Ethan shot Matt Slade a blazing glare, his temper finally snapping.
"You old bastard," he snarled. "You really don't know when to shut up. What—are you trying to pick a fight?"
Matt didn't bother answering with words. He simply rolled up his sleeves, cracking his neck as if he'd been waiting for this all along.
"Come on, then," he barked back. "You think I'm afraid of you?"
Before either of them had even finished speaking, the air detonated.
A thunderous shockwave burst outward as both elders transformed mid-motion, claws and scales flashing as the liger and dragon launched into each other. The sky itself seemed to recoil as massive bodies collided, talons raking and jaws snapping as they tore upward into the air.
Below them, Nix covered his face with both hands, ears flattening in despair.
…So much for no fighting, he thought bitterly.
