The ground was already broken, scorched with fire and carved by light. Arden's mist lingered across the clearing, curling low like a predator watching its prey.
The bandit leader's half-beast form burned with an unstable aura, his body twitching as if it couldn't decide whether it belonged to a man or a monster.
Arden's chest rose steadily. His blade hummed faintly with the resonance of his life energy. "You're already faltering," he said, his voice calm, almost taunting. "Did you think a borrowed strength would keep you standing against me?"
The bandit leader snarled, flame bursting from his claws. He lunged, fast enough that the ground cracked behind him. Arden met him halfway, life energy flowing into his steps.
"Radiant Pulse Vein," Arden whispered, weaving it into Serpent's Veil Coil. His blade blurred, and mist wrapped the strike until it bloomed into a Radiant Mist Shatter, bursting light and vapor against the leader's chest.
