The storm had not passed—in fact, it raged fiercer now. Sparks and flames licked the edges of shattered buildings, and scorched stone bore the scars of an elemental duel.
Espada stumbled back, chest heaving, her movements slowing. Her scimitar, Solbrand, trembled slightly in her grip. Sweat soaked her brow, mingling with the grime and blood painting her face. Her coat had been torn to ribbons, and her left arm was scorched, the skin crackling with residual electricity.
Rue, still in his Partial Fusion form, stood tall—barely panting, his body a crackling silhouette of lightning made flesh. His hair sparked with arcs of static, and his eyes pulsed with electric fury. His form flickered in and out of visibility, lightning pulses moving him faster than the eye could follow.
"You look tired, Espada," Rue said, his voice crackling with static. "Your fire is fading."
Espada gritted her teeth and forced herself into stance. "I've burned longer against worse winds."
Rue vanished.
