Violet shards sprouted from Yuki’s spine like panes of broken glass. They melded together into two separate wings, one on each side of his spine, the left smaller than the right. Unlike the mutated Revenant at theNight Market with its slimy tentacles, Yuki’s jagged wings were beautiful—and deadly.
Zizi tilted his head, fascinated. “What are you?”
“He’s a Hybrid,” Yiran said.He’s still human, he almost added. No. Yuki wasn’t human. He was a Revenant.
He was the enemy.
“Shut up.” Yuki growled. But he didn’t attack. Instead, he reared up and flashed his wings.
Yiran had seen this sort of posturing in schoolyard fights; Yuki was afraid.
“I’ve never fought a Hybrid before,” said Zizi, looking a little feral himself. “I’m dying to have a go.”
“If you wish to die, then your wish is my command.”
Yuki flung his wings back. Violet spikes burst from them, hovering in the air above him.
Yiran covered his head and face with his arms as spikes rained down in staccato flashes of light. But the glass-like bullets never reached him.
Yuki was only aiming at Zizi.
The mage had spread his arms. A glowing circle three times the size of his body formed in front of him. The spikes fizzled when they touched the shield, but not before they burned holes in it.
Yuki launched into the air, twisting his wings. Another hail of violet bullets shot down. Again, Zizi braced with his shield.
“Is that all you got?” Zizi called out.
Yuki cackled. “Seems like more than what you can handle.”
Yiran glanced at the mage. Sure enough, Zizi had taken damage. A few stray bullets containing Yuki’s yinqi had burned through his shield, slicing through his clothes. Blood seeped from a gash on his leg. Yiran had no idea how good of a fighter Zizi was. Exorcists worked in teams, each member a complement to the others. If Zizi’s main mode was defensive spells, it was Yiran’s role to back him up on offense. But here he was,sniveling on the ground like a useless hack.
Yuki swerved right, prepping for another attack. “Let’s see how long you can hold out.”
“That depends on who’s the one-trick pony here.” Zizi laughed. “Is it me? Or is it you?”
In response, Yuki spun in the air, throwing momentum into his attack. The night sky lit up in violet as a hundred jagged pieces burst from his wings.
Every single fragment was pointing at Yiran.
Before he could react, the violet shards assailed him.
Yiran shrunk back. A crimson shield appeared in front of him—just a second too late. He felt something hot on his face and smelled his own burning flesh. He yelped in pain, curling into a terrified ball behind the shield.
Moments later, the attack stopped. Zizi’s shield had taken most of the damage, but the heat on Yiran’s cheek was almost unbearable.
“You okay?” Zizi asked. His shield shimmered and disappeared.
Yiran nodded, not daring to touch the part of his skin where Yuki’s yinqi had torched.
Zizi shouted at the Hybrid, “That was dirty. Leave him alone—I’myour opponent.”
“There is no fairness in the fight for survival,” Yuki said, breathing heavily from the effort of his attack. “You are both my enemies.”
“In that case, let’s end this.”
Zizi threw off his coat and extended his left arm, dragging his right hand down pale skin. Something emerged when his hands met.
His spiritual weapon.
