The claim thread jerked in his chest like someone yanked it from the other side. Shu slammed his hand against the wall to stay upright while the heart's light turned darker and started pulling back.
[Claim Progress: 74%]
[Claim Progress: 69%]
"No, no, no," he hissed, forcing his feet wider so he would not collapse. "You don't get to take it back now."
Red arcs jumped from the core-node to the chains, then snapped toward him with enough force to rattle his teeth. He tried to hold the channel steady, but every pulse felt like two people tearing him apart from opposite directions.
[External claimant is contesting ownership.]
[Current state: Authority tug-of-war.]
'Right, this isn't about raw mana,' he thought, breathing hard through blood. 'Authority is rule-right, so this is about who has the stronger claim.'
Another surge hit and dropped him to one knee, but he refused to let go of the bat. He planted it harder into the floor and stared at the heart while his vision shook.
