But Max was already moving. Golden light exploded around him as he summoned forth his Heavenly Luminance energy in full, forming a brilliant golden sword crackling with divine luminance.
This time, he didn't hurl it from afar—instead, he gripped the hilt firmly in both hands, his black scales glinting under the shimmering glow as he shot forward like lightning. The battlefield blurred around him into streaks of red and black as he closed the distance in an instant.
Clang!
The golden sword collided with the Ascendant's jagged, obsidian claws in a blinding shower of sparks. The force of their clash detonated outward like a bomb, sending shockwaves blasting through the ground and pushing back rivers of blood in rolling waves.
Dust and gore exploded into the air as both figures were flung backward, skidding through the broken earth, each leaving trenches gouged deep into the battlefield by the sheer momentum of their retreat.
