I let my guard down. That alone felt off the moment I realized it, like something in the back of my head quietly pointing out that I shouldn't have let it happen in the first place. It wasn't something I did often, and definitely not something I did casually.
Still, it happened.
Maybe it was just one of those rare slip-ups. Or maybe it was because I wasn't really worried about dying here. That thought had been sitting somewhere in me the entire time, dulling my edge without me noticing. Most of the people standing in front of me were my women, after all. Somewhere along the way, I must have relaxed, just a little. Turns out, a little was already too much.
That tiny opening was all they needed.
The moment I saw the fist coming straight at me, I raised Guardian without hesitation.
The barrier formed instantly, like something I had relied on so many times that I didn't even think twice about it anymore. It had always been enough. More than enough, actually.
