Back not so far from the chaos, Velza and the mysterious pink-haired girl were duelling, steel and light ringing through the ruined corridors.
To Velza, it felt like hours, each second stretched, each breath laboured, but in reality, only minutes had passed. Still, to her prideful heart, this eternity was unbearable.
Velza was stronger. She knew it. Everyone knew it. Yet that truth meant nothing when her opponent refused to fight fair. The pink-haired girl was crafty beyond measure. She conjured false images of Reiden, mocking illusions that made Velza hesitate for just a fraction of a heartbeat. But in battle, a fraction was enough.
Enough for the girl's slender fists and cutting kicks to sneak past Velza's guard. Enough to land strikes that rattled her ribs and jolted her lungs.
