Chapter 190: Shocking Crystal
The blade went in at a shallow angle, right beneath the lowest rib.
Metal parted skin with a damp hiss—like water flashing off a hot plate—then kept sliding until the guard kissed the fabric of his shirt. The mirrored edge warped red beneath the torch‑glow.
A pulse kicked inside his chest.
His shard flared blue once—too bright, too sudden—then burst in a spray of sparks that scorched the cloth around it. The light collapsed inward, taking the strength out of his knees. Pain tore upward, white and blinding, but he kept his grip steady until the steel stopped moving.
Blood foamed in his throat. He tasted iron, grit, the ash that never left the arena air. A crooked smile cut across his mouth—more reflex than comfort. His outline flickered; the edges of his sleeves began to show torchlight through them, as if the world were forgetting where his body ended.
Kikaru moved on instinct.
One beat she was still on her knees, harness digging into her collar; the next she slid through the sand and caught him by the shoulders. Her fingers curled into scorched fabric, nails scraping skin beneath. The heat of her Ikona rolled off her in ragged waves—golden, frantic—like it might hold him together if it burned bright enough.
"Don’t—" Her voice cracked. She dragged in air, half a sob, half a curse. "Why would you do that? Elias, look at me."
He tried. Vision tunneled; torches stretched into long, quivering lines. Her good eye swam in and out of focus—wide, frantic, rimmed with soot. She shook him once, hard enough that the blade tore a fraction deeper. His breath hitched. Blood lipped over the wound and pattered onto her knuckles.