[ Saber will later go over the attack in her memory to spot the exact moment she'd realized something was amiss.
Whether an unlucky coincidence or impressive premeditated planning, the move is made when her back has been turned to the door - returning the untouched cup of tea to the store helper with a polite nod - which left just a sliver of time in which Sion hadn't been in her line of sight.
It's the widening of the employee's eyes and the foreign footstep that clues her in, and there's a lot to be said for the reaction time of someone intimately aware of how far they can push themselves even before factoring in nanite enhancement. The fine porcelain of the teacup barely leaves her fingers before Saber's already spinning on her heel to intercept Astal's would-be kidnapper. Others detach from the shopping crowd - accomplices.
Draw. Fingertips rasping over Excalibur's hilt. The hiss of metal on metal as the blade slides free in a vicious arc.
Strike. Surgical precision. Sever the spinal cord.
The instant her first victim drops like a sack of potatoes (screaming the whole way, paralyzed from the neck down but clearly still in full control of his lungs) Saber grabs Sion by the back of his shirt and bodily drags him behind her, shielding him from potential gunfire. ]
DAMN IT SION
Whether an unlucky coincidence or impressive premeditated planning, the move is made when her back has been turned to the door - returning the untouched cup of tea to the store helper with a polite nod - which left just a sliver of time in which Sion hadn't been in her line of sight.
It's the widening of the employee's eyes and the foreign footstep that clues her in, and there's a lot to be said for the reaction time of someone intimately aware of how far they can push themselves even before factoring in nanite enhancement. The fine porcelain of the teacup barely leaves her fingers before Saber's already spinning on her heel to intercept Astal's would-be kidnapper. Others detach from the shopping crowd - accomplices.
Draw. Fingertips rasping over Excalibur's hilt. The hiss of metal on metal as the blade slides free in a vicious arc.
Strike. Surgical precision. Sever the spinal cord.
The instant her first victim drops like a sack of potatoes (screaming the whole way, paralyzed from the neck down but clearly still in full control of his lungs) Saber grabs Sion by the back of his shirt and bodily drags him behind her, shielding him from potential gunfire. ]
Back inside! Go!