Lysandra kept her eyes on the black edge a moment longer before Trafalgar lowered Maledicta. Neither of them moved after that. Snow drifted across the basin, gathering in the cuts their skills had opened while the last of the mana thinned from the air.
Trafalgar let Obsidian Wings go first. The black armour came apart into motes around him, going piece by piece until he stood in his own clothes again.
"You could have won by overpowering me."
Lysandra lowered Lumaria as well.
"That wouldn't have been much of a duel. If I simply kept forcing you into direct exchanges until your core couldn't keep up, I wouldn't learn anything from it."
Trafalgar looked toward the broken ground between them.
"That never seemed to bother you before."
"Before, the difference between us was ridiculous."
Lysandra dismissed Lumaria, white motes carrying the sword out of her hand before her armour followed.
