The battle raged on, and the clock ticked its last five seconds.
Everyone was holding their breath. Tor was still standing, sweat dripping down his chin, knuckles white on his weapon. For a brief moment, they really believed he would make it.
But Gorm wasn't done.
The machine let out a guttural rumble, low and eerie, like thunder trapped inside steel. Then it took a sudden leap backward, digging its heels into the ground. Its massive body bent in an unnatural angle until the tip of its sword scraped the dirt.
A sickly black aura began gathering around it, swirling and pulsing like liquid smoke.
"Wait—what's it doing?" Roxy whispered.
Leonel's eyes widened. "That's not good."
Before anyone could react, the dark energy erupted in a burst of blinding light. The ground shook, and then—
BOOM!
A beam of condensed power blasted straight from Gorm's sword, a dark wave of destruction tearing through everything in its path.
"Move!" Ren shouted, but it was too late.
