Viren dug himself out and shoved the rubble aside. His coat was torn, his face smudged with dirt, but he was unharmed. Not a scratch was on his body, which greatly upset Reidar.
He stood, brushing the debris from his shoulders, and looked up at the ridge. The swarm was still there. The summoner was still there.
Viren's jaw tightened. He'd been wasting time killing the summons. Every second he spent crushing skeletons and impaling Titans was a second Reidar Miller stayed alive on that ridge.
"Enough," Viren said.
He looked up at the ridge. He didn't look at the army of summons surrounding him. He didn't look at the Titans still pounding on the gates. He looked only at Reidar, knowing that the only way for him to protect the city was to kill him.
He raised both hands. Shadows erupted from the ground in a wide circle, forming a ring of Shadow Thorns.
