Shadow of the Moon: The Demon Slayer & the Priestess!

The tension in the air was suffocating. Ryoshi's chest burned, his arms ached, and his breath came ragged. He had trained endlessly under his master, yet now, in the face of him, he felt like a child grasping at a sword too heavy to wield.

His master stood a few feet away, sword raised, his posture flawless—not a single opening. Unshaken. Unbreakable.

"Still standing?" His voice was calm, almost disappointed.

Ryoshi gritted his teeth. "I'm not going down that easily."

His master's head tilted slightly. "Then fight like you mean it."

He blurred forward—too fast.

Ryoshi barely reacted. Instinct took over, his sword moving on its own. A loud clang echoed through the forest.

But the impact sent a sharp pain through his arms. The force knocked him back, forcing his feet to dig into the dirt to stop himself from crashing into a tree.

His master's strength was monstrous.

Siren struggled to her feet, her silver eyes burning. "Damn it… he's toying with you."

She was right. This wasn't a battle. It was a test.

A test he was failing.

Ryoshi exhaled sharply, his grip tightening around his blade. He had to change something—anything.

His master's voice cut through his thoughts. "I know all of your techniques. Every stance, every step. You cannot defeat me as you are now."

Ryoshi knew that.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't try.

Siren's voice reached him. "Use your energy, Ryoshi."

He blinked. My energy?

He had never used it in real battle before. It was something he had barely begun to understand—a power that slumbered deep inside him.

His master sighed. "If you will not attack, then this is over."

In a blink, he was in front of Ryoshi again.

The sword came down.

Ryoshi's instincts screamed. MOVE!

But this time, he didn't just dodge.

He let go.

Not of his sword—of his fear.

A surge of energy erupted from within him, wild and untamed. His body moved faster than his mind. He twisted, ducked beneath the strike, and slashed upward.

A bright, silver-blue arc of light followed his blade.

For the first time, his master stepped back.

The attack missed—but the air itself cracked where his sword had passed.

His master exhaled, looking at him with newfound curiosity. "So you're finally tapping into it."

Ryoshi's breathing was heavy, but his heart pounded with something new.

Not fear.

Excitement.

He wasn't out of this fight yet.

And for the first time, his master had acknowledged him as more than just a student.

As a true warrior.