The aftermath of the violent exchange between Liam and his adversaries left the arena in a brief, stunned stillness, smoke, and flickering embers intermingling with the acrid scent of scorched earth and ionized air.
Then, without warning, a sharp, terrifying sound pierced the silence.
Stab!!!
A gleaming blade materialized through Null's torso. Liam, having exploited the blindness amidst the blinding explosion, emerged from the shadows, his weapon, the Talon Strike, now morphed into two lethal, orange-glowing blades.
With no moment of hesitation, Liam dragged the white-hot metal through Null, its heated edge cauterizing the horrific wound instantaneously.
The halves of Null's form slid apart, tumbling to the arena floor. No blood stained the earth. Merely the faint, sizzling sound of seared flesh lingered in the deathly hush that followed.
