Leon was only a few hundred meters from the jagged peaks when a thunderous roar split the sky.
"You thieving bastard!!!"
The voice was ancient and raw, shaking the very air. A heartbeat later, the clouds above twisted into a spiraling vortex. Lightning laced through them like veins of silver fury.
Leon's eyes widened. "Ah, shit."
He tilted sharply, dropping altitude fast. The wind howled around him as he dived toward the ground, but the storm was faster. A blinding bolt tore through the clouds, screaming down from the heavens.
Leon didn't hesitate. "Extreme Art—Astral Ascent!"
A golden silhouette burst to life around him, it was a towering warrior avatar, its form radiant and divine. The instant the lightning struck, the sky exploded in white. The impact shattered the avatar like glass.
BOOM!
Leon's body hit the ground with enough force to crater the earth. Dust billowed into the air, as a deafening shockwave rolled through the valley.
