All he could hear was the echo of that blast… and the sound of his best friend's voice in his head, laughing like an idiot while calling him the worst names of all, but he wasn't annoyed or angry.
Kaelen clenched his jaw, blinked behind the monster, and drove his fist into its back.
The fight was far from over.
But for the first time since the beginning.
Kaelen was no longer holding back.
He blurred into motion, a streak of gold and rage.
The monster struck first, its talon-like claw sweeping in a vicious arc.
CLANG.
Kaelen's forearm collided with the blow, a holy barrier blooming just in time to intercept it. The impact cracked the ground beneath him. His boots sank into the churned soil. His knees buckled but didn't give way.
He spun.
Momentum carried his leg upward in a sharp arc, a kick that slammed into the creature's thigh with a booming thud. The monster flinched.
He blinked then vanished.
