Don't be Sorry. Be Better.

How interesting… She found her blade slide into his arm, but there was a resistance there. Not only was his skin hard to penetrate like trying to stick her blade through a plank of wood, but, once inside, it felt as if his very muscles and blood denied her blade permission to simply slice right through. If her arm was heavy and trying to slice her blade through mud… That is what this would probably equate to, but due to his momentum against hers, her blade still slid through appearing out the other side of his arm. The strangest part of this interaction, however, is the fact that what bled from his wound was not blood. No. She looks at her blade as literal gold decorated the steel; it resembled honey to her, but it is most likely something more. It did not leak from his wound as the normal consequences of being pierced were as well. Yet, it mattered little in all honesty. She could injure him, and that is what is important. Yet, her counterattack seemed to barely cause the giant before her to flinch. That is to be expected somewhat. His grip tightening around her wrist causing her pain is to be expected too. He will not be an easy opponent to overcome. How exciting?!

Her eyes catch the glimpse from his rising weapon as her wrist struggled in his grasp. She can feel his intent in raising his mighty weapon; see his arm’s muscles tighten and coil with power. She has to act now. Without a moment's hesitation at seeing him prepare for an attack, she pulls her arm back sliding her blade from him with an audible slick; her sword flicking his golden ichor from his body to the ground as she outstretches her body fully; her feet pressing down into the ground enforcing her stance. She can see where he aims, and she knows she only has one chance to defend herself, and so, she brings her arm up with as much force as possible from her position causing their blades to clash; golden ichor splashing from her sword onto both their person, but most importantly, onto her face. Her arm immediately goes numb from the interaction; the very clash of metal against metal clanking loudly in the empty forest. Though, she was able to stop that aex from meeting flesh if only barely as she feels her whole person shake and dig into the ground forcing her sword arm to fall backwards as if dead leaving her open for another attack.

And, another attack does come. Her eyes go wide as he brings his arm back, not to try his axe on her again, but to bring himself forward jerking her held arm to the side leaving her completely defenseless to his next move which was to slam his forward down hard onto her face. She hears the crunch knowing it audible for Arkin’s ears to catch as well as blood flows outward from the interaction into the skies onto Arkin’s forehead and all over her face much like someone stepping on a tomato. That was what her face was to his head; a tomato. Immense pain scorches her face as she yelled out forcing her teary eyes close, and she takes wobbly steps backwards; her sense of smell gone and her nose brutalized looking more flimsy than it should.

It did not matter if he wretched his arm from her blade, for it had already been removed prior to her next action. She could sense his bloodlust; feel his anger and power increasing right before her even with her eyes closed. There’s no way she could defend herself from his next attack. Her mind is too focused on the pain, and her arm feels too heavy to move her sword to defend herself. Yet, she felt… euphoric. Is this insanity? No. It is what has ailed her her whole life; a lust for battle so immense that it literally crashed around her like a raging sea till nothing made sense but the chaos that war brought. She can hear that single voice through her pain.

“Lift me and fight!”

Her eyes fly wide; opened by the will to win; to take her place above this giant of a man. Even if she must force him to his knees and stand on his shoulders, she will come out on top. Adrenaline pumps through her veins fueling her with power she did not know she had before as her arm flung moves to the handle of her Zanpaukuto gripping it hard along with her numb hand which no longer felt as numb as before. With a gargled scream, she brings her arms upwards ignoring her pain planting her feet firmly once more as her body moves with newfound strength.

They collide once more; her Zanpakuto and his battle once again in favored contest. He is stronger. That is a fact, but she did not swing to directly stop his assault. As their weapons connect, her sword tilts upwards in her frip; the honed edge scraping against Arkin’s axe upwards forcing her body backwards with upward momentum and allow his axe to fully swing down into the ground missing her completely breaking through the Earth. Undoubtedly, her speed had somehow increased despite her unbalancedness a few seconds earlier. This is where she counters.

Without much hesitation; Arkin had put his all into that swing, but doing such had left himself wide open as he missed. Elyss would not miss the opportunity; her body already primed as the sun reflects on her raised blade, and as her feet settle onto the ground once more, she swings downward with full force aiming for his right shoulder to inlodge her sword into him; to tear through skin and muscle to wound the giant that she now stood over once more.