"That little digital rat," Valeria snarled, her golden aura flaring into a violent, blinding blaze of pure irritation. She stared dead into the drone's camera lens. "You want to see my guard, Spymaster? Watch closely."
Zen bit the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing.
Nyx was sitting in a dark server room hundreds of miles away, actively being petty in his stream chat because she was jealous of Valeria's proximity.
"Don't get offensive," Zen teased, ducking under a wildly swinging bronze fist. "Just close your stance."
"I will close her windpipe," Valeria hissed, gripping her broadsword with both hands.
The annoyance made her incredibly aggressive. She stepped directly into Zen's space, matching his footwork without a word, perfectly covering his flanks without being asked to.
The Combat Resonance between them surged the moment her aura overlapped his.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: SYNCHRONIZATION STABLE. MANA EXCHANGE RATE: ACTIVE.]
