Chapter 34. Cornered
Backed against the cliff wall, Rhys’ power spiked. His hands curled into claws. Rather than attacking recklessly, he slammed all his mana, all the strength from the impurities, every ounce of power he had, into one hand and struck Cynog’s neck with all his might.
There! What I’ve been waiting for!
Having beaten Rhys one-sidedly for the last few minutes, and in his entire last battle, Cynog wasn’t expecting an attack. He jerked back, but all his momentum was forward, his fist still raised to hammer the final blow home. The laws of physics prevailed. His bulk meant he couldn’t dart away when he’d already committed to a forward movement.
And so, Rhys’ strike hit its mark.
If Cynog’s guard was up, if he’d expected a counterattack, Rhys was sure things would be different. But this entire battle and the last had conditioned Cynog to see him as a helpless idiot, a fool who talked big, but could only run away. The last thing the man expected was for Rhys to actually live up to his words and be able to land a counterattack.
It's like Ev said. Half a battle is in the mind. A dumb jock won’t get far as a martial student.
His claw bit into Cynog’s neck. Blood spurted, and Cynog jerked to the side, almost lifted off his feet for a split second. In the next instant, his fist smashed into the stone cliff face. Pushed by Rhys’ blow, it veered off-target and missed Rhys’ face by millimeters. Rock shattered. Shards slashed past Rhys’ face, reflected with enough force to cut. Rhys swallowed, staring at Cynog with wide eyes. If the man had landed that blow, he would be dead. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Nothing Blow Mitigation could have done. His head would have been chunky salsa on the cliff.
Cynog roared in frustration. He drew back his fist.
It might still be! Rhys dropped straight down, raising his arms in futile hopes of protecting himself.
Crack.
Rhys blinked. He looked up, and his eyes widened. Cynog stared as well. Both of them gazed in shock at Cynog’s wrist, now broken, and the calloused hand that gripped it tight enough to break it.
“That’s enough, Cynog,” Ev growled, her eyes burning with anger.