Chapter 26: The Sovereign (2)
The sky rumbled above us, as if it were reacting to our clash. Lightning streaked across the heavens, briefly illuminating the forest with blinding light before plunging it back into oppressive darkness.
The tiger, that monster of power and majesty, was fast—far too fast. Every movement he made unleashed a frightening, raw force.
But I was the wind. Elusive. I danced around him, brushing his flanks without ever being caught.
Our claws clashed in a cacophony of metal and flesh. Every blow exchanged echoed through the air, thick with tension. I aimed for his vital points, but he blocked them every time with an almost supernatural precision.
But that wasn't the goal.
The real issue was time.
Slowly, insidiously, Cassandre's poison seeped into his body. I could see his muscles stiffen, his movements losing a fraction of their fluidity. He felt it too. That's why he became more aggressive, more savage.
Then, with a thunderous roar, he changed pace.
He was no longer just countering my attacks. Now, he was leading the dance.
With a leap, he charged at me, his claws slicing through the air with terrifying violence. I dodged at the last second, throwing myself backward—but he was already on me. A bolt split the sky and, in that brief moment, I saw his gaze.
Fierce.