Valentine felt his brain collide violently with the corners of his skull. For a fleeting moment, his thoughts scattered into white noise, disbelief flooding his mind. He couldn't understand how he was still losing. He had already shifted into his Bane Form, had already unleashed the peak of his craft, yet he remained on the losing edge. His consciousness trembled, threatening to slip into the abyss, but he clenched his will and held on. He dared not fall unconscious mid-battle, not from a single attack, not here, not now.
