Chapter 369

The demon magic in the rift was a dark predator, furious at being denied access. It savaged me, our magic entangled and battling for dominance. I took it inside myself, let it know the shape of me, let it know without any doubt that it had met its match. Its teeth were blunt fangs, mine were row upon row of razors. I laughed at its heinous intent, nipping it down to size like it was a misbehaving puppy.

The barrier grew thicker and more opaque.

The demons were knocked back. They redoubled their efforts to get through.

The rift groaned. It rippled.

And finally, it started to shrink. The edges dropped: one hundred feet high, fifty feet high, thirty feet.

The smaller it got, the harder the demons fought back and the slower the progress became. We battled for every precious inch that sucker deflated.

I dug my heels into the ground and screamed myself raw, growing lightheaded, the magic's brilliance fading as exhaustion took over.