Aaron and Vault stared at each other in silence for a while, the tension between them thick and unmoving.
Then Vault made his move.
He swung his sword at an insane speed toward Aaron.
Being in the Nexus rank, his velocity far exceeded anything Aaron had anticipated.
The air itself seemed to split under the force of the strike.
To avoid the attack, Aaron dilated time. The world around him slowed, granting him the edge he needed.
In that brief window, he counterattacked. His fist drove forward with precision, slamming into Vault and sending him flying backward. Vault's body tore through the air before crashing violently into a distant mountain.
The mountain was flattened instantly.
Dust and debris filled the air as Vault rose from the wreckage, shaking the dirt off his body as if it meant nothing.
Then, suddenly, his eyes turned crimson.
