Ren Kai moved the moment Cai Wen's last strike landed.
He stepped forward, his figure slipping straight into the narrow opening they had carved through the swarm, his sword already moving before Vermis could fully shift her guard.
But she wasn't alone anymore.
The thing behind her moved.
That massive shape made of countless insects didn't just loom, it reacted. Its arm formed in an instant, a thick mass of layered bodies twisting together before slamming down toward Ren Kai like a falling pillar.
"Up!"
Lian Yue's voice came sharp.
Her spear shot forward from the side, not aiming for Vermis, but for that descending limb. The tip struck the mass and burst through a weak point, scattering dozens of insects and slowing the strike just enough.
Ren Kai didn't stop.
He stepped through it.
The broken limb crashed behind him, missing by a hair.
Vermis's smile twitched.
Then her blade came.
Fast.
Too fast for a normal exchange.
But Ren Kai didn't block.
He leaned in.
