The duel had worn past the point of counting exchanges, and the gap had not closed.
Kaede answered both of them at once, the dark blade sweeping from Ayame's katana to Blossom's gauntlets in arcs that treated the two-on-one like a warm-up, and every third swing came from the sword itself rather than Kaede, the weapon dragging her arm sideways to intercept a void-phase Blossom was still halfway through.
Blossom crackled out of the void at Kaede's flank with lightning arcing between her gauntlets, and the sword met her before Kaede turned.
The broad side of the blade caught both claws before they reached flesh and electricity sprayed outward in a shower that scorched Kaede's forearm without drawing a flinch, and Ayame came through the opening with a cut aimed at the wrist holding the cursed steel.
