Kaizen's grin stretched wide, his eyes gleaming with wild confidence. "Do you really think adding that guy could stop the Legate?" he sneered, his katana lifting in a slow, taunting arc. "There is no one among you who can stand against him even if all of you come at once."
Before Lumberling could answer, Kaizen moved. His blade flashed, a blur of silver slicing through the haze.
Lumberling tried to twist away, his spear shifting to block, but the katana was faster. Steel bit deep across his chest, tearing through armor and flesh. Hot pain shot through him like fire.
He grunted, stumbling back, breath ragged. Blood ran down his torso in a thin red line, soaking into the dirt beneath his boots. But even as his vision pulsed with pain, he refused to fall.
His spear steadied, point angled toward Kaizen once more. He drew a slow, burning breath and forced a smirk through the agony.
