Again, Beam brushed the first strike aside. But his strength was not sufficient enough to do so without wasting precious movement. For the other strikes that came his way, he was forced to dodge – and yet, the creature was still faster than it, and so these dodges cost him position, putting him more and more off balance, until the final strike came and he was forced to take it head-on.
He raised his sword to block it, just in time. The claws raked against his steel, and the force sent him flying backwards.
This time, though, Beam did not lose his footing. He brought himself to a skidding halt, using his sword on the ground to help keep his balance.
He forced a smile. Even in his hyper-aware state, he could just barely keep up with it. But to land a counterattack, he needed something more, something stronger. He needed to get stronger.
