In that moment, the forest floor beneath her feet erupted upward with terrifying force, as if a buried mine had detonated, hurling soil, roots, and shattered stone into the air.
The atmosphere itself trembled. Golden brilliance flooded the clearing, washing over everything in sight, and before anyone could react, Hera moved. A pure white blade flashed forward, slashing toward the first opponent in her path, a Holy Knight commander who had not even finished drawing breath. His own sword hesitated, instinct screaming at him not to meet hers head-on.
Clang!
The metallic impact rang out like a bell struck by the gods, the sound heavy enough to make the ground shudder. Hera's strike sent him flying backward as if he weighed nothing at all, his body hurled through the air like a discarded ragdoll. The sheer power behind her slender grip was monstrous, closer to a charging bull than a duelist's finesse, and the illusion of softness shattered completely in that single exchange.
