"On my signal, we split!" Leo's tactical mind had calculated the optimal response. "It can't target both simultaneously at full power!"
"Understood!"
The wave of corrupted essence surged forward, and the two Master-ranked fighters separated in opposite directions. The creature's attack had to choose a target, and it selected Leo the one who'd demonstrated the more precise killing technique, who'd shown himself to be the greater threat to its network.
The corrupted wave struck Leo's Master-ranked barrier, and the two forces clashed with reality-warping intensity. Leo's pure essence construct held, but he could feel it eroding under sustained pressure, his reserves draining to maintain the defense. The attack was weakened, but still formidable enough to require significant power to counter.
