Karrak's eyes gleamed red as if the challenge had poured oil onto an already raging fire. His clone grinned the same way, both of them crouching low like beasts ready to tear their prey apart.
"Round two?" Karrak's voice was a low rumble. "You won't last that long, human."
"Then stop talking and prove it."
The ground trembled under their charge. I moved first—if I let them dictate the rhythm, I'd be buried under brute force. The Silent Fang thrummed faintly in my hand, whispering like a living thing as mana surged through the blade.
The first strike came from the left—Karrak's axe whistling through the air. I deflected it with the flat of my dagger, the impact sending a shockwave that numbed my arm. The second followed immediately, the clone's spear stabbing from the right.
Perfect timing. Predictable timing.
I let the momentum carry me backward, twisting my wrist to let the Silent Fang graze the spear's shaft—then I slashed upward, tracing a thin, glowing line through the air.
