Thepes crossed the gap before Alex could close the wound in his shoulder.
The blood blade along his left forearm went toward the injured side. He had seen the arm weaken when the claws tore through it, and he had no intention of giving it time to recover.
Mingyue's sword met him first.
The edge split his blade near the tip. He turned the loose blood around her weapon and sent it toward Alex's neck.
A rune opened between them, scattering the blood as it struck.
Thepes pulled the drops back before the white fire could reach them. Every part that returned mattered now. The sealed route beneath the street no longer fed him. As for the web, it had almost drained him dry.
He drove forward with his left arm.
Blood hardened into a hammer in Alex's right hand as he blocked. The impact pushed him backward, but Mingyue stayed at Thepes's flank, forcing him to turn before he could follow.
Thepes struck her sword aside.
She gave ground toward the roof behind her.
