One of the two Wraithhounds burst forward again, this time its claws glowing with residual black energy, jagged mana clinging to its limbs like coiled smoke.
Kai smirked.
"Now," he muttered, low and steady, "let's do it properly."
His muscles coiled.
This time, there would be no hesitation.
He kicked off the ground.
And in a blur of motion.
Wind and debris swirled behind him as he met the charging beast head-on.
Mana surged through his core like a raging current, flowing through his meridians in a precise stream.
As he moved, his breathing slowed.
One step. Focus.
Two steps. Anchor the wrist.
Three, He exhaled and cut.
The blade screamed through the air, not as a mere weapon, but as an extension of his will.
A sharp pulse rippled across the space between them.
[
The energy layer in the air cracked, an invisible veil peeling open as Kai's blade carved a perfect arc from shoulder to hip.
The Wraithhound didn't even have time to scream.
