Kapitel 372: Looks like you need a hand (2)

Elara gasped for air, her vision blurry as the chaos of the battlefield began to settle around her. Her staff clattered to the icy platform as she slumped forward, her trembling hands catching her just before she collapsed entirely. 

The serpent's retreating roar echoed in her ears, though faintly as if muffled by a heavy veil. Then, she heard it—a voice, clear and steady, cutting through the haze. 

"Looks like you needed a hand." 

Elara's eyes flicked upward, and she saw him standing there—the figure who had leaped in to save her. His coat billowed slightly in the breeze, his dark blade humming faintly with residual energy. For a moment, she didn't comprehend the face, but then the familiarity hit her. 

"Luca?" she murmured, her voice hoarse. Her hearing was beginning to recover, the muffled roar of the battlefield fading into sharper clarity. She winced as the pounding in her head persisted, a reminder of the serpent's devastating screech.