"Careful!" Kaelira warned instantly.
She'd seen this move up close. Varik didn't just swallow attacks—he could spit the power back out and smash it right into you.
"A cheap trick."
Elowen snorted and stepped forward.
Cold poured out of her. The air around her froze so fast it felt like it snapped—battle smoke and drifting dust locking in midair, suspended as if time had stalled for them alone.
She brought her hands together. Ice-blue energy surged behind her and took shape, a huge ring unfurling slowly in the air. Light flashed inside it—then, in the next instant, countless ice spikes shot out like a storm.
At the same time, the void vortex in front of Varik had already swallowed Andona's sword aura.
Black shadow wrapped around that golden slash and forced it back out of the vortex—reversed.
The reflected sword aura wasn't pure gold anymore. A layer of darkness clung to its edges, tainting it with chaotic, jagged cutting power as it cleaved back toward Ethan's group.
