My eyes widened, and I froze for a split second, dread clawing at my chest. Memories of past battles, of narrow escapes, surged to the surface. My instincts screamed at me to dodge, but it was too late.
"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath, gritting my teeth.
I quickly assessed my options. If I dodged, Edwin might be hit. If I stopped moving, our plan would fall apart. I had only one choice.
I have to cut through. There's no other way.
Strengthened by my resolve, my blade began to glow with purplish flames, dark and menacing. My vision narrowed, the world around me slowing to a crawl. The chaos faded into nothingness, leaving only the attacks and my blade.
In that moment of clarity, I raised my weapon and slashed.
CRUNG!
An arc of dark purple energy tore through the air, slicing through the arrows with a deafening roar. The remnants of the flames dissipated as I charged forward, ignoring the burning pain in my legs.