Seeing Francis' new stance and the strange aura surrounding him, Richard subconsciously took a few steps back.
"What is that... What is he going to do?" he muttered.
At that moment, it appeared as if the entire surrounding aura was being sucked into Francis' body, and the wind began to swirl chaotically around him.
'He's suddenly not showing any openings,' Richard thought, his mind racing. 'Letting him finish whatever he's doing could be dangerous, but advancing on him now is just as risky. He could start slashing at me from any angle, and I won't know how to counter without getting hit.'
As various strategies raced through his mind, Richard finally decided to switch to a defensive stance. 'For now, I just need to defend against his attacks. An opening will appear when he thinks he has succeeded. As long as I can hold him off, I'll find a way to win.'
