The Sky Whale's core pulsed violently, its massive body shuddering as if some primal instinct screamed that its existence was in danger. Its gargantuan eye glowed, and in the next heartbeat—
BOOOOM!
A colossal beam of condensed water and light ripped forward, aimed directly at Joe.
Joe grinned madly, not even slowing down. But Julian's shadow surged from the ground, a dome of black tendrils coiling upward like living armor. The blast struck, exploding into a violent geyser of steam and fragments, but the shadows held, screaming, tearing, yet refusing to break.
"Keep charging, Joe!" Julian barked, his own body sparking with arcs of lightning as he reinforced the shield with gravitational pull, bending the beam's path upward.
Joe just laughed through the chaos, "Don't slow me down, Julian—I need that hit!"
