The Arcanist, who had seemed frozen in amber in The Sage's eyes, suddenly vanished in a flash of teleportation. The searing blade descended at a speed no human could react to, slashing down close beside The Sage's golden mask and carving a long scar into the plaza's stone pavement, stained red with angel blood.
Yet The Sage did not seem particularly surprised. After evading the attack, he raised his leg and kicked Salomon's shoulder plate, then deftly sidestepped the edge of the shield that swung at him on the force of that kick, striking his lance against the shield's face.
Salomon clearly heard the Power Armor's joint servos let out a shriek. Electrical sparks burst from his elbow with a bang, while countless crimson warning codes flashed across his retinal display. He realized that the Swift Flowing Light spell had ended, and The Sage's movements had returned to normal speed. Without hesitation, he activated his jet thrusters. The intricate machinery spewed tremendous heat and erupted with a thunderous roar, propelling the Arcanist forward like a siege ram with his shield raised. The red robe draped over his armor billowed in the gale, as flamboyant as blood-red wings.
The masked Sage planted the butt of his lance into the ground. The angled shaft struck the shield's right edge, and amid a teeth-grinding screech of metal, the immense reactive force forced the Arcanist to change both his shield-bearing stance and direction, lest the Power Armor's joints and his wrist be twisted apart together—keeping his knees bent, he increased the output of his left thruster. His steel boots plowed deep into the stone pavement, allowing him to keep the shield raised and face The Sage head-on. Yet rather than meeting him as expected, The Sage nimbly stepped aside, avoiding the blade that swept