"Hard feelings or not, you're not breaking our chain," Kai said, pulling me to my feet as Elena swung her blade again.
I ducked and rolled, our mana chain glowing brighter as we moved in sync. Dante conjured a whip of water magic that lashed toward us, aiming for the glowing connection between Kai and me.
"Shield!" I shouted, throwing up a barrier just in time. The water whip crashed against it and dispersed into mist.
"You're making this harder than it needs to be," Elena said, her voice still shaking but her attacks growing more aggressive. "Just let us break your chain and take the penalty. You'll still have time to catch up."
"Not happening," Kai said, and I could hear the anger in his voice. "We're not letting you sabotage us just because you panicked."
