The crimson qi that wrapped her body ignited into a shifting lotus of flame. Fire bloomed across her shoulders, trailed her limbs like petals caught in the wind, spiraling around her wrists and ankles in mesmerizing arcs.
"Form I: Ember Bloom."
The world paused.
Then Serika moved.
She surged forward in a blink, her body becoming a crimson blur. Her palm sliced the air, fingers flicking toward Quinlan like embers cracking off a raging bonfire.
The first jab came fast. Far too fast. Quinlan barely tilted his chin aside before the strike exploded mid-air, the detonation disrupting his rhythm.
He blocked the second strike with his forearm, but it combusted on contact, blasting his arm wide open.
A third palm smashed into his chest, landing a clean hit. Fire detonated against his ribs, and Quinlan was blown off his feet, flying across the arena before flipping upright.
"Damn!" Quinlan grunted, winded. "You've been greatly holding back till now."
She didn't reply.
