Ryuki dashed to the right, her steps barely disturbing the metallic floor. Ahead, a towering man in his prime—buffed, twenty, eyes blazing—blocked her path.
Ryuki's voice was calm, almost indifferent:
"Need something?"
His growl reverberated through the facility, making the walls tremble.
"Your head," he spat.
Aegis Mantra surged through his fists, hardening them like steel. With a deafening BOOM, he slammed the floor, sending shards of metal and sparks scattering. Ryuki leapt back with effortless grace, her twin swords gleaming as she whispered:
"Let's have a proper conversation, then."
She drew both blades fully, the Aegis Mantra coursing through them, forming a cross stance that radiated raw energy. The man smirked, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Seems like it's going to be fun."
In an instant, he lunged, fists smashing toward her with crushing force. Ryuki blocked with a single blade, the clash sending sheets of sparks and reverberating shockwaves across the hall.
Channeling her aura into a blur of purple energy, she countered:
"Sword Cutting Dash!"
She surged forward, moving faster than the eye could track. Her swords carved a deadly path, the aura devouring everything in its line. Blood spattered, the man staggered, falling to his knees, panting.
"You… you're not weak," he admitted.
Ryuki smirked, eyes cold and calculating:
"Of course not."
The hall echoed with the remnants of their collision, the air thick with heat, energy, and the faint smell of burning metal—an omen that the battle was far from over.