A glancing contact—the reflected streak catching her left arm at reduced force as she moved, the concussive burst hitting the outside of her forearm and snapping her arm sideways mid-stride. She absorbed it without stopping—stumbled slightly, adjusted, kept moving—but the crowd had seen it and responded with the full-body noise of people watching something land.
The Solmara sections came alive for the first time in the fight—sharp and focused, giving Eldrin the acknowledgment of a reflected strike finding its target. The Virex sections answered immediately, not to be outdone, pushing volume back at the floor.
The announcer said nothing for a moment.
Just watched.
Then—
"First blood to Eldrin," he said quietly. "A reflected streak finds Azula on the move." He paused. "And Azula doesn't stop."
She didn't stop.
