Realmshift: Triad Ascendancy.

A madlad II

[SILVER]

"Oh, come on..." I muttered under my breath, bracing myself for his attack.

He swung his katana with a sharp flick, cutting clean through the air between us. The slash came dangerously close to my neck—so fast I barely managed to lean back in time.

Using Savant's Insight, I quickly teleported a short distance away, trying to create some space. I scanned the area, but he was already gone. A quiet chuckle behind me made my stomach drop.

"You're so innocent," he said casually.

I turned, only to see him mid-swing with his massive greatsword. I didn't have time to block. On instinct, I phased my midsection just before impact, the blade passing through without slicing me apart.

But he didn't let up. The moment I regained my footing, he appeared in front of me again, switching back to his katana. A series of quick slashes followed. I wasn't fast enough this time—his blade cut across my arms, shoulder, and side. Shallow wounds, but enough to slow me down.

I dropped to one knee, breathing heavier.

"This isn't working... I need to focus," I said quietly, activating King's Gambit and Sukuna's marks together. My body tensed as the familiar power surged through me.

The difference between us was clear—he was stronger. Faster. But I wasn't ready to give in.

With King's Gambit, everything became clearer. His movements made more sense. I didn't have to rely so heavily on the Ghost ability now; it cost too much mana, especially against someone like him.

Instead, I started reading him better. Dodging became easier. His strikes were still fast, but I could keep up—just enough to stay in the fight. 

White's greatsword came down like a meteor, the impact fracturing the stone beneath us. I launched into the air without hesitation, body gliding upward effortlessly, mana pulsing in my core.

I fired a mana blast down at him mid-ascent. The detonation sent shards of stone flying, but his form cut through the smoke without slowing, rising to meet me.

Katana in hand, he was on me in an instant. I lashed out with Dismantle—a sharp, tearing force—but he caught it with the flat of his blade, twisting to shrug off the impact before swinging again.

I ducked under the slash, countered with a blast, then banked hard to the side. He followed flawlessly, swapping to his greatsword mid-flight, forcing me to swerve away from each heavy swing. Every missed cut left a ripple in the air that nearly threw me off balance.

Another Dismantle—blocked.
Another—deflected.

His speed wasn't dropping. If anything, he was accelerating, mixing greatsword power with katana precision in an unbroken rhythm.

I wasn't going to win a drawn-out exchange. I had to flip the table, There is only one move I have that could give me an opening.

I pulled mana deep into my body, Sukuna's marks igniting across my skin. King's Gambit sharpened my perception until every detail was crystal clear. My voice cut through the chaos:

"Domain Expansion."

The world shifted instantly—shadows deepened, the air thickened, and my rule locked into place.

White froze mid-stride, weapons still in hand, expression calm but utterly immobilized.

I didn't hesitate.

One Dismantle.
Two.
Three.

Each strike hit cleanly, tearing fabric and leaving shallow marks across his body. Sparks of energy crackled along the cuts, mana residue burning faintly against his skin.