The world hissed as the crimson spark swelled, a pinprick became an ember, an ember became a comet, and then—
"BOOM!"
A spiraling sun of flames crashed down exactly where the twin voids had been, the impact so violent it vaporized the snow in an instant.
Light flared, searing away the storm's gloom, revealing a molten crater where the eyes had watched.
For one breathless moment, the battlefield was clear.
Elria's vision sharpened—three figures sprinted toward them through the melted pathway.
It's really him!
The lord led a three-man group, his black coat whipping behind him like a banner, his expression grim. Behind him, the bespectacled man and the silver-haired youth moved in perfect sync, their boots kicking up steam from the scorched snowy floor.
The next moment, a portal tore open directly in their path. Another split the air above the crater, its edges fraying as the blizzard rushed to swallow it.
"-!" Elria's eyes widened in fright.
