"You only get to bend the rules," she said, allowing her blade to be redirected, her movements flowing with his own, "When you understand why they are there in the first place."
"Then consider this my advanced course in creative interpretation," Braze said, his voice tinged with both challenge and amusement.
"After all, what's the fun in mastering the rules if you can't test their limits every now and then?" Recognizing the need for the best form to counter Juyo, he reluctantly shifted to Soresu. This form demanded calm and control, providing minimal openings for an opponent to exploit and requiring the patience to wait for the perfect moment to strike back.
Braze was not fond of Soresu—it lacked the fiery dynamic of more aggressive forms—but he knew its value and when to deploy it. To transition into this state of calm, he took a deep breath, striving to quell the burgeoning fire in his heart. Practitioners of Soresu are known for their ability to outlast their opponents, making Form III ideally suited to withstand the intense, offensive barrage of Juyo.
"Storms no!" she shouted, a look of pure terror crossing her face. Her lip curled up disgustedly, as if she'd just tasted sour meliroon. She gagged, the idea of having a padawan strapped to her hip after so long being free was horrifying, but she let the moment pass.
"There is strength in your strikes. But you haven't earned the right to train Juyo yet."
Braze wanted to seize the momentary shift in her emotions to launch his attack. Even though he found himself on the defensive, he struggled to maintain his focus. He yearned to match her intensity blow for blow, but he knew such a tactic would likely end disastrously.
She was, in truth, a magnificent sight—her form and movements compelling and nearly impossible to ignore. Undoubtedly, she was impressive, and Braze found himself challenged to meet her blow for blow. He was cold reading her, a stranger as an opponent, and he had to work overtime to catch a glimpse of her rhythm as he blocked and parried, guiding her blade's momentum past. Positions 4, 6, 6, 4, then back again—a pattern he began to recognize and anticipate, though it was too soon to be sure.
On the back foot and losing ground to his taller opponent, Braze drew a slow, heavy breath as he moved to align his blade with hers. He attempted to move into her inner circle, reaching out with his braced left arm in a bid to tap her as he passed, trying to disengage from her fierce onslaught and put some distance between them, and to see if he could tap her.
"And what does one do to earn that right? What did you do to earn it?" he asked, his voice steady but filled with earnest curiosity, even amidst the intensity of their duel.