He moved. Backstep. Sidestep. Earth qi rushed through his legs, giving him traction. A kick slammed toward his midsection. He blocked with his forearm—pain flared—but he withstood it in place and countered with the blow, letting it roll off as he redirected his momentum.
A blast of wind qi exploded from his palm, meant to knock her off balance.
Serika slid beneath it and came up inside his guard.
"Elbow," she whispered with a grin.
It slammed into his side.
He staggered and had his breath stolen from his lungs.
"You're mixing elements significantly better already," she praised while landing a second strike on his exposed sides, "but now another issue has become apparent: you're relying too much on them. It's as if you don't know anything about proper combat using only your body. You're great with your saber, but when it comes to punches and kicks…? You rely on the elements to do the heavy lifting for you during those times."
