What the hell?

He had broken her sword, which had given Shinsou only some small measure of satisfaction, but now the Telgradian watched in bemusement as his bestial foe seemed to detach herself from her sanity. She had raced frantically to the mirror and seemed to have intentionally injured herself, smashing her arms through the wall behind her and drawing blood on the jagged shards.

No-one does that without a good reason, so what’s hers? was Osiris’s next rueful thought, as his vision caught sight of the Neanderthal sprinting towards him. As he readied himself, no-dachi raised high and feet firmly planted on the polished silver, he suddenly saw Felicity through his spirit sense. Something different eminated from her; that green aura he had seen outside, a presence that his soul could see but his mind did not quite comprehend. It was aggressive, almost feral and completely changed the atmosphere around them. Now, the outstretched arms of this she-beast sought to grapple him, and threatened to tear him limb from limb.

There it is; that light. Oh, you thing of beauty. That’s it, come at me with-

The warrior-mage freed his sword from his right hand as he attempted his next move, but before he could summon his dark matter again the Telgradian felt a pang in his stomach. Moments later, Shinsou was practically forced to one knee through the sudden surge of sickness, beads of sweat forming underneath his chestnut fringe. What was this? Was his body paying the price for using Hakai too early?

“Enpera…” A pale Osiris called out, his voice only barely reaching over the clamour and din of Felicity’s marauding. Tired it was, exhausted by a sudden illness that swept over him in pulsating waves, but he forced it to continue speaking as an outstretched palm tried to open the gateway that would bring forth his infamous Enpera Kurohitsugi.

“Kurohit-“

Shinsou thought that the aches and pains throbbing through him would quite literally burn holes through his body as he struggled for breath. What had she done to him? There was nothing to suggest a spell had been cast; no incantations, arcane glyphs or movements…just an outrageous, self inflicted rage.

Then, it dawned upon him.

The injury. She released or activated something when she hurt herself…

Shinsou nodded his affirmation of his understanding, but it was too late. Her arms gripped his wrists and he screamed as Enpera clattered to the floor. The pain was unlike anything he had ever felt; like iron shackles being fused to his skin with lava, such was her strength and its application. She also held him in a way that suggested at least some proficiency in the martial arts; fingers clasped on pressure points on his wrists, paralyzing them. It was something he had witnessed in training with Joshua Cronen but fist to fist fighting was something he had never accomplished himself.

The surprise of the pain made his stomach wretch, a noise only matched by an angry grunt from this bewildering redhead. Now, choices were few and far between. The sickness he felt was somehow suppressing Hakai’s power, meaning he hadn’t got access to the increased strength Enpera gave him to vault or take steps to either side. He couldn’t use Danzetsu without being free of her hold. There was only one thing he could really do to allow him to bypass the worst of this.

As he stood up, he brought both arms downwards in a chopping motion, hands straight and firm as he channeled arcane power to his legs. Dark matter formed two small knife edges at his toes, turning his boots into weaponized extensions of his feet. He kicked instinctively, lashing out with all his might, and somehow tried to connect with his opponent’s chest. With any luck, Felicity would at least stagger backwards, winded, giving him just enough time to get his shit together and retaliate.