From the shadows beneath the coliseum's pillars, Leon's team watched with hearts bound in knots.
Naval's knuckles were white on the rail, his breath shallow. "This isn't… this isn't a duel anymore. This is annihilation. If either of them goes too far, the whole arena could collapse."
Liliana's eyes shimmered, tears she refused to let fall. She pressed a hand against her chest, feeling each beat misalign with Leon's fractured pulse as though his body was unraveling in resonance with hers. "He's already past his limit… Leon shouldn't even still be standing."
Milim, uncharacteristically silent, gnawed her lip before snarling. "That bastard Kaelith… he's feeding on the wound Leon gave him. I can feel it. He's turning weakness into decree. But…" Her eyes flickered with something like awe. "…Leon's pulse… it's not breaking apart. It's… layering. Like he's building something new out of the fractures."
