His voice came through the speakers, as infuriatingly calm as ever. But Faora noticed that each time Yongye struck, he was a fraction slower to bring his blade back into guard. The armor's response time seemed to be slipping.
That was exactly what they wanted!
Faora's gaze lingered for an instant on a seam in the armor at Yongye's waist. Resolve flashed in her eyes.
Then she did something that took even Yongye by surprise: she threw herself straight into the edge of his Tessaiga!
Yongye had already committed to the strike. He tried to pull back and put some distance between them, but Faora moved like a streak of dark red lightning. His blade struck her squarely in the right shoulder.
The blade sliced through the outer layer of her shoulder armor. A line of dark golden blood sprayed from the cut, tracing a fine crimson arc through the sunlight.
Faora's mouth twitched with pain, but she did not hesitate. She used the force of the blow to drive herself forward and clamped both arms around Yongye's waist like a pair of iron pincers!
She locked her fingers behind his back and braced her knees against the backs of his legs. Her whole body clung to him like a welded shackle, every muscle strained to its limit.
Pain twisted her face, but her savage grin only widened.
"Got you!"
"That's right. We came prepared!"
Yongye reacted the instant she grabbed him. The thrusters at his armor's waist fired in reverse, trying to blast her away with scorching exhaust. Faora held on. She wrapped her legs around him too, pressing herself against his chest, abdomen, and waist.
At that moment, a wildly inappropriate line popped into Yongye's head: Big Brother has He Jin Yin in a hold!
Faora's voice was