Moon waited until his mana had fully regenerated and Mirage's stamina was completely restored. Then they rode back toward the crater.
The turtle wasn't resting this time. It stood at the center of the basin, neck extended, black eyes already fixed on them.
It had been waiting for their arrival.
'So it knew I would come back…huh?'
The moment Mirage's hooves hit the slope, the turtle rushed forward. It moved frighteningly fast for its size, completely committed to the charge.
Moon cast [Lightning Raiju].
The blue wolf flashed across the distance and the turtle instantly withdrew into its shell.
~Crackle~
After striking the shell, lightning crawled over the jade surface for several seconds before fading out. A few new cracks joined the old ones but that was it, the turtle was mostly unharmed.
Moon's frown deepened at the sight. The damage from the first fight hadn't weakened the shell that much. If anything, the turtle was reacting faster now since he was locked in the battle.
