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(Crescent Blade Training 2...)

A time to strike was apparent, as the panther poised to join his brethren against my elite guard. I leapt from my viewpoint silently, and came crashing down with the scimitar, slicing off the unsuspecting panther's tail! It shrieked in agony but wheeled on me fast, shifting to demon form and swiping at me with dangerous claws. With a weapon as light as my scimitar I easily recovered and parried the claw attacks, spinning the scimitar in a circle to defend myself and cut at the beast's hands. We danced back and forth, slashing at each other with brutal determination, but both oddly missing our target. The Dakari did not slow, but I was beginning to get tired. The basic slashes I was taught were doing nothing, I needed to try something new to survive. Then it hit me, try reverse striking patterns. The standard vertical slash is an overhead attack from up to down. I decided to try the opposite. I dug my scimitar into the ground and then quickly slashed upwards, forcing the Dakari to leap sideways. As it did, I changed my pattern and swung the blade from a vertical to a horizontal position, moving fast enough to catch it in mid leap and slash it across the chest. The demon was far more nimble than I thought, it played off the pain and spun about in mid air, changing from a mere sidestep leap to a spin, with which he used for a momentum enhanced kick to my face that I completely did not see. I was stunned from the impact, which that damn Dakari used to its advantage. It shifted back to panther form and darted behind me, clawing at the back of my legs, forcing me to kneel. It pounced me, and at that moment I thought it was over. It clawed at my wrists, causing me to drop my weapon. Another mauling slash hit me across the abdomen, causing blood to flow freely. My vision was beginning to fade...