To Train Oneself

The Heran had completely underestimated the power behind Gelus' attack. She had anticipated a simple beam that, while capable of puncturing at most, would likely only leave a minor wound that would cauterize itself. Instead, the blow proved more severe, an attack intended to cause pain and injury. As the blood fell from Yancong's mouth, Terra immediately realized that the Arcosian's attack had gone too far. Much as the criminal deserved this, a mere training bout was not the time for such a strike. At the least, such a strike should have come later, not so early.

But it was already done now. The Tuffle's power spiked. Warnings blared through her Scouter, but she didn't need the aid of a scouter to know that. The power radiating and Yancong's words were enough. As he abruptly threw the blades at the one who wounded him, she was in no position to intercept. For all the good her careful focus provided, it was a rather selfish tool for battle. It let her focus her ki, but almost exclusively around her own body. It was little use in protecting others, short of ending any threats before they could threaten them.

Perhaps it was stupid to lead so quickly with this stance, but she had not expected things to escalate quite so quickly. How could she? For a brief second, she worried the Arcosian was insufficiently prepared to survive such a strike. At their level of strength, such an explosion could easily knock out, if not kill. Silently, she watched the smoke fade, her mind trying to work out an escape if he did indeed perish.

Fortunately, he survived, though he was naturally forced into his most powerful state earlier than he probably liked. Given the visible pain and breaks in the bio-armour, he clearly hadn't escaped unscathed, but he had survived. Though Terra remained a little displeased by him forcing the criminal's hand, there was little to be done about that now. She could criticize him for this later, preferably once Yancong was no longer in earshot.

"Indeed, I think we should. I'd have rather held off a little longer, but I suppose that isn't an option." With a shift in breath and a moment of calm focus, her own power shot up to match the Arcosian's own. The ki around her flared slightly, as she focused to remain in control of this power. Then, in a flash, she rushed forward, attempting to slam a punch into Yancong's chest. It was not special, and her foe should be able to handle it, but this was a calculated move. A more powerful attack would likely leave her open longer than she liked, and she saw where that got Gelus. She was also forced to drop her stance for a moment, as she had to take time to adjust to utilizing it with this far greater power.