"From the moment the restoration began," Apollo countered, his voice low and resonant, vibrating through the hands still gripping Zane's shoulders. "I didn't just fight you, Zane."
"I studied you... While Aisella was working on my wounds, while the mana was knitting my flesh back together, I was calculating..."
"The triple boundary condition is a surgical instrument; it only functions if the target's absorption system is already caught in a cycle."
"I didn't need to overpower you... I just needed to drag this engagement out long enough to degrade your timing."
"I needed to wait for that third of a second."
THUMP. THUMP.
The silence that followed was heavy, laden with the scent of ozone, dust, and spilled blood. Zane stared at the ground for a long moment, the only sound the ragged, whistling breath escaping his lungs.
"Celestina's briefing..." Zane finally whispered, his eyes lidding as if the effort of speaking were a physical burden. "...was significantly incomplete."
