Crimson Dance

4E 201 | Late Sun's Dusk | Eighty-Six Days Since Arrival

Tsukihana remained conscious.

That changed everything.

She heard individual breaths within the Forsworn ring. Saw fingers tighten before spells formed. Felt weight shift through the ground. Her body no longer fought thought; movement and decision became the same thing.

It felt like dancing.

Six Forsworn attacked in succession.

Six fell in one flowing sequence.

Tsukihana looked at her marked hand. What are you?

More warriors surrounded her.

She extended her palm on instinct.

A crimson pulse burst outward and threw the entire circle into broken walls. With each attack she felt faster, stronger, more complete—and more afraid of how natural it felt.

Across the ruins, Noctis and the dragon unleashed Shouts that collided in a dome of force. Both were thrown apart.

Tsukihana vanished and caught Noctis before stone finished his momentum.

"I will press the offense," she said. "Take the opening."

Noctis nodded.

She appeared behind the dragon and released another point-blank pulse. The creature staggered. Her katana opened the leg, tail base, and damaged wing joint in rapid succession.

Noctis came from the blind side and drove his sword beneath the ribs. Katana planted enchanted knives in the healthy wing, forcing it closed.

Tsukihana struck beneath the jaw with crimson force.

Noctis leapt.

His blade entered the base of the dragon's throat.

Katana disabled the foreleg. Tsukihana widened the wound with two final cuts. Noctis twisted the sword.

The dragon shuddered and died.

For a breath the three stood amid blood, smoke, and broken Reach stone.

Katana looked from Noctis to Tsukihana. "That was terrible."

Noctis gave the faintest smile. "Efficient."

The corpse began to smoke from within.