Max stayed where he was and slowly lowered Dragonheart. Then he shook his head.
"Your sword path is strong." There was no mockery in his voice. "Very strong."
In the distance, the Ninth Shadow pushed itself upright.
"But if that's all you have," Max continued, "then I've already lost interest."
The moment those words left his mouth, his presence changed.
Emotion drained from his eyes, and the faint interest he had shown vanished. The pressure around Dragonheart grew colder, sharper, and more absolute.
The Emotion Severing Path had awakened.
There was no grand explosion and no overwhelming burst of energy, yet the battlefield itself seemed to go quiet.
The Ninth Shadow attacked again, and Max stepped forward to meet it.
Clang!
This time the result was completely different.
