Chapter 27: Payback
The red aura pulsed around the Guildmaster, growing thicker, more intense. The air crackled. Without a word, she moved.
She didn't charge recklessly. Instead, she exploded forward, targeting Tony first. Her speed was blinding, the crimson energy trailing behind her like ribbons of light. Her sword became a blur, striking not with brute force alone, but with pinpoint accuracy aimed at perceived weaknesses in his stance.
Tony grunted, barely bringing his weapon up in time to parry a strike aimed at his shoulder. Sparks flew as metal clashed. The force of the blow sent tremors up his arm. He staggered back a step, surprise flashing across his face.
Rhan moved to intercept, his augmented fist swinging in a wide arc. The Guildmaster didn't meet it head-on. She spun away, letting his momentum carry him past, then pivoted instantly, her sword slicing horizontally through the air where he had just been.
The blade missed Rhan but continued its path, hitting the corner of a nearby ruined building. There was no loud explosion, just a silent, terrifying slice. The entire upper section of the building sheared clean off, stone and metal crumbling downward in a delayed cascade of destruction.
Rhan whistled low, watching the debris fall. "Okay, definitely not boring," he muttered, repositioning himself defensively.
Tony rubbed his arm where the Guildmaster's parried strike had landed. "Told you she was trouble." He spat on the ground. "But speed won't save you forever, little lady!"
The Guildmaster ignored the taunt, her focus absolute. She pressed her advantage, flowing between the two men like water, forcing them to react, keeping them slightly off balance.
Her strategy was clear: divide and conquer, wear them down individually, never letting them coordinate a combined assault.
'This woman... she's incredibly strong,' Rhan thought, narrowly ducking under another devastating slash that carved a deep gouge in the pavement behind him. 'Fast, precise, and powerful. She's reading our movements.'
The fight raged across the ruined street—a whirlwind of crimson energy, clashing metal, and shattering stone. Taunts flew back and forth, mixed with grunts of effort and the sharp hiss of near misses.