"C'mon," he teased, twirling his staff effortlessly between his fingers. "You're not done already, are you?"

Your arms ached, your legs burned, and your lungs screamed for air, but the fire in your chest refused to go out. You knew this fight was unwinnable, but something in you refused to back down.

"Not even close."

Mori's eyes gleamed with excitement. "That's what I wanna hear!"

In a split second, the air shifted, the wind howling as Mori reappeared behind you in an instant. His staff came swinging down, the sheer force of it slicing through the air. His attacks were like a raging storm—fluid, unpredictable, and devastatingly powerful. Every strike pushed you closer to your limit, forcing you to react on pure instinct.

You ducked under a swing, barely dodging in time before pivoting on your heel to counter. But Mori was already there, effortlessly blocking your strike with the end of his staff.

"You're thinking too much," Mori said, tilting his head. "Gotta feel it, y'know?"

With what strength you had left, you launched yourself forward, aiming a feint toward his left side before quickly switching to strike from the right. For a brief second, you thought you had him.Then he grinned.

And in a blur of movement, he caught your weapon mid-strike. Before you could react, he twisted his grip, sending a pulse of force through your weapon that made it fly from your hands. Your heart lurched as you felt yourself lose balance, falling backward.

The world tilted, and suddenly, you found yourself pressed against his chest, his arm locked securely around your waist before you could fall.

You groaned, "Lost, again."

His grip around you tightened just slightly before he broke into a wide grin. "Pfft, so what? Losing just means you get to fight me again." He continued, already helping you back to your feet, "you might actually land a hit."

"You're enjoying this way too much."

He laughed, throwing an arm around your shoulders like he hadn't just wiped the floor with you. "Hey, you're the one that challenged me.'"