"This should've ended long ago," he muttered as his eyes locked on Fenix and Anya. "I underestimated you both."
Anya gulped down air, her heart still pounding from prolonged combat. She cast a sideways glance at Fenix, sensing how close he was to collapsing.
She saw his knuckles whiten as he leaned harder on his remaining sword. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly.
"Stay behind me for a moment," Anya said in a low voice. "You're in no condition—"
Fenix gritted his teeth and shook his head. "I can still fight."
Yet behind that bravado, she saw the flicker of doubt in his eyes.
Before either could speak again, Old Yan flicked his wrist. "What are you waiting for? Attack!"
At Old Yan's command, the Dark Earth user sprinted in, slamming his foot into the ground. A new row of stone spikes burst from the soil, each tip glowing with a faint blackish aura.
