The violet-class monster's claw dragged sparks down Varik's blade, the shriek of metal on scale splitting the night. Varik shoved back with a grunt, his boots digging ruts into the cracked asphalt.
Lucen slid wide, heat pulsing in his palm. He compressed the mana tighter, tighter, the glow condensing into a white-hot spear. The air shimmered around it.
"Varik!" he shouted, and launched the bolt.
Varik dropped a half step aside just as the spear slammed into the monster's shoulder, detonating in a flare of light. The blast staggered the beast, its roar cutting off mid-bellow.
Lucen grinned. "That looked like it hurt."
The creature whipped its head toward him, molten eyes narrowing.
'Yeah. That got its attention. Brilliant.'
It lunged. The ground fractured beneath its weight as it charged straight at him, claws raised. Lucen's smirk slipped into a curse as he bolted sideways, boots hammering the ground. The swipe missed him by inches, carving a car in half like paper.
