
Syzoth stood at the center of the ruined courtyard, the fractured stone beneath his feet still humming from the aftermath of his clash with Jean. Dust drifted lazily through the air, illuminated by the oppressive glow of his aura. When Lotren spoke, Syzoth simply stared as if weighing whether the words even deserved acknowledgment. Then, gradually, a low, amused chuckle rolled out of him. His eyes narrowed just slightly in entertainment. To him, Lotren’s boldness wasn’t threatening; it was amusing in the way a child’s bravado might be before a storm. When Bellra stepped forward, Syzoth’s attention shifted fully to her, his grin sharpening at the edges. He tilted his head ever so slightly, observing the faint afterglow surrounding her.
Syzoth: “Oh? So one of you actually thinks.”
The moment Bellra moved, Syzoth’s expression didn’t change. To an outside observer, it might have seemed like he reacted a fraction too late, his arm beginning to lift only as she closed the distance. But that delay was deliberate. He let her come in low, let her hand make contact, let her redirect his arm just enough to feel like she had successfully manipulated his movement. Her second attack followed next. The hit landed cleanly against his rib line; and for a split second, there was impact. A ripple of force spread across his body, the ground beneath them cracking faintly from the transfer of energy. Then everything stopped. Not because the strike failed to connect, but because it simply didn’t matter. Syzoth looked down at her, eyes half-lidded, as if mildly inconvenienced. The faint shimmer of her enhanced energy reflected across his chest, but his body hadn’t shifted even an inch.
Syzoth: So this is your idea?
he asked, almost conversationally, before his hand snapped downward with terrifying speed. Aiming for his fingers to clamp around her wrist mid-motion, completely halting her follow-up before it could even begin. The difference in power will have become immediately, brutally clear. Without pulling back or winding up, he would drive his knee forward into her midsection. The ground beneath Bellra will shatter outward as the force transferred through her, her body will have folded from the sheer weight of the blow. Yet even then, Syzoth didn’t release her. He then grabbed her neck with his other hand and lifted her off the ground by her neck With a sharp twist, he redirected her momentum entirely and went to slam her sideways into the fractured courtyard, the impact will have carved a deep trench through the stone and debris. Before the dust could even rise, he was already moving again, his larger frame crossing the distance instantly as he followed through with a powerful gut strike.

From within the building, Jean forced herself back to her feet. Her breathing was heavy, uneven, each inhale dragging against the strain of her battered body. Dust slid from her shoulders as she rose to one knee, her head lowered for just a moment before lifting again, eyes locking onto Syzoth. She had seen what he did to Bellra, and whatever hesitation once lingered was gone. Syzoth however wasn't really worried about it, but the corner of his mouth twitched, acknowledging her without looking.
Syzoth: You’re still moving? Good. I was starting to think this would get boring again.
















