Shadow met shadow in a collision that cracked the street beneath us.
I was losing.
Every strike I landed, he shrugged off. Every attack I threw, he countered with twice the force. My birth mother's corrupted body was stronger than mine had been, more practiced with the darkness, more willing to embrace the full extent of Malevolent's power.
He caught me by the throat, lifting me off the ground with one hand.
"I'm bored of this," he said, and tightened his grip. My vision started to blur, black spots dancing at the edges. "You've provided adequate entertainment, but now it's time to end this farce."
He threw me down, and I hit the ground hard enough to crack bone. Something in my ribs gave way with a wet snap.
"SURRENDER!" His voice boomed across the square, reaching everyone still alive to hear it. "All of you! Sop your struggling, or I will turn her to NOTHING!"
