For a fleeting second, his mind emptied.
The Cerberus Slayer.
The name had spread across the Empire only a week ago. Warriors returning from Duchy of Drake had spoken of a seven-star summoner who felled a Cerberus with a single devastating strike and saved countless lives. The story had carried awe, disbelief, and reverence in equal measure.
Xander's gaze shifted instinctively toward Nexus Store.
The lion.
The summoning.
The indestructible structure.
The evacuation warning.
Understanding dawned with a sting of humiliation.
"That… was her?" he murmured under his breath.
He glanced around.
Several buildings lay torn apart from his wind attack. Roofs shattered. Walls split. Yet Nexus Store stood untouched. Not even a crack marred its façade. Even the structures directly behind it remained intact.
He had been tested.
Measured.
Toyed with.
"No wonder she insisted on evacuation," Xander muttered, a bitter realization settling in.
