Moon barely got his staff up in time. The grizzly's claws struck the reinforced wood with enough force to tear through metal. Moon's strength held, but he was driven backwards, his feet carving furrows through concrete.
The creature pressed its advantage, attacking relentlessly. Each strike was powerful enough to shatter Moon's hastily constructed earth walls, though not overwhelmingly so—he could still defend, still create space, and most importantly…still survive.
Moon spun his staff, deflecting a claw swipe that would have torn through his ribs. The impact jarred his arms, the force translating through reinforced wood into his bones. His strength held, but he could feel the strain accumulating.
The grizzly didn't relent. It swung its other paw in a devastating backhand that Moon couldn't fully block. He raised an earth barrier—the stone erupted from the ground in a thick wall—but the grizzly's strength shattered it.
