Rael barely managed to twist away in time.
The blade passed within inches of his throat.
He leapt backward immediately, boots skidding across loose stone as he reset his stance.
Four fighters clashed instantly.
The clearing erupted into chaos.
Steel rang sharply as blades collided again and again.
Boots tore through dirt and shattered branches as the combatants moved across the battlefield with explosive speed. Mana flared and twisted through the air in violent bursts as techniques were unleashed without hesitation.
Meanwhile.
Claire Redwyn and Ivan Blackthorn stood near the edge of the clearing.
Unlike the others, neither of them rushed forward.
Claire's crimson hair flowed lightly behind her as she drew her twin daggers with calm, elegant movements. Her posture remained relaxed, almost casual, as though the violent clash unfolding before her was little more than background noise.
But there was something unsettling about the faint shimmer gathering around her fingers.
