Jigano sought to strike hard and fast, but Bastien was too fast for him, stumbling back out of the way and evading the blightbeast's attack more from luck than intention. Though the Ascended telegraphed his retaliatory punch, not even the bard's blight-heightened reflexes could match the speed with which it was thrown, impacting Jigano's jaw with an audible crack of bone-on-bone.
Unfortunately for Bastien, it would be like punching another Ascended. The strength of the blow knocked the beastly bard back half a step, but aside from the kinetic energy the blighted man barely seemed to feel the blow, spinning back around again with a broken hiss. He wasted no time in dealing with any injury that might have resulted, his body as numb and frozen as his blackened heart. Instead Jigano crouched and dove in low to try and tackle Bastien around the hips, hoping to drag him down where his Ascended speed would be hampered - and where the blightbeast could take its time taking him apart to get to the loathesome rose.
Unfortunately for Bastien, it would be like punching another Ascended. The strength of the blow knocked the beastly bard back half a step, but aside from the kinetic energy the blighted man barely seemed to feel the blow, spinning back around again with a broken hiss. He wasted no time in dealing with any injury that might have resulted, his body as numb and frozen as his blackened heart. Instead Jigano crouched and dove in low to try and tackle Bastien around the hips, hoping to drag him down where his Ascended speed would be hampered - and where the blightbeast could take its time taking him apart to get to the loathesome rose.
