Without hesitation, Michael lunged forward, spear in hand, cutting across the dust-filled air as he charged straight for the figure.
This time, Brian managed to hold on just barely.
The clash rattled through his bones, each strike from Michael threatening to rip him apart. He had to rely not on overwhelming force but on experience.
It was the only thing keeping him from being cut down outright and the one thing he had in abundance compared to Michael.
Unfortunately, when the gap was too much, anything else aside from equal strength was equal to tricks.
Brian's body paid the price. The protective layers of his robe shredded like paper under Michael's spear sweeps, torn into ragged strips. Even his inner garments fared no better, leaving only the one-star extraordinary gauntlet his father had given him still intact, gleaming faintly beneath the dust and blood.
