Lucas's eyes widened for a split second.
"—?!"
Instinct screamed faster than thought.
Danger. Left. Now.
The skin on his neck prickled.
Without even turning his head, Lucas twisted his hips and raised the Great Hoe on reflex.
Aldric appeared on Lucas's left, his sword already a breath away from severing his neck—stopped for a single fraction of a second by the blade of the hoe.
CLANG!!
The violent impact jolted his arm.
Sparks of mana burst outward.
The air was split apart with a harsh crack.
Aldric's eyes went wide.
"What—?!"
Wild vibrations traveled from the weapons straight into Lucas's arm bones.
The edge of the hoe was still holding back Aldric's blade.
Lucas acted immediately. With effort, he twisted the end of the hoe's handle to the left.
The vibration changed.
The weapon's weight dropped sharply.
The Great Hoe felt like an empty wooden shaft in his hands.
Aldric, still pushing on reflex, lost all pressure.
His sword slipped off by half an inch.
"—Tch!"
