The Undead King's Submission (3)

"Now we're getting somewhere," I whispered, feeling my own energy surge in response. I called upon my honed reserves of dark mana. Shadows flickered around my form, and I let them coil around my arms and legs like serpents. In a flashback, even years later, the memory of that sensation was still electric—the rush of pushing my abilities to their breaking point.

He swung at me in a diagonal slash that carved a molten line across the floor. The force behind the blow was immense, but I narrowly avoided it by twisting aside, letting it slice through empty air. Sparks and fragments of rock showered the space behind me. A second swing came almost instantly, catching me off-guard with its speed. I managed to parry with the dagger, but the impact jarred my arm, sending a numbing shock from my elbow to my shoulder.