Leo crouched low as Maris lunged again, the spear slicing toward his chest. The impact of the shaft against the dirt sent a shockwave through the ground, throwing him off balance. Violet scales glimmered across her arms and shoulders, streaks of crimson pulsating along each plate like molten veins. With each swing, she grew taller, stronger, more monstrous, yet still clinging to the spear as if it were part of her body.
Cain's eyes followed her every movement, his fists flexing uselessly at his sides. He had not expected this, had not brought his blades, and now every instinct screamed that he was outmatched if he tried to engage physically.
"Cain," Gaius's voice rumbled in his mind, calm but insistent, "she is losing control. You cannot let her keep escalating. Think of a way to reach her before she destroys herself."
"I am thinking," Cain muttered through clenched teeth as he blinked to dodge another strike that shredded a training dummy into splinters.
