Continued from here with @facelessreflections~
The mask worn by the other perfectly concealed his expressions, yet Mipha could still sense a change in his movements as they went about this pretend-battle. Dodges became flinches, and swings became strikes. But Mipha could not decipher what had changed. Was he getting frustrated that he couldn't easily defeat her? No, that wasn't the case... Poni seemed earnest in his initial request for a spar. Mipha didn't detect a shred of arrogance in his request. This had to be something else, something she didn't know... Something she couldn't see.
And perhaps this apprehension, this uncertainty she felt facing an opponent who was steadily becoming more erratic, was distracting her. It seemed she still had much to learn herself.
Still, she endeavored to focus throughout the entire battle. The Champion saw an opening--the Yiga man leaping backwards as she had seen those within his organization do too many times before--and she took it with a pillar of water. Poni landed onto the ground before her, drenched and hunched over. Mipha believed their session had ended; after all, there was no use in continuing to fight and potentially harm an ally when he had already been struck.
She pulled her trident back so it was no longer pointed at the man, the staff held neatly in her webbed hands, and she took a few steps closer. The match had been decided. They could go again, if he so wanted, but Mipha first wanted to ensure that her sparring partner was alright. He had been frozen in place for a bit too long... " Sir, are you-- "
But he moved with a flash. Before she knew it, the man had taken hold of her trident. She wasn't prepared for another attack, and her grip on the weapon had weakened. The staff slipped from her hands with the ease of water. The three-tipped edge swung at her side, causing the Zora to cry out at the sharp pain before attempting to dash out of the way.
But the attack still landed. A clean cut through her thick, scale-coated flesh. She supposed she should be grateful she dodged--a slice was still a better injury than a stab with her honorable weapon. Mipha's hand came to rest protectively at her wounded side, and she gave her attacker a panicked look. She raised her free hand in a defensive manner; this wasn't natural, and Mipha did not believe that Poni intended to attack her. " S-Stop, the match has concluded! " she called out. But something told the Zora that Poni would not stop with words alone.