She crashed back down to the earth in a sweeping spray of dirt and glowing debris, her body skidding across the scorched ground.
She came to a halt in a low crouch, her breath coming in ragged, desperate gasps.
Her double-sided blade trembled violently in her hands, the tremors born from exhaustion and the lingering vibrations of his overwhelming strike.
The suffocating black Qi slowly receded from Cale's blade, the massive expenditure of energy signaling the end of that particular exchange.
Zenith looked up through her bangs, emerald eyes glowing with an intensity that had nothing to do with exhaustion. The wild, breathless smile breaking across her face wasn't the smile of someone about to surrender.
It was the smile of someone who'd just found exactly what they'd been looking for. She knew if she used her full power she could easily defeat him. Hell if she used the spells and other techniques he wouldn't even stand a minute.
