Barbatos's triumphant smile lasted only a heartbeat.
From within the inferno, a hand shot forth—wreathed in violet energy, clutching the molten wrist of the claw that had impaled Vlad. Before the Sacred King could react, a sword flashed downward like divine judgment.
"CRACK!"
"Aaaaaaahhhh!"
A scream of raw agony tore through the sky as Barbatos's right arm was severed at the elbow. He reeled backward, black blood and liquid metal spraying in a burning arc. Before he could even process the loss, two searing beams of energy struck him square in the face. The impact hurled the Vorometallicae Sacred King across the void.
Despite the pain and ruin, Barbatos recovered swiftly, smoke spilling from his fractured jaw, confusion blazing in his black eyes.
"How…?" he rasped. "My flames should have melted his muscles, burned his bones—he should have ceased to exist."
Then the flames surrounding Vlad began to fade, and Barbatos understood the reason for his failure.
