Litha knew brute force wouldn't kill the monster.
I could see it now, even through the haze of pain. None of our attacks were truly critical. Every wound we carved out was replaced almost instantly, rotting flesh knitting itself back together. If we kept attacking like that, we'd burn through our power long before it even slowed down, then it would finish us off at its leisure.
There was only one way to kill something like that. From the inside.
She wrapped herself in a thin, layered shield of tight, controlled, strong mana and leapt.
I remember thinking, distantly, that she was either a genius or about to become the first person to willingly feed herself to a monster.
"No!" I shouted.
I was still on my hands and knees, staring at the monster like I'd just been punched in the face. "Litha?!"
Temur didn't see her jump, but he saw my expression. He followed my gaze, saw where I was looking, and his whole body shuddered.
His eyes narrowed, burning with hazy red fury.
