Chapter 64: Round Two
"If you're waiting for me to tire, you're wasting both our time," remarked Xenovia, sporting a provoking smile as she stated, "I'm not the one flitting about like a little birdie."
"Was that a dig at my Familiar...?" asked Kiba, exhaling from his mouth before inhaling a steading breath through his nose.
"It was an observation," stated Xenovia, standing with the three-pronged sword resting on the ground as she pointed out, "Because, unlike you, I've hardly moved from my starting position."
"If I wanted you moved, that's easy...!" retorted Kiba, showing markedly more anger and spirit than usual as he stabbed the tips of his fire and ice swords into the ground and unleashed his Demonic Power.
"Hmm...?"
Sensing danger, Xenovia leaped backward just as seven blades erupted from the ground, skewering her previous position. She was tempted to point out that the attack would have been lethal if she hadn't avoided it, but as that also applied to her Wave of Destruction, she presumed Kiba used it with the belief she would.
Demonstrating he hadn't completely discarded his chivalry, Kiba shouted, "Behind you...!" as he appeared behind Xenovia with a katana with a wavy, purple-hued Hamon.
Reacting quickly, Xenovia positioned her Excalibur of Destruction within the katana's path, intercepting Kiba's slash. To her surprise, the moment their blades connected, her own felt immovable.
Releasing his hold on the katana, Kiba materialized a gladius-like sword, stabbing it at Xenovia's side and forcing her to abandon her weapon as he asked, "How do you like my Shirahadori Time Catcher!? The effect doesn't last very long, but it's pretty effective...!"
"You're not wrong..." conceded Xenovia, a bead of sweat forming on her right cheek as she continued backstepping and weaving Kiba's attacks with her hands raised like a Boxer. She was still slower than Kiba without her greatsword hindering her, but her instincts and reaction time were on the level of precognition.
'I need to calm down and focus...' Kiba told himself, realizing that his frustration was making his attacks more predictable than they otherwise would be as, even with two swords, Xenovia was reading him like a book.