Kaela had seen it, but not with her eyes.
In that split second where instinct blurred into something more, where her mind pushed just beyond its limits, she glimpsed it.
Her death.
The A Rank Odonata Beast surged forward, its body crackling with violent blue electricity that condensed into something far more dangerous than anything it had shown before. The air itself screamed as energy gathered, the creature moving with such speed that it seemed to fold space rather than cross it.
And Kaela knew.
If she met that head-on, she would die.
There was no regenerating or second chance after taking on such an attack.
For the first time in this entire battle, she abandoned her initial plan.
Her right fist, already drawn back for a direct clash, trembled for a fraction of a moment before she forced herself to change course.
'That's not happening.'
Instead of meeting the attack head-on, she shifted her body at the last possible moment.
It wasn't clean and definitely wasn't painless.
