Before they could regroup, Chen vaulted backward, leaving behind a trail of frost. With a flick of his wrist, he sent ice tendrils shooting toward the shadows, probing for the dark godling's form. The shadow pulsed in response, darting unpredictably, trying to flank him from above.
Chen countered creatively: he condensed moisture in the smoke into tiny, spinning ice needles, firing them like a hailstorm in the air around him. The needles pierced through the shadow as it moved, forcing the dark godling into the open. Exposed, their movements became easier to predict.
Seeing the opening, Chen summoned a blade of pure ice, shaping it midair like a jagged spear, and launched it with deadly precision. The dark godling twisted mid-flight, the blade grazing their shoulder and sending a line of frost across their body. Pain flashed in their crimson eyes, but their other hand plunged into the ground, drawing black energy from the earth to create a shadow barrier that absorbed the attack.
