The Concord's ritual weapon fired again, and this time the dark pulse caught two of the commander's own fighters, dropping them instantly.
"Fall back, now!" Kane shouted, dragging Senna and Wren toward the treeline as the newly arrived force cut through the chaos with terrifying efficiency.
The woman at their center moved without drawing a blade, raising one hand instead, and the air around the Concord's ritual wielder seemed to compress violently, the man crumpling to his knees, weapon clattering from his grip.
"That's not possible," Corvina said again, staring in open shock.
The Concord fighters, seeing their ritual advantage neutralized in seconds, broke formation entirely, retreating in disarray rather than pressing an engagement they clearly hadn't anticipated facing.
The woman t
