The demon paused, staying perfectly still at first. It did not rush into action or react impulsively, but seemed to consider its next move, as if weighing its options with a patience that felt unnatural.
Alaric looked back at it.
Alaric's face stayed calm, not showing any emotion, and that was exactly what puzzled the demon. No matter how hard it tried, it couldn't tell what Alaric was thinking or feeling.
It moved.
Hundao's body suddenly launched off the ground, moving faster than it had at any earlier point in the fight. The demon was using up energy without worrying about how much was left, caring only about pure speed. The body's muscles, joints, and tendons were pushed to their limits, forced to move in ways Hundao himself had probably never even imagined.
Alaric was not there.
He had moved before the body left the ground. Not because he had predicted the exact moment, but because he had predicted this entire situation and acted accordingly.
