With the last bit of my energy, I triggered Static Void, stopping time around me as I exploded to my feet and struck her with Dawn’s Ballad. My sword crackled as it tore through space, imbued with a gleaming white lightning that seemed almost holy as I released time just before my blade made contact with her face.
The force of my swing dispersed the cloud of acid covering us both, but even without looking I knew I’d somehow missed my target. I shuddered as my gaze fell to the blade in my hand—or rather, what was left of it. The tip of Dawn’s Ballad, forged by an asura, had been corroded flat, and an inch of the teal blade was gone. Then, spotting the faint trace of blood on my blade, I shifted my gaze to the witch.
I could only see the point of her sharp chin. Her head was thrown back, a thin trail of blood rolling down the side of her neck. The entire forest seemed to hold a fearful breath, broken only by the sound of her mask shattering on the forest floor below.