be capable of eventually with his Spear which he had taken the time to practice with since the end of the Turf war.

\'Damn it!\' Myron thought angrily as he kept getting cut.

This was the type of battle he was most vulnerable to, especially with his weapon choice.

He relied more on strength, on overpowering his opponent and he did not quite fancy being at the mercy of quick movement his eyes and hands were unable to follow.

\'I just need one hit,\' he thought solemnly, \'One hit to end this.\'

He bade his time and then he saw opportunity.

During one of the rare chances that he deflected one of Myrine\'s daggers, Myron let loose his pressure focused on the weapon and he cut through his Sister\'s rhythm. He followed up by striking his Pressure toward her almost like he aimed to smack her face.

*Tah*

It hit but Myrine just laughed,

"Weak," she said and with her breast jigging along with her movement, she swung one of her daggers up, slicing through the pressure before she spun her weapon masterfully and stabbed it into his side- Through his ribs.

"Ahhhh..."

Myron started to yell but stopped when the tip of Myrine\'s second dagger poked his jaw, drawing blood and aiming to stab right through his mouth if she continued.

*Bam*

A sharp hit with her leg and Myrine knocked Myron\'s sword out of his hand so it fell to the ground with a defeated thud.

Her eyes flashed and her mouth stretched into an exalted grin,

"I win."