Grey Skill 21

Mordaine and Aldir flew to the lowest, most central balcony. “You are trying to make allies of each other. Fight accordingly,” Mordain said. Next to him, Aldir wore a thoughtful frown.

Chul cracked his neck and raised his fists, each one the size of my head. “Ready, human?”

I rolled my shoulders and reinforced the aether cladding my body, but I didn’t conjure my weapon or armor. Instead of speaking, I lunged off my back foot, sprinting forward. Despite his size, Chul was fast. His stance shifted between one step and the next, and his fist burst into flames as it shot toward my face.

Falling to my knees, I slid beneath the punch, hooked his arm with mine, and let myself be pulled back up by the force, driving my knee into his ribs. Fire-attribute mana exploded out from him in a nova, pushing me backwards while I was still in the air, and he pounced after me, his fists clenched together and held over his head like a hammer.

Still in the air, I rolled my body to catch the blow on one forearm.

His strength was like nothing I’d ever felt before.

The force of the two-handed strike slammed me into the floor with enough force that the flames trembled in the braziers. Instead of pressing his attack, however, he backed off, allowing me time to get to my feet.