The young man threw himself forward once more, gathering every last drop of muscle strength in his legs for a single, powerful leap towards the girl.
The jump was almost exactly like his previous strike. Again, he raised the sword's hilt upright with both hands, aiming precisely at her head.
Spotting this familiar maneuver, a faint smile briefly crossed the girl's face. She lifted her sword, fluidly slipping back into her original form at the beginning of their duel.
*CRAAACK*
The moment the young man's wooden blade struck hers, it shattered with an explosive crash. The broken tip spun high into the air before disappearing into the depths of the garden.
As the girl paused briefly, stunned by the unexpected turn, the young man seized the opportunity. He pressed his broken sword forward, locking it onto hers. Twisting with all his strength, he forced her wrist to bend, loosening her grip.
Then, with relentless strength, he flexed his arms and suddenly lifted upward, sending both his and her sword spinning into the air.
*WHAM!*
But right at that moment, the young man received a sudden, fierce kick to the left side of his head. The impact sent him flying sideways, slamming him into the ground and skidding him along the dirt.
"WOOHOAAA!!"
Nearby, someone could no longer contain his excitement. The child perched on the shoulders of the middle-aged man raised his arms in exuberance.
The older man calmly placed his finger on his lips.
"Shhhh..."
For a brief second, the girl's gaze flicked toward the child, then quickly returned to her opponent. She casually rolled her shoulder back, loosening it.
"You're way too serious," she remarked nonchalantly.
The young man stood up without bothering to reply. He shifted his feet apart and raised his arms in front of him, adopting a hand-to-hand combat stance.
"As you wish." with a slight smirk, the girl adopted the same fighting stance.