The Great Escape

The impact was brutal.

Parker felt the wall give way behind him, the force of Chione's kick slamming him through the thick plaster like it was cardboard. Pain exploded through his ribs as he crashed into the next room, debris raining down in a cloud of dust and shattered wood.

'Damn!'

He had to give it to her—she wasn't just fast. She was fucking strong.

But so was he. Just not her match—Really.

White-hot phoenix flames roared to life, spiraling off him like living entities eating the floor. And then—hissssss—Chione's leg armor melted. The divine ice that coated it, the very thing that should've been immune to fire, crumbled against the sheer intensity of his flames. The metallic ice warped, hissing with steam, the once-perfect engravings dripping away like wax.

She glanced down, eyes narrowing, but if she was surprised, she sure as hell didn't show it.