Jin let out labored, dry breaths. His chest hurt and his hands shook as they held the sword tightly.
In front of him, Apophane smiled before drawing his hand out of Jin's chest with a squelch and allowing him to fall to the ground.
Jin landed on a knee in disbelief, "H-How?" he rasped, straining to look up at Apophane.
Apophane didn't bother looking down at Jin, simply opting instead to keep his gaze on the destruction Jin had wrought on the forest.
There was a large v-shaped cleave in the land, stretching for as far as the eye could see, it was smoking and as black as death.
The boogyman he had brought here unwillingly, the vanguard he hadn't wanted to use at all, now lay in a black heap on the floor.
Apophane was pissed.
"So that was your plan?" he said to Jin, "Kill my vanguard so I wouldn't have any defense. You angled the blast just right so it wouldn't hit me - No, so it wouldn't hit her. Quite brash, but also very effective."
