The hall erupted into a flurry of motion.
The woman moved like a blizzard, her spear not just a weapon but a relentless force of nature. She didn't give him a second to adjust.
She moved in a blur, her spear whistling through the air with a speed that made Soren's hair stand on end. He barely managed to bring his own weapon up in time.
Clang!
The force of the impact vibrated through his bones, nearly numbing his fingers. He tried to pivot, but she was already there, her weapon darting like a silver serpent. Every time he tried to find a rhythm, she shut him down with a clinical, cold efficiency. There was no breathing room. She kept him on the back foot, forcing him to move and react until his lungs felt like they were on fire.
"You are too stiff," she said, her voice calm and level even as she launched a flurry of staccato thrusts. "Stop trying to force the movement."
Soren grunted, parrying a strike aimed at his chest.
