Kai darted to the side, barely avoiding a mass of roots that slammed into the ground where he had just stood.
The impact sent dust and debris flying, but he didn't falter.
His fingers tightened around the hilt of his dagger, shadows curling around the blade like living tendrils.
Lightning crackled at the tip, a thin arc of energy coursing through the weapon's edge.
The Grand Magus of Wood watched him with an eerie calm, her eyes gleaming like emerald fire.
The ground beneath her feet pulsed, and from it, more roots surged upward.
They twisted unnaturally, snaking toward Kai and Kiara with terrifying speed.
"Persistent, aren't you?" the Grand Magus mused, her voice carrying over the chaos of the battlefield. "But persistence alone won't save you."
Kai ignored her taunt, focusing on the rhythm of the fight. He ducked under a sweeping vine, his body moving with practiced ease.
