With words past his lips, neither party deemed it worthy to speak again, instead, Alphonse hoped the man would prove to be more of a challenge than the lost foes Liaison had sent after him, his tests seemed to have every bit of his loathsome personality etched in their very being. Annoying, to an almost unholy degree. 

Alphonse stood as he had before, weapons not shifted in the slightest. How would the man approach someone who gave off a forboding aura, whose very presence reeked of a life lived and died. Would he play it smart and wield his lightning at a distance? The dancing lightning illuminated the field in it's glow, it cut the silence with it's thunderous shrieks, and left the field bathed in it's lingering tingle. The uncut energy was very much alive, but so was the Chi that Alphonse manipulated to a masterful degree. 

What the lightning showed in its wild display was the opposite of the subtle Chi that laced through Dessembrae's body, his very core. He learned long ago to control his power for maximum effect, for minimal cost. 

The man had sunk his sword, partial into the ground. This caused Alphonse to tense, his years spent standing before any number of combatant lending itself to his experience. What had the man planned? He would find out soon enough. 

A rush. 

Hiro decided to rush the man, engaging him at close proximity, a battle that would surely benefit from getting inside the guard of the sword and effectively decreasing their usability. Perhaps he was a cut above the rest, but his foolhardy attempt would not bare fruit. 

The man stopped close by, Alphonse allowing him his repreive for his new demeanor relished the thought of the viciousness. Arm cocked back, the foe launched what would surely be a knockout blow should it connect. The haymaker screamed of physical power, and the lightning that engulfed his hand did it's part to supplement the power with electrical currents. Oh, this blow would kill upon success. 

Alphonse sprung into action, dipping his left handed sword,  and summoned the Chi that had welled up beneath his skin.  A moment before the wild blow would land, Alphonse enacted his counter. His Chi burst forth forming a protective shield against his left temple, catching the blow before it  could be completed. At the same time, his right hand swung downward and to the left, aiming to sever the man's arm from his shoulder. 

Many moons ago, he would not have swung with such ruthless aggression, afraid to bring harm to the swords named for his spawn, but now the broken man cared little for that part of his life. Instead, he swung with a power that could split a man in two with a proper hit.