[Realm: Uhorus]

[Location: Verdantis]

[Outskirts]

Mai moved first, the instant the Abyssal Warden’s massive hand tightened into a fist, her instincts screamed. The air seemed to change at that moment, with the pressure thickening unnaturally around the towering creature as violet lines spread brighter across its armor, the snow around its feet beginning to lift and tremble despite the violent storm already raging across the plains.

Then it vanished again, the sheer force of its movement ruptured the frozen ground beneath it.

Mai’s eyes sharpened.

("There.")

Her body reacted before thought could fully form. Golden Qi thickened around her limbs in dense streams as she pushed backward with a sharp burst of force, her figure leaping through the storm just as the Abyssal Warden’s enormous fist descended where she had stood moments before.

The impact was absurd, the snowy earth collapsed inward violently. A massive crater exploded outward from the point of contact, the frozen ground shattering apart in large waves as snow and stone launched skyward in an enormous eruption. The shockwave expanded across the plains with enough force to uproot patches of trees in the distance, thick walls of snow spiraling outward like waves.

The blizzard seemed to distort from the force.

Mai crossed her arms briefly before her face as the expanding wave caught her midair, golden Qi cushioning the impact against her body while her form skidded backward across the snow upon landing.

The Abyssal Warden straightened slowly within the crater, its massive armored fist remained buried deep within the earth. Steam-like black energy bled from the cracks in its armor.

Mai exhaled slowly.

("What absurd strength.") Her eyes narrowed. ("That single strike could flatten an entire district.")

The Warden suddenly ripped its arm free from the crater, the movement alone sent more debris flying outward.

But Mai had already stepped forward, golden Qi surged around her right palm. Though it did not seem explosive, it was a refined energy that condensed and then focused. The snow beneath her feet compressed inward before detonating outward as she thrust her palm forward.

A loud noise rang out, like the air blasting apart as a massive shockwave of golden force burst from her strike.

The snow parted instantly, a huge trench carved through the white plains as the compressed wave of Qi tore through the storm itself before slamming directly into the Abyssal Warden’s torso.

The impact landed with an even more absurd force, more potent than any ballista or cannon. The towering creature staggered backward violently as cracks spread across sections of its black armor. The force alone lifted the gigantic body partially from the ground before launching it backward across the snowy landscape.

It tore through the earth uncontrollably as stone exploded with snow erupting. The Warden crashed through a cluster of frozen trees hard enough to splinter them apart before skidding across the plains for dozens of meters.

Mai did not allow it time to recover, the moment her strike connected, she moved.

Her body lowered slightly, then the earth beneath her shattered. A powerful leap launched her skyward in pursuit, golden Qi trailing behind her in long streams of light as she crossed the distance almost instantly.

The Abyssal Warden had barely begun rising when Mai appeared above it.

Her expression remained focused as her right leg tucked inward, then descended.

A loud bang rang out as a downward axe kick slammed onto the creature’s shoulder with crushing force, driving the enormous body back into the ground and collapsing the earth beneath it once more. The plains cratered inward, but before the Warden could retaliate, Mai flowed into motion again.

Her left palm lashed downward toward its chest and golden force detonated on impact. The Warden’s torso buckled slightly beneath the strike. Mai pivoted immediately afterward, her hips rotating smoothly as her elbow smashed into the side of its helmet with enough force to twist the massive head sideways.

Then came her knee, one which she drove upward into its abdomen like a hammer. The impact released another burst of compressed Qi through its armored body. The Warden’s feet momentarily left the ground as a result and Mai landed lightly beside it.

Then she struck again, and again, and again. Her movements were as seamless as they were graceful, with a straight palm thrust into its ribs. Then a sharp backfist into the side of its neck, with a rotating heel strike to its knee joint.

Her blows carried immense force despite the almost fluidity behind her movements, it was refined. The discipline of countless years from a warrior.

The Abyssal Warden attempted to retaliate, its enormous arm swung horizontally toward her with enough force to flatten the surrounding terrain.

Mai stepped inward instead of away.

The gigantic fist narrowly missed behind her as she slid along the inside of its reach, one hand catching its armored wrist while the other struck upward beneath its elbow.

The joint bent unnaturally as the Warden staggered. Mai twisted sharply and redirected the arm completely, using its own momentum to pull the gigantic creature forward before her palm slammed directly into the center of its chest once more.

A dense burst of golden Qi erupted through its back, the snow behind it exploded outward and the Warden launched backward again.

Yet this time it did not merely go quietly. Midflight, the towering creature twisted unnaturally and dug its armored feet into the ground, stopping itself from tumbling further. Deep trenches carved across the snow as it stabilized its balance.

Then the violet lines across its armor flared brightly, Mai’s eyes sharpened immediately.

And in the next instance, the Warden disappeared. Only this time it was far faster than before.

Mai tilted her head slightly as a black blur passed beside her. The delayed shockwave struck a moment later.

BOOM!!!

Mai slid across the snow, one forearm raised as sparks of golden Qi scattered from the impact. The sheer force behind the strike had partially clipped her guard.

The Warden was already attacking again, its massive armored leg swept toward her torso. Mai bent backward just enough for the kick to pass inches above her face before planting one hand against the snow and spinning.

Her leg whipped outward in return as her heel smashed into the side of its knee joint.

The towering creature lurched and Mai surged upward instantly. A Palm followed, then an elbow, another palm, and then a knee.

Her strikes landed where they needed to, against specific points across its body, each impact releasing condensed bursts of Qi into its armored frame. The Warden retaliated wildly now, but its movements had become faster and much sharper.

Less like a wild beast and more like a warrior, its massive arm shot toward her throat, but Mai redirected the wrist.

A second fist descended toward her head and she ducked beneath it, the impact behind her obliterated a section of snowy earth.

Mai spun low and drove her palm into its abdomen again.

The Warden staggered backward but this time it grabbed her wrist.

Mai’s eyes narrowed.

The armored hand tightened around her arm with crushing force as black energy surged violently around the creature. Then it pulled, fast, its other fist rocketed toward her.

Mai twisted sharply, her body spun upward around its arm gracefully, completely avoiding the incoming punch as she planted one foot against its shoulder.

Then another, for a brief instant, she stood atop the towering creature itself.

The Warden looked upward but it was much too late, Mai’s heel crashed downward into the top of its helmet. The entire upper half of its body slammed downward into the ground and the earth collapsed with snow erupting skyward once more.

Mai flipped backward gracefully from the impact zone before landing lightly dozens of feet away.

Her breathing remained steady, yet the golden Qi around her had thickened considerably now.

The Abyssal Warden slowly rose from the crater again, its armor was damaged, mostly just cracked. Sections of black plating had partially broken away, exposing writhing darkness beneath. Yet it still moved and still fought, Mai stared at it silently for several moments.

She studied it, her thoughts churning.

("As expected, it’s adjusting quickly. It won’t be long now until it forgoes close-quarters combat.")

"It won’t be enough," Mai whispered.

The Warden said nothing, of course, it said nothing, yet the way it stood had changed. Its stance seemed much more stable. As if it had begun understanding the rhythm of her movements.

Mai exhaled softly.

("That is what makes them so dangerous,") she murmured. ("Not merely strength or just your durability.")

Golden Qi spiraled tighter around her arms, her stance lowered again.

"It is the fact you learn."

The Abyssal Warden suddenly reached toward its waist once more.

It drew something fully free, a massive jagged sword emerged from the darkness of its shadow, black energy bleeding from the weapon in violent streams that distorted the snow around it.

The storm intensified instantly as Mai’s expression hardened ever so slightly.