His hand connected.
The instant it did, a violent burst of death energy erupted from his palm, engulfing me in a storm of black smoke and corrosive light.
The pressure slammed into my chest, ripping through the air with a deep, guttural roar that shook the ground beneath our feet.
Jael's grin widened as he felt the surge of his own power flooding outward, consuming everything in its path. He laughed—a raw, triumphant sound that echoed across the mountainside.
"This is what you get for going against me!" he shouted, his voice rising with exhilaration.
He really thought he'd won.
"Really?" I said from within the smoke, my tone calm, almost disappointed.
The grin froze on his face. His eyes darted to the dark haze, disbelief flashing across them. Then my voice came again, clearer this time, cutting through the dying echoes of his laughter.
"It's rather lackluster, don't you think?"
