Isaac expected the parry, and indeed was hoping for it, because as soon as his opponent moved his left arm to deflect the sword strike he exposed Isaac’s true target. Isaac twisted his sword-hand so his knuckles were facing leftward, forcing his blade to dart leftward and underneath his opponent’s own sword, hopefully cutting a groove into the flesh of his forearm. As he did so he sought to ‘fly back’ which was in his school of fencing the preferred move after any strike, regardless of success. The intended outcome of all of this was for Isaac to take a step backwards with his sword cutting a line along the outside of his opponent’s left forearm and wrist, a painful and potentially disabling attack. Considering Gaurdian had already committed to his parry, as opposed to just stepping back or even darting around the weapon with longer reach, there was a good chance Isaac would have opportunity to draw first blood here.

Regardless, his opponent was likely to reconsider advancing after realising the true intent of Isaac’s thrust, but Isaac was stepping back regardless, followed by a quick anti-clockwise circling that put him just off to his opponent’s hopefully weakened left side, but only a step away.