Moments after Mirage moved closer to Moon, the Shadow Panther struck from the dark, lunging out of the gloom at blinding speed, materializing only in the instant before its claws were about to land.
The Southern Commander was ready, pivoting at the last moment to catch the strike before it could hit. The blade master crossed his swords, trapping the panther's claws mid-swing, sparks flying where steel met claws. The panther recoiled instantly, melting back into the darkness before the commander could counter, vanishing again.
It's faster than the Beast Soul, and it won't commit unless it thinks it can kill and escape.
The panther struck again, and this time it was more clever.
It came at the Beast Soul from one angle, drawing the commander's blades to intercept, and then, at the last possible instant, it twisted mid-air, its trajectory changing in a way that should have been impossible, slipping past the beast soul's guard entirely. The commander's blades caught empty air.
