There was a pause, and even Sagiri's squad held their breath. One moment, he was below in the canyon, and the next, the space where he had stood was empty.
Nokai was the first to appear mid-air. Its killing intent was pulsing, almost drinking in all the life of the place. The soldiers above barely had time to react before something flashed across the defensive wall. The blade cut through the night in a single line of pale light and passed through the formation surrounding the commander. Men beside him froze. Soldiers behind him stopped mid-motion. They did not have time to move anyway.
