It wasn't that Yunxu didn't know how to handle himself in a fight. He knew a fight was coming, and stood prepared to dodge a strike. There were several reasons why he didn't actually dodge the strike.
The first was that he was out of practice. Perpetually relying on bodyguards combined with the availability of guns among the Snakes in recent months had put his hand-to-hand skills on the backburner. The second was that he, perhaps foolishly, thought he'd been talking some sense into Yuri. Angry men taking revenge usually thought twice when there was a chance they might be helping the very people they wanted revenge against. It seemed Yunxu had misjudged Yuri's character - or perhaps said something he shouldn't have.
The third was that he'd taken precautions against magic. He knew said precautions wouldn't do anything to stop a normal blade, but apparently that hadn't quite been enough to stop his pride from getting the best of him. And finally, the fourth was that Yuri's sword was quite a bit larger than swords Yunxu was used to dealing with. It cut differently through the air. Yunxu could dodge, yes - but he didn't dodge far enough.
The blade sliced his shirt open diagonally from hip to shoulder, and for a moment that rip was all Yunxu saw. A part of him was surprised he could still see anything at all, actually. Then the pain of the wound hit and he stumbled back against the wall with a grunt, momentarily stunned.
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The first was that he was out of practice. Perpetually relying on bodyguards combined with the availability of guns among the Snakes in recent months had put his hand-to-hand skills on the backburner. The second was that he, perhaps foolishly, thought he'd been talking some sense into Yuri. Angry men taking revenge usually thought twice when there was a chance they might be helping the very people they wanted revenge against. It seemed Yunxu had misjudged Yuri's character - or perhaps said something he shouldn't have.
The third was that he'd taken precautions against magic. He knew said precautions wouldn't do anything to stop a normal blade, but apparently that hadn't quite been enough to stop his pride from getting the best of him. And finally, the fourth was that Yuri's sword was quite a bit larger than swords Yunxu was used to dealing with. It cut differently through the air. Yunxu could dodge, yes - but he didn't dodge far enough.
The blade sliced his shirt open diagonally from hip to shoulder, and for a moment that rip was all Yunxu saw. A part of him was surprised he could still see anything at all, actually. Then the pain of the wound hit and he stumbled back against the wall with a grunt, momentarily stunned.