[Kratos's smile likewise becomes ferocious. He twists on the ball of his foot to deliver a flying kick at the Swallow's side, deflecting that vertical strike and putting some distance between him and the Swallow. It's a move which ups the ante almost at once, and Kratos's shield is already waiting to meet another pulling sweep from the other direction, using his sword to thrust.

[If this was a real battle, he'd be trying to stop the speed of Yuan's blade. It isn't. Not really. It's to push them both, because they don't get many chances these days; and it's to show off a bit. For that reason, Kratos isn't entirely as economical as he usually is.]