"Hmm." 

Crystal's expression remained as it had prior to Shin's insult during. Many better men had tried to unhinge her in quite the same way; poking at his-her ego with naught more than a long stick. She would not respond in kind. The tell-tale signs of insecurity were an inflated sense of self and deep-seated superiority complexes. There were many reasons she took this form, even if some of them weren't the kinds of things you shared in good company. Resolved in her decision and satisfying several motives at once, his words would plink off her, the fate of any attack he'd bring to bear against her more than likely sharing in that regard.

Her genius was not only in her technical and martial know-how. It was good that Shin thought her stance weak. This provided the distinct advantage of surprise. And if he thought that there was no forethought placed into her positioning and footing, then he'd be at a sore disadvantage. In fact, she recalled a great terran swordsman whom's legendary slaying tehnique almost always involved leading opponents into a false sense of security to strike a final blow. Musashi Yamamoto she believed his name was? Yes! That was it. Now the gears were tumbling. In her minds eye, a revolver chamber tumbled. 

Shin's most useful tool may have been his eyes, but hers was infinitely more versatile; her mind. This would become a battle between opposing ideologies.

As for her digs? She already had a contingency plan in the works. In fact, she was cooking one up right now. She was comfortable facing against any opponent using any skill and any weapon, not because of the novelty of her tools or proprietary powers, but faith in herself and her ability. Graphene threads were only a single miracle provided by Crystal's carbonic know-how. Her ability to change the name of the game on a dime would be showcased today if Shin was not careful.

Since he seemed too confused to commit to one -arrogance or modesty-, she'd take his empty forward movements as nothing more. She would mirror his passivity, but even a passive Crystal was considerably more active than most others. There would be no aura or energy fluctuation beyond the visible light as the blue dust disappeared into the atmosphere. 

She let go of her blade with a single hand for a brief moment as she reached into a hidden pocket and mined forth two 250 carat diamond orbs, each pinched between two fingers, her hand slung across her chest like a claw. This would be timed wih Shin's final step forward. In like fashion, she studied his own weapon. She did not know all of its properties, but she had passing knowledge of its morphous nature. She expected point blank disarms and feints. 

With a mighty diagonal swing from her top right to her bottom left, the nature of her weapon was revealed as a sheet of crystallized air rushed toward him to bisect him and whatever walls lay between them like lumber, moving at half a bullets owe. Only a few amstrongs thick, the guillotine would be virtually invisible save for the faint shimmer of reflected light. 

How, she wondered, does a man fight while only half of him is present?