AT THE SAME TIME
EMPEROR LIANWEI POINT OF VIEW:
The courtyard cracked beneath our feet as Richard, Jin Voss stepped forward, and then the storm broke. He didn't swing a blade, didn't raise a fist. Instead, with a single gesture, the air warped and exploded outward. The shockwave sent half the guards sprawling, weapons clattering across the stone. Bai Jun caught Bai He before he hit the ground, teeth bared. I lunged, sword flashing. Zeyrith's shadow dove with me, wings cutting like scythes.
Richard raised one finger. Steel screamed as my blade halted inches from his chest, the air itself holding it in place. With a twist of his hand, he sent me skidding back across the courtyard, boots carving furrows in the stone.
"You fight like him." Richard sneered, eyes glinting. "Like your father. Always rushing forward, never thinking the board three moves ahead."
