Tobias's runes had dimmed, his domain seemingly dissipated, but the aftereffects lingered.
His momentum was monstrous.
He was reading the flow of the water, predicting movement, reacting before Eclipse could even fully transform.
A knot of panic coiled inside Eclipse's gut.
For the first time in centuries, it felt hunted.
As the Hero passed its position, Eclipse expanded once more, forming into its preferred draconic serpent shape.
Its scales shimmered like obsidian oil under the dim light, and it burst through the water in a spiraling motion, breaking the surface with a violent roar.
The ocean exploded behind it.
Tobias broke through immediately after, soaked and relentless, his expression unreadable beneath the glint of his crooked glasses.
The moment his feet found a foothold on air — whether through magic or will — he cast a barrage of fireballs upward.
Boom — Boom — CRACK!
Explosions bloomed in the sky like crimson flowers.
