"Yes, Mother. Thank you, Mother…"
Kael, mid-parry, froze.
His head snapped upward, his breath caught.
A blow came from the side.
He reacted, just barely.
He dodged at the last second, but the blade grazed his arm, slicing a deep line across the length of his forearm. Blood sprayed in a crimson arc.
Off balance, he vanished in a blink, retreating several meters back.
But there was no time to rest.
He charged again, eyes burning.
His thoughts raced.
"I haven't had the chance yet. I need to make one. I have to create it."
Strike. Dodge. Twist. Cut.
The battlefield was a storm, and he was at its heart, moving with terrifying speed, deflecting, evading, attacking in a blur that defied natural vision.
And through it all….
Nerissa kept speaking.
From her bloodied throne, she sighed with feigned sadness.
"Yes… but now I must go fetch some new children. I'm sure they're suffering right now."
She hugged herself tenderly, smiling with dreamy delight.
