Eleonora tightened his grip on his sword-though his right wrist was shattered, and the motion twisted his face with pain. He lowered his voice and snarled at Vyke, "I don't know whether he's the Lord of Frenzied Flame, but I know his presence keeps growing stronger! If this goes on, we're finished!"
Vyke forced himself out of his shock and back to his senses. He glanced at Loretta. Though her expression was grim, she had already raised her Silver Battle Scythe and assumed a fighting stance. This knight of the Haligtree had survived countless brutal battles. Even against an unbeatable enemy, she would never surrender without a fight.
"Together!" Vyke decided at once. "Kill him!"
As his words fell, all three moved.
Vyke became a streak of orange fire, charging straight at him; Loretta circled left on foot, her War Sickle tracing a cold arc beneath the moonlight; Eleonora endured the agony and picked up the fallen Square-Headed Greatsword with his left hand, flanking from the right.
Three formidable fighters, three directions, one killing blow!
Alarmed and frantic, Lansseax shouted, "Tarnished! Watch out!"
Tarnished did not dodge.
He did not even take a defensive stance.
At the very instant their attacks were about to reach him-
Tarnished suddenly tipped his head back.
He had no mouth, yet his flaming head unleashed a long, inhuman shriek that shook their very souls!
"AAAAAAAH!!!"
Violent sound waves mingled with sparks of frenzied flame and exploded outward! This was no ordinary sound, but a piercing scream that struck directly at the mind and ignited madness! Visible ripples of distortion spread through the air, shattering rocks and throwing up dust wherever they passed.
Shabriri's howl!
Vyke took the brunt of it. Pain stabbed through his ears, then orange-yellow flames erupted uncontrollably from his eyes, ears,