Laxin moved first. His shadow surged outward like a tide, the black haze of Death Aura billowing across the shattered ground. His eyes burned with that eerie, pale light—the hallmark of one chosen by the Supreme of Death. A single step cracked the earth beneath him as he shot forward, blade of condensed death-energy lashing down toward Aria.
Aria caught it with her twin scimitars, the clash ringing like thunder. Sparks scattered, but she barely budged. Instead, she twisted her wrist, forced his blade aside, and with the grace of a predator, launched a counter slash at his throat. Lanxin tilted back just enough, strands of his dark hair shearing away.
Fenric, watching from the side, narrowed his eyes.
