A spiral of compressed air exploded from his sword, slamming into the serpent's jaw mid-breath. The blast bent its attack off course, sending a beam of dark energy carving through the swamp instead of the team.
The redirected blast struck a line of dead trees, vaporizing them in an instant. Steam, light, and black mana cascaded across the battlefield.
"Nice timing," Aria said, already closing the distance. Her spear twirled once, drawing in the remnant energy before she thrust it downward. "Now—Piercing Pulse!"
The spear struck home, embedding itself between the serpent's scales and flaring bright gold. The pulse detonated like a contained sunburst. The creature convulsed again, and through the burst of light, Rhys saw it—another core, faintly glowing beneath the broken scales.
"There!"
He landed hard, sword raised. "Mana Blade—Vertical Slash!"
He struck downward with everything he had. The blade tore through the shimmering glow, cutting the second core in half.
