Charles's fingers twitched first. For several seconds, his body remained motionless against the dirt, his breathing ragged as pain coursed through every part of him. Then his fingers slowly dug into the earth, gripping handfuls of soil as he forced his battered body upward. His arms trembled beneath him, but the humiliation burning inside his chest gave him enough strength to move.
Once he managed to push himself onto one knee, Charles lifted his head, and his eyes immediately blazed with intense blue light. The veins across his arms and neck bulged once again, mana circulating through his body with violent intensity as his skin began to glow faintly from the sheer amount of power being forced through it.
Ka'z did not move. He simply watched Charles rise, his expression completely devoid of concern. The transformation had given him an overwhelming advantage, but he could still see that Charles was far from finished.
