Serena stood still, but Kain noticed the flick of her fingers. Subtle. Almost like a hand signal. Or a tick. As well as the slight parting of her lips—almost like when a ventriloquist is concealing their own speech.
And then—
Vauleth slipped.
Only for a second. A single half-step off balance, like something interfered with his footing.
But it was enough for the Elemental Guardian to slam a wave of molten rock into his chest, sending him skidding backward across the field.
Kain's eyes narrowed.
'No way that was a coincidence.'
Then Aegis missed a counterattack he should've landed easily.
And one of the Vespid guards suddenly froze mid-flight, as if something had momentarily clouded its judgment. It took a direct beam of light to the thorax and fell from the sky.
Kain's blood ran cold.
He looked at Balens.
It hovered serenely in the background. The plates on its scale were shifting slightly with each twitch of Serena's fingers and movement of her lips.
