Chapter 31 · Bound to the Executioner: Leveling Up With My Enemy - Chapter 31: Two Blades, One Pulse

"Move, or we both turn into ash!" Soren’s voice barked right in my ear, his grip on my waist tightening until I could feel the hard line of his belt pressing into my hip.

Heat didn't just rise—it detonated. The air around us was shimmering, turning into a liquid haze that tasted like burnt copper and ozone. Malakar wasn't just fighting us anymore; he was turning the entire district into a cremation chamber. Above us, the sky had gone a blinding, sickly white, the orbital strike carving a path of absolute erasure through the city.

"I can't—my legs are like jelly!" I gasped, stumbling as he dragged me forward. My Archon state was flickering, the golden glow around my skin sputtering like a dying lightbulb. I’d given him everything. Every scrap of mana, every bit of my soul’s reserve, just to keep that damn sword from shattering.

"Don't you dare pass out on me, Vesp," Soren hissed. He pivoted, slamming his back against a half-melted pillar to shield me from a wave of heat that would have peeled the skin off my face. He looked down at me, his eyes dark, pupils blown wide. "You’re the one holding the leash.