Alfredo hissed, "Looks like you really have a death wish. Do you think running your mouth before you die will make your death any easier? Ridiculous!"

With a sharp clang, he drew his sword. Firefly hummed excitedly in his grasp, and everyone present could hear its high-pitched keening.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd. Even Luna and Valerie froze in horror.

The sheer force of Alfredo's strike was beyond human comprehension, so overwhelming that even the two martial emperors watchi