Emily landed in a crouch, her muscles coiled like springs. She activated Ti Freeze again but kept the effect minimal-just enough to give her an edge against the two Vindicators while conserving her remaining mana.
The first Vindicator lunged, his light sword carving a brilliant arc through the air. In her slowed perception, Emily saw the attack coming and rolled beneath it, but it was hard.
She sprang up inside his guard, her fist connecting with his ribs. The armor absorbed most of the impact, though.
The second Vindicator circled around, trying to flank her. Emily ducked a sweeping kick, countering with a leg sweep of her own. Her opponent jumped over it - even in slowed ti, their reflexes kept them dangerous.
Light flashed. Emily barely twisted away as an energy beam seared past her shoulder. To avoid it, the young woman had to slow ti down a lot, further draining her mana reserves.
Emily made many neural links for Vex's brain crystal power, but she didn't know how to use it for lee fighting. Vex most likely used it in short bursts, which was what Emily was trying to do. The problem was the timing.
Her brain needed to process multiple variables at once-the speed and direction of incoming attacks, the position of both opponents, and the drain on her mana reserves.
Using Ti Freeze too early would waste precious energy, but activating it too late could an taking a hit.
Unlike regular combat, where muscle mory could guide her, this power required split- second conscious decisions.
It was like trying to catch raindrops-wait too long and you're already wet; move too early and your hand tires before the rain even falls. The neural links gave her access to the power, but mastering its efficient use was another challenge entirely.
She found herself unable to understand when to use it and when not to.
The first Vindicator pressed his advantage. Emily weaved between strikes, looking for an opening.
In her slowed perception, she watched his movents unfold like a dance. The Vindicator's sword arm traced arcs, each strike precise, and each movent asured.
His footwork shifted, weight transferring from heel to toe as he advanced. Even his armor plates seed to flow like liquid tal, catching the light as he moved.
Emily saw the subtle tension in his shoulders telegraph his next attack. His blade ca down in a diagonal slash that would have been blindingly fast at normal speed. But in her slowed- down ti, she could see him move well enough to find the minute adjustnts in his grip, the way his elbow locked to guide the strike.
She waited until the last possible mont. Even if she slowed ti down, the man was still fast, and dodging the strike was all but easy.
When his commitnt to the attack left a fraction of his defense open, she slipped her dagger through the gap in his guard. Her dagger found his shoulder, but the blade wasn't sharp enough to pierce his armor.
Then a punch caught her in the kidney. The second Vindicator had closed in while she focused on the sword from the other dude.
The pain exploded through her side, radiating outward like liquid fire. Emily gritted her teeth, fighting the urge to double over.
She poured more mana into Ti Freeze, pushing the power further than before. The world slowed more, giving her precious monts to recover.
Her elbow caught the second attacker in the throat-a lucky strike that gave her the chance to move away.
Using the temporal effect, she staggered backward, despite the throbbing in her kidney. The increased drain on her reserves was substantial, but she needed the breathing room.
The air felt thick, like moving through honey, but it was worth the cost to put distance between herself and her attackers.
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