Seris and Tedus clashed in the open courtyard near the academy boundary.
Lightning crackled across Seris' gauntlets as she drove a sharp punch forward. Tedus twisted his torso just enough for the strike to skim past his ribs, his body already moving into a counterattack.
His fist, coated in dark corrupted mana, shot toward her jaw.
Seris leaned back, the blow grazing her cheek as sparks of electricity snapped across her armor.
They separated for a fraction of a second.
Then collided again.
Both were pure hand-to-hand fighters, their movements sharp and precise. Every step cracked stone beneath their boots as lightning and corrupted mana collided again and again.
Behind them—
Selene stood before the barrier, her wand moving steadily.
Runes formed one after another in the air, glowing orange as they pressed against the invisible wall. The barrier shimmered with each new rune, reacting to her magic.
She didn't look away.
She couldn't.
Tedus noticed.
