He gritted his teeth and refocused on Zurin, who was already charging at him again.
Their weapons clashed, with Rayleigh deflecting her axe and countering with a slash aimed at her neck. She jerked her head back and the blade missed by inches.
But the burning sensation intensified.
His skin reddened further as the pain creeped up toward his shoulder now. He pushed through it, parrying another of Zurin's strikes and retaliating with a thrust toward her chest.
She blocked it with the haft of her axe, then shoved him back with raw strength.
Rayleigh stumbled, with his breathing heavier now. The burn wasn't natural, and It wasn't coming from her either.
Right then he leaped backward, putting several meters between them.
Zurin grinned, planting her axe into the ground and cracking her knuckles. "What's wrong? Getting tired already?"
