[i]Alyssa lifted her sword as she read Xavier's body language, her hands raising the grip above her left shoulder, the tip of the HardLight blade pointing at his chest. Xavier's blade struck the upper edge of the HardLight sword, and Alyssa used that momentum to loosen her arms and redirect his downward slash, the tip of his blade ending up in the dirt as Alyssa redirected it to her right. Alyssa aimed a low, powerful thrust with her sword at Xavier's gut, executing a perfect parry.[/i]