The sharp blade exploded through the barrier, shards of energy scattering like glass, but it bought him a heartbeat.
That was enough.
The Seventh Shackle Realm expert twisted aside. As Franklin's body slipped past, his hand snapped out, fingers clamping onto Franklin's arm with crushing force. He pivoted hard, muscles straining, and hurled Franklin through the water.
The ocean roared around him.
Before Franklin could stabilize, the other two were already there, one above and one below, closing in like predators. Their weapons cut through the sea, leaving violent trails in their wake as they drove them straight toward him.
Franklin smiled.
He didn't dodge. Didn't flinch. Instead, his energy coiled inward, compressing, tightening, his dream power surging like something alive beneath his skin.
"You won't defeat me by holding back."
The words had barely left his mouth when the weapons punched through him.
