Chapter 41: Cadence
The moment the last arc of her slash dissipated into vapor, Azulus lowered her katana, the blade pulsing faintly before it went dim.
Her eyes, which a moment ago radiated a terrible clarity, dulled instantly as she stepped back with no strength.
Sheathing the blade with one shaky movement, she let out a breathless sigh and collapsed backward, falling with no resistance.
Kivas stood frozen, her shotgun lowered, heart hammering in confusion and fear.
Words stuck in her throat, speechless and confused, to the point where she finally let go of her strength and grasped onto fatigue.
Her legs buckled and she stumbled forward, nearly tripping over uneven ground before catching herself.
Azulus lay there, barely conscious, arms slack at her side except for the one still gripping the hilt of her weapon like it was a lifeline.
Kivas dropped to her knees beside her. "Azulus... hey—are you okay?"
Azulus tilted her head slightly, eyes half-lidded and expression unreadable. Her voice came slow, dry, as though each word cost her a breath she barely had. "Used all of it. HP, MP... might not be able to move much for five minutes."
"Five minutes?!" Kivas looked around the shattered floating island. "They might come back—"
"They will," Azulus confirmed. "Soon."