Without a shred of hesitation, everyone immediately reacted. They all tore backward, each figure cutting through the cosmic air at mind-boggling speed. Now that they were far away from the space, time, mana, unstabilized zone, some simply teleported away in streaks of light. Yet even as they retreated, countless life-saving artifacts were activated in unison. Shields flared to life, shimmering barriers rose like bastions of defiance, and protective talismans enveloped their owners in desperate layers of defense.
Then it came.
