NOVPUBWhen their fists were about to collide, Kei closed hers… the impact spread across the arena, but at least this time, it didn't break her balance and stance. She could tell that Rain was planning to target that… Still, it became clear that she had lost one of the best effects of her attacks. With her hands closed, she couldn't make simple scratches cause massive amounts of damage.
In the next moment, Rain launched a barrage of punches toward Kei, and she blocked them with her energy claws as well. Her speed didn't drop, but she couldn't help but be surprised… even if the contact was minimal, it was clear that Rain's fists were being burned when in contact.
Amidst one of those collisions, Rain surprised Kei by opening his fists and then attacking her with his palm strikes. The attack had more power than his punches, and that broke her balance… when she was pushed backward, she flinched at the heavy step on her wounded leg, causing her some pain… as if things weren't troublesome enough, Rain suddenly charged with a low kick aimed at her heel.
Kei raised her leg out of reflex and avoided the hit, but the kick still hit the back of her other knee and made her posture break even more. She quickly swung down her energy claws to hit Rain's head, but he spun his body faster and hit her stomach with a double palm strike.
Kei, caught off guard by Rain's attack, felt the air forcefully leaving her lungs as his strikes landed with precision. Her usual defenses were in her arms and legs, which left her vulnerable in unexpected areas. Despite the pain gradually subsiding, a smile formed on her lips.
It wasn't just about the current exchange; instead, she recognized that Rain had been pushed to give his best for quite some time now.
In this moment of physical intensity, Kei found satisfaction in the fact that she was successfully compelling his older brother to unleash his full potential. The realization that this challenge began long before the current confrontation added a layer of acknowledgment to the dynamic between them.
Despite the adversity, Kei's resilience shone through as she continued to adapt. She was about to truly make Rain realize that they weren't weaklings that needed protection all the time… he could count on them a lot more.
In the end, Kei decided to support her wounded leg with the energy around it. She couldn't use it to propel herself forward, and she couldn't truly attack with it, but at least she was able to avoid causing further damage.
To adapt better to the situation, Kei kept one of her hands closed and another opened… she looked at Rain once more only to see the resolute look on his face. He never broke his poker face as usual, but Kei was fine with that. She knew that only one thing truly could annoy Rain and make him lose his cool, and she couldn't do anything regarding that since she was part of the reason.
Kei charged in with all her might, and Rain copied her charge… the only difference was the fact that he kept his hands open. He swung his palm strikes upward without hesitation, but he wasn't close enough to hit her… Kei realized that the blast was about to come, and she braced herself in order to hit Rain's face… a direct hit would be more powerful than a blast of wind, after all.
In the end, her guess was right… she endured the attack, and her attack landed on Rain's face… his eyes turned white for a moment as his skin began to burn. For a single moment, Kei relaxed, assuming that she had won, but she had forgotten one thing… the blast made her lose momentum.
In the next second, Rain's eyes returned to normal, and then he stepped in. His step made the ground sink, such was the power of his attack… he moved his palms to strike again with all his might, but Kei had her chance to raise her guard and protect her with her energy claws… Rain ignored that and used his double-palm strike.
The impact made Kei feel her body trembling all over. While she was being pushed backward for several meters, she confirmed that the damage that she suffered was smaller than Rain's suffered in his hands… the skin had basically melted, after all.
Still, before she could think of attacking, Rain suddenly appeared on her side and attacked using the same movements. Another double palm strike added with the power of a step in that made the arena shake. Kei turned to the side and used both of her claws to block the attack once more.
It didn't take long for Kei to understand the current situation, and her eyes widened with the realization. As she continued to be pushed in the opposite direction by Rain's powerful attack, he swiftly maneuvered to her side, readying himself for another double-palm strike. Kei, quick to react, attempted to use Impulse to halt her movements and counter the impending assault.
However, as she stomped on the ground to activate Impulse, a sharp pain shot through her damaged heel, causing her to flinch involuntarily. The injury inflicted earlier during the exchange proved to be a hindrance, momentarily disrupting Kei's attempt to manipulate her movements.
Despite her swift reflexes, the pain in her heel became a crucial factor, leaving her vulnerable to Rain's subsequent attack.
Rain used the same technique again and again… always moving to Kei's right side, making her unable to react properly thanks to her damaged right foot. Little by little, her stance was breaking, and while she knew that some people could only see that as a cowardly tactic, she couldn't help but smile a bit.
"Well, I am not going down without trying a double exchange," Kei thought. 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝑚
Rain could see Kei's aura changing... things were about to become even more wild.
