Liam landed lightly, already moving again. He didn't pause to admire the damage he caused. Flames crawled up his arms, condensed and focused, then detonated outward as he thrust both palms forward.
A wave of fire surged across the stage.
Percy clenched his teeth and slammed both hands down. Ice exploded upward in a wall thicker than before, layered and compressed, the temperature dropping so sharply frost bloomed across the stone. The fire crashed into it, steam erupting in a blinding cloud as ice hissed and cracked under the pressure.
The wall held.
Barely.
Percy reinforced it in real time, Myst flowing precisely and carefully, never exceeding the limit he had set for himself. He could feel how close he was skating to the edge—how much more he wanted to pour into the construct.
'No. I must stay true to my word no matter what.'
The wall still shattered anyway.
Not from raw power—but from placement.
