Hanuel's grip on his pole tightened, the tension in his arms steadying with each breath. He didn't let the ache in his muscles distract him. This time, there could be no hesitation.
Daeho exhaled sharply, the motion alone sending dust scattering off his skin. His grotesquely enhanced muscles bulged unnaturally, pulsing with the force of his accumulated power. The earth beneath his feet cracked with the sheer weight of his stance, like the ground itself was struggling to hold him.
His lips curled into a slow, mocking grin. "You're really trying again?"
Hanuel ignored him. He took a step forward, pole shifting in his hands.
A deep inhale.
His feet set.
His stance locked.
And then—he struck.
The pole lashed out in a blur, the execution sharp, precise.
