Rhian smirked as he adjusted his stance again.
He could see it in her eyes, she wasn't going to back down, but she also wasn't going to give in and use her trump card. Not yet.
She was too stubborn for that.
She would keep pushing herself with her regular enhancements, even if it wasn't enough.
She knew the moment she activated her lightning state, what he'd heard her call Lightning body, she'd have to end it quickly.
That form came with limits. Time. Drain. And the pressure to win before it burned her out.
Right now, they were perfectly matched.
But only when she used it.
Without it, Rhian had the edge.
He had the raw strength, the endurance, the wings for defense, and that relentless ability to learn as they fought.
Nia was fast, deadly, and precise, but he could feel her falling behind. Each second she refused to activate it widened the gap between them.
Still, she kept coming.
