"Are you sure you don''t want to wear any armor?" Ty asked, his stance defensive as he held the Kama de in each skeletal hand, the chain dangling ominously in front of his chest. "I would prefer not to identally hurt you. Plus, my abilities can be quite messy, and there''s a chance I might break stuff."


    General Mattison waved off Ty''s concern with a casual air. "Don''t worry about me. I''ve seen enough of your fighting to know you can handle your strength. And this dojo," he gestured around the spacious training area, "is built to endure far more than a little roughhousing."


    Ty shifted slightly, the bones of his fingers making a faint clicking sound as he adjusted his grip on the des.


    The subtle sound was a stark reminder of his unique skeletal form, a contrast to the usual muscle and flesh of a warrior, yet he exuded a certain readiness, an anticipation for the duel that was about tomence.


    "Okay then," Ty replied, epting Mattison''s reassurance. "Let''s start." Despite the absence of flesh and muscle, his stance and tone conveyed a readiness


    Mattison confidently undid the bandages around his arm, revealing a well-defined physique marked with marbled abs.


    Despite a few remaining bandages wrapped around his body, his athletic form was evident.


    He slipped off his shoes, mentioning, "I perform better with less weight. If I end up beating you into dust repeatedly, I''ll just shove you in a box or something, and we''ll call it my win."


    His words carried a tone of light-heartedness mixed with the seriousness of a seasoned fighter. "Lady Nanako mentioned you have quite an impressive regeneration ability," he added, a hint of challenge in his voice.


    Ty stood still, his skeletal form creating a stark contrast to Mattison''s muscr build. The general''s casual mention of Ty''s regeneration ability hung in the air between them, a recognition of Ty''s unique nature in this duel. The bones of Ty''s fingers lightly ttered as he shifted his stance, the Kama des glinting slightly under the dojo''s.


    Mattison''s words carried a sense of determination and preparedness.


    "If you mortally wound me, medical staff with healing magic are on standby nearby," he assured Ty. His tone was serious, yet there was an undercurrent of excitement about the duel. "Don''t hold back, and neither will I," he added, his eyes fixed on Ty.


    As Mattison spoke, a fascinating transformation urred. Dark ck crows began to form around his muscr, bare arm. A thinyer of ck energy swirled around him, gradually taking shape into a gleaming red de. The de, approximately 30 inches long, typical for abat sword, had a hilt adorned with a crow crest and a red glow illuminating its end.


    The fabric that materialized along with the de wrapped around his forearms, seamlessly blending into his skin tone as it spiraled upwards. In a swift motion, Mattison lunged towards Ty. The air around them seemed to warp, causing Ty''s vision to distort momentarily.


    For a second, it appeared as if there were three Mattisons, each a mirror image of the other, all converging on him with the same fierce determination.


    As the des locked, the echoing sh of metal filled the air. Mattison''s sword began to emit a bright red glow, a visual testament to its power. Ty, quick to react, dropped one hand from his de while maintaining his grip with the other. A red crow, emanating from Mattison''s sword, darted towards Ty''s head.


    In a swift motion, Ty caught it in his free hand, instantly enveloping it in a ball of ck mes.


    Seizing the moment, Ty gripped Mattison''s glowing red de, using his stance to unbnce his opponent. With a deft hip toss, he sent Mattison flying ten feet away, where he skidded along the ground.


    Mattison, cursing in frustration, plunged his de into the ground, a circle of red light epassed him entirely. His body, now wrapped in a ck and red aura with subtle feather-like patterns, speed blitzed towards Ty, aiming for a powerful strike to his head.


    But Ty, having gauged Erebos''s speed in their previous encounter, reacted with lightning-fast reflexes.


    He caught Mattison''s de with his open hand, while his own de, seemingly with a mind of its own, thrust forward, piercing Mattison''s back.


    Despite the injury, Mattison didn''t falter. He responded with a direct punch to Ty''s skeletal chest.


    The impact ignited a windstorm of fire, tearing through the dojo and creating a massive hole at the center.


    This revealed a golden orb at Ty''s core, which quickly began to piece itself back together, showcasing Ty''s remarkable regenerative abilities


    Mattison, still covered in his crow armor, nced at the small golden orb revealed in Ty''s skeletal chest, a hint of recognition in his eyes. "That must be something to do with your powers, I suppose," he remarked, breaking free from the de lodged in his back.


    As Ty observed, the wound on Mattison began to heal rapidly, confirming his suspicion of a healing factor.


    The healing process, enhanced by the crow armor, underscored the resilience, and advanced abilities bothbatants possessed in this intense duel.


    Ty, determined to try a new tactic, channeled all his energy into his legs. In a burst of power, he exploded off his bony heels.


    The Kama de, almost seeming to possess its own will, floated nearby, and Ty couldn''t shake off the feeling that it was somehow annoyed with him. Dismissing the thought, he focused on his attack, swinging the de at Mattison.


    However, Ty miscalcted his speed, not slowing down in time and instead zooming past Mattison, crashing squarely into a wall.


    As Ty collided with the wall, the sound of the impact echoed through the dojo. The clones of the man Mattison had summoned for the test, still standing at attention, showed signs of fatigue. Sweat dripped from their brows, and some bore injuries from earlier when they had served as test dummies.


    Without hesitating, Ty acted on instinct, ripping off his own arm in a swift motion. He was determined to turn the tables in this duel.


    Channeling all his energy into his feet, he enhanced his speed with his fire and barrier abilities.


    This time, his movements through the dojo were sharper and more controlled.


    He skillfully evaded Mattison''s de, which unleashed three crows in a swift attack.


    One of the crows managed to slice through Ty''s skeletal leg, but Ty quickly countered, smacking Mattison on the head with his detached bone hand.


    For a fleeting moment, everything around Mattison seemed to slow down, the effects of Ty''s barrier and me abilities momentarily subsiding.


    Seizing the opportunity, Ty ced his ck bony hand firmly on Mattison''s chest and uttered a single word with intense focus, "Gravity." In his mind''s eye, he visualized reversing the gravitational pull, imagining Mattison being lifted off the ground.


    To Ty''s amazement, his strategy worked wlessly. Mattison, caught off guard by the sudden reversal of gravity, was propelled upwards, crashing into the ceiling.


    The sudden change in gravitational forces left him struggling, his usual speed and agility significantly hampered.


    As Mattison tried to orient himself in this unexpected predicament, Ty''s de, acting with a mind of its own, swiftly flew towards him.


    The de came to a halt just inches from Mattison''s neck, hovering threateningly.


    The tension in the room was heavy as Mattison LT witnessed this dramatic turn of events.


    Realizing his disadvantaged position and the imminent threat posed by the de, Mattison conceded defeat. With a begrudging sigh, he tapped his shoulder lightly, a universally understood gesture of surrender. The duel, intense and unpredictable from the start, hade to an abrupt end.