It came as no surprise when his attack was deflected; that she chose to redirect his strength rather than try to challenge it was expected as was the fact that she would have the speed and skill to do so. Rider’s scimitar slid down the length of Assassin’s katana with a rasp of metal, and he pulled his sword back without complaint, keeping a wary eye out for her counter.

Assassin’s approach was more direct than he would have thought, attempting to push him back with sheer force as she hammered the tip of her sword into the bronze surface of his shield. Each impact rattled his bones and he felt himself pressed to retreat, to give way and separate from his opponent. Instead he dug in his heels and held steady under the onslaught, even pushing forward slightly to meet her attacks.

He didn’t yet know what his opponent wanted from this exchange, what her strategy was or how she would go about this battle; he would come to understand it in time, but for now he was relying on past experience and instinct to guide his actions. Perhaps he was falling directly into her trap by not retreating; maybe he had already made the fatal mistake that would lead to his death. Overthinking things only worked to slow your reactions however and he couldn’t afford that here; for now he would take Assassin’s actions at face value and respond appropriately. If she wanted to push him back then he would not move. Deny your opponent what they want at every opportunity.

That did not mean he would be complacent however. The next time Assassin lunged for his shield, once she had committed herself to the action, a short hop to the side, a turn of the shield inward, and Assassin’s katana would glance off of a sloped surface and her own momentum would set her off balance. Then, raising his sword, Rider spun around and slashed through the air at neck height.

[@VitaVitaAR]