Damien stood calmly at the base of the flagpost, arms relaxed, breath steady.
All around him, the sounds of battle had erupted into full chaos. His squad members had returned in force, intercepting the wave of Jiang Xiao Yu's units that had turned from a feint to the real deal.
Blades clashed, spells lit the forest in bursts of light and smoke, and mana pulsed in violent waves through the trees.
Amidst it all, Damien was defending against Jiang Xiao Yu's relentless assault, shadows clashing with mist in sharp, fluid bursts.
She moved like water, slipping through his counters, weaving feints with real strikes. But Damien held firm, anticipating her every angle.
Then a whisper of movement above broke his focus.
He looked up.
Athena dropped from the treetops in a golden blur, flipping once before landing beside Jiang Xiao Yu with practiced ease. The wind scattered leaves around her boots.
