Astrid came at him like a hurricane given human form.
Her barrier-enhanced charge left cracks in the arena floor, each footstep hitting with enough force to shatter stone. The air itself seemed to compress around her fists, magical energy so dense it was visible as shimmering distortion that warped the light around her hands.
Zeph sidestepped with minimal movement, his Expert-level Iron Woodsman's Foundation technique making every dodge economical and precise. No wasted energy. No unnecessary flourishing.
Just survival.
Her punch whistled past his ear, and he felt the shockwave ruffle his wild silver-white hair. The displacement of air was so violent it actually stung his cheek despite not making contact.
'380 AGI minimum. Probably higher. My Predator's Advance puts me at 312. She has a 70-point advantage even with my buff active.'
He couldn't outrun her. Couldn't match her speed.
So he had to be smarter.
