The figure pulled back their fist as they ducked low under the hook, then answered with an uppercut.
Xaren snapped his arm back, tucking his upper arm tight across his chest while angling his forearm outward to block, but the impact still sent a numbing jolt up his arm.
His opponent followed up before he could recover from the impact, unleashing a quick one-two combo, their fists hammering toward his ribs.
Though Xaren shifted to the side, evading the first punch, the second weaved past his guard and landed against his right side, breaking his gravity shield and aura skin in one go.
"Guhk!"
Pain radiated across his torso as their fist cracked his ribs, but Xaren gritted his teeth and hooked his right around their left, locking it in place as he stepped forward and drove his knuckles into the side of their face.
The figure's head snapped to the side from the impact, but it didn't flinch, stagger, or show any sign of injury.
