"I cannot allow that."
The God of War stared at the emerald light fading from his shield.
Then his gaze returned to Enigma.
"I have no time to waste on you."
Aether tightened around his remaining hand.
"For once, treasure your life. A more dangerous opponent has appeared, someone worth killing. Take the opportunity to run before I change my mind."
Enigma looked at the hand holding the shield.
"It stopped shaking."
The god's expression hardened.
"Should I congratulate you, or would looking toward the ruins of Velmora make it start shaking again?"
"You have no understanding of what appeared there."
The reply was quiet enough to strip the humour from the exchange.
"Your ignorance is the only reason you can still make jokes."
"Perhaps."
Enigma spread his claws.
"But you still aren't passing."
The shield struck before he finished speaking.
Enigma crossed his forearms. Scales thickened beneath the impact, and the collision drove him backward through the air.
