The giant metal claw came down without slowing.
It filled Mersha's entire view.
She didn't dodge.
She didn't brace.
She smiled and took it head-on.
A loud explosion tore through the arena as claw and body collided, shock waves blasting outward and throwing dust and broken stone into the air.
The ground cracked under the force, and several disciples raised their arms on instinct.
For a moment, nothing could be seen.
Silvar's growl faded, replaced by silence.
But his expression didn't relax.
"…No," he muttered. "That didn't land."
The dust began to clear.
And everyone finally saw why.
The giant metal claw was stopped.
Not deflected. Not shattered.
It was held.
Mersha stood there, feet planted firmly on the broken floor, one clawed hand gripping Silvar's massive claw.
But what stunned everyone wasn't the claw.
It was her.
She was no longer human.
Wings stretched from her back, scales faintly shimmering under the light.
