Lucien braced Varga's back, pouring light through him like rebar through concrete. "Cross, your core temp's spiking!"
"I'll cry later!" I shouted back.
The troll swung wild, pillar low. I jumped—but not enough. The corner clipped my thigh like a passing truck. My leg folded.
[Major Trauma: Deep Contusion / Microfractures]
[Absolute Regeneration: Delayed (12 s)]
[Mobility: -12%]
Pain intens as fire. Everything below my hip screamed in Morse code.
Elise slammed her palms down. Ash hardened midair, forming a wall. The pillar hit it and threw sparks across the ceiling instead of across me.
"Buy me one beat!" I gasped.
"One!" Varga growled.
He met the next swing head-on, shield braced. The hit shoved him back half a meter, but it gave me the opening.
[Lightning Step — Step 1/3 Active]
[Cooldown: 2 s]
I blinked inside its guard—right under that furnace chest—and jammed Fangpiercer up between the molten plates where the glow was brightest.
The steel screamed.
