The stunned, strangled laugh that tumbles from his lips tastes like blood, and his eyes are burning as he parries again. It feels like he's dreaming.

Well, if he is, he'd rather hold on to it for a while; if he isn't, he really does need to focus on this fight. That's a little easier, gaze locked with someone he's never liked. (Can he hear this, too? Does it matter?)

"If you keep this up, at least one of those is going to break." Zerxus isn't bothering to restrain anything now, either the growl of contempt or the power of his strike.