"Arrest me, Blackwood? I just ranked up and forged a weapon. Come and take it."
The challenge hung heavy in the humid tunnel air. Damon Blackwood sneered, a dozen shards of razor-sharp black obsidian forming around his forearms. "Obsidian Barrier is Rank 6 defense, Tanaka. Your little toy is a Rank 2 parlor trick. Guards, restrain the Scrapsmith and the Frost Weaver, she is aiding a fugitive."
Elara's eyes flashed with anger at the accusation. "I am monitoring a violation of environmental safety, not aiding a fugitive!"
"Semantics!" Damon lunged, a spike of obsidian shooting toward Kenji's chest.
Kenji moved, not with speed, but with focus. He wasn't strong enough to shatter the obsidian, but he didn't need to. He focused his newly forged [Sonic Disruptor] not on Damon, but on the base of the obsidian spike.
Vvvrrrrrummm.
A silent, high-pressure sonic ripple hit the molecular structure of the crystallized earth magic. The tip of the spike didn't break, but the point of contact where it emerged from Damon's armor vibrated violently, momentarily shattering the purity of the crystallization.
Damon grunted in surprise as his spike dissolved into sand dust three inches from Kenji. "What? That shouldn't affect Rank 6 material!"
"Your defense is Rank 6, Blackwood," Kenji shouted, absorbing the kinetic scrap from the dissolved spike. "But your magic is based on structure! My Disruptor targets the weakest structural link, not the power level!"
Before Damon could recover, Elara saw the opportunity. "Move, Tanaka!"
She stamped her foot, and a sheet of slick, nearly frictionless ice instantly spread across the tunnel floor under Damon and his guards. They slipped and crashed into the walls.
"Rio, now!" Kenji yelled.
Mateo, who had been waiting for his cue, slammed his hands against the wall. [Sonic Burst: Concussive Stun!] A localized, non-lethal shockwave echoed through the tight tunnel, momentarily stunning Damon and the guards.
"Later, Blackwood!" Mateo laughed, grabbing Kenji's arm. "We're out!"
Elara created a temporary, solid ice barrier to block the tunnel entrance, giving them precious seconds. The trio scrambled through the maintenance escape hatch, leaving a sputtering, enraged Damon trapped behind the ice.
They met an hour later, breathless, at Finnian's shop. Finnian, sipping lukewarm coffee, merely raised an eyebrow.
"Broke your apprenticeship contract already, boy? Obsidian isn't forgiving. You need better protection than that Frosty girl's ice tricks."
"I need Rank 3," Kenji said, slamming the map down on Finnian's counter. "I need the Epic Scrap from the Garrison Ruins now."