Delphyne watched, restless to join in and finish the fight, despite Valence's insistence on finishing it himself. Through her eyes, Valence saw her kick up the snow and try to use it as cover- a decent strategy if Valence didn't have two pairs of eyes on either side of her.

	Either way, he pointed his right index finger, channeling enough power into it to burst into flames. The snow evaporated, and the flames parted rather harmlessly around the offending Princess, with her sword raised high. She made a mistake, however- she ran for his shield side. He brought up his arm, and her sword slashed through the upper edge, where the magic wasn't as strong, and stopped dead a couple inches away from his head, [i]mana[/i] suddenly [i]thrumming[/i] throughout the room as it radiated through the glowing red runes on his collar to stop the sword. 

	This near-death sort of thing brought Val into the game, with no turning back. He growled, and whipped out his sheathed mithril sword, the blade itself humming with energy down its half dozen runes.

	"I am a monster so my people don't have to be!" he roared, genuinely insulted and stinging from the accusation, however true it may be. He had his shield at the ready to block whatever next attack she tried, as she withdrew her sword, but he didn't get her the moment to do so.

	As her sword came back from the sudden magical halt, he brought his own to bear, swinging brutally fast and strong, powered by rune and training. And after that, came another strike, from another angle, and then a feint and another strike, greaves and vambraces shining with runic light as they powered his movements. He felt the mana leaving him, but he knew that he'd have to burn off substantially more to be left defenseless.

	He didn't let her counterattack- he kept her on her guard, moving faster and more confidently than she, with speed learned in combat rather than in practice. 

	Abruptly, he leapt backwards, unclenching his fist- and dropping his shield- in favor of raising his hand. The moment he did so, he channeled more [i]mana[/i] through, and a bolt of crackling lightning thundered from his hand, crossing the short distance he had put between them and smiting the warded Princess.

	He didn't wait to see if she recovered- he let loose another bolt, the icy confines of the cave sending the thunder echoing endlessly around them, the ice reacting with cracks and pops as the thunder rumbled against it. 

	All the while, his teeth were clenched and he hoped, prayed, even, that she would slip and she would die, that she would be done. There is no joy in a prolonged fight, and if she did so happen to beat him, then his people were well and truly doomed.