The private combat chamber remained tense and silent after Simon stopped Sava's final attack.
Crimson cracks still glowed faintly across the dark-red floor before slowly fading. Sava stood in front of Simon with one wrist lowered, while Simon's palm remained against her left breast.
The Second Claw stared at him with narrowed golden eyes.
Too many questions had appeared in her mind during the brief exchange.
The first concerned Simon's true strength.
She had watched him avoid every one of Sava's attacks with an almost insulting ease. He never stumbled, panicked, or created unnecessary distance. Even when Sava increased her speed and began using close to half of her power, Simon continued moving by the smallest amount required.
Then he stopped her final technique.
He softened the floor beneath her feet, solidified the space around her hand, peeled apart the unstable lightning with six opposing wind currents, and redirected the remaining power into the ground.
