Jake grinned.
"So this is what Issen is…"
Then he pushed.
His wrist turned a fraction, and the locked blades stopped being equal.
CLANG!
Aria's world lurched.
The short sword shoved hers aside as if her full-strength strike had been nothing more than a branch caught in a river.
She slid back three steps before her foot caught against the stone and brought her to a stop.
Her eyes widened.
Such inhuman strength…
And even more terrifying was Jake's control over it.
She could tell that if Jake had wanted to, that single push could have seriously injured her.
Yet his control was so precise that instead of being thrown away or having her arms broken, she had only felt a gentle force pushing her backward.
Aria immediately resumed her stance and gripped the sword hilt with both hands.
Strangely, a hint of excitement rose in her chest, and her heart began beating loudly in a way that felt different from before.
Her blue eyes seemed to glow as she looked ahead.
