Alpha Instinct

Saito calmly positioned himself on the opposite side of the clearing, a considerable distance from Leonard—almost too far.

Leonard shouted to Saito, "Hey! If you stand so far away, how are we going to fight?"

Saito, calm and with a mocking tone, replied, "Oh hoo! Use everything I taught you!" He shouted back, his voice cracking slightly with age.

Kaleb chuckled. "Ha! The old man has the strength of a Legendary Leirion but can't even manage a little yell. Can you believe it?"

Evelyn retorted, "Better to have the strength of a Legendary and not be able to speak than to speak too much and have no strength at all..." She glanced pointedly at Kaleb.

Mikaela laughed softly.

Leonard, already focused, assumed his fighting stance, this time a natural, familiar posture. He drew his swords, Smiling and Absolution, holding them loosely at his sides, arms extended and relaxed. "Elemental Sword Dance," he thought, the name resonating in his mind.

"Come, Master!" Leonard shouted, his voice ringing with challenge and respect. He knew Saito well; he had been beaten by him once before. With that thought, he activated his ELEV and Temporal Cognition to their maximum.

The world shifted. Not in a blur, as with Ghost Steps, but in a stretching of time. Sounds became drawn out, movements sluggish, except for his own. He saw the dust motes hanging in the air, the individual leaves trembling on the trees, Mikaela's soft smile, and Evelyn's look. He saw Saito.

Saito, a figure usually radiating calm, moved. His foot, previously planted, lifted, the muscles in his leg tensing, preparing to launch. It was an agile dash, a burst of speed. To any normal eye, it would have been instantaneous. To Leonard, it was... slower than usual. It wasn't exactly slow, but it was definitely noticeable.

He saw the subtle shift in weight, the tightening of muscles, the intent behind the movement. He saw the air ripple slightly in front of Saito, a precursor to the sonic boom that would follow.

But even with time seemingly stretched, Saito was still fast. Saito's speed was neither blurry nor invisible, yet it was swift enough to pose a threat.

He was a predator, unleashed, moving with an economy of motion that belied his age. He covered the distance with terrifying speed, a testament to decades of honed skill and raw power.

Leonard had the perception to track him and the time to react, but the sheer speed of his master was still a force to be reckoned with. It was a breathtaking, terrifying display of controlled power, even seen through the lens of Temporal Cognition.

"I can do this..." Leonard thought, his eyes lighting up with excitement. He began to activate Elemental Sword Dance, his hands struggling to keep up with the immeasurable speed of his thoughts, followed closely by Saito's own incredible velocity.

In Leonard's perception, he slashed twenty-seven times in front of him, covering different points and positions, encompassing every diagonal and every edge within his field of vision—all to defend against Saito.

To an outside observer, the battle lasted less than a second. The twenty-seven slashes of the 'Elemental Sword Dance' formed a protective dome in front of the user, a nearly impenetrable barrier.

On the twenty-seventh slash, the swords met. TING! A powerful energy dissipated from the clang of the blades, but instead of colliding and rebounding, they remained locked together, blade against blade. A powerful, constant friction, edge against edge.

Saito then yielded, jumping back and saying, "Oh hoo! He really did learn it!"

Leonard deactivated his stance, staring at Saito, uncomprehending.

Saito explained to Leo, "I attacked precisely at the twenty-seventh point. You needed to have executed the technique perfectly to defend."

"And if...?" Leonard asked, his eyes widening in realization.

"Well, you would have died! Oh, hoo!" Saito said, laughing heartily.

Evelyn sank to the ground, exhausted just from watching. "Even in training we're facing death here?"

"Are you worried about that?" Mikaela said. "Master Saito clearly said that Leonard executed twenty-seven strikes. I could barely see two."

"That's enough for today," Saito announced, his voice cutting through the air. "These skills will consume a great deal of energy, Leonard. Keep that in mind."

"Yes, Master..." Leonard replied, glancing down at his hand, which was already trembling slightly, a clear sign of the strain. He understood Saito's warning all too well.

"Come, children, let's go inside!" Saito said, turning and humming an old tune as he walked towards the cabin.

