A crash, like glass shattering, echoed out immediately after and the thick armor broke apart. The small metal pieces scattered through the air were accompanied by a crimson mist. It didn’t feel deep judging from the resistance, but my sword had cut into Eugeo’s body at last. I felt like I had been cut myself, in the same spot, the instant I realized that I had hurt my friend. My face warped, wanting to avert my sight, but I couldn’t possibly stay my hand here. Flipping my wrist the moment the vertical slash reached the floor, I used the elastic energy from my entire body to follow up with an upward slash— The black sword was flicked straight towards the side with a dull clunk. Eugeo had kicked away my sword with his right greave, with nary a wince from the pain inflicted by that fresh injury from his left shoulder to his chest. Realizing that motion would lead into a counterattack, I desperately leaned away my shuddering body. While the Blue Rose Sword whizzed closer from the left. I staked everything on avoiding a direct hit on my neck, but it still tore straight through my left shoulder. Feeling a frigid chill rather than pain, my right foot kicked off the floor with all of my strength and I tackled Eugeo who had just swung his sword with my injured left shoulder. The blinding, vicious pain that was previously absent surged through me this time as a spray of fresh blood whirled into the air. Eugeo stood firm on his left foot beyond the red mist, refusing to fall. An immediate counterattack would be impossible from that posture.