The very instant our swords collided, the sound alone felt like it split the air in two. Steel screamed against steel, and a violent shockwave exploded outward from the point of impact. The force rippled through the arena in a visible distortion, like heat waves rising from scorched earth. My hair whipped back wildly, strands snapping against my face as if the wind itself had taken offense to our clash.
And that was just the first hit.
The moment his slash met mine, I felt it all the way down to my bones. My arms buckled slightly under the sheer weight behind his strike. It wasn't just strength. It was pressure. The kind that made your instincts scream at you to run.
If I hadn't clenched my jaw so hard my teeth hurt, I might have collapsed right there. The impact rattled through my shoulders, into my spine, down to my legs. For a split second, my vision flickered.
