In the desolate expanse of jagged rocks and crumbling stone, the air seemed to tremble, vibrating with the imminent clash of two forces.
The ground was marked with the scars of past conflicts, deep cracks running through the earth, the remnants of shattered stone pillars jutting from the landscape like the broken bones of a long dead giant.
Lucian moved first.
His figure blurred, disappearing from sight with a single, fluid step, the air itself crackling with the speed of his motion.
In an instant, he was before Thyros, his katana a streak of cold steel aimed directly at the chest of his opponent.
Thyros reacted without hesitation.
His eyes narrowed, and in the same heartbeat, his body twisted, arms, legs, and torso all working in perfect unison.
His right hand shot out, fingers like a vice as he caught the blade of Lucian's katana just an inch from his body, the metal glinting under the pale light.
