"Jesus, she's strong," he grunted. "Wolf-girl's got power like a damn ox."
Ragna stared up at him, shock flickering across her features.
He was just a human. No visible magic aura. No beast blood. No blessings.
But his technique matched hers. In some ways, exceeded it.
Behind them, Mira tried to cast.
She raised her staff and began the incantation for a force push, mana gathering at the tip.
A third soldier lunged for her.
Mira snapped the spell off early, releasing it with a half-formed word. A blast of compressed air erupted, slamming into the man's chest and knocking him back a step.
He didn't fall.
He grunted, one boot sliding in the dirt, but he planted the other and rode out the impact. Before Mira could draw more mana, he closed the gap, hands latching onto the shaft of her staff.
She tried to twist away. He stepped in, dragged the staff across his hip, and wrenched. Her grip broke. The staff tore from her hands and clattered away.
