The fight raged on in the narrow pass.

  One warg rider was already down — the beast skewered and bleeding out from Gray’s earlier Earth Spike. But two remained, tearing through the dust with terrifying speed.

  The remaining wargs — massive, gray-furred, red-eyed — carried armored troll riders exuding thick red aura. One rider gripped a jagged spear, the other a massive cleaver. Their roars shook the walls, deep and guttural.

  The lead troll snarled, voice thick with malice.

  “Rip them! Feast on bones!”

  Gray’s heart pounded. His mind stayed cold and sharp.

  Two riders left. Wargs are fast — claws, jaws, momentum. Trolls jump off and attack together. Terrain: narrow pass, high walls, loose rocks, dust thick, river bend to the left. Use everything.

  Gray supported from the rear, knife ready, body aching from the earlier strain. His channels burned — every breath pulled at the old injuries.

  He could cast one more spell, but he held back.

  Not yet.

  He threw a rock at the spear rider’s warg. The stone cracked against its snout. The beast snarled — “GRRAAH!” — and slowed for half a heartbeat.

  Gray drew two throwing knives and launched them.

  One hit the troll’s shoulder — aura deflected most of the force. The other bounced off the warg’s hide.

  Little effect.

  Gray cursed under his breath.

  He shouted over the chaos.

  “Rin! Work together with Tamemoto — pin down the one you’re fighting! Lian Wei! Hold two for the meantime!”

  Subconsciously, everyone moved.

  Rin and her Kagehana juniors surged toward the cleaver rider. Tamemoto jumped forward, short sword drawn, aura flaring sharp around his body. Lian Wei and his Azure Fan group split — holding the spear rider.

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  Gray supported with thrown stones and knives — keeping the wargs distracted, buying time.

  Tamemoto and the Azure Fan aura users burst forward.

  Tamemoto endured the pain in his chest — “Hngh—!” he grunted — and slashed at the warg’s leg. The beast howled and stumbled.

  Rin’s sickles whipped out — “Chain Reaper Bind!” — chains wrapping the troll’s arms, yanking him off the mount.

  The troll roared in pain — “RRAAAGH!” — as the chains tightened, cutting into flesh.

  Shen Huo and Lin Mei’s chains joined — “Lotus Bind!” — wrapping the warg’s legs. The beast collapsed.

  Tamemoto finished it — short sword driving into the troll’s throat. Blood sprayed. The troll convulsed — “Gurgh—!” — and went still.

  Lian Wei was struggling.

  Two trolls had jumped off their wargs.

  The wargs circled to the rear, attacking with claws and teeth.

  Lian Wei held one troll rider alone, sword flashing, but the second was pressing him hard.

  Two Azure Fan disciples were injured — Zhao Feng clutching a bleeding arm — “Argh—!” — and Yue Lian limping from a claw slash to her leg — “Nngh…!” — both retreating to the back.

  Gray shouted, voice raw.

  “Aiko! Help me hinder them!”

  Aiko raised her fan-shaped staff. Mana flared — blue light flickering.

  But the strain hit her hard. Her channels burned. She gasped — “Haa—!” — blood trickling from her nose.

  The spell wavered.

  The blue barrier she tried to cast whizzed wildly — missing the troll rider she aimed for — but luckily slammed into the troll Lian Wei was fighting.

  The troll staggered — “RAAAGH!” — giving Lian Wei an opening to slash across its neck.

  Lian Wei finished it with a clean cut.

  The remaining troll rider now used a skill.

  The troll’s aura flared red — “Blood Rage Crush!” — cleaver swinging in a massive arc, air pressure cracking like thunder.

  Gray cast.

  He thrust Lumen Whisper forward.

  Mana surged in his first circle.

  Pain tore through his channels — burning, searing. Blood filled his mouth. “Gah—!” Gray shouted, teeth clenched, vision blurring.

  He cast a Fireball — small, controlled, amplified by the wand.

  The fireball shot out — bright orange, trailing sparks — and hit the troll rider mid-skill.

  The troll screamed — “AAAARGH!” — as flames engulfed its chest. The skill fizzled. The cleaver dropped. The troll staggered, burning.

  Gray staggered too. Pain radiated through his body. He spat blood onto the ground. His knees buckled for a second.

  He looked up.

  The fight was winding down.

  The warg riders were dead. The trolls were dead.

  The group stood panting, bleeding, alive.

  Gray looked at Tamemoto.

  His brother was breathing hard, short sword dripping black blood, aura guttering but still there.

  Tamemoto looked back at Gray — eyes shining with pride and exhaustion.

  Gray gave a small nod.

  They had survived.