Rikilda appeared in front of him and Clone 1 reacted without thought.
There was no gap to exploit and no angle for him to dodge, as she had closed the distance in the space between one breath and the next.
Clone 1 brought both forearms up, layered his telekinetic field over them in the fraction of a second available, and caught the blade on the reinforced surface.
The clang was loud enough to silence the nearest rings.
The shockwave from the impact rolled outward in a visible ring, pressing the air flat in every direction, sending a ripple through the barrier at the edge that made it shimmer briefly.
Clone 1's feet carved two short furrows into the floor as he was pushed back, but he didn't go down.
Rikilda was already moving. She didn't reset after the blocked strike as she flowed from it, rotating her wrist, redirecting the sword's momentum into a horizontal sweep at his midsection.
