Elara's charge toward the Shadow Shard was met with a blast of dark energy that rippled outwards, shaking the ground beneath her feet. She barely managed to throw herself to the side, rolling on the ground to avoid the brunt of the attack. The force of it left a deep crater in the earth where she had been standing moments before. The villagers, still entranced, didn't even flinch.
Cedric and Elias moved in tandem, flanking the Shadow Shard from either side. Cedric's blade gleamed as he struck, but the dark energy surrounding the figure deflected the blow, sending him stumbling back. Elias fired a volley of arrows, each one imbued with magic, but they disintegrated before they could reach their target.