The sixteen knights were not just soldiers anymore. They were meat shields. They knew it, and so Hiroshi knew it.
Sir Gareth led the charge. He didn't use a skill. He just threw his entire weight against his shield, trying to pin Hiroshi against a pile of rubble. Behind him, the other knights formed a semi-circle, their spears thrusting forward in a desperate rhythm.
"Hold him!" Gareth screamed. "Twenty-five seconds!"
Hiroshi's reaction changed. Until now, he had been a machine of pure destruction, hitting everything in his path. But as the three heroes began their transformation, Hiroshi stopped the forward pressure. He took a step back. Then another.
He tilted his head, watching the glowing triangle where Kenji, Aria, and Marcus stood. The purple light in his eyes flared. It wasn't fear. It was anticipation. He wasn't trying to stop the ritual. He was waiting for it to finish.
