She lunged. He side-stepped.
She tried again.
And again.
Nathan came from the side, both hands locked on his blade now, pressing harder.
Merlin felt the shift, pressure building. Nathan was using more mana.
'He's trying to push me back. Good.'
He caught Nathan's wrist mid-swing. Not with effort. Just speed.
Nathan's eyes widened.
"I've got more control now," Merlin said quietly.
"Since when?"
"Since a while ago."
He let go, stepped back as Elara launched another bolt of flame. Merlin swiped his hand across it. Mana folded. The fire vanished with a pop.
Elara's eyes narrowed. "Did you just—"
"Redirected it," Merlin said. "Barely took anything."
Nathan stepped back, breathing hard. "Okay. That's new."
"Not really," Merlin said, exhaling slowly. 'Just new to you.'
[Skill Activation: Arcane Threading – Passive Efficiency Boost Applied]
The system's message blinked across his vision. He ignored it.
Elara threw her hair back over her shoulder. "Alright. Enough dancing."
