The ending screen was very entertaining, thank you lol.
The mechanic was clunky, but it felt right to actually fumble a bit in a fight. That's not something that most games provide. The moment when I misread an incoming 2 attack as a three, messed up and only got two presses in, and miraculously blocked the swing felt excellent!
Also I really like having a unified health bar between sides. It doesn't make sense for everything, but it works for this, and I think it's a mechanic that deserves a bit more sunshine.