Cruzer didn't move at first. He watched.
Every decision, every stagger, every spark of panic that passed across the Blue Thorns' faces etched itself into his mind. And then—when their leader turned to bark a second command, her spear halfway raised—he was there.
A streak of void. A flicker of black lightning.
Cruzer's greatsword came down in a blur, a curved arc of space tearing open as it cleaved through the air. The leader's spear intercepted it just in time, but the impact rattled her. Her boots dug into the stone, frost trailing outward in a desperate attempt to stabilize her stance.
But it wasn't enough.
A Void Surge detonated from the clash, sending her stumbling back, her frost barrier cracking like brittle glass. Cruzer didn't press. Not yet. His job wasn't to finish the leader—it was to make her believe she could still win. Keep her focused. Keep her centered.
