Julian pressed the attack, his movements faster, sharper, more precise than ever. Every strike forced Leo backward step by step, blow by blow. Sparks and ice filled the air as the battlefield turned into chaos incarnate.
Leo's grin faltered for the first time. His breathing grew heavier, and a faint crack formed across his crystalline armor. Julian didn't stop, he pivoted, driving his blade upward in a streak of lightning that nearly tore through Leo's chest.
The beast stumbled back, wings flaring wide to block the next hit.
"You're slipping," Julian said coldly, lowering his stance. "Or is that all the 'divine power' you have left?"
For a moment, silence fell between them, just the sound of burning ozone and Leo's uneven breaths. Then, Leo chuckled. Slowly at first, then louder, until it became a full, manic laugh that echoed through the ruins.
"You think you've cornered me?" he said, eyes glowing with a violent, shifting hue. "I was just holding back."
