The crystalline shards of the barrier hadn't even hit the floor before Ross Bailey's refined demeanor shattered along with it. A high-pitched, manic laugh escaped his throat—a sound completely at odds with his gentlemanly appearance.
"Marvelous! Simply marvelous!" Ross screamed, his eyes wide and bloodshot. "I haven't seen a Knight break a Tier-4 barrier with raw physical force in decades!"
Ross didn't retreat. Instead, he thrust his hands forward, and the air ignited. "Let's see how you handle the old ways! Flame Burst!"
A massive fireball erupted from his palms. Ethan, his DEX making the world seem to move in slow motion, twisted his body mid-air, the heat singeing the fabric of his suit. He lunged forward, but Ross was surprisingly nimble, using small gusts of wind to propel himself backward, maintaining a tactical distance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
