The grass in the courtyard pressed flat against the ground. The air around Hayes trembled and warped like summer stone heat.
Stone cracked. Embedded gravel lifted and hovered at his side.
"You die for destroying my left arm years back!" He dashed forward like a shooting star, the ground beneath him burning with lava.
Leon's dual heart plummeted against his chest. The black cloth tore from his neck, spreading in a wide arc before him.
The mass of hovering stone slammed into the barrier. A concussive blast erupted, wiping the iron lanterns from their posts.
Smoke swirled. Lanterns spun through the air and crashed into the collapsed estate walls.
A wave of heavy dust splashed between them. Stone tiles cracked and flipped upward.
Sparks ignited in the air. Hayes's cobalt boots skittered through the fractured ground, leaving burning marks on the floor.
