"I knew it wouldn't be easy," Ethan muttered, mana flickering into his veins as his sword slid into his palm with a low hum. "Let's get this over with."
The guardian moved first.
In an instant, three lances of solidified crystal mana tore through the air. Ethan dodged to the left, feet gliding across the platform as Kaeryx's energy fed into him through their link.
He twisted mid-air, redirected with a pulse of wind affinity, and launched a sharp mana slash aimed directly at the guardian's core.
The blow struck—
And passed through.
"An illusion?"
But no—he felt the impact, just not on a body. On presence.
The guardian shimmered and reformed, appearing beside him like a wraith. Its hand swung once—and the air warped.
Ethan blocked, but the impact still flung him backward across the platform, slamming him into the crystal pillar behind him. A crack split the pillar's side.
"Fast," Ethan hissed, wiping blood from his lip. "But not fast enough."
He stood again.
