Cassius moved again, and this time the attack was a combination.

His rapier thrust forward in a series of lightning-fast strikes while his free hand cast Blood Magic simultaneously.

Crimson spears materialized in the air, each one aimed at a different part of Satou's body.

Satou was forced onto the defensive. He used Shadow Step to dodge the rapier, appeared behind Cassius, and lashed out with a kick enhanced by Orc's Might.

Cassius spun impossibly fast, his rapier deflecting the kick by striking Satou's ankle at just the right angle. The force of the deflection sent Satou stumbling.

"Your Shadow Step is good," Cassius noted, "but you emerge from it in a predictable pattern. Always behind your opponent, always at the same distance. Vary it.

Sometimes appear to the side. Sometimes above. Sometimes don't fully emerge—stay half in shadow and attack from there."

He demonstrated by activating his own shadow movement. He sank into his shadow, and for a moment Satou couldn't sense where he'd gone. Then suddenly, a hand emerged from Satou's own shadow, grabbing his ankle.

Satou jumped back, startled, and Cassius emerged fully, laughing. "See? The shadows are more versatile than you think. You're using them like the original of the skills would, straightforward, powerful, but predictable. Use them like the darkness they are. Subtle. Unexpected. Everywhere."

They engaged again, and this time Satou tried to implement the advice. When he used Shadow Step, he emerged to Cassius's left instead of behind. His Shadow Manipulation created tendrils that attacked from angles the vampire wouldn't expect.

"Better!" Cassius praised, parrying a tendril while simultaneously casting a Blood Bolt. "You're learning quickly. Most take weeks to adjust their combat style. But you're doing it mid-fight. Impressive!"

The pace of the battle increased. Cassius's rapier became a blur of silver, each thrust and slash perfectly placed to exploit openings in Satou's defense.

And all the while, he cast Blood Magic with his free hand—shields, projectiles, enhancement spells that made him faster and stronger.

Satou countered with his own arsenal. Shadow clones to confuse. Stone Spit to keep distance. Enhanced physical attacks powered by Orc's Might. His Battle Instinct let him predict Cassius's strikes, but the vampire was so fast that even knowing where the attack would land didn't always mean he could dodge it.

"This is interesting," Cassius said suddenly, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "You're actually making me work for this. Let's kick it up a notch, shall we?"

The vampire's presence changed. The air around him grew heavier, colder. His movements, already fast, became nearly impossible to track. And his Blood Magic intensified dramatically.

"Blood Frenzy," Cassius explained even as he attacked. "A vampire technique that dramatically enhances our physical capabilities at the cost of burning through our blood reserves. Normally we save it for serious fights. But you've earned it."

Suddenly, Satou was completely on the defensive.

Cassius's rapier came from seven different angles in the span of a single second.

Satou's Shadow Armor was stripped away by a Blood Magic spell that dissolved it like acid. A Blood Spear materialized and pinned his shadow to the ground, temporarily preventing him from using Shadow Step.

"Your problem," Cassius said, still attacking relentlessly, "is that you're treating each ability as separate. Shadow powers here, physical enhancements there, your spit attack as a completely different thing. But they're all part of you. Blend them."

To demonstrate, Cassius's next attack combined his rapier thrust with a Blood Bolt, the two techniques flowing together so seamlessly that they seemed like a single attack.

Then he used his shadow movement not to dodge but to enhance his lunge, the darkness propelling him forward with extra speed.

"Every skill you have is a tool," Cassius continued, his rapier dancing through Satou's defenses.

"But you're using them like separate weapons. What you need is to make them into one. Shadow Step plus enhanced strength equals shadow-powered strikes. Stone Spit plus Shadow Manipulation equals projectiles that attack from unexpected angles. See?"

He demonstrated again. A shadow clone appeared behind Satou, but instead of attacking physically, it cast Stone Spit from that angle while the real Cassius attacked from the front with his rapier.

Satou barely managed to dodge both attacks, rolling aside and coming up breathing hard.

"Your power is impressive," Cassius said, lowering his rapier slightly. "Especially for someone so young. But you're using it inefficiently. You have the strength to beat me, probably. But you don't have the skill yet. And in a real fight, skill often matters more than raw power."

The vampire was right. Despite all his new abilities, despite consuming a hero and gaining incredible skills, Satou was being outfought by someone who simply knew how to use their powers more effectively.

"One more lesson," Cassius said. "And then we'll call this bout."

He moved with blinding speed, appearing directly in front of Satou. His rapier came up, aimed at Satou's chest.

But Satou's Battle Instinct screamed a warning. This wasn't the real attack.

He threw himself sideways, and sure enough, a Blood Spear materialized exactly where he'd been standing, launched from Cassius's free hand.

"Good!" Cassius praised. "You trusted your instinct over your eyes. That's progress. But look."

He pointed, and Satou realized the rapier had never been meant to hit him. It had been positioned so that if Satou dodged toward either side, he would dodge directly into the path of secondary Blood Spells that Cassius had prepared.

Cassius had planned three moves ahead.

"Strategy," Cassius said simply. "You have the power. Now develop the mind to use it properly."

He straightened and sheathed his rapier. "I believe that's enough for today. Any more and we'll pass from sparring into actual combat, and neither of us wants that."

Satou realized he was breathing hard, his body covered in sweat despite not having landed a single solid hit. Cassius, by contrast, looked barely winded.

"I lost," Satou said simply.

"You learned," Cassius corrected. "That's more valuable than winning. A victory teaches you that what you're doing works. A loss teaches you what needs to improve."

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