The Ninth Shadow sensed the change at once.
It swung its sword again, and the Death Sword Path spread out in calm, overwhelming waves, trying to bury Max beneath its absolute stillness. This time, though, when Max looked at the incoming attack, he felt no pressure, no tension, and not even the thrill of battle. He simply saw a sword coming toward him.
Then he raised Dragonheart and attacked.
There was nothing grand about the movement. There was no elaborate stance, no explosive release of power, and no visible flourish. Max simply stepped forward and swung his sword in what looked like an ordinary strike. Yet the instant that sword moved, the entire battlefield fell into a silence more terrifying than any explosion.
The Ninth Shadow's sword stopped, and its Death Sword Path froze.
Then, before its body was even struck down, something deeper shattered first.
Its will to fight vanished.
