her swords, had a feeling of intense pain in her chest from the previous hit, and had come to the realization that she hadn't managed to even wind her opponent even slightly.
Tao Long turned his head and stared at the woman as he pulled his arm from the ground and focused his strength again. The surges of power Anye had felt earlier now felt constant. She assumed it was because Tao Long had assumed she would either be out-cold or dead by that point and was becoming frustrated. That didn't make her feel any better.
And then he was on her, swinging his leg with incredible force at her side. For the first time since she was a squire in training with the sword, she didn’t know what to do, and did the first thing she could think of; she held her sword vertically with her hand flat against the side of the blade and clenched her eyes shut.
Everyone in the audience went silent. Anye remained standing, pushing back against the force of Tao Long’s leg. The energy she felt coming from him was astounding, but what was even more shocking was the fact that she remained on her feet. She felt something happening within her, but she wasn't controlling it. It felt primal, like her body was no longer her own. She opened her eyes to see Tao Long staring at her with a mixture of disbelief, anger, and fear.
Swirling air spun the dust around the two in a violent cyclone. Anye's eyes glowed brightly with the uncontrolled magical power she was somehow channeling. The crowd of people had to shield their faces from the flying debris being flung around.
“ What's going on?” she tried to say, but her mouth remained shut and the words simply echoed in her mind.
Tao Long focused himself again and quickly lowered his foot to attempt another finishing blow against the comparatively small swords-woman with his fists. Anye reacted with lightning speed, using the flat edge of her blade to meet the monk's punches. Small white fragments of pure energy exploded from the metal, halting his punch instantly.
The two of them continued their enchanted dance for another minute, astonishing everyone in attendance. Nobody cheered or even whispered to the person next to them about the exemplary skill of the two fighters. The small explosions of magic from each contact of fist, foot, and blade never ceased to temporarily blind everyone who watched, and Anye's luminous eyes amazed them all. Nobody in living memory had ever seen someone channel such power, they had only read about it in history books and fairy tales.
Eventually Tao Long got tired of his fruitless attacks and backed away. Anye didn't pursue, she merely stood there staring at him with the frightening glow in her eyes. He was getting tired after using all of his strength only to have it seemingly, and effortlessly, blocked. His robes were soaked with sweat and his breathing was heavy.
"What are you!?" he shouted at her. "What kind of power is this!?"
Anye remained quiet. She wanted to speak but her mouth just wouldn't move. She was compelled to hold her position for some reason, never letting her guard down even to speak. She simply stared.
Her silence angered the man even more. His face tightened as he shouted at Anye more. "Vile woman, I will end you here and now!"
Tao Long’s rage gave away his weakening focus. His stance shifted in a way that left a small part of his midsection exposed. A lesser force would either have missed it or decided they wouldn't be able to land the blow. Anye, at the moment, was not a lesser force.
The woman struck like a bolt of lightning without even thinking about it. To the naked eye she looked like she had simply passed through the man like he was an illusion. Anye herself didn't understand how she did what she did, but Tao Long had fallen to the ground in a cloud of dust and the mysterious power she had summoned in her panic dissipated, returning her eyes to normal and finally allowing the air around her to stop spiraling.
She finally regained control of
Tao Long turned his head and stared at the woman as he pulled his arm from the ground and focused his strength again. The surges of power Anye had felt earlier now felt constant. She assumed it was because Tao Long had assumed she would either be out-cold or dead by that point and was becoming frustrated. That didn't make her feel any better.
And then he was on her, swinging his leg with incredible force at her side. For the first time since she was a squire in training with the sword, she didn’t know what to do, and did the first thing she could think of; she held her sword vertically with her hand flat against the side of the blade and clenched her eyes shut.
Everyone in the audience went silent. Anye remained standing, pushing back against the force of Tao Long’s leg. The energy she felt coming from him was astounding, but what was even more shocking was the fact that she remained on her feet. She felt something happening within her, but she wasn't controlling it. It felt primal, like her body was no longer her own. She opened her eyes to see Tao Long staring at her with a mixture of disbelief, anger, and fear.
Swirling air spun the dust around the two in a violent cyclone. Anye's eyes glowed brightly with the uncontrolled magical power she was somehow channeling. The crowd of people had to shield their faces from the flying debris being flung around.
“ What's going on?” she tried to say, but her mouth remained shut and the words simply echoed in her mind.
Tao Long focused himself again and quickly lowered his foot to attempt another finishing blow against the comparatively small swords-woman with his fists. Anye reacted with lightning speed, using the flat edge of her blade to meet the monk's punches. Small white fragments of pure energy exploded from the metal, halting his punch instantly.
The two of them continued their enchanted dance for another minute, astonishing everyone in attendance. Nobody cheered or even whispered to the person next to them about the exemplary skill of the two fighters. The small explosions of magic from each contact of fist, foot, and blade never ceased to temporarily blind everyone who watched, and Anye's luminous eyes amazed them all. Nobody in living memory had ever seen someone channel such power, they had only read about it in history books and fairy tales.
Eventually Tao Long got tired of his fruitless attacks and backed away. Anye didn't pursue, she merely stood there staring at him with the frightening glow in her eyes. He was getting tired after using all of his strength only to have it seemingly, and effortlessly, blocked. His robes were soaked with sweat and his breathing was heavy.
"What are you!?" he shouted at her. "What kind of power is this!?"
Anye remained quiet. She wanted to speak but her mouth just wouldn't move. She was compelled to hold her position for some reason, never letting her guard down even to speak. She simply stared.
Her silence angered the man even more. His face tightened as he shouted at Anye more. "Vile woman, I will end you here and now!"
Tao Long’s rage gave away his weakening focus. His stance shifted in a way that left a small part of his midsection exposed. A lesser force would either have missed it or decided they wouldn't be able to land the blow. Anye, at the moment, was not a lesser force.
The woman struck like a bolt of lightning without even thinking about it. To the naked eye she looked like she had simply passed through the man like he was an illusion. Anye herself didn't understand how she did what she did, but Tao Long had fallen to the ground in a cloud of dust and the mysterious power she had summoned in her panic dissipated, returning her eyes to normal and finally allowing the air around her to stop spiraling.
She finally regained control of
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