Chapter 111: Rigid Lines
He felt the drain immediately. Soul Energy pulled out in a sharp wave, syncing with Tock’s rhythm. A dull ache spread through his chest.
Then his body vanished.
It wasn’t a teleport — just speed. The plate had done something to the space between his steps. He reappeared above Vincent’s shoulder before his own shadow caught up.
There was no time to adjust. He dropped his heel.
Vincent looked up as it landed.
The strike sent him to the ground hard. Stone split beneath him in a perfect ring. Randalp landed unevenly, knees trembling under the force. He didn’t get to enjoy the silence.
Vincent twitched. One hand curled against the floor. His chest rose once. The shard embedded near his ribs flared like a furnace.
Still breathing. Still in it.
Randalp wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and steadied himself. His legs trembled beneath him, not from fear but from damage—the kind that didn’t stop aching once you got used to it. The air burned in his lungs. He tasted copper.
Tock hovered closer, plates quiet and motionless. Randalp didn’t speak to it. He didn’t need to. Their sync had gone quiet minutes ago—past language, past tactics. It was all instinct now.
Vincent pushed to one knee. Molten stone flaked from his shoulder as he rose, frame hunched, body cracked along the joints where his makeshift armor had broken under pressure. His fused form wasn’t holding well anymore. His chest heaved. The shard at his side flickered, pulsing slower now—running low.