Halden leapt backward, landing nearly ten meters away.
"Whirling Blade!"
Flames erupted around him as he spun forward in a cyclone of fire. His sword became the core of a spiraling inferno, the air warping visibly around the rotation.
But to Noah, the spin was transparent.
"Shadow Cloaking."
His body dissolved into invisibility.
Halden's blazing vortex cut through empty air. He landed heavily where Noah had stood moments before, flames dispersing into smoke.
He froze.
No aura.
No presence.
No breathing.
Only the tank remained.
"Did he flee?" Halden muttered, scanning the surroundings. "Temporary strength… yes, that must be it. They are bluffing."
Confidence flickered back into his tone.
He pointed his sword toward the tank. "It appears your servant abandoned you. You will suffer for your arrogance."
Inside the hatch, Kiara stared at the monitor.
Noah crouched behind Halden, invisible.
[Noah is in Shadow state. Invisible to all below seven-star rank.]
