"Areyos!" Yoko shouted, rushing toward him, her boots pounding the still-smoking ground. Erina and Kaiser glared at Zahir, their auras flaring. A black-and-purple glow swirled in Erina's hands, forming a shadow orb, while Kaiser's fist ignited with crackling blue flames.
"Yoko, be careful!" Keldo yelled, his voice tense, one hand gripping his plasma cannon.
Zahir's eyes locked onto Yoko, ready to strike, his gaze cold. But Areyos raised a hand. "Chill, everyone," he said as the smoke cleared, revealing his unscathed figure.
"What!? He's still standing? Impossible!" Zahir, Miller, and Eyline thought simultaneously, their eyes wide.
"Areyos! How did you—!?" Yoko skidded to a stop, her boots sliding on the hardened lava. Her jaw dropped. Areyos looked perfectly fine, his icy aura laced with yellow lightning that faintly lit his face.
