The power of this attack was terrifying.
The claw light made the space tremble, sharp enough to split mountains. In that instant, even the surrounding void let out a faint, unbearable whine.
"Ethan, be careful!" Elara exclaimed instinctively.
Yet—
What happened next defied all expectations.
The gray blade light slashed cleanly through Ethan's body.
Space bent. Air screamed.
But there was no blood.
No flesh.
Ethan vanished.
For a heartbeat, the battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
Then—
"Afterimage! That was an afterimage!" Risa shouted, her eyes lighting up despite her injuries.
Her voice trembled, not from fear, but from shock and excitement.
"This… what kind of speed is this? How did he do it?"
Risa had not missed a single exchange.
Even in her injured state, she had forced herself to watch every movement, every shift of aura.
Yet she hadn't seen it.
She hadn't sensed it.
Ethan's speed had surpassed perception itself.
He had deceived Zeph.
