Karl's boots pressed into the dirt, cracks spidering out from his feet.
Lucy didn't wait.
BOOM—she was already there. Her fist streaked through the air, black fire spiraling from her knuckles. Karl raised an arm to block, but the moment her flame touched him, it hissed—like it was peeling something off him that wasn't physical.
Karl's smile twitched. "This flame…"
Lucy didn't answer. She spun, heel cutting through the air, and a crescent of dark fire ripped toward him. Karl stepped aside, the heat grazing his coat, turning the fabric to ash.
He countered, palm thrusting forward. Golden-white energy roared out, slamming into her chest and throwing her back—until she dug her heels into the ground, sparks spraying from the force, and stopped dead.
Her aura swelled.
It wasn't just thicker—it was heavier. Black flames rose in tall waves, licking the air like the breath of something ancient. The ground beneath her feet darkened, stone turning to cracked obsidian.
