Ethan appeared on the battlefield like a shadowy exhalation, catching Isabella before her body touched the stones. He held her in his arms, feeling her breath weak.
"Are you alright?" asked Ethan, his voice strained by icy tension.
"E...than...", whispered Isabella, barely opening her eyes as blood trickled from the corner of her lips. "I... I couldn't stop it..."
Without wasting a second, Ethan pulled a jade vial with a divine healing potion from his spatial ring and poured the elixir between her lips. The warmth of the medicine began stabilizing her meridians.
"Rest," instructed Ethan, gently depositing her against a protected rock formation. "I'll be back in a moment."
Ethan rose and turned toward the giant mantis. His presence transformed: the rage within him was stifled by an aura of serene darkness. His pupils vanished, his eyes turning pitch-black.
"How dare you touch my woman?" demanded Ethan.
