That was not the act of a berserk monster.
That was the instinct of an Exorcist working with an ally to escape a domain.
Those instincts were deeply rooted.
They told Valen that Saint Maverick and Judy were allies.
Which meant, in theory, that Valen would not use lethal force against them.
In theory.
Reality was far less forgiving.
The battle was brutal.
Valen moved like a natural disaster.
Every strike carried overwhelming force, even when he clearly restrained himself.
A backhand meant to push Saint Maverick away shattered the ground and sent his body skidding across broken stone.
Judy fired suppression pulses in controlled intervals, adjusting frequency every second.
"Evaluating resistance. Hostile output exceeds projection. Finding alternative solution," she said.
Her mechanical calm did nothing to reduce the violence.
Saint Maverick blocked one blow and failed to fully deflect another.
