Shang was stuck between three choices.
Charge at Astor with his Ice Blast.
Try to evade the strike and counter.
Try to evade with his Ice Blast.
All of them had different advantages and disadvantages.
In the end, Shang went with the second option.
Why?
Because he needed his Ice Blast to end the fight.
He couldn't reliably end the fight by charging in now.
If he evaded with his Ice Blast, he would be on the safe side, but he would lose his best shot at winning against Astor.
Astor's defense was incredible, and without a severe speed advantage, Shang couldn't break through it.
So, Shang ran into the distance.
Astor had already built up his momentum, and he would soon jump forward with his sword.
It was essentially the same situation as when Shang had first fought Astor.