Kaleb and Mikaela followed. Mikaela, rushing to position herself beside Saito, asked him in a hushed tone, "Primordial Master, may I know who you really are!?" Her voice faded at the end.

Leonard remained standing in the middle of the clearing, still stunned by the speed and power he had just displayed, and also by Mikaela's question.

Evelyn, seizing the opportunity, playfully activated Subterfuge and moved silently to Leonard's back, surprising him with a hug.

Leonard startled, not accustomed to this kind of physical contact. He blushed crimson. "Hey, Eve! What are you doing? Let go!"

Evelyn pouted. "You let Mikaela hug you on the horse. Why can't I?"

"Ah, you women are all crazy," Leonard muttered, shrugging and stepping out of Evelyn's embrace.

Evelyn suddenly felt tired; her shoulders felt heavy, and breathing became difficult. She kept watch on Leonard.

Leonard remained in silence there, stunned, while the others moved away. He lost himself in thought for a few seconds, even forgetting about Evelyn right behind him.

He looked down at his own hands, still feeling the residual power of Blade Domain. A power he barely understood... and feared.

"Leo?"

Evelyn's voice snapped him out of his thoughts again. He turned, finding her standing a few steps away now—not as close as before. A faint smile on her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked, approaching him once more.

"Yeah... I think so," Leonard replied, his voice still a bit hoarse. "But what about you? That blast..."

"I'm fi—," Evelyn started to say, but the sentence died on her lips. Her eyes widened, and she put a hand to her mouth, as if trying to hold something back. Then, her body convulsed, violently, and she crumpled to her knees, collapsing before Leonard could react.

"Evelyn!" Leonard shouted, rushing to her side and catching her before her head hit the ground. Panic seized him. He cradled her in his arms, feeling her body, light and fragile. "I need to get her to Saito!" he thought, desperate.

With Evelyn in his arms, Leonard ran towards Saito's cabin, using all his remaining speed.

The cabin had been transformed. A new wing, built of light-colored wood and still smelling of resin, extended to the side, significantly expanding the space. The interior, previously rustic and cramped, now featured five simple but comfortable camp beds arranged along the walls, in addition to a larger, more imposing fireplace.

Mikaela, Kaleb, and Silverin, who were already inside, were startled by Leonard's abrupt arrival.

"What happened?" Mikaela asked, rushing to help him.

"I don't know... She just collapsed... suddenly," Leonard replied, out of breath, carefully placing Evelyn on one of the beds.

Saito, who had been examining some scrolls at a table, approached, his face etched with an unusual concern. He knelt beside Evelyn, examining her with experienced eyes. Suddenly, Evelyn's body began to convulse, violently. Her limbs contorted in spasms, and a low, guttural groan escaped her lips.

"Step back!" Saito ordered, his voice filled with urgency. He began to chant words in an ancient language, his hands hovering over Evelyn's body, emitting a soft, blue glow.

"What happened to her?" He asked, his voice choked with fear, watching the scene in horror.

Saito, without interrupting the incantation, glanced quickly at Mikaela.

"She used... a powerful ability," she replied, his voice tense. "Too powerful... and dangerous. She used 'Final Subterfuge'," Mikaela explained, hesitantly. "And... 'Moonless Sky.' A darkness... that covered everything."

Saito's eyebrows shot up. He stopped the chanting abruptly, staring at Mikaela with an expression of pure terror that washed over his face. It was a look no one ever expected to see on the old master.

He stumbled back, as if struck by a physical blow, knocking over a small stool which held several vials. They shattered on the floor, spilling colorful liquids that quickly evaporated with a hiss.

"She used an... Effigy?" he asked, his voice a hoarse whisper, laden with disbelief and fear.

"What's an Effigy?" Leonard asked. He was holding Evelyn's hand, but he was still recovering from his battle and travel, his voice weak.

Saito ignored Leonard. He reached out a trembling hand towards Evelyn, then quickly withdrew it, as if burned. A cold sweat beaded on his forehead. His eyes, usually twinkling with mirth, were wide and filled with a primal dread.

He looked at Evelyn, lying still, her breath shallow, her skin almost translucent, a faint, dark energy still clinging to her like a shroud. He tried to say something, but no sound came up. He tried again. "Get... get back..."