Silas stumbled back, alive only because Lucian had taken the blow in his stead.
On another front, Daigo's clash with Kaizen raged just as fiercely. The two katanas rang again and again, sparks flying with every strike. Daigo's eyes flicked toward Lucian for just a moment, and his chest tightened at the sight of him barely holding on.
Kaizen noticed the shift and smirked, his voice dripping with mockery.
"What's this, pretty boy? Getting desperate now?"
Their blades locked, pressing against each other with grinding force.
"Shut up!" Daigo roared, twisting his blades free. He swung hard, releasing a sharp crescent of energy that tore through the air. Kaizen caught it on his sword, but even so, the force ripped his stance back and left a cut across his arm. Blood spattered onto the dirt.
